Breakfast with Mia Read Online Free Page B

stretched from the front doors down the walk and
halfway around the building, and our limo pulled right up to the Guest’s Only
valet. A man in a tuxedo took my hand and escorted me to the door with the
girls close at hand. They ogled the line we walked right passed and the bouncer
who took my name and then personally walked us through the front doors. A woman
in line yelled “ Cock sucking bitch!” and I grinned because that wasn’t
even the worst thing I’d been called that week. At least this time I kind of
deserved it.
    It was not hard to see why Michael’s made beautiful young
people crazy. A wash of plum incense doused us when the curtains parted, and in
the cool air the sound of piano playing some haunting melody from a small
raised stage in the far corner, just beneath the heavy, techno base of heart
throbbing dance music. Where we were led was wonderland, bruise purples and
blues, blacks and lilacs. Every inch of the club was draped in fabrics, tactile
and billowing from unseen breezes. The light was low, muted, pointed along
pathways between small isolated islands of couches and lounge chairs in a
variety of fabrics and styles from modern to Victorian throwback. Beautiful
women whispered into the ears of beautiful men, and everyone drank glowing
liquid from martini glasses. The patrons touched each other intimately,
casually, slowly in time with the music.
    The waitresses wore costumes that crossed demure Victorian
with Old West whores. A woman wearing a ruffled Victorian gown with the front
cut open and pulled back like curtains to reveal tiny purple bloomers leaned
over the laps of several older men and refilled their drinks from a bottle of
chilled wine. Another waitress wore a black leather bra with gun hostlers and
riding chaps. Everywhere were corsets and garters, gloves and flowers tucked
into elaborate hairstyles. They were costumed and theatrical in a classy,
executive gentlemen’s atmosphere, though beyond the lounge I could see bodies
grinding and throbbing in time to the deep, gut vibrating bass.
     “Oh Mia!” Cassandra gasped and took my hands and gazed
around like she’d just nose-dived down the rabbit hole. “I can’t believe you
got us in, but oh I could kiss that boss of yours.”
    I laughed and felt deeply impressed myself. “I’ll pass on
the compliment.”
    We were led to a private alcove and my sister’s friends
crowded her and gushed and fawned over men who passed and gazed desperately at
them. Honestly, I was a bit of a tag-along. My sister was my only companion
here, and it was clear she needed her horde of friends just a fraction more
than her sister that night.
    I felt strange here, when there were so many women more
beautiful than me within arm’s reach, not exactly the powerful seductress I’d
set myself out to be that night. I honestly didn’t want to return to my room
alone that night. Excusing myself, I slipped out of the booth and went to the
bar alone.
    A runner of black lights along the bar top made my dress
glow in a way that made me feel otherworldly. I leaned into the bar just enough
that the back of my garter belt would show and waved for the bartender. The man
beside me turned his head, grazed my body with a hungry, satisfied gaze, and
smiled cat-like into my eyes. He turned fully into me and boy was he handsome,
all broody and dark lidded with eyeliner and neat, white teeth. He wore an
old-fashioned bowler hat in an ironic, hipster way and I thought, I could so do
worse. Sexy eyes drove me wild.
    “Hi,” he murmured and grew bold enough to scrape the back of
my bare arm with his fingertips.
    “Hi,” I answered, and bat-batted my eyelashes at him.
    “Two house specials,” he told the bartender and in a second
we were poured the glowing drinks that smelled like plum and wine and tasted a
little like sangria. A black light embedded in the little V beneath the chalice
gave the drink its hypnotic light effect. We clinked rims and sipped and I
couldn’t help