Aleksandr took my pursed lips as a green light, covering my mouth with his. He kissed me like he shouldn’t have kissed me while sitting at a bar with my best friend, but I didn’t care.

“I will lick this sugar off your stomach when you are naked in my bed,” he whispered in English, lips softly scraping my ear.

My cheeks went up in flames, embarrassed that someone may have heard him.

“Okaaaay. I’m gonna catch up with Lacy and Beth. Meet us in our booth whenever you’re done with this,” Kristen said.

Yep. Someone had heard him.

“We’ll be right over,” I assured her.

“Slow it down or you’re gonna be sick.” She nodded to our empty shot glasses and my half-full gin and tonic.

“Yes, ma’am.” I saluted her, already feeling the buzz from the liquor. She slid her shot glass onto the bar and grabbed one of the gin and tonics.

I lowered my voice for Aleksandr’s ears only. “Thank you for coming.”

“There was no other choice. I love you, Audushka.” His voice was thick, heavy, heated.

“I love you, Sasha,” I told him, relaxing onto the bar stool. He held up the shot he’d ordered for himself. I grabbed my gin and tonic.

“To us.” He clinked his glass with mine.

“To us,” I repeated, taking a small sip while he tilted back his shot. He ordered a glass of vodka, paid our tab, and we stood up to join my friends.

As soon as we sat down, the girls bombarded me with questions about my plans for Bridgeland’s after-school program. I appreciated that only Kristen and Aleksandr had been around when I was talking about Jason. I didn’t want to explain my seething anger for my grandparents with Lacy and Beth.

“It’ll be a replica of the one in Detroit,” I explained.

I had received final approval for the program from my advisor and the Department Chair during my nine a.m. class. For the first time since I’d been cut from the soccer team, I was proud of myself. I didn’t pat myself on the back often, but I was thrilled with the Central Club.

“I’ll hold my fitness class three times a week at the new facility instead of at the student center. The theater is closer to the elementary and middle school, and I think more kids will hear about it and know it’s free.”

“That’s a great idea,” Kristen said. “You should offer singing lessons, too.”

“Oh, geez, I don’t even know proper singing technique. How am I supposed to teach kids?”

“Then we can have karaoke. That’s easy and fun.” Kristen’s eyes lit up.

“Can I teach a gymnastics class?” Lacy asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded, overwhelmed by the outpouring of interest and volunteer ideas from my friends. I would need a lot of help with the program, especially since I scheduled twenty-one credit hours this semester. Although, three hours were approved for independent study to work on setting up the program.

“We could totally host a talent show.” Kristen downed the rest of her gin and tonic.

“I teach hockey,” Aleksandr offered, his eyes bright with the excitement of contributing.

“You don’t even live up here,” Lacy pointed out.

He paused, eyes on the waves of vodka gliding around the sides of his glass as he circled his wrist. “I teach in summer. Will be roller hockey. Same skills, different surface.”

“They’re poor. They don’t have roller blades,” Beth reminded him.

Oh my gosh, he’s just trying to help! I wanted to scream.

Aleksandr wasn’t deterred by the negativity. “I will donate this. Sticks, pucks, goals. All of this.”

I squeezed his hand, excited that my friends could see his compassionate, generous side.

“All this talk has given me the singing bug.” Kristen grabbed my hand, tugging me from my seat. “Finish your drinks. We’re going to the Thorne!”

I shook my head, though I knew I was in a losing battle.

“Dollar Beers!” Lacy cheered, referencing one of the Redthorne’s famed specials. Besides karaoke, the Thorne was known for their dollar “big” beers—which was just an oversized Solo cup.

“You don’t want to go to the Thorne, do you?” I asked Aleksandr. He could be my ticket out.

“Are you going to sing?” he asked.

“Yep. Looks like my Bitch Ass is roping me into a duet.” I glanced at Kristen for clarification.

“Yes, I am,” she agreed, sliding out of the booth and throwing a few dollars on the table.

“Twice in one night. Lucky me.” Aleksandr squeezed my thigh under the table.

I jumped. For the second time that night I wanted to forget our plans and go to his hotel.

“Aleksandr is smoking hot,” Beth whispered in my ear as we gathered our coats and purses. I nodded. What could I say? Yeah, he is. Or, He’s mine. Stop looking at him.

“Should we get a cab?” Aleksandr asked when we stumbled out to the street. Maybe I was the only one stumbling.

“It’s a block up and a block over,” Kristen informed him.

Aleksandr didn’t let me get far before he had me pressed up against the wall of a building, kissing me senseless. His hands slid into my jacket and tugged at the hem of my shirt until it popped from my waistband. His cold palms skimmed my warm stomach. I shivered, clenching my fingers in his hair and snuggling closer to warm up.

“Get a room!” Kristen called from in front of us.

“I have one,” Aleksandr whispered into my ear before he pulled himself off me.

“Do you want to go?” I asked him. Singing with Kristen at a bar took a backseat to being naked with Aleksandr in his hotel room.

“No!” Kristen ran back to where we were standing and took my hand. “I get it. You haven’t seen each other in forever, but you owe me a night out, so I’m not letting you go yet. We’re gonna sing. Then you can go have sex with him.”

As my best friend pulled me toward Beth and Lacy, I glanced back at Aleksandr. His shoulders were shaking in silent laughter, amused as he watched Kristen drag me toward the road.

“Come on, Crazy Hair! I don’t know what the rules are where you’re from, but we have to cross now,” Kristen yelled. The man in motion blinked white on the crosswalk.

“Seriously?”

“Aleksandr, whatever.” She lowered her voice. “You know the first time hurts, right?”

I took a deep breath and nodded, like I was listening to my coach before checking in to an important soccer game. “Yes. Hence the drinking more tonight than I have in over a year.”

“Auden. You don’t want to puke on him, do you?”

I cringed at the thought. “No.”

“Then slow it down.” She squeezed my hand. “I’m happy for you. That boy loves you.”

“Loves me or lusts me?”

“Both.” She winked. “But mostly loves.”

“Are you ladies talking about me?” Aleksandr split us by bumping our hips with his and throwing his arms across each of our shoulders.

Redthorne was more crowded than I expected for a random Wednesday night. Aleksandr waited in line for drinks, while I followed Kristen and Lacy to a table in the back near where karaoke was set up.

Kristen immediately put our names down on a slip of paper and handed it to the guy running the show. Since she was a regular, I didn’t doubt that he would move her up to the top of the list. Not next, because someone waiting might get angry, but very soon.

Minutes later, I noticed the karaoke host waving a small scrap of paper at me. Reluctantly, I pulled away from Aleksandr, waving my arm gallantly in front of Kristen. “After you, my dear.”

“Nope. Just you,” Kristen said. Her smile was sweet and sly at the same time. I responded with a mock scowl. What song had she picked for me?

Aleksandr gave my butt a pat as I edged past him to the stage. When I looked at the Teleprompter and saw “I Want Your Sex” by George Michael, I shook my head and started climbing off the stage.

“Absolutely not!”

“Come on!” Kristen yelled through a fit of giggles. She leaned over and said something to Aleksandr. She must have told him the name of the song because he broke into a huge grin.