She visibly relaxes her stance, but her eyes remain glued to the car. “No, I don’t know who that is. “
“Probably nothing then. Maybe he realized he had car trouble this morning and is just now coming back to get it.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANDI
I’m sitting in the club with my girlfriends, Christina, Tania, and Katie, and we’re on our third round of drinks. Christina leaves the table for a few minutes and, when she returns, has two rounds of tequila shots for all of us. I’ve just finished telling them about my confusing day with Luke and how it ended when I left the gym. Or, I should say, how he ended our day.
Yes, I heard him call for me as I was walking out the door, but that’s just it. He waited until that exact moment, and I know he counted on me either not hearing or not caring that he yelled my name. And he was right. By then, Iwouldn’t have turned around for him for anything in the world. So, knowing how pissed off I am at him and how unlike me it is to care enough about any man to even get pissed off, my girlfriends have decided I must secretly like him.
I vehemently disagreed with them about that assumption.
There’s no way it’s a secret.
That royally pisses me off, too.
So, here we are with Christina passing out tequila shots to go with the pitcher of Bahama Mamas we’ve already finished. The server stops by the table, and Tania orders another pitcher. It’s going to be one of those summer nights in Hot-Lanta. The kind where I will undoubtedly end up bowing to the great porcelain god and swearing I’ll never have another drink.
Christina raises her shot glass for a group toast. “To the hot men who thoroughly piss us off!” We laugh and shout the toast back to her in unison before downing our shots. In keeping with tradition, we slam our empty shot glasses on the table, and Katie refills them with the Bahama Mama mixture.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shane, Will, and a couple of other guys from the gym enter the club. Bringing up the rear is Luke. Just great. I must have been obvious in myreaction, because when I look back, all six of my friends have their eyes glued to me.
“Yeah, that’s him,” I say with a heavy sigh.
“Nice.”
“Very nice.”
“No wonder you’re so hot and bothered.”
It’s good to have friends you can count on to cheer you up, take your mind off things, and help you make the best decisions.
It’s a shame those aren't the kind of friends I have here with me right now.
I glance back toward the guys and see Shane scanning the room for me. I wave when his eyes are in my general direction. Recognition sets in on his face, and he leads the group toward our table. I stand and help Tania pull another table and chairs beside ours to make room for everyone to hang out together. Shane pulls me into a hug and kisses the top of my head in his usual, brotherly way.
There’s a great DJ tonight, and he’s playing the best dance songs. One of the best things about this club is the mix of music they play. There’s a blend of rock, country, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. The mix might be a turnoff for some, but most of the people here love the variety. Fast songs or slowsongs—all the best songs on the air—all in one club. It’s outstanding.
Almost immediately after they sit down, Luke starts openly flirting with Tania right in front of me. My mind knows we have no relationship. My mind knows I have no claim to him. And my mind knows that, aside from a little harmless flirting, he’s made no moves on me. But my mind apparently isn’t in charge right now, because it both hurts and makes me mad. It’s like he’s doing it on purpose, and that’s just mean.
So far, the DJ’s been playing fast songs that make you want to move, especially after you’ve had a couple of drinks and a shot of tequila. Apparently, Christina has the same idea because she suddenly yells for us all to take another shot, then hit the dance floor. She also sees Luke hitting on Tania and wants to get us all away from the table before Tania cusses him out. Or worse, wastes her drink by throwing it in his face.
We all toss back the throat-burning liquid, chase it with more Bahama Mamas, and leave the guys as they order their pitchers of beer. One of Usher’s older songs, “Yeah!,” is playing, and the sensual bass thumps through the huge speakers throughout the room. The large flat screens strategically placed throughout the club play the official video, and the images occasionally flash to show the people on the dancefloor.
I’m feeling more than a slight buzz when I hit the dance floor, and with my mounting frustration, I just want to let loose. My body moves with the music, and I’m dancing with my friends when a hard body moves in close behind me. I look over my shoulder to see a handsome guy moving in time with me. When I don’t object, he moves closer and wraps one arm around my waist, pulling my back against his chest.
We move together in rhythm, close enough that there’s no space between us. His hand settles at my waist, and the music does the rest, slow and deliberate. I turn to wrap my arms around his neck and let the bass carry us, aware of how we must look, yet choosing not to care.
The people on the dance floor part like the Red Sea as Shane and Luke barge through toward me. I meet Luke’s hard gaze with a challenge in my eyes before turning back to my dance partner. The song ends, and a slow song begins without missing a beat.
My handsome stranger leans in to whisper in my ear. “Dance with me again?”
I nod and tighten my grip on his neck.
