  &quot;What? He knew you would be here though?&quot; I'm beyond perplexed, seems I have given him more due than he deserves.
      &quot;Exactly! Fuck him. Fuck men.&quot; She slides up as Jake approaches with two pink cocktails oozing with sparkly decorations. Leila reaches up and kisses him on the cheek as he slides one into her hand and then dips down and puts mine on the table. He slides in beside me and drapes an arm around the back of my chair as Leila stands, watching us and downing half the drink in one go. I think she's deliberately turning her back on the scene of Hunter and his date dancing nearby. It's pretty obvious they are hooking up tonight.
      I could literally kick him in the face right now.
      &quot;I'll be back in a bit.&quot; She smiles and takes off toward the far side of the club with drink in hand and I sense Jake frowning at me.
      &quot;Is she okay?&qu

  He drinks three shots to my one for a couple of rounds until I protest, a lot. He's being evasive and as much as I try to bring up the mysterious Ben, he just blanks it completely. I'm already drunk and anymore I'll be unable to walk at all. Jake switches to vodka on the rocks and hands me a fruity cocktail which I leave on the bar for fear of passing out. He's avoiding conversation, so I let the subject lie, trying to get glimpses of Leila's brother when Jake's not looking at me to figure out who the heck he is.
      Daniel appears and swings an arm around Jake's neck from behind, whispering something close to his ear that makes Jake frown. He turns his back on me in Daniel's hold and the two of them lower heads to one another and carry on the conversation in hushed tones. They look strangely cute yet totally male in that hunched way and even though he's being uncharacteristically we

  &quot;Come on, miele … We're going to be late.&quot; Jake is harassing me from outside the bathroom door. It's been a day of lazing in bed, food, and movies, but now he's rushing me to get dressed up to meet friends for his brother's birthday. The plan is to all meet up at a nightclub called Top of the Standard. Apparently one of the most exclusive clubs you can find in New York city. It didn't take much for Jake to swing entry for two dozen of Arrick's friends and closest family members.
      &quot;Well, seeing as you gave me zero warning, I'm doing the best I can.&quot; I pout, finally emerging in a black, strapless cocktail dress that is tight and short, gold high heels, and a gold clutch, I've made up my face with nude lips and a smoky dark eye shadow that Leila showed me a few weeks back on the boat. My hair is its usual loose, tousled waves in a side parting.
      &quot;Wow, si

&quot;What? He knew you would be here though?&quot; I'm beyond perplexed, seems I have given him more due than he deserves.
      &quot;Exactly! Fuck him. Fuck men.&quot; She slides up as Jake approaches with two pink cocktails oozing with sparkly decorations. Leila reaches up and kisses him on the cheek as he slides one into her hand and then dips down and puts mine on the table. He slides in beside me and drapes an arm around the back of my chair as Leila stands, watching us and downing half the drink in one go. I think she's deliberately turning her back on the scene of Hunter and his date dancing nearby. It's pretty obvious they are hooking up tonight.
      I could literally kick him in the face right now.
      &quot;I'll be back in a bit.&quot; She smiles and takes off toward the far side of the club with drink in hand and I sense Jake frowning at me.
      &quot;Is she okay?&quot; I can tell by the look in his eye he really means, &quot;How much has Daniel hurt her this tim

Chapter 62