The club Everett took her to was only about five or six blocks away. On any normal day at home, she would have walked to and from without a problem. But it wasn’t safe in the city, and she didn’t have her sneakers anymore, just these impossible heels.
They valeted the car and then walked through the front doors into a pulsing nightclub already half filled with bodies. Everett grabbed her hand and then pulled her through the crowd to a secluded booth. A group of people was already seated with drinks and a pitcher of beer in front of them. As soon as Reyna and Everett approached, a blond girl threw herself at him.
“Everett! You’re here!”
He hugged her back and then released her. He tugged Reyna closer, bringing her into view. “This is my friend Reyna. She’s new at my building.”
Reyna glanced at him curiously as he ushered her into the booth next to one guy. Everett slid in next to her. The blond girl took the seat across from Everett.
“Valet?” the blond girl asked disbelievingly.
Everett shook his head. “Receptionist.”
“Killer. I was a waiter there for one week before I wanted to open my wrists on the tile floor just to see all the nasty bloodsuckers have a field day.”
“Oh,” Reyna said awkwardly. Why had Everett lied about her? He knew that she didn’t work as a receptionist. But clearly this girl didn’t like vampires, so maybe it was better to play along.
“I’m Mara,” the girl said, offering Reyna her hand. “And this is Lauren, Tucker, and Coop.”
She pointed around the table to a tall black girl with short brown hair, a mixed guy with thick curly black hair, and another guy with longish brown hair who looked like a skinny rocker with tattoos.
“So, Reyna,” Lauren said, leaning over the table. “Where the hell did you get that outfit? Did you rob a bank?”
Reyna stared down at it and realized how ridiculous it must look to them. She was wrapped in silk, wearing designer labels, and shoes that cost a fortune.
“Oh…these. Well, don’t tell anyone. They’re knockoffs,” she muttered. Suddenly she realized that she wasn’t really any freer with these people than with Beckham. At least with Becks she didn’t have to lie about who she was.
“Best knockoffs I’ve ever seen,” Mara said. She clearly didn’t buy it.
“Want a drink?” Everett asked.
“Dying for one,” Reyna said. She hopped out of the booth and followed him to the bar. “What the hell was that?”
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Visage isn’t well liked around here.”
“How do you even know I work for Visage?”
Everett gave her a meaningful look. “A beautiful girl with an unlimited credit card hanging around Beckham Anderson? Kind of an easy guess.”
“Oh.” Reyna felt her cheeks heat. “You think I’m beautiful?”
Everett laughed. “Yes, but don’t let Beckham know. He’s a scary motherfucker.”
“True.” She could hardly disagree, but one thing stuck out to her. “Wait…is Beckham normally with other pretty girls?” She leaned against the bar as Everett ordered drinks.
“I wouldn’t say normally, but the women I’ve seen him with have been attractive.” Everett gave her a weird look. “Why?”
“Just curious,” she said softly.
The thought of Beckham having other women filter through his life was unsettling. She didn’t know what that meant. She had only been here a short while. Were these other women people he drank off of? Was he used to having a rotating option of people to eat? She couldn’t figure out why she was different and why it unsettled her so much to think about him eating from anyone else. She tried to ignore that pang in her belly. She had no idea who these women were. She didn’t know if they were other subjects or vampires or what. And really it was none of her business. None of her business at all.
Everett handed her a dark red drink, and she raised an eyebrow. “What’s this?”
“Enjoy the irony. It’s called a bloodsucker.”
Reyna brought it to her mouth. The thick red liquid touched her lips and a burst of cherry flavor assaulted her taste buds. It was sugary sweet and delicious. Everett reached forward and wiped a stray bit of the drink from her lip. She stiffened and looked away from his face. She wasn’t sure what Everett thought it meant to bring her here, but she was just looking for friends.
Her mind strayed to what Beckham’s reaction would have been to see blood on her lips. It was wrong on so many levels.
Reyna followed Everett back to his friends, and slid into the booth. Lauren and Coop were practically making out while Tucker was chugging a beer. She had never met such free-spirited people. Everyone back home worked constantly. The hours were rough and people were too exhausted to have much time for fun like this. Even her time with Steven had been in between his shifts at the factories.