I look up and down the street, my heart pounding, holding my breath, and I see Brynn, Olivia, Serena, and Maddie coming our way wearing outfits similar to mine.Relief washes over me, warm and sweet.There has to be an explanation for all of this.“There are the girls,” I announce.
“You sound like you were afraid they weren’t coming,” he says, opening his door before I can tell him not to bother.I don’t love the idea of them swooning over him like they did on Monday.I don’t know why—probably because they seem nice, and he is anything but.
Sure enough, they’re practically fanning themselves and watching his every move as he opens my door.I wish it were possible to get swept up in the excitement and the energy pulsing in the air, but I’m still confused and wishing once again I was with anyone but the mocking know-it-all who snorts softly when I climb out.
“Not too late to run,” he reminds me in a teasing whisper, leaning down so his breath tickles my ear and makes goose bumps race over my skin.I wonder what would happen if I slapped him.
“No need for that.”Still, we have to come up with some kind of plan, right?“I guess… park wherever you can, and I’ll let you know when it’s time to go home.”
“You still think you can handle this, don’t you?”Somehow, the traffic, noise, and lights all fade, blending in the background when I look up into his strangely understanding face.The lights from a passing car make his eyes glow as he stares down into mine.
I have to swallow hard to push down the lump in my throat.“I’ll be fine.”
He searches my face for a moment before blowing out a soft sigh.“Fair enough.Have a good night.”
Like it’s not bad enough, he makes every single man waiting in line pale in comparison to his dark, smoldering good looks.Does he have to look so sure of himself too?Since when is he the expert on what’s right and wrong?I would ask him, but we’re double-parked and now getting honked at by the car behind us.
Forget him.With my smile in place, I scurry up to the curb, where the girls greet me excitedly.“You look so cute!”Olivia gushes, turning me in place by my shoulders.
“He should come in with us,” Serena muses, watching Alessandro get back in the car.“Maybe we can call him our chaperone?”
“She was hoping he’d come with you tonight,” Maddie tells me, making Serena swat at her with her clutch purse.
“I’m telling you, he’snotworth it,” I reply before turning to Brynn.“I thought you said we were going to a party tonight.”
Her smile is wide and sunny as she tosses her golden blow-out over her shoulder.“We are!Here at the club.”
I have to be missing something.“We’re not old enough to get in, are we?”I ask.Does it make me look hopelessly naïve?Probably, but I’m kind of freaked out, so what does it matter?
“Trust me.We’ll be fine.”When I wince, she giggles and throws an arm around my shoulders and explains, “I heard from a bunch of people that cute girls don’t get carded here.They’ll let us in.And if they don’t, we’ll find something else to do,” she assures me as she steers me toward the back of the line.
I can’t believe I’m doing this—getting in line to go to a club in Manhattan.All of a sudden, I feel very small, very young, and very nervous, but it’s easy to get swept up in the girls’ excitement as we move quickly toward the neon-lit entrance.
My heart is pounding almost as hard as the beat coming from inside the building, thumping every time the door opens.What if the mountain of muscle at the end of the line turns us down?Or what if—and this would be so much worse—he only turns me down, but lets the girls go in?Then what do I do?I would never live it down in front ofhim, who, for some reason, is all I can think about as the moment of truth gets closer and closer.What wouldhesay?Probably that he told me so, and the idea makes me growl under my breath.Anything but that.
“All you have to do is be confident,” Brynn murmurs in my ear, almost pulling me along with her until we reach the bouncer.Confidence.I only have to be confident.
Right now, I’m confident he’s going to yank us out of line and toss us to the curb on our asses.
Instead, he barely glances at us before stepping back to allow us inside.
“Holy shit,” I whisper, shaking a little as we head in.That was easy.
“Told you so,” Brynn laughs.“Let’s get some drinks!I’ve been waiting for this all week.”
“Kylie and Emerson said they’d meet us here,” Olivia calls out, almost shouting to be heard now that the music has enveloped us.I can barely hear myself think and would swear my teeth are vibrating, but God, it’s good to be free for a night.It’s good to let the many bodies pressing in on all sides sweep me up and carry me toward the bar, where Serena offers to pick up the first round of drinks.
Drinks.I’ve never really drunk anything but the occasional champagne at a party, like the wedding last weekend.“Whatever you think is good!”I shout when she asks what I want, and it’s not long before she hands over our glasses.
Shots.She bought shots.
“To a great semester!”Brynn calls out before the four of them tip the shots down their throats, and I do the same after a beat.It’s sweet on my tongue and warm going down.Not bad.I could get used to it.
The second shot goes down even easier.I feel a little more relaxed by the time we inch away from the bar to take a slow walk around the room’s perimeter.It’s dark except for colored lights trained on the dance floor in the center, where dozens and dozens of people dance to a fast, driving beat that makes me shake my hips a little.
“There’s Kylie!”Brynn calls out, waving to a girl up ahead before peeling away from the group.“Be right back!”
“Ooh, hot piece of ass at nine o’clock,” Olivia tells Maddie.“He’s staring at you.”I peek over her shoulder, and sure enough, a guy who looks like he could play football is checking Maddie out.She gives us a wink before dancing his way.
