Say what now?

"Oh no. Whatever you're thinking, you can just stop it, girl. Max and I will never be a thing. I'm good with that. I've come to terms with it. Don't you be getting involved. We don't need interference, thank you very much." I end on a regal nod.

But her smile turns into a grin. "Who said anything about interfering? I was thinking more of showing him what's been in his face the entire time."

I grunt and roll my eyes. "He doesn't care. That's the point. He doesn't want me, Flick."

Her smile doesn't falter as she utters, "We'll see about that."

If the sinking feeling in my gut is anything to go by, I'm in serious trouble.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

Helena "Okay," I huff and puff alongside Ceecee, "tug-of-war is a hardcore workout." Wiping sweat from my brow, I mutter, "We'll only do it every now and again."

Ceecee slumps in her chair, equally as sweaty as I am. "I thought you said we were doing light sessions?"

I place my fingers on my pulse to measure out my heart rate and pant, "This was light."

She mock-sobs. "I feel like I'm dying."

How adorable is this child? A laugh is forced from my throat as I throw her a towel and hand her a bottle of water. "You know why it feels like you're dying, young gra.s.shopper?"

Opening her water, she mumbles an annoyed, "Why?"

Needing to make a point, I kneel in front of her, hold out my hands, and near-yell, "Because you stopped exercising!" As she pouts, I explain, "Your body is in shock right now, because you haven't done this for months. Do you remember how you used to feel after you exercised? I'll bet you barely broke a sweat."

Looking at my face, she eyes my sweatiness and retorts, "Oh yeah? What's your excuse?"

Secretly loving the smarta.s.s side of her, I don't skip a beat. "A love of cupcakes and a sofa that is way too comfy for my own good." Standing, I smile down at her and hold out my hand. She slaps her hand over mine in a weak high-five and I gloat, "I'm proud of you. You pushed yourself today. I saw it. I felt it. You're ready to get back into this." As we walk side-by-side, I warn her, "Just so you know, you're going to be sore tomorrow." She groans, but I speak over her, "Which is why we're doing another session tomorrow. Lighter than today, but we have to push past that barrier." She looks up at me like I have to be joking, but I shake my head. "Sorry, angel face. You can give me those pretty eyes as much as you like, but this is happening. We made a deal."

She wheels herself along and mutters under her breath, "Is it too late to take it back?"

Smiling, I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close. "Sure is, honey pie. We're in this for the long haul."

I am.

I definitely am.

Helena I knew I was in trouble the second Felicity invited herself over to my place to get ready for our Sat.u.r.day night out. So when she showed up with a suitcase, I probably shouldn't have been surprised.

I mean, I was. But I shouldn't have been.

With Tedwood attacking my ankle, I held the door open for her. As she made her way in, she looked around my apartment and whistled long and low. "s.h.i.t. You've been holding out on me, girl. I didn't know you had money."

Looking around my apartment in confusion, I asked, "I'm broke as a joke. Why the heck would you think I've got money?"

Eyes narrowed, she asked, "How'd you get this place?"

"My sister and her husband own the building."

An ah-now-I-get-it expression hits her face. Eyeing my bookcase, she asked cautiously, "How much are you paying rent?"

I shrugged. "A thousand a month."

She gasped. "Seriously?" I could only stare blankly at her. She shook her head in disbelief and uttered, "You have no idea how much rent is in this city, do you, cupcake?"

My throat thickened. Oh no. What had Nat and Ash done now? No louder than a whisper, I asked, wide-eyed, "How much?"

Her lip tilted up in the corner as she thought about it. "For a decent place like this, I'd say between two and a half to three grand a month. Maybe even more with the tight security."

No s.h.i.t.

I whispered, "No s.h.i.t."

She nudged my shoulder with her arm and smiled down at me. "You're lucky to have a family who loves you so much."

Still shaken by the onslaught of information, I muttered to n.o.body in particular, "I'm beginning to see that."

Nat had called me in emotional hysterics the day she and Ash had accidentally slept in, not being able to take me to work. The devious part of my mind told me to milk it for all it was worth, to lay on a guilt trip so thick that Nat would forever do what I asked. But then I realized that not only during my time here had she been wonderful, supportive, and loving, but that she and Ash had undergone serious changes in their lives without complaint. I soon remembered I would forever be in their debt for making my transition to New York as painless as it could be.

Also, I loved them.

James had happily accepted the duty of taking me to work and home again, if it wasn't too weird for me-his words. I was totally okay with this. Not only did it mean my sister and her husband would be able to sleep in, taking some of my guilt away, but I would be able to spend a little time with James, one-on-one. Nat wasn't too sure about that. I argued I needed to make friends here. She returned that the only friend I needed was her. The t.u.r.d. To my utter shock, it was Ash who had talked Nat into letting this happen. He told Nat it was natural to feel protective of me, but James seemed like 'an okay guy'.

I could've kissed him then.

Okay, okay. I did kiss him. A big fat smooch he had no chance in h.e.l.l of escaping, right on the lips. He screwed up his face and cringed. I winked and blew him another kiss. He rolled his eyes at me, but I felt the love. So I guess it shouldn't have shocked me that Ash would give me a bogus rent figure. But I was kind of p.i.s.sed about it. More sore about it than p.i.s.sed, I guess.

