lip.
"Really?" Landon stepped closer to me. "Get pictures. Lots of 'em."
"Okay."
"No, I'm serious. There are so many rumors about that place, but I've never seen so much as a picture of the inside. No one else has that I know of, either."
Sasha stared at me. "How'd you manage to get into the most exclusive place on the peninsula?"
"You've got me. Carter just invited me."
"Find out if he has any brothers."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "He said he's the oldest brother."
She grabbed my arm. "Come on. We've got to get you ready."
"Right." I opened my eyes and followed her upstairs, lost in thought. How could a girl with no past find herself with an invite to the Jag? Unless it was some cosmic joke. Either it was, or going there would shed some light on what was going on.
There were too many jaguar references for it to be a coincidence.
Once in our room, Sasha pulled out her phone and scrolled around the screen. "There's a makeup tutorial we've got to follow. You're going to be so hot, you'll set the place on fire."
I shook my head.
"Here it is. What do you think of the look?" She showed me the screen. The girl in the video looked like she belonged on the red carpet.
"Gorgeous," I whispered.
"Wash your face while I get this video set up on my laptop."
"Okay." I trudged into the bathroom, still trying to pull my thoughts together. Nothing made sense.
When I came out, Sasha was swearing at her computer.
"What's the matter?"
"Stupid thing won't start." She chucked it on her bed. "I'm going to have to get a new one. Can we use yours?"
"Sure." I found the backpack where I'd seen it while unpacking and set it on Sasha's dresser, closest to the vanity. When it powered on, I nearly passed out.
The desktop image was a jaguar lounging in a tree.
"Don't just stand there," Sasha said. "Open your browser."
"Of course." I shook my head to clear my thoughts. It didn't work.
I opened the browser and Sasha found the video. "Sit. I've got work to do."
"Should I get the dress on first?"
"And risk spilling something on it? No way." She guided me to the vanity and got to work.
I let my mind wander as she followed the video and chatted excitedly about my date. It was impossible to piece everything together when the majority of the puzzle was missing. I really hoped Carter and the club would offer something—even a small clue would help.
Jaguars obviously meant something, but what?
"Done," Sasha said, interrupting my thoughts.
"That was fast."
"Because you were in your own world," she teased. "Daydreaming about Carter?"
"You caught me." I sighed.
"Hang onto that one."
"I'll try."
"You gotta get me in. I'm dying to see the club now. What do you think?"
I studied my reflection, barely recognizing myself. "Wow. You should become a makeup artist."
She scrunched her face. "My mom would love that. She and my aunt own a beauty parlor in the Bronx."
"You don't want to carry on the business?"
"Not back home. Maybe in the city or something— if I even choose that route. Maybe my creative writing class this quarter will send me in a whole new direction."
I turned back to the mirror. "You definitely have a talent with this."
"Meh. I can use it on my daughters."
"You have children?" I teased.
"I'm going to have five. All girls."
"Really?" I tugged at my hair, trying to figure out what to do with it. "Does your future husband know?"
"It's going to be his idea." She winked. "Do you want your hair up or down?"
"What do you think?"
She closed out the video and brought up a ton of hair images. "It's up to you, darling."
I scrolled through the pictures while she looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm going to have to get my braids done again." She sighed dramatically.
"Why not go natural?"
Sasha laughed and fell on her bed. "That's funny."
"Why?"
"I'll have an afro that'll reach to the ceiling."
"Can't you just straighten it?" I asked.
"Promise me you'll never go into the hair industry."
I turned away,
"Really?" Landon stepped closer to me. "Get pictures. Lots of 'em."
"Okay."
"No, I'm serious. There are so many rumors about that place, but I've never seen so much as a picture of the inside. No one else has that I know of, either."
Sasha stared at me. "How'd you manage to get into the most exclusive place on the peninsula?"
"You've got me. Carter just invited me."
"Find out if he has any brothers."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "He said he's the oldest brother."
She grabbed my arm. "Come on. We've got to get you ready."
"Right." I opened my eyes and followed her upstairs, lost in thought. How could a girl with no past find herself with an invite to the Jag? Unless it was some cosmic joke. Either it was, or going there would shed some light on what was going on.
There were too many jaguar references for it to be a coincidence.
Once in our room, Sasha pulled out her phone and scrolled around the screen. "There's a makeup tutorial we've got to follow. You're going to be so hot, you'll set the place on fire."
I shook my head.
"Here it is. What do you think of the look?" She showed me the screen. The girl in the video looked like she belonged on the red carpet.
"Gorgeous," I whispered.
"Wash your face while I get this video set up on my laptop."
"Okay." I trudged into the bathroom, still trying to pull my thoughts together. Nothing made sense.
When I came out, Sasha was swearing at her computer.
"What's the matter?"
"Stupid thing won't start." She chucked it on her bed. "I'm going to have to get a new one. Can we use yours?"
"Sure." I found the backpack where I'd seen it while unpacking and set it on Sasha's dresser, closest to the vanity. When it powered on, I nearly passed out.
The desktop image was a jaguar lounging in a tree.
"Don't just stand there," Sasha said. "Open your browser."
"Of course." I shook my head to clear my thoughts. It didn't work.
I opened the browser and Sasha found the video. "Sit. I've got work to do."
"Should I get the dress on first?"
"And risk spilling something on it? No way." She guided me to the vanity and got to work.
I let my mind wander as she followed the video and chatted excitedly about my date. It was impossible to piece everything together when the majority of the puzzle was missing. I really hoped Carter and the club would offer something—even a small clue would help.
Jaguars obviously meant something, but what?
"Done," Sasha said, interrupting my thoughts.
"That was fast."
"Because you were in your own world," she teased. "Daydreaming about Carter?"
"You caught me." I sighed.
"Hang onto that one."
"I'll try."
"You gotta get me in. I'm dying to see the club now. What do you think?"
I studied my reflection, barely recognizing myself. "Wow. You should become a makeup artist."
She scrunched her face. "My mom would love that. She and my aunt own a beauty parlor in the Bronx."
"You don't want to carry on the business?"
"Not back home. Maybe in the city or something— if I even choose that route. Maybe my creative writing class this quarter will send me in a whole new direction."
I turned back to the mirror. "You definitely have a talent with this."
"Meh. I can use it on my daughters."
"You have children?" I teased.
"I'm going to have five. All girls."
"Really?" I tugged at my hair, trying to figure out what to do with it. "Does your future husband know?"
"It's going to be his idea." She winked. "Do you want your hair up or down?"
"What do you think?"
She closed out the video and brought up a ton of hair images. "It's up to you, darling."
I scrolled through the pictures while she looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm going to have to get my braids done again." She sighed dramatically.
"Why not go natural?"
Sasha laughed and fell on her bed. "That's funny."
"Why?"
"I'll have an afro that'll reach to the ceiling."
"Can't you just straighten it?" I asked.
"Promise me you'll never go into the hair industry."
I turned away,
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