“Happy birthday!” my friends shouted in unison.
Green blew on a paper horn, while Lily and Penelope smiled with their silly party hats. The same hat that was quickly placed on my head, with the elastic snapping against my chin.
“Ow!” I laughed, accepting a group hug.
The booth was tucked away in the corner, giving the perfect view of the dance floor and bar. The table itself was decorated with a golden cloth, as well as glitter and sequins shaped like little flowers.
I reached out instinctively to run my fingers over them, stepping aside just in time as a man dressed in all black appeared and set down a tray of shots.
“To my favourite artist,” Bug declared, prompting around of dramatic, ‘Hey, what about me?’from the others. “Happy birthday.”
I reached for a drink, lifting it in the air before tipping it to my lips. The alcohol burned, easing some of the pressure that cinched around my chest.
“Come on, Vi, live a little,” Green encouraged, handing me another with a wink.
The second went down easier, the beat of the music causing me to sway a little from side to side.
Bug slammed her glass down on the table. “Let’s dance!”
The lights overhead pulsed, casting the room in flashes of electric blue and white. A sea of dancers surrounded me, sweat a glossy sheen across their bodies as they thrust to the rhythm. Arms were raised, heads thrown back and feet stomping as I let myself drift forward, deeper onto the dance floor, where the music was loud enough to drown everything else out.
My hips found the beat, and for a moment, I wasn’t thinking about mum, or the lie I’d told. I was just here, moving, breathing, existing. So when Bug caught my eye and grinned, delicately twirling while the others jumped to the music, I smiled back.
The beat changed, and I altered my moves to match, embracing the rhythm and just enjoying the moment. I couldn’t tell how long I was there. Long enough to have several more drinks, and for my friends to disappear one by one into the crowd, apparently.
Eventually I returned to the table to find Bug actively trying to get me to take yet another shot.
I laughed when she gave me an empty glass. “Let me get the next round.”
“No, it’s your biiiirrrtthhhhdaaayyyy!” she sang off tune, clearly drunk.
I managedto untangle myself from her outstretched arms. “Stay here.”
Sticking her tongue out, Bug began to dance by the table, shaking her hips to something that definitely wasn’t the song playing. Luckily Green returned, adding his own moves while Penelope and Lily danced a few feet behind.
The crowd heaved as I pushed myself towards the bar. Finding a free space, I leaned slightly over to try and gain the attention of the staff.
“Twice in one day,” a familiar voice said from beside me. “You’re not stalking me, are you, love?”
I turned, finding a man’s head dipped in my direction. “Ryder?”
“Ah, so you remember me.” He smirked, and I found myself trying to blink past the slight alcoholic buzz.
His tousled hair was tucked behind his right ear, revealing a set of two golden hoops as well as a helix piercing. They were the same colour as the ones in his nipples, and oh my god, now I was thinking about his nipples.
“I’m so sorry about earlier,” I began, the words rushing out like vomit. “I didn’t mean to paint your chest. I didn’t see you, and you shouldn’t have even been there honestly, and I was just?—”
“It’s fine, seriously.” His eyes looked above my head, and only then did I remember I was still wearing the children’s party hat.
“It’s my birthday,” I offered by way of explanation, silently grateful for the alcohol warming my veins because without it, I’d have felt embarrassed.
“I can tell,” he said with a chuckle, tilting his head. “It suits you.”
“The hat?” I asked, resisting the urge to rip it off and crush it in my fist. Instead, I lifted my chin a little higher.
His eyes dropped, taking their time to sweep down myshort dress before returning to my face. “Anything would suit you.”
My mouth dried, brows pulling together at the way he watched me. His dark hair was just long enough to run your fingers through, and with light stubble he had that effortless kind of handsomeness. Complete with a perfect nose, a razor-sharp jawline, and cheekbones that could make even supermodels weep with envy.
