My Mob Wedding

Chapter 11 - Game On

"Patrick! That's Diana!" Connor informs him.

"And she's hot!" Patrick responds.

"And she's standing right here," I add with a subtle flirty expression that Connor should perceive as a tired look. I'm trying hard tonight. This is going to work. I'll just find the first hot guy I see and get with him. Don't get me wrong here, this Patrick guy is pretty hot, but he screams manwhore louder than a fire engine's sirens could ever screech. If there's no one hot, I'll keep him in mind as a last resort.

He winks at me and I roll my eyes for Connor's benefit.

"You all ready?" Connor asks after a brief period of silence.

I nod and step forward to push the button. The elevator apparently didn't move because it opens almost instantaneously. I sashay inside, knowing fully well what Patrick is looking at.

"So what's this party for?" I ask as soon as the doors close.

Patrick looks to Connor in an almost panicked way.

Connor rubs the back of his neck. "Uh, Colt is trying to make a business deal and uh, his business partners are going to be there," he stutters.

I roll my eyes. "Connor, I'm not an idiot. I know you're all in a gang."

"Good. Hot damn. That would have been awkward," Patrick announces. As if going to a gang party wasn't going to be awkward enough.

The elevator doors open and I strut across the lobby, and catch Vic's eye along the way. This plan is definitely going to work.

But what if it doesn't? Then I just look dumb and die without that one last fling. For the rest of my life then I'll only have one guy that I haven't even met yet. Wait, if I'm going to meet him at this party, then how is this going to work? He'll have to know what's going on, I'm supposed to meet him here. I have the disadvantage. He knows what I look like but I have no clue what to be looking for.

No! Stop, Diana! You're going to doubt yourself and ruin everything. 

Confidence is key.

"Umm, Diana?" Connor says, drawing me back into the world.

I snap back into reality and duck into the back of his Audi.

I zone out for the ride while Connor and Patrick discuss deals and who's going to be there and with who. It doesn't take very long to get there and they don't have to blindfold me for me to not know how we got here. I have a horrible habit of paying very little attention to where I'm going when I'm in a car or driving. That's why I usually don't drive many places that are far away; I usually get lost before I ever actually get close to where I was supposed to be going.

I try to open my door but find it to have the child locks on. Connor comes and opens it for me and I step out to find an inconspicuous-looking hotel towering before me.

"You coming?" Patrick calls to me. He's already halfway there.

I hasten to catch up but don't run; running in even the slightest heel could be detrimental to one's entire formal experience. I would know. I still haven't lived down my epic faceplant in eighth grade at the end of the year dance. I went to go talk to Jared who was talking to a large group of hot guys and started running at him for some reason, and I ended up falling flat on my face with my dress completely up, displaying my yellow polka dot underwear for the world to see. Then, just to add insult to injury, I ran into the boys' bathroom and cried. Needless to say, people didn't let that one go for a while.

We walk through the fairly-decent lobby that's sporadically lined with groups of people. I blend in pretty nicely as almost everyone here is wearing black or red.