He gives me a subtle nod like he has it handled. “This new club called The Riff. It’s right next to Django’s.”
“Right on. I’ll grab C.”
I toss my hands in the air as he leaves the room.
Todd stands, giving me a pat on the head. “Sweet, crispy marshmallow.”
I make a swipe for him, which Todd deftly evades.
“It’s okay to let people see your gooey insides,” my supposed friend calls as he disappears down the hall.
“That sounds like the exact opposite of a good idea,” I shoot back.
Lumi gives my cheek a pinch. “This is going to besomuch fun.” As she offers an arm to Trevor, which my polite boyfriend takes as he stands, she asks, “So, Trevor. Haveyouseen Isaac’s insides?”
“Oh myGod,” I hiss. “That’s private information. And no one is even listening to me. You’re all walking away. That’s not normal, you know! Most people don’t simply leave a room while someone else is talking to them.”
Heaving out a monumental breath, I grab my wallet and phone.
“Don’t let the cab leave without me!”
We make it to The Riff a good twenty-five minutes later. The club is further than our usual haunts, but Lumi said something about fishbowl drinks, and Todd was sold.
Todd pays the cab driver as I ease off Trevor’s lap and exit the vehicle, my boyfriend just behind me. Todd follows from the middle seat while Lumi steps out of the front passengerside. And then from the back comes…Brayden? Who rode atop Camden’s lap.
I didn’t ask.
There’s a line at the front door that has Todd groaning. “Lumi.”
“Babe, you have a better shot than I do.”
Todd glances at the bouncer. “Really?”
Lumi’s “Mhm” has Todd squaring his shoulders, like he’s gearing up to go off to battle.
“Oh Lord,” I mumble, watching my very ace friend get ready to attempt…flirting.
Todd approaches the bouncer with an exaggerated swagger in his step, and we all inch closer, an ear tilted toward the conversation. “Sup,” Todd starts with.
I groan.
“No, no,” Lumi says. “Give him time.”
The bouncer runs an eye up and down Todd, arms crossed in front of himself.
“So, uh,” Todd goes on. “Are you Larry’s boyfriend? Because our group got separated, and he texted to come to the club with the hot bouncer. He said that’s, uh, his boyfriend, and he’d let us in. So I figured that must be you?”
“Shit,” I mutter, impressed despite myself. “That wasn’t terrible.”
The bouncer visibly thaws toward Todd, a smile on his face. His voice is a low enough register I don’t catch his words, but he motions for Todd’s hand. The bouncer wraps a band around Todd’s wrist, and then he flips his hand up and scrawls what I assume is his number on Todd’s palm.
Todd looks back at us, shell-shocked. Lumi is the first to rush forward, and we follow in her wake. The lot of us arelet through with bands around our own wrists, the bouncer having IDed the rest of us.
Once inside, Todd shoves his hand in my face. “What do I do? Am I obligated to call? Was that, like, a formal contract? I’m in over my head, bae. I don’t evenknowa Larry.”
“Breathe,” I tell him above the thump of the music. I squeeze his shoulders, and Todd draws in a breath. “You don’t have to call. You can go wash it off if you want.”
Todd nods, looking around before heading down the hall toward the bathrooms.
