"Please!" Tara said, hopping off the slightly raised dance platform.
I was so, so glad that I'd chosen to dress for warmer weather when I'd left the house, toddling after my friends in the full, sticky nightclub. Usually, it wouldn't be so full on a Tuesday, but there'd been some kind of drag performance this evening, and most of the attendees decided to stay behind to enjoy the DJ.
My phone vibrated, and I squinted at the screen, finding Jason's name at the top.
JASON: sry that took so long, here with Ivy. Can you grab her? She's new to town. don't want to leave until she's safe.
"Oooooh," I smirked to Tara, leaning against her as Jesse sorted drinks for us. "Jason's here with his girlfriend."
"God, the poor girl," Tara laughed. "Let's go liberate her. Maybe we can find her a nice beta tonight instead."
"Worked for you," Jesse said, handing out a round of drinks. A Jack and Coke for Tara, and a pair of bright green Appletinis for us. "I think you'll like this."
I looked dubiously at the lime-green liquid in the glass before taking a sip. Either I was absolutely hammered, which was a high possibility at this point, or this was one of the most delicious drinks to ever exist. Sweet, heavy with apple flavor, and finished off with a kick that I thought could be brandy.
"Fucking delightful," I praised, earning myself a grin from the beta as we made our way towards the entrance.
As we reached the door, the smell of irritated alpha was obvious, overripe oranges meeting my nose as I spied Jason waiting off to the side, the doorman watching him carefully.
The chilly air was a bit of a shock to my system, but way,wayless surprising than the omega standing beside Jason.
Something that Tara and Jesse obviously agreed with, the latter turning their head to mouth'what the fuck' to his bondmate, like being able to feel each other's shock wasn't enough.
There was no other word for it: Ivy wasstunning.
Much shorter than Tara or I, with creamy blonde hair that she'd styled in long waves that framed her round, doll-like face. Her creamsicle-colored dress was tightly fitted at the top with a plunging neckline revealing a fair amount of Californian golden tan skin—honestly, it looked a bit like Tara's outfit, if she wore anything other than purple. But that's where the similarity between the two ended—the pair were more like opposites, withIvy's unmarked skin and Tara's tattoos covering every visible inch of her.
Night and day.
I send up a silentthank youto the universe’s obsession with all of my friends looking like insanely hot models, grinning as I called out to Jason to get his attention. Not that I needed to, he'd started smiling the second I'd become visible in the door. "Hey! Sorry, we can't come out!" I held up my full drink, stopping just shy of the threshold.
"She's with us," Tara said to the doorman, and he nodded, uncrossing his arms to pull up the rope, not bothering to ask for her ID as she joined us.
He gave Jason another pointed look as he locked the rope back into place.
“Thanks for letting me come," Ivy said, shooting us a relieved smile before looking over her shoulder at Jason. "I'll call Martin for a ride home, bye!"
The dismissal was obvious, the alpha offering her a tight smile. "I'll take you home."
"No thanks!" she shouted, moving deeper into the club without looking back.
Her eyes went wide at the space, excitement coming off the girl in waves.
The O was pretty unique as far as nightclub setups went. Actually shaped like a giant O, the club's circular floor was built in three levels: a raised platform separating the bars and tables from the sunken platform that housed the DJ booth and the dancefloor. Overhead, a large balcony that circled the entire thing, offering more spaces to sit as well as rooms that could be rented for private parties and events. The dance floor was filled to bursting with moving bodies, omega pheromones hanging thickly in the air.
Neon lights cast the blonde of Ivy's hair into shades of pink and orange as she turned back to us, letting out a sigh of relief. "There is really nothing like a club. I'm Ivy, by the way."
"Eva," I returned, putting my hand out. We shook, and for a moment, I could swear she was trembling.
Damn, it must've been a while since she'd been out.
“I’m Tara,” my friend said, going to offer the omega her hand and overshooting wildly, nearly tumbling into her.
Ivy stepped back a fraction, if only for fear of being knocked over, giving Tara’s hand a gentle pat as she shook. "I can already tell you're a lot of fun."
“She is," Jesse said with a laugh. "I’m Jesse, the messy girl's beta. Sorry, we started early.”
"All good," Ivy said with a little laugh. "It's nice to meet you. God, I need a drink, like, ASAP."
