Page 73

Tori

Chapter 23

Fuming, I stormed out of the building and back onto the street. After the event at my school, it had seemed like things between us had shifted, like they were going to be different going forward.

How had I read the situation so wrong?

I didn’t want to play by Stefan’s rules anymore. If he wasn’t going to come home for dinner, why should I be there either? He had told me not to wait up—well, I wouldn’t. I was going out. It was time I had some fun on my own.

Since I’d begun my program at UChicago, Grace and I had texted a few times, but beyond assuring her that ‘things’ with my new husband had finally smoothed out, we hadn’t been able to schedule a date to catch up. I was always so busy with school, and she had just left to go on a buying trip to Italy. I debated calling Emzee and taking her up on her offer to hang out, but I was worried she’d mention it to Stefan and my plans would be thwarted. Because I didn’t just want to grab a coffee or see a movie. I wanted to party. And the fake ID I’d mentioned to Emzee at the family dinner hadn’t been a joke.

Is the invitation to join you guys for drinks still open?I texted my classmate Lila.

Some of the older students in my program had been begging me to come out with them ever since the term had started. I was always invited, but I’d been focused on my schoolwork, and making sure I was home at night to be with Stefan. On top of that, I knew the girls were all actively seeking their Prince Charmings, and I’d already found mine.

Or so I had thought.

Always, Lila responded. A feisty but sweet senior from Atlanta, Lila was the first friend I’d made in the program, and I’d helped her out a lot with her Latin 4 homework this semester. She always took charge when it came to planning the group outings.We’re hitting a few bars. You up for it?

None of them knew how young I was, and I didn’t plan to tell them.Hell yes.

She texted back,Woot! Gonna get those goody two shoes a little dirty tonight!

I couldn’t help grinning at her enthusiastic response, and I typed back a smiling devil horns emoji.

Lila responded with a flurry of excited gifs to express her approval. I laughed as they almost tripled when she looped me into the group text for the evening, and the rest of the girls expressed their excitement over me finally joining them.

We’re going to have so much fun!Diane said. She was a junior from rural Vermont, kind of a hippie, and getting a late start with her college education after spending a few years with the Peace Corps.

Wear something sexy, Audrey, the sophisticated New Yorker, added.The lower the top, the more free drinks we’ll get, LOL.

I figured that even if I went out and had some drinks with my friends, I’d still be home before Stefan. I could probably take a long shower, change into something sexy, and crawl into bed without him being the wiser—though I was annoyed that I still wanted to dress up for him after the way he had treated me. The thing was, I still wanted him. Sometimes his aggressiveness made me want him even more. Because the thought of him turning those intense, angry eyes in my direction and taking out his frustration on my body gave me all sorts of sexy chills.

I couldn’t help smiling at the thought of how pissed Stefan would be if he knew what I had planned. Not that I was going out to meet men, but I definitely planned to have fun. It would be my first time ever going out to drink and dance and have a good time.

I hurried to my closet to get dressed.

Tonight, it was all about me. I wasn’t dressing to excite or impress Stefan. I wasn’t dressing for one of my father’s events, or for Stefan’s family. I didn’t have to be proper or enticing or anything I didn’t want to be.

At the same time I didn’t want to look too expensive—my party companions were all older students on scholarships or taking out loans to get their degrees—so the last thing I wanted to do was throw my wealth (or Stefan’s) in their faces

I settled on a pair of tight black jeans and flowy silk top, but couldn’t resist pulling out the fancy red stilettos I’d gotten from the hotel boutique in Vienna. Once I added a pair of sparkly statement earrings and my Chanel purse—the one that always got me compliments when I brought it to class—I was ready for a night out on the town with my friends.

I couldn’t wait to let loose.

Back in high school, I had to be so careful with everyone in Springfield watching me and judging me. As a senator’s daughter, I had to be so squeaky clean it was exhausting sometimes. I’d agreed to let Grace hook me up with the fake ID at the start of senior year, but never had the nerve to use it. If I got caught, I wouldn’t have only been in trouble with my father; I’d be on the news. It would have damaged my father’s campaign and his reputation, jeopardized his career.

But in Chicago, I could be anonymous.

It was also nice that my new friends didn’t seem to care that I was Senator Lindsey’s daughter. To them, I was just Tori—fellow student and linguistics nerd. Who had a super hot husband.

After the mixer at school, I’d gained slight notoriety within my department for being married to a ‘grade A hottie.’ At least, that was how Lila had put it. I had no doubt that once we were all out in a more casual setting, they’d be pumping me for information about him. I’d keep the details to a minimum; I didn’t want them to know the true nature of my marriage, and I definitely didn’t need to share the more intimate details of our relationship either.

With one last swipe of lipstick and a final fluff of my hair, I headed out and dialed an Uber. I didn’t use the private car that Stefan kept on call, that way he couldn’t get a heads up from the driver on where I’d asked to be dropped off.

I arrived at the address Lila had texted me to find it was a swanky bar in the Loop. The girls were in the back at a table already loaded with drinks. There were four shots lined up when I walked up to the table.

“Oooooo girl,” Lila greeted me with a hug, then leaned back to appraise my outfit. “The free drinks are gonna be rolling in tonight!”