Jaz is our quiet, mostly innocent friend, always buried deep in graduate research. Ashlyn is our wild child. She comes from a rich family that gives her love in the form of an unlimited black card, so she found her own family…us. I guess I’m the artist. Well, an artist without a job now, but hopefully an artist who can make a living off of it soon. Or I’ll be looking for someone to crash with.
Now that my living room is basically empty without my amazing but tainted couch, I give it one last glance as my shoulders drop and follow my friends out the door.
Ashlyn’s heels clack against the cement walkway as she drags us past the line wrapping around the building and straight to the bouncer at the door.
It’s freezing out here, I’m not sure how Ashlyn is only in her silver dress with no jacket.
The murderous glares from the people in line make me wish my sweater had a hood attached, soI could hide in it. The bouncer holds his hand up, ready to tell us where the back of the line is I’m sure, especially when he glances around Ash and takes in my yoga pants and oversized sweater. I pull at the end kind of wishing Ihadchanged. I shove those feelings down deep and dig out the fuck-it girl attitude that I’ll be using as a shield all night.
That glance was the opening Ash needed. She turns his head gently back towards her using the tips of her fingers. His head tilts down to meet her eyes and ample chest that is barely contained in her silver mini dress.
Jaz and I watch as his gaze drifts to where her nipples pebble against the silk fabric as she whispers in his ear, saying who could fathom what. I see his eyes widen and turn glassy, his fist clenching. I look over at Jaz to give her theAshlyn is saying dirty things again look, but she’s already giggling at me.
Ash leans back, pulling the bouncer’s attention as she waits. Slowly he nods and opens the door for us to the warmth of Club X.
We weave through the mess of people flooding the entryway leading to the wide-open dance floor with the bar at the back. I grab Ash’s arm before we walk down the steps and into the main group of club-goers. “What the hell did you tell him?”
She smiles, leaning towards me. “That if he was a good boy and let us in tonight, hemightget a reward when we’re leaving.”
I scrunch my eyebrows at her.
She tosses her head back and laughs, “We’ll see what that reward will be. Maybe my number. Maybe I’ll take him home later. I’ll see how I’m feeling by the end of the night.” She has a wicked look in her eyes when she grabs my hand and pulls me along. “Come on! Let’s get a drink!”
I shake my head, letting her tug me through the crowd. I hook my other arm through Jaz’s. With Ash parting the sea, we make it to the bar in record time. I plaster myself as close to the counter as I can, leaning away from the bodies pushing into me from all sides. My anxiety expands against my skin, I check the exits, ready to bolt.
Why did I agree to come out tonight? I’m obviously not in the right headspace for this.
Ash grabs my hand and sets a colorful drink in it effectively yanking me out of my panic. “What is it?” I yell over the music, the base thumping so loud it feels like my brain is rattling.
“Liquid cocaine! You’ll love it!” Ash is in her element, forever the party girl. It’s her coping mechanism for everything that happened to her. Jaz and I support her in any way she will let us, which isn’t much right now. She needs to get through it on her own, but we will be here in the end. The same way I need to get through the disaster I’ve created for myself.
Ash drapes her arms over Jaz to get closer to her ear. “Let’s start our project tomorrow! I have so many ideas…”
I tune them out as they start to discuss the remodel of the house they recently started on. Ash had extra money to burn and Jaz needed a new place to stay since she started her master’s program. I guess if all else fails and I go broke, I’ll just beg them to let me crash in their spare room. Or a pull-out couch. I can’t afford to be picky at that point. I definitely don’t want to have to go back to my mom’s house. I visibly shake at the thought.No thank you.
I turn to take in the crowd. The wild dance floor with the gyrating bodies, sweat dripping on each other, oblivious to the frigid weather outside promising snowfall soon. I swirl my glass, searching for my straw and when it bumps into my mouth I suck down a good amount while my vision scans over to the VIP section.
Fancy. Wow, Ash was right. This drink is amazing.
The liquid sliding down is warming me from the inside making me feel cozy all around.
I wish there was a chair I could curl up in, but it looks like they’re all with the fancy people.
I watch the group behind the fleece rope converse. The shortest man is having an absolute fit, yelling with his chest puffed up, hands flying in the air at the men seated before him in business suites. I chuckle to myself, sipping from my straw. “Wonder what crawled up his ass.”
“We’re going to dance!” Ash yells in my ear. My drink splashes on my sweater when I jump. I give her a thumbs up, trying to brush the liquid off my chest to noavail. I’m in no mood to dance tonight. Well, for now. Who knows once the liquid starts flowing through my system.
Sighing, I go back to people watching. Ash drags Jaz onto the dancefloor, and they start seductively dancing together drawing the eyes of everyone around them. The VIP section has quieted down, but one of the seated men are missing.Hmmm.
I turn and scan the building. I’m invested. Turning to my right, I jump back when a man’s face is inches from my own. My back slams into someone else, and I can’t get away from the guy. He leers down at me from a couple inches above. His glazed eyes and slurred words tell me he’s been here awhile.
I wave my hand at my ear and shrug trying to signal to him that I can’t hear him, but it just encourages him to talk more.
“D’youuu have a d-d-date around ‘ere?”
He leans closer to me. I try to get away but the bodies are pushing in from all sides, and I can feel my heart racing as the panic climbs.
CHAPTER 4