Covering my face with my hands, I groaned out loud. "Oh G.o.d, is that what I am? The poor sister? Ugh. That sucks a.s.sholes."

Felicity just laughed. "Don't sweat it. I'm sure they're going to ask you to babysit when they have kids, and they'll do it knowing you can't say no."

I sobered in an instant. "Wow, do you know my sister? Because I think you spiritually channeled her there for a second." Staring down at her offending suitcase, I ask carefully, "So, what you got in there? A severed head?"

Smiling like the Cheshire cat, she simply raised her brows, knelt down, and unzipped the bag. She peeled back the lid to unveil a portable salon. "I told you we'd make Max see you, didn't I? I'm making good on that."

Already shaking my head, I objected. Strongly. "No, no, no, no, no, no. N-O. No."

Felicity smiled at me. Her bazillion dollar grin. And a smiling Felicity was something to be reckoned with. She was so d.a.m.n pretty I felt I would change teams for her. "Listen, I'm not asking you to do anything you're uncomfortable with, just to let me do your makeup and dress you tonight, is all. How bad could that be? You won't even have to pick your underwear. I'll make it easy for you."

I could see there was no fighting this. She had that look in her eyes. I let out a long, agonizing breath. "No short skirts. No short shorts. Nothing that'll show my legs."

A confused look crossed her face. She looked down at my uncovered legs and bunched her nose. "Why the h.e.l.l not? You've got killer legs. I mean, they're not tall, but they're shapely and firm." She reached down to pinch the skin of my thigh, unable to get a grip. "They're tight, b.i.t.c.h. What gives?"

How to explain without sounding nuts? "Okay. This was the way it worked back home. Nina showed leg. Nat showed leg and b.o.o.b. I, however, only showed a bit of cleavage. I never really liked my legs, but I like my rack. Not wanting to show too much, I always chose to expose rack, rather than leg. Capisce?"

She looked at me dumbfounded for half a minute before gaping. "You're dumb as s.h.i.t, baby. You're lucky you're cute to boot." With that sentence, she showed me why I liked her. She reminded me of the relationship I have with my sisters. I loved that.

Saying that, we barely agreed on clothing. We almost got into fisticuffs over it. Finally, I decided on a multicolored green leaf-print chiffon number. The dress was long, but draped and sheer, requiring a miniskirt underneath, and showing a healthy amount of b.o.o.bage. After having tried it on and examining it under every possible light source, I deemed it okay. When I gave in, Felicity almost collapsed with grat.i.tude. "Thank f.u.c.k for that! Moving on!"

She spent a good part of the next hour doing my hair and makeup, lightly curling my dark hair, leaving it in long tresses down my back, and making my eyes dark-rimmed and smoky.

I had to admit...I liked the way she did it. It looked hot, and that's not a word I would use to describe myself.

We argued again over shoes. I didn't like heels, never did. I liked strappy sandals or low-heeled wedges. This was simply a comfort thing. I tried on eight pairs of shoes before Felicity let me off wearing nude strappy sandals. Thank the Lord. With myself done, Felicity got to work on herself. If I hadn't have seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. She managed to get herself looking supermodel-runway-ready in forty minutes. And I secretly hated her for it.

She decided on a white b.u.t.ton-up dress. Who knew she could make something so wholesome look so s.e.xy. Undoing the top three b.u.t.tons to let her black bra show, she wrapped a black belt tightly around her waist and slid on a pair of black strappy sandals. Looking down at her shoes, I scowled at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. If you were as tall as I am, you'd get it. Try meeting a guy looking like an Amazon. Guys don't like chicks being taller than them. Sad, but true." Running her fingers through her hair, she put on a ton of mascara and glossed her lips, then folded up the short sleeves of her dress and turned to me, grinning from ear to ear. "We look good, baby, but I swear to G.o.d if Max doesn't notice you tonight, looking the way you do, I'll buy you a dozen of those cupcakes you like in consolation."

Already salivating, I almost yelled, "Deal!"

This was going to be interesting.

Helena The moment we arrive at The White Rabbit, something feels different. For the first time since I've been in New York, I feel happy to be out amongst the people, without feeling tired. I guess everything was coming together in its own way. And I'm happy for this. Felicity and I stroll up to the entry, where B-Rock, the ma.s.sive, bald-headed African-American security guard, makes us kiss his head before getting in. He is a sweet guy and tells us his wife, Honey, had just given birth to their fifth child the previous week. He gets double kisses for that.

Felicity and I hold hands as we sweep through the crowd over to the stairs, where a new Alice is manning the out-of-bounds, family-only, VIP area. Having been here a few times before, I know the protocol. Smiling, I start, "Hi. We're on the list. Helena Kovac and friend."

The Alice doesn't lift her eyes to us. With her head down, she checks the list and lets us in without a word spoken. Most people would have thought that b.i.t.c.hy, but I can see immediately the girl is just shy and probably not used to working with people.

