The bouncer unclips the velvet rope, stepping aside to let us through. As I pass, he leans in close enough that I can smell his cologne.
"Name's Ryker." His breath is warm against my ear. "I get off at two. Come find me if you get bored with your little friends, yeah? I'd love to show you around."
His hand brushes my lower back. Just a whisper of contact, but definitely intentional.
Behind me, Doc makes a sound like a cat whose tail got stepped on.
"Thanks, man." I reach back and put my hand on Sebastian's lower back, casual, but clear. "I think I'm good though."
Ryker's eyes flick to my hand on Doc, then back to my face. His grin doesn't falter. "Offer stands, gorgeous. All night."
We file past him into the club. The bass hits immediately, vibrating through the floor and up into my chest.
"That was—" Max is practically skipping. "Did you SEE that? He looked at Gavin like he wanted toeathim!"
"Consume," Leo corrects gleefully. "The word is consume. Devour, perhaps."
"The bouncer's pupils were definitely dilated," JP observes. "Classic attraction indicators. Increased blood flow to the?—"
"Can we not do a scientific analysis of the bouncer's thirst?" Doc snaps.
"Aww, Doc." I pull him closer against my side. "You jealous?"
"No."
"You sound jealous."
"I soundannoyed. There's a difference."
"His eye was literally twitching," Max stage-whispers to Leo. "I've never seen anyone's eye actually twitch from jealousy before."
"It's nottwitching?—"
"It's a little bit twitching," Luca offers apologetically.
Doc throws his hands up. "I hate all of you."
I laugh, steering him further into the club. "Come on, Doc. Let's go dancing."
He grumbles words I can't hear over the music exploding from ahead of us, but he lets me pull him along the dark hallway, and when my hand slides from his back to his hip, he doesn't pull away.
Behind us, I hear Max say, "Twenty bucks says Seb has to fight someone off Gavin before midnight."
"I'll take that bet," Leo responds. "But only because I think it'll happen beforeeleven."
As we get to the end of the hallway entrance my mind goes boom!Holy fuck.
I thought I knew what clubs were like. Turns out the uni pubs have nothing on gay clubs. It's... everywhere I look, there's skin and glitter and guys in various states of undress. Bass so loud I feel it in my teeth. Lights everywhere; pink, blue, purple, cutting through fog like lasers. Bodies packed tight, moving together, glittery skin catching the lights.
"You good?" Doc shouts near my ear.
"Processing!" I shout back.
"There's drag tonight!" Luca informs me as we push toward the bar. "So be ready!"
I grin, thinking of Sylas at the Halloween party. Wonder if?—
“Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between!”
