I smile. “Come on, Jules, you know I’m unstoppable when I’m on a mission.”
She laughs, and the vibration makes her shimmery gold dress shine even more under the lights of Groove. “I’ll give it to you tonight, Acer. You pulled it off, and I love you for it.” She smacks a kiss on my cheek, and I lift her into my arms to spin her around before setting her back down on her heels.
Finn gives our name to the VIP host, who walks us to our table in the back center of the club, and lights strobe across Julia’s face as she shimmies her way across the dance floor in front of me, the tan of her thighs’ exposure inching higher and higher as she raises her hands above her head.
Several idiots glance in her direction, and I don’t hesitate to move a little closer to her as a douche deterrent. I don’t know everything, but I know with certainty that there’s not a single fuck in this club who is worthy of my best friend.
Jules is magnetic—she always has been—and seeing her havinga good time is half the reason I’m as unhinged as I am. As her best friend for her entire life, I see it as my duty to make her days better. She’s always returned the favor effortlessly and is the only person who truly makes space for me to be myself. That doesn’t stop me with other people—I create space on my own—but it’s nice to be understood.
Scottie looks back over her shoulder at Finn as he wheels her through the crowd on the dance floor, barking at anyone who dares to take half a second too long getting out of the way or flat-out running over their feet if necessary. She’s pink with embarrassment, a perfect match to her magenta shirt, but somehow accepting and grateful at the same time, both of which show in the twinkle of her eye.
Blake walks behind them, high-fiving a couple of randoms who recognize Dickson University’s Golden Quarterback and tilting his eyes to the floor to avoid calling any more attention to himself than necessary. I don’t know why he doesn’t soak that shit in more—I sure as fuck would—but I guess his humble nature is part of why we all love him so much.
“I’ll go get drinks,” I offer, settling Julia into the VIP booth in front of me with a hand at her upper arm to help her get her purse off her shoulder.
“I’ll help,” Finn offers, tucking Scottie into her spot on the other side of the table and leaning down to place a kiss to her lips. Her presence is like the sun on hard butter, softening him considerably.
We scoot down to the crowded bar and shove our way into the only hole we can find on the opposite end of the bartender. I put my tongue to my teeth and whistle, effectively grabbing her attention. She’s short, absolutely stacked in the chest department, and sporting black bangs that have to be annoying as fuck as they tangle in her eyelashes. Her smile is big when she spots me, though, and I know I can have her eating out of the palm of my hand if I want to.
I bump Finn in the chest when she abandons her other customers to head in our direction, and he scoffs.
“I don’t know what fucking voodoo you have, dude, or who the hell you bribed to get it, but I’m a little scared of its power.”
“You should be,” I advise seriously. “It’s backed by the most powerful witches of the highest world order.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fuck you.”
I laugh. “It’s raw sexual charisma, Finn, not magic. Don’t be jealous that you don’t have as much of it as I do.”
“That’s cute, Ace,” he retorts. “But I’m pretty sure I’m the one with the beautiful, perfect girlfriend, and you’re the single bastard. So, who’s really winning?”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t have a girlfriend because I have the entire playing field, dude. Don’t get it twisted.”
“Right, sure.” He makes a show of looking around me. “But…that still doesn’t explain why you’re standing here.Alone.”
“You and I both know I could take this bartender home if I wanted to.”
“So do it,” he challenges.
I snort. “And leave you to enjoy the VIP table I got for us all on your own? Get real. Maybe at the end of the night.”
“Hey, guys,” the bartender in question greets cheerfully, making Finn waggle his eyebrows and me sigh. “What can I get for you?”
“I’ll take a rum and Coke and something called a cosmopolitan.” I gesture toward Finn, and he shakes his head at my “off switch,” as he calls it. Once I get what I want out of certain women, I dip. She came to wait on us. I placed my order. That’s all I needed, really, since I don’t have the time or energy to hang on her periphery until closing just to take her home. “You order your shit, dude. I gotta take a quick piss, but I’ll be back to help you carry.”
The bartender’s smile deflates considerably at both my cold shoulder and my secondary, very obviously girlie drink, but I bump Finn on the shoulder and beat feet anyway. It’s not my job to cushion the blow of reality for everyone I come into contact with.Fuck me, that’d be tiring.
I make quick work of the bathroom and flirt harmlessly with afew dancing ladies on the way back to Finn, and then we carry our drinks to our booth. Finn’s eyes are both shrewd and disgusted, and honestly, I take that as the highest compliment.
Dudes like Finn are simple. They’re biological. They’re the type that imprint like fucking werewolves and then roar at anything that comes within five feet of their woman. I’m more complex—universally attuned. I use what I’m given and move with the tide, you know?
I pass Julia’s drink to her and set mine on the table, before making her scoot to give me room. She laughs as I continue to shove at her until she’s crowded into the back, and then she punches me in the shoulder to make me quit.
“God, you’re such an ogre, Acer,” she huffs, but she also laughs.
I wink at her and look out at the club before us.
“Gah, this feels so good!” I exclaim, rubbing my hands together.