We make our way up the stairs, and before I hit the top step, I see them. Nat, Mimi, Lola, and Tina sit on one side of the booth, while Nik and Trick sit on the opposite side. They're all smiling and laughing, already having a good time. I can't help but feel my stomach coil at not seeing Max sitting there. I mean, I know the guy has to work, but I was still hoping to see him. I mentally hang my head in shame.

Okay, okay. I'll be honest. I really just came here to see him. Ugh. I know. Pathetic.

I paste on a smile, link my arm through Felicity's, and walk us over to the booth. "Hi, guys," I call as we approach the side. The women turn to me smiling, but quickly gape.

Nat is the first to speak. "Holy s.h.i.t."

Tina blinks, and then adds, "Yeah, I second that."

Lola whistles. "d.a.m.n, Lena."

Mimi ogles me appreciatively. "Oh yeah, I'm liking that dress."

A blush heats my cheeks. I mumble, "Ah, thanks. I don't think you've met Felicity before," then I pull her with a jerk, throwing her in the line of fire. Felicity handles it like a pro, greeting everyone with smiles, handshakes, and compliments on what they're wearing. It's like she was made to be around people.

I slide in next to Nik, and Felicity sits by my side, already talking away at the girls. I hear conversations going on around me, but I don't hear much of anything being said. I'm too busy looking around. Looking for someone.

"He's downstairs, in the security room with Ash," is whispered into my ear.

My cheeks flame. I look up at Nik, and stammer, "I don't know...I mean, I wasn't look-" He raises a brow as he looks down at me, and I know I'm busted. I slump. "Was I that obvious?"

He lowers his voice a notch. "Not to anyone but me. I see all."

I sit and smile with no feeling, pretending to listen to the conversation as I sip my drink. I should get up and dance. I should ask Felicity to dance with me. That's what people do when they go to clubs, don't they? They dance...I think. Nudging Felicity, she takes the hint and steps out of the booth. I tell everyone, "We're going downstairs to dance," but we somehow end up at the bar, talking to Sheriff and downing shots of tequila.

After four shots, I know I'm starting to become intoxicated. How do I know this? Firstly, I'm starting to think everything is hilarious. Secondly, I'm beginning to lose function of my legs. Felicity pulls me to stand. "Come on; let's dance!"

As I stand, I wobble on my feet and we both burst into laughter. Sitting back on my stool, I utter, "I might sit this one out. You go ahead. I'll watch."

Not needing any more prompting, she heads out into the sea of people, and soon enough, she's b.u.mping and grinding with a very attractive guy. And this guy is taller than Flick. Bonus.

Felicity: Would you be totally p.i.s.sed if I went home with this guy?

I focus hard on my cell's screen before laughing out loud. Finding her in the crowd with my eyes, she pouts, and I respond to her text smiling.

Me: No way! I'll only be p.i.s.sed if you don't get an o.r.g.a.s.m out of it. Have fun!

I look up at her, and the random dude is sucking on her neck. Reading the text I just sent her, she lifts her thumbs high in the air. I blow her a kiss and turn to the bar. Someone occupies the stool next to mine, but I don't look over. I yell out over the music, "Sheriff, I need another shot over here."

But the person next to me reaches over the bar and gets two shot gla.s.ses and a bottle of tequila. He places a shot gla.s.s down in front of me and I gape. "I don't think you're allowed to do that," I tell him.

I look up, and smiling, golden eyes meet mine. "Sure I can."

And my heart swells. Smiling like a loon, I lean forward and wrap my arms around his neck, squeezing him to me. "Max! I was just thinking about you! I missed you!"

I feel his body still. "You missed me?"

"Duh!" Oh man, I must be completely hammered. "I've been looking for you!" Make that obliterated.

His arms wrap around me. He gives me a gentle squeeze before releasing me. His golden eyes look down into mine as he says in all seriousness, "I've been looking for you too."

Not quite wanting to let go of him, I place my hand on his thigh and smile up at him. "I dressed up." I thank the G.o.ds above for leaving out 'for you'.

His eyes sweep my see-through dress and flash a moment before they hood. He mutters hoa.r.s.ely, "I can see that. You're stunning."

That's about the time I ramble. "My friend Felicity helped me. I don't really like all the girly things. I mean, you've seen my undies. I don't really know how to make myself appealing to the opposite s.e.x. I must've missed that cla.s.s."

Max makes a choked sound before downing his shot, then my own. Coughing, he wheezes, "You're looking for a man tonight?"

My mind suddenly sobers. I smile softly, but it's forced. "Sure. I mean, I'm only human, right? I have needs like anyone else."

He eyes me good before saying, "You want to know how to be appealing to the opposite s.e.x, Lena?" My eyes widen. Max is about to impart his wisdom on me. He'll give me the key to his heart. I need to listen, and listen I will! Lifting a hand, he gently pushes stray hairs away from my face, lowers his lips to the sh.e.l.l of my ear, and whispers, "Just breathe, baby."

My breath leaves me in a whoosh. Then I say the stupidest thing I could ever say right now.

"Please kiss me."