Read Online Love and Learn (Voretti Family Book 2) by Ava Blackstone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ava Blackstone
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She imagined them looking her over. Taking in her hastily applied lipstick and handmade dress. Waving her off to make room for the brunette behind her, who she was pretty sure she’d seen in the Victoria’s Secret catalog.
She shivered. Where the heck are you when I really need you, vodka? “How about we go to that cute place in Little Italy? There were lots of hot guys there last time.”
“Hot Anderan guys?” Calli punctuated the question with a drunken giggle.
And, suddenly, the venue choice made way more sense. Calli’s mother had been born in the tiny European nation, and Calli was obsessed with all things Anderan. Last fall, they’d spent four hours driving from grocery store to grocery store, trying to find some obscure spice Calli had to have to make a special bread for the Anderan New Year. And Calli routinely refused to leave the house before she’d checked all her favorite Anderan websites.
Annabelle sighed. “If you dragged me here because of that stupid blog—”
“Anja’s blog is a modern record of Anderan…you know. What’s that word? With the art and the customs and the… Culture!” Calli said, with a triumphant fist pump. “It’s a modern record of Anderan culture.”
“It’s the Anderan version of TMZ.”
“Maybe,” Calli allowed, grudgingly. “But TMZ is fun. And, anyway, if I hadn’t read today’s post, I wouldn’t’ve known that a bunch of Anderan businessmen are in town for the week, and they’ve been sighted at Top Shelf . Really, you should be thanking me.”
“For making me wait in line in these heels?”
“For finding you the right rebound man. Anderan men aren’t the same as American men. They’re more refined. More thoughtful.”
“And Anderan wine is smoother and Anderan literature is more complex. If you love Andera so much, why aren’t you living there?”
“Because I’d miss you.” Calli threw her arms around Annabelle, giving her a big, wet kiss in the middle of the cheek. “Now put on your happy face, because we’re about to meet the men of our dreams.”
“Calli, honey—I love you. I do. But I’m getting blisters and that line is not moving.”
“Don’t worry. I made eye contact with one of the bouncers.”
“And I put in a call to Amber Watts to see if she could get us on the VIP list. Seriously—”
“See. He’s coming over.”
“No he’s…” Crap . There he was, ten feet away and closing fast.
“Hi!” Calli said, way too loudly.
The hulking brute looked Calli over, but not in an I’m-trying-to-picture-you-naked way.
Alarm bells blared in Annabelle’s head. If the guy wasn’t another one of Calli’s many admirers, there was only one other possibility. He was going to ask them to leave.
“Excuse me, miss. Would you and your friend please follow me?”
Annabelle’s face burned. Sure, she’d wanted to get out of here, but being forcibly bumped from the end of the line was an epic low. “That’s really not necessary. We can—”
“Right this way, please.”
“See,” Calli said.
Annabelle belatedly noticed that the bouncer was motioning her and Calli toward the entrance rather than away from it. “You want us to go inside ?”
Calli elbowed her, and her jaw snapped shut. She followed Calli and the bouncer toward the entrance. The other two bouncers hauled open the steel doors, letting her and Calli into a small entryway where a marble-tiled elevator stood open.
“Go straight up,” Bouncer One said. “Enjoy your evening.”
Under his watchful gaze, she and Calli stepped into the elevator. The doors closed smoothly.
She reached out to press the button, but instead of the panel she expected, there was only smooth, mirrored wall. The elevator glided upward.
“What happened?” She wasn’t sure if she was asking Calli or herself or the invisible elevator operator.
“The nice man brought us to the front of the line.”
“But why ?”
“Probably because he saw this.” Calli held out
She imagined them looking her over. Taking in her hastily applied lipstick and handmade dress. Waving her off to make room for the brunette behind her, who she was pretty sure she’d seen in the Victoria’s Secret catalog.
She shivered. Where the heck are you when I really need you, vodka? “How about we go to that cute place in Little Italy? There were lots of hot guys there last time.”
“Hot Anderan guys?” Calli punctuated the question with a drunken giggle.
And, suddenly, the venue choice made way more sense. Calli’s mother had been born in the tiny European nation, and Calli was obsessed with all things Anderan. Last fall, they’d spent four hours driving from grocery store to grocery store, trying to find some obscure spice Calli had to have to make a special bread for the Anderan New Year. And Calli routinely refused to leave the house before she’d checked all her favorite Anderan websites.
Annabelle sighed. “If you dragged me here because of that stupid blog—”
“Anja’s blog is a modern record of Anderan…you know. What’s that word? With the art and the customs and the… Culture!” Calli said, with a triumphant fist pump. “It’s a modern record of Anderan culture.”
“It’s the Anderan version of TMZ.”
“Maybe,” Calli allowed, grudgingly. “But TMZ is fun. And, anyway, if I hadn’t read today’s post, I wouldn’t’ve known that a bunch of Anderan businessmen are in town for the week, and they’ve been sighted at Top Shelf . Really, you should be thanking me.”
“For making me wait in line in these heels?”
“For finding you the right rebound man. Anderan men aren’t the same as American men. They’re more refined. More thoughtful.”
“And Anderan wine is smoother and Anderan literature is more complex. If you love Andera so much, why aren’t you living there?”
“Because I’d miss you.” Calli threw her arms around Annabelle, giving her a big, wet kiss in the middle of the cheek. “Now put on your happy face, because we’re about to meet the men of our dreams.”
“Calli, honey—I love you. I do. But I’m getting blisters and that line is not moving.”
“Don’t worry. I made eye contact with one of the bouncers.”
“And I put in a call to Amber Watts to see if she could get us on the VIP list. Seriously—”
“See. He’s coming over.”
“No he’s…” Crap . There he was, ten feet away and closing fast.
“Hi!” Calli said, way too loudly.
The hulking brute looked Calli over, but not in an I’m-trying-to-picture-you-naked way.
Alarm bells blared in Annabelle’s head. If the guy wasn’t another one of Calli’s many admirers, there was only one other possibility. He was going to ask them to leave.
“Excuse me, miss. Would you and your friend please follow me?”
Annabelle’s face burned. Sure, she’d wanted to get out of here, but being forcibly bumped from the end of the line was an epic low. “That’s really not necessary. We can—”
“Right this way, please.”
“See,” Calli said.
Annabelle belatedly noticed that the bouncer was motioning her and Calli toward the entrance rather than away from it. “You want us to go inside ?”
Calli elbowed her, and her jaw snapped shut. She followed Calli and the bouncer toward the entrance. The other two bouncers hauled open the steel doors, letting her and Calli into a small entryway where a marble-tiled elevator stood open.
“Go straight up,” Bouncer One said. “Enjoy your evening.”
Under his watchful gaze, she and Calli stepped into the elevator. The doors closed smoothly.
She reached out to press the button, but instead of the panel she expected, there was only smooth, mirrored wall. The elevator glided upward.
“What happened?” She wasn’t sure if she was asking Calli or herself or the invisible elevator operator.
“The nice man brought us to the front of the line.”
“But why ?”
“Probably because he saw this.” Calli held out
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