Knowing I didn’t have an outfit like that on me anyway, I ignored the plain feeling washing through my body and stepped up to Kellan’s side. He glanced at Sienna, rolled his eyes, then looked down at me. “Even on her best day, you’re still more attractive,” he whispered.
Flushing, I suddenly felt like I’d just won the Miss America Pageant. His compliment made Sienna seem horribly overdone, like she was trying so hard to be noticed that she may as well have sprayed I’m Sexy on her chest. It brought her beauty down a peg in my eyes, and I felt more on equal footing with her as we stepped out into the chilly night.
Sienna looked freezing as she rubbed her hands over her bare arms. She didn’t have to wait long, though. As if on cue, a limo pulled up to the back door, and we all hurried inside. I sighed as I looked around the twinkling interior. So much for blending in with the locals. This luxury also seemed to scream our “importance.” It made me miss going to clubs with Kellan in Seattle. It made me miss hanging out at Pete’s. It made me miss Justin’s tour. Simpler times.
Kellan kept his arm around me the entire time we were in the limo. Sienna watched us, a strange expression on her face. It was a peaceful, supportive look, but there was wistfulness there too. And maybe a trace of sadness. No matter her bravado, I think she had loved someone before, and it hadn’t ended well. For a moment her persona seemed cracked, and I almost thought I was seeing the real Sienna, not the celebrity. Then she noticed me analyzing her, and her mask of seductive confidence slipped back into place. She winked at me from across the limo.
When the driver pulled up to the front of a place called Poison, there was a swarm of photographers hovering around the entrance. Like they already knew who was in the car, they started snapping pictures of the limo the second it stopped. You’d think we were pulling up to a movie premier, by all of the photographers outside. Paparazzi in North Carolina? I was pretty positive that their being here wasn’t a coincidence. Who the hell did Sienna call when she arranged this little outing? No wonder she had taken the time to make herself look like a million bucks.
With the car idling, the driver ran around to open our door. While I watched the flashes in horror, a small smile lit Sienna’s lips. This would be a big moment in the sun for her—a night out on the town with her rumored paramour. Even if they entered separately, there was no way they wouldn’t be news tomorrow. And what would the fans think of me in this scenario? Was I a tagalong, perhaps one of the other band member’s girlfriends? If Kellan and I walked in together, the speculation about me could be just as spectacular as the gossip surrounding him and Sienna. I did not want that.
As the driver opened the door, Sienna smoothed her dress in preparation for her grand entrance. The driver reached out his hand and helped her out of the car. The flashes went crazy. Sienna stopped and waited for Kellan while my body surged with adrenaline. Evan and Griffin started to stand, but Kellan held his hand up. Leaning forward, he told the driver, “We’re not walking through that, take us somewhere else.”
Nodding, the driver looked back at Sienna and asked her if she wanted to stay or go. Sienna hesitated, glancing at the crowd still snapping photos, then got back into the car. Pouting as she watched the light bulbs fading into the distance, she muttered, “Really? That was the best club in town.”
Kellan leaned back in his seat and gave her a charming smile. “You were welcome to stay, if you wanted to.”
Sienna rolled her eyes, then gave the driver the name of another club that she thought would be a “little less crowded.”
Much to my relief, no one was hanging around the second club when we pulled up. Once we were inside, deep bass music made my ribs vibrate. An eager man in a suit led us to a private VIP area. By the look on his face, he was elated to have us here tonight and would probably get us anything we wanted. Maybe he was the owner. He had two girls in tight corset tops and black boy shorts beside him. They were either waitresses or strippers. I really couldn’t tell.
Sienna ordered a couple of bottles of Cristal, and one of the scantily clad women took off to get them. Waitress, then. Her revealing outfit made me appreciate Pete’s simple T-shirts all the more. Smiling at the owner, Sienna sat sideways on a chaise lounge. The deep red cushion clashed with her outfit. It made me smile. No one but the band, the owner, and the one remaining waitress were in the room. All of the regular customers were on the other side of a thick glass wall. It ran along one entire side of the room, separating us from the main dance floor of the club. We had a perfect view of hundreds of gyrating, grinding bodies. I had no idea if the dancing couples had any idea that we could see them or not. It was clear that they couldn’t see us, though. It was very voyeuristic. It made me blush as I watched some guy run his hand up some girl’s skirt.