“Dad would have a fit if he saw me dressed like this.”
“You’re not at work or church, so you can wear whatever you want. It’s not like you’re going to show up to Sunday servicedressed like that. You’re a grown woman, capable of making your own choices.”
My choice would be to change into something comfortable and hang out at a coffee shop. Or put my PJs on and binge watchBridgerton, but Sally seems so excited about going, and I’d hate to disappoint her. Still unsure of what to do, I say, “What about Evan?” To my father’s delight, since we first met, we caught up three times. Twice for coffee and once for dinner. I like him. He’s sweet, funny, and kind.
“Evan isn’t your boyfriend.” Sally rolls her eyes. “What you do in your spare time is your business. It’s not like you’re going out to hook up with a guy tonight—although, you have every right to. Evan is your father’s fantasy, but is he yours?”
Sally is right. Evan is a man my father would love me to settle down with: a good upbringing, great job, and a gentleman. He’s the perfect match. I do like Evan, and he’s made it clear that he’s interested in me and wants to pursue a relationship. He’s waiting for me to be on the same page. He’s everything I could hope for. He’s perfect. Yet, there’s something holding me back from taking things further.
We haven’t even kissed yet.
Why am I not tempted? Is it because I’m waiting for a spark?
His golden good looks and sweet smile should draw me in. Yet there is another face, one that is dark and far from sweet, whose name is still etched on my skin, that comes to mind. A man so far from my type he shouldn’t be a blip in my thoughts.
That night, I definitely felt a spark. He’s a man whose lips I would have happily kissed. Until he did the dirty on me and told me he’d never tattoo a woman’s name on his body after he dared me to tattoo his name on mine.
Jerk.
A jerk who, with the slightest touch and heated look, set my body on fire. And if I’m honest, when I think about him, stilldoes. He’s someone I’ll never see again. I don’t plan on visiting anymore tattoo shops. Once was enough. I have to push him out of my mind.
Maybe Evan is the right guy and who I should focus my attention on. Only time will tell. Until then, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something exciting tonight. Sure, to most people, a night out at a club isn’t consideredwild. The way I’m dressed, it is for me. For one night, I’d like to not worry about the restrictions of being a pastor’s daughter. Tonight is about letting go. Trying something new. I take another look at myself in the mirror.
I can do this,I convince myself.
Taking a deep breath, I turn to Sally. “Okay, let’s go to the club.”
Sally’s eyes narrow with suspicion. “Are you getting changed first?”
“No.”
Her face lights up, then she lets out an excited squeal and bounces on the bed. “Yes! Let’s have some fun.”
***
The pulsing of heavy metal music vibrates from every corner of the club, pounding from the floor and through my feet. The dark room, lit only by tiny pinprick lights in the ceiling and neon writing on the walls, is filled with people dancing to the noise. This can’t be music, can it? A metal sign, hung from the ceiling with thick rope, reads, Chains and His Church of Sinners. It’s unlike any church I’ve ever known.
We move further inside, where I accidentally bump into someone. “Oh, sorry.” I turn.
“That’s okay,” the man yells back, holding hands with a petite red-haired woman wearing less than I am. The man gives me aonce-over and smiles suggestively. “Hey, sweetheart, wanna join us?” The woman next to him giggles and reaches a hand out to me.
Join them for what?I’m too afraid to ask. I step back before she can touch me and shake my head.
The redhead shrugs and pulls the man’s head down for a long, deep kiss. Without taking a breath, he backs her up against a wall, then disappears behind a thick black curtain. My stomach flips in a confused mix of embarrassment and fascination.
Leaning toward Sally, I shout in her ear, “Where have you taken me?”
“Isn’t it fantastic?” Her smile is as bright as the neon writing on the walls. She dances on the spot as she takes in the club.
Fantastic is not how I’d describe the place. Loud, crowded, and inappropriate. “Where did that couple go? What are they doing?”
Sally shrugs. “Probably having sex.”
What? Did they ask me to join them for sex? Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I swallow hard. No one has ever approached me like that before. Underneath the shock, a spark of curiosity stirs deep in my stomach, and that’s when I know this isn’t the place I should be. This isn’t my world. I’m the kind of woman who follows rules, loves going out for dinner with friends. Not get propositioned and be unexpectedly intrigued.
“This is not the kind of club we normally go to,” I shout over the music.
“I know, right? It’s so much better.”
