“We stay together,” he said, leaving no room for discussion.
“Stay together.” She bundled her coat around her to ward off the biting cold. “And you’ll tell me what to do if it looks like I don’t know what’s going on? I’ve never been to anything like this before.”
Zach leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, softer this time. Kissing Lauren was like jumping out of a plane but knowing you had a parachute. Even in the darkest times, she had a way of making him feel like he was finally home. “Just pretend to be my girlfriend.”
“I am your girlfriend.”
“Right. So stay with me.” Resting his forehead against hers, he took a deep, calming breath of the icy air. “I’m right beside you. The only thing you have to do is remember what you see and hear.”
“I can do that,” she whispered through a shiver.
Zach wrapped an arm around her as they walked to the door. “Act like you belong here. Have confidence, but remember that women are meant to be seen and not heard in this space.”
Lauren sniffed. “That sounds lovely. I can see why so many women hang out here.”
“No, you don’t, and it’s better that way. Most of these women could benefit from your counseling.”
He opened the door without knocking, and the muffled music rushed at them. The overhead lights were off, but dim, colored lights cast pitch black shadows over everything. Bodies crowded together in the main room, fueling the smell of alcohol and sweat that clogged his nose.
“It’s so loud,” Lauren shouted against his ear. “How are we going to communicate?”
Zach leaned down until his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Get close.”
Keeping their hands linked, Lauren pressed against his side, wrapping around his arm to stay as close as possible. People moved out of his way when they noticed him. They’d always done that. Whether it was his size or his expression, everyone scattered when they caught sight of him.
He’d just lifted his chin when a woman wearing only a pink bra and a short skirt dragged her hand over his chest. Grabbing her wrist and removing it, he pushed around her and into the crowd. A few other women purposefully touched him as they moved, and it took everything he had not to jerk away. Touch used to be painful. A kick. A punch. The knuckles of a grown man’s hand landing on his cheek. When he grew up, he used touch to inflict that same pain on others.
But when Lauren touched him, it was healing. It was peace, even in the most overwhelming places.With his fingers woven with hers, he could breathe again.
When they made it to the bar, he handed a cup to Lauren and took one for himself. With his cheek against hers he said, “Don’t drink it. Just pretend.”
Lauren lowered her nose to the cup, and a brief scowl crossed her features before it disappeared.
When they’d moved to an open spot on one side of the room, Lauren pressed her lips to his ear. “These women are very affectionate.”
He brushed a hand over her jaw and whispered back, “Great observation, but you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Should I be running my hands all over you?” she asked with a giggle.
He scanned the room, but his attention was pulled toward Lauren. “I wouldn’t stop you if you did.”
Her hand brushed over his chest, and she leaned in to whisper, “Eric is standing by the TV.”
Sure enough, the man they’d been looking for was listening to a guy who couldn’t have been older than twenty. These parties were a way to gather a bunch of people who didn’t have anything to live for—people who were disposable. Eric could pick and choose which ones he wanted to bring into the business.
“Eric isn’t interested in whatever that man’s saying. He’s bored and irritated,” Lauren whispered.
Zach glanced at her, then back at Eric. “How do you know?”
“His jaw is tense, and he’s swapped his stancetwice. I don’t know him well enough to tell, but he might be on the verge of cutting the guy off. Do you know who he’s talking to?”
“Never seen him before.”
“Maybe he’d appreciate it if you cut in and saved him.”
The words were barely out of her mouth before Zach caught sight of the familiar face heading their way. He gently nudged Lauren behind him, dropping her hand in the process. “Ben.”
“Zach Wilson.” The man reached out and slapped a hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Long time.”
