Sasha grinned at me while Lev frowned unhappily. Nas squeezed my shoulder in silent support.
And so, a plan was hatched.
***
Mina
“If I think for a second that you’re in danger of being caught, I’m coming in there,” Lev muttered as he drove. Vik remained silent in the back seat.
I smiled to myself at the protective tone in his voice. “Got it.”
“Make sure you have your cell on you at all times,” he insisted.
I patted a hand over my front jeans pocket for the sixth time since we began our journey. “Still there,” I told him.
Lev surprised me this morning with a new cell phone. It was one of those fandangle ones with the big screen that you could use the Internet on, and download apps, and probably track when you were about to go to the bathroom.
It was fancy.
He spent the morning showing me how to use it. By the end of it, I knew most of the basics. I still didn’t understand what the app things were, but he said we’d get to that another day.
Calling, answering, and texting was easy enough to remember. I practiced by sending Nas messages.
Me: What do you get when you cross a caterpillar with a parrot?
Nas: Who is this?
Me: A Walkie Talkie!!!!!
Nas: Who is this?
Me: Hey, that was funny. You could at least courtesy laugh.
Nas: Who the fuck is this?
Lev also managed to get me a state ID card, which explained why Nas had me get some wallet-sized portrait photographs done the last time we were at the mall. I shouldn’t have been surprised that it had all my accurate details on it, but I was. I smiled. “How’d you get this, you sneaky goose?”
He sat at the kitchen table, seeming pleased by the reaction. “I know people.” That much was clear. He seemed to have connections in every industry. “I also have a copy of your birth certificate, your social security card, and your passport.”
I glanced down at the ID card.
Mina Clarabelle Harris.
The address listed was…Lev’s.
I didn’t bother questioning why. I was sure he did that because he had to provide some address that was partly valid, and I’d been living here for the past four and a half weeks.
Parking a block away, Vik worked quickly, placing the surveillance camera disguised as a large button on the lapel of my black jacket, underneath my coat. The big black button appropriately read ‘I’m silently judging you.’
Vik explained, “This isn’t a live cam. I’m not going to be able to check the footage until you get out of there and we get back to the club. If you think anyone’s onto you, don’t think; just hightail it.” At my nervous nod, he smiled. “Just sit down, order a drink, and watch the show, like you would with us. No biggie.” He added, “It would probably help if you lost the I’m-out-of-my-depth expression.”
“Shut up, Vik.” I shoved his arm away and he chuckled.
I was ready to go. Leaning over the seat, I gripped Lev’s shirt and pulled him to me. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be back in an hour, okay?” He grunted, not looking at me. So I forced his attention. Getting closer, I pressed my glossed lips to his cheek softly. “Be back before you know it.”
Aphrodite’s Kiss shocked me. The way the boys talked about it, I expected a hole of an establishment, but it was gorgeous.
The Greek theme meant strategically placed large white pillars with delicate flowers and greenery painted on them, big wooden booth tables intricately designed and trimmed with gold, the booth cushions decorated with the typical Greek meander pattern (in gold, of course), and the stage…wow. It looked as though it had been designed in a dramatic 1900s style, complete with heavy red velvet drapery.
I was impressed.