I watch sympathy wash over Flynn’s expression and remember that Lake was with Cadence at that first party. I guess she didn’t see him as a viable replacement for Flynn. “Nah, it’s nothing,” he says, tucking his phone in his pocket and looping an arm around my shoulders. “Nadia’s making us famous,” he says, changing the topic.
“You can repay me by wearing my designs for your next video,” I say casually, like it wouldn’t be the total fulfillment of a dream for me.
“Sounds like a win-win to me,” Story says, and I want to throw my arms around her in a strangle hug.
Sometimes it all feels too easy and too good to be true.
Nadia
“Holy shit,” Kat says in an awed tone as Adrian pulls up in front of Rue’s Lounge the next night. There’s a line of people wrapped around the building.
Two weeks ago if I’d seen that line, I would have told Adrian to turn the car around and take us back home. Crowds are definitely not my thing. But tonight the spike of adrenaline I get is not from fear. It’s a total thrill.
I did this. I bounce in my seat, as carefree and childlike as a cat.
“This is from the TikTok lives I did with Flynn’s phone.”
Kat twists in the front seat to look at me with exaggerated astonishment and approval. “Yeah, it is!” She holds up her hand for a high five.
“Drop us off in back,” I tell Adrian.
“What? You still want to go?” He sounds shocked. Who can blame him? He doesn’t know I’m a new person.
“We’ll go in the back door,” I tell him. One week of dating the heartthrob of the Storytellers, and apparently, I think I own the place. Adrian lets us out in the parking lot, and I knock on the locked back door.
When no one answers, I pull out my phone and text Flynn to tell him we are waiting out back.
“Is that door open?” A girl calls from the line of people.
“Oh shit,” Kat mutters. “No!” she calls back.
“Then why are you waiting there? Is someone going to let you in?” Two girls jog toward us in platform heels, leaving their place in line.
Blyad’.
Just what we need is to get bombed with Flynn’s fangirls. I groan inwardly as they draw closer, and I realize I recognize them. Of course, it’s Cadence, Flynn’s recent fling and current stalker.
“Nadia?” Her tone’s and mixture of surprise and dismay.
“Privet.” I greet her in Russian, which is rude, but I’m not that excited to see her.
They join us, clearly inviting themselves along for whatever plan we have of getting in.
“Is Flynn coming to open the door?” she asks.
“Da. Yes. He should be here in a minute.”
If only I could get rid of them first.
She wags a finger between me and the back door. “So, are you and Flynn still hanging out?”
I nod. If I had any integrity, I would tell her that Flynn and I were friends with benefits. Nothing more. But my integrity went out the window the moment she came running over here. Now I just wanted to stake my claim on Flynn, to claim him as my boyfriend and to be claimed by him as a girlfriend.
“I think that’s great,” Cadence says. “Flynn is a such a kind soul.” She’s gushing. I wonder if she was pre-partying. “He’s a real caretaker. The first time we hung out”–I take this as American code for had sex–”I was on a bad trip.”
I glance at Kat because I don’t understand her words. She murmurs the Russian word for drugs, and I nod.
“He saw me freaking out and stayed with me until I could chill. It was so sweet.” She nods her head for emphasis.
I hate her.
Something about her story makes my stomach knot up. It’s too sickeningly familiar. Flynn is just a caretaker?
Blyad’.
He had told me about his mom–her depression. It made sense he might feel a heightened sense of responsibility for women in distress.
Gospodi, I did not want to be that for him. Not in a million years.
Yes, he saved me, but I thought…it was special. That we had a connection. Was I just another girl he thought he had to save? Is he drawn to damsels in distress?
The back door bursts open, and Flynn and his gigantic presence tumble out. “Nadia.” His gaze is on me alone. He reaches out and snags my wrist. “Come in, quick. We’re over capacity, and the bouncers won’t let anyone else in.”
“The door is open!” a girl yells from the line and suddenly hordes of them run for the door.
“Fuck.” He tugs me through the door and narrows the opening. Kat slips in right behind me. “Just you two.”
“Flynn, it’s me!” Cadence whines urgently as he tries to shut the door in her face.
“Oh. Hey, Candice.” His voice holds no enthusiasm.
“Cadence.”
“Ugh. Okay, I guess you guys can come in too. But that’s it. Rue will kill me. If the fire marshall shows up, you have to duck out the back.” He slams the door behind them, just as the droves of girls calling his name reach the door.
I’m reminded of zombie hordes. I picture them on the other side banging on the door, smashing their faces against the metal and moaning.
I’m not just a girl he had to rescue. He genuinely seemed happy to see me.
Right?
Then I’m fully gratified because he ignores everyone else and takes my face in both hands to kiss me hard on the lips. “You did this,” he says. “You little Russian genius.”
“Yeah, she did,” Kat celebrates.
I beam up at Flynn, desperate for another kiss. In fact…screw it. I stand on tiptoe and claim one of my own.