Chapter 0103

That afternoon, I have a lot more fun than I’ve had in a long time. Perhaps made even more fun by the

knowledge that when I get home, Kent is going to kill me.

So, I’d better live it up while I can.

“Another!” I call to the bartender, raising my hand to get his attention.

Ivan laughs at me, pulling my hand down. “You know you don’t have to do that, right? He’s been

keeping an eye on you all afternoon. There’s no way he’s not going to notice when your drink is empty.”

A few hours ago, in the car, I had asked Ivan to take me somewhere Kent wouldn’t easily find us. He’d

smirked and told me he had just the place, driving me across the city to the bad part of town. Then,

he’d parked his sparkling Ferrari in front of a decrepit dive bar.

I’d been hesitant at first but he’d taken my hand, telling me to trust him, and pulled me inside.

I’d understood the minute we stepped in the door and my eyes adjusted to the light. With deep red

booths ringing the walls and a meticulously polished mahogany bar, this neighborhood bar wasn’t a

dump – it was a well-kept secret.

And we’ve been here for about three hours now, drinking and laughing, chasing that reckless feeling

that I’ve had since I made the snap decision to get into his car.

“Really?” I ask now, glancing between the bar tender and Ivan. “He’s been keeping an eye on me –

like, watching me? Why?”

“Because you’re hot, Fay,” Ivan says, leaning in to whisper it like it’s a secret. I throw my head back

and laugh, surprised and tickled by the answer. And, yes, well inclined to laugh now that I’ve got a belly

full of tequila.

“Seriously,” Ivan says, smirking at me. “Once he figures out that you’re rich and funny, too, he’s going

to lock you in the basement and keep you for himself.”

“Really?” I say, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Is he going to lock you up? Probably, Fay, but I’ve seen that basement and you –“

I giggle, but shake my head. “No,” I say. “Do you really think I’m funny?”

“Fay,” Ivan says, smiling at me with disbelief as he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Who ever

told you that you weren’t funny?”

I shrug, considering it. “I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “My sister is funny. I just always thought I was

the…other sister.”

Ivan cocks his head to the side, his attention fully on me as the bartender delivers two more shots to

us. “What’s the ‘other’ sister?”

“I don’t know,” I say, looking deep into his grey eyes. “The nerdy one. The dork.”

“Fay,” Ivan says, shaking his head again. Then he leans forward, bringing his face close to mine, like

he’s telling me a great and terrible secret. “You are beautiful,” he says, placing a hand on the side of my

face, brushing his thumb over it tenderly. “And you’re cute,” he leans closer then, placing a kiss on that

cheek.

I’m almost breathless when he brings his face back to where it was before, our noses almost touching.

“And trust me, you are funny,” he says, surprising me by not kissing my mouth and instead pressing his

lips to my other cheek instead.

I can’t help but smile back at him, as he looks at me levelly again.

“And yeah,” he whispers, smirking, “you’re kind of a dork.”

I almost can’t believe it, how much fun I’m having with Kent’s worst enemy.

Maybe Kent just has bad taste in men. Because Ivan is a blast.

“Really, Fay?” he asks, leaning forward again to bring his face close to mine. “Did you just figure that

out now? The Ferrari across the road wasn’t enough?”