Cruel Money (Cruel 1)

“So…things with Penn are heating up?” she asked as we strode toward the elevator.

“Oh…I don’t know.”

“You looked pretty into each other at the Chloe concert.”

I shrugged dismissively. “Well, it’s new.”

“And it’s not serious?” she asked with a secret smile.

“I mean…I don’t know.”

Katherine laughed and poked the bag she’d handed me. “Oh, come on. Spill the goods. A Tiffany’s bracelet doesn’t exactly scream casual to me.”

I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. Even though I’d promised myself I wouldn’t say anything about us, I couldn’t keep it in.

“Yeah, it’s not casual. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I’m excited.”

Katherine squealed, “I am so happy for you two!”

“Really?” I asked.

Lewis’s statement had made it seem like Katherine would go ballistic at the news. Not congratulate me.

“Are you kidding me? Of course I am! I want my friends to be happy. And you two are some of my closest friends.”

I looked her straight in the eye. I waited for the sneer to follow. For her to show her true colors. For what Lewis had said to be true.

But it just honestly wasn’t there.

Katherine looked actually pleased by the prospect of us dating. And maybe she was lying, or perhaps she was a phenomenal actress, but it made me relax. Made me stop second-guessing every interaction with her. I’d been prepared to have a horrible evening, but I wanted to have fun tonight. And Katherine was a guaranteed good time.

“Here’s the limo!” Katherine said when we stepped out of the elevator and then out onto the street.

The driver opened the door for us, and I slid in behind Katherine. Lewis was seated at one end, dressed to kill in the Black Panther villain costume for Killmonger. He was in dark pants and a long black jacket that he left open to reveal that he was bare-chested, except for a gold necklace that looked like an exact replica of the one Killmonger wore. His face lit up when I entered, and I whistled when I saw him.

“Excellent choice,” I said.

He winked at me. “I am not the only one.”

I blushed at his assessment of my lingerie. Then I found the person I was really looking for. Penn was seated closest to the front of the limo in the sharpest-cut tuxedo I’d ever seen in my life. He hadn’t told me who he was dressing up as, and now that I saw him, I realized it probably didn’t even matter with how hot he looked.

Then he withdrew a small, hopefully fake gun from his jacket pocket and held it up. “Bond. James Bond.”

My mouth watered at the sight of him. Hadn’t I thought he looked just like Bond the first night I met him? And then again when I’d seen him at the beach house. It was hardly a costume on him. He was just that attractive.

“It suits you,” I said, sidling up to his side.

He draped an arm across my shoulders and whispered in my ear, “I’m getting you out of this later.”

“What do you think, I’m some kind of Bond girl?”

“If you are, your seduction is working.”

I laughed and leaned back into him.

Katherine sank into the seat next to Lewis, and after saying hello to both of the boys, we drove over to where we were picking up Rowe.

“I don’t know why he insisted on being last for pick-up this year,” Katherine said irritably. “I’m always last. Because look at this costume.”

“No Lark tonight?” I asked.

“She couldn’t make it this close to the election. She’s out, knocking on doors for the president or something,” Katherine told me. “You should be glad you haven’t seen her right now. She’s sleep-deprived, food-deprived, and high as fuck on caffeine. She’d probably ask you if you’d voted and then manage to get all of us sick like last time.”

“That sounds like a rough job.”

“Yeah, she loves it though,” Lewis said.

“And she’s good at it,” Penn said.

“We just wish we could have more time with her when she wasn’t utterly manic,” Katherine muttered right as we stopped.

The driver hopped out and opened the door for Rowe. But instead of Rowe, a long, bare leg stepped into the car. That leg was accompanied by a stunning body and a swath of glittery red dress and bright red hair. The gorgeous woman was clearly dressed up as Jessica Rabbit.

“Uh, who the hell are you?” Katherine asked.

“Amanda,” the girl said, holding out her hand.

“I mean…what are you doing here?”

“That’s my date,” Rowe said as he slid into the backseat in a nondescript suit. He nodded his head at everyone. “Sup?”

“You didn’t say you were bringing a date.” Katherine rolled her eyes. “And I told you that you had to dress up.”

“Uh yeah, I did,” Rowe said. “Both accounts.”

Amanda leaned forward, her perfect breasts almost falling out of her costume. “He said he’s dressed up as a philosophy professor.” She ran her hand back through Rowe’s hair. He looked uncomfortable by the whole thing. “I’ve never seen a professor this hot though.”