Accordance (Significance #2)(26)

I looked down at my jeans and heeled boots with a little black chiffon top and camisole. I’d put on the new earrings I’d bought the last time we went out. No one had said anything when we left so I assumed I looked okay enough for this.
“So, how do you know if we’ll get in?” Everyone chuckled again and I felt like I was seriously missing something. “What?” I said with more force.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately, sweetheart?” Ralph said and laughed again. “Don’t worry about us lowly,“ he bent to bow at the waist with his hands out, “tools basking in your glow. They always let the guys with the babes in on principle.” He looked around at Beck and Jen grinning and winked.
Beck looked smug and Jen smiled bemused. I just shook my head. Then it was our turn to meet Toad. My heart pounded violently for some reason, fear that maybe he’d take one look at my little seventeen year old self and turn us away. Caleb pulled me to him.
“Hey, man. Six of us,” he initiated.
Toad looked around and his face never changed.
“Cover is thirty for the guys, ladies are free tonight.”
“Awesome,” Caleb spouted and paid the man, waving Ralph’s money away.
Focus on me, Maggie. You’ll definitely overload in a place like this. 
Yeah, thanks.
“Go ahead,” Toad spouted.
“Really?” I asked puzzled. “You’re not going to check our ID’s or anything?”
Toad looked back to me and smiled as he gave a slow once over that had Caleb gritting his teeth.
“I’ll check anything you want me to, sweetheart.”
“We’re good, thanks,” Caleb almost growled and pulled me through the big black and gray door as I heard Ralph and Beck laughing loudly behind us.
I was blasted with bass climbing from the floor into my toes and smoke so thick it took a second to catch my breath.
“You’re not going to check our ID’s or anything?” Beck said in a sing-song mock voice. “Ha! Maggie, you’re so hilarious. You need to learn to be hot, honey,” she said as Ralph dragged her away.
I had no idea what she was talking about and looked at Caleb. He was smiling and laughing silently. He pulled me to him with a hand on the back of my neck.
“Oh my gosh, I love you,” he muttered huskily and kissed me before pulling me to meet everyone else at the bar.
“Ok, I don’t care what you do,” Jen started, looking at us sternly, “but I will be watching the bar and if I catch any of you trying to score, so help me-”
“We won’t,” Caleb assured, rolling his eyes.
She gave him a ‘duh’ look and then turned her gaze on Beck and Ralph.
“Oh, come on!” he complained but Jen’s eyebrow shot up ever so slightly and it was amazing how she suddenly looked so menacing. “Ok, fine.”
“Great. See you guys later,” she called and then made her way through the crowd and strobing lights.
Bish watched her with great interest. In his mind, he was wondering if she was going to dance with anyone. He hated that he even cared.
I turned away from him and looked up at Caleb.
“Well, are you gonna dance with me or what?” I said playfully.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He grinned as he pulled me to the growing crowd of thrashers and shimmyers. I figured we would be so packed in there he wouldn’t be able to tell I couldn’t really dance anyway. I was right. It was worse than sardines but I was not complaining being pressed against Caleb. The music was playing loudly some techno generic club stuff that was very Night at the Roxbury.
We found Beck and Ralph on the dance floor. Beck immediately pulled me to her and started twirling me under her arm. I laughed as we danced together in between Caleb and Ralph.
Everyone’s thoughts around me were disturbing to say the least as I slowly let them creep in. It was all sex, sex and drugs and strangely, local bands and eateries. The ones close to us, some were even thinking about me, looking at me and Caleb in ways I’d prefer not, so I quickly moved my focus elsewhere.
Eventually Ralph claimed he needed a drink and dragged Beck away but I could pick my friends out among the crowd, I guessed because I was so attuned to them already. Beck and Ralph were dancing and snuggling by a large column in the middle. Beck’s thoughts were floaty and sweet as she wrapped her arms around Ralph’s neck. And Ralph- well, he was still in love with her, like he’d said that day. He was ready for anything she wanted to give and couldn’t wait for them to get to school and get a few months under their belt so he could propose. I felt teary eyed listening to it.
Then I felt it, heard it, whatever. Bish was somewhere and his mind was burning with jealousy. I looked up and around for him and saw him, leaning against the bar and glaring at Jen and some guy. They were dancing on the edge of the crowd and the guy was pretty much all over her but Jen was moving, eyes closed, just into it.
In her mind, she needed to just get away from everything, just be young for five minutes and forget about thinking about Bish, about anything. In his mind he was freaking upset and wanted to strangle the guy, though he didn’t know why.I sighed and tried to push them out.
Relax. I looked up to find Caleb watching me. Don’t be the Visionary for tonight. Don’t be an Ace, just be you. Push it all out and just focus on me.
Caleb’s face was so close and so sincere. I pushed all the attention of my mind and thoughts on him only as I stared into his deep blue eyes that were so focused on me. His mind was filled with everywhere his hands were at the moment and I felt flush all over- one for not realizing that they’d been there the whole time and two because of where they were. He had one knee between mine, one hand on the back of my thigh and the other arm wrapped around my waist tightly. I’d been so wrapped up in listening to everything around me that I forgot to pay attention to us.
He was so ready to move on with our lives; to not have to hide, to not have our family around all the time in the same house, to have to stop kissing or more when people walk into the room. He was so ready to do more than just touch me, so ready to Mutualize and have my name miraculously tattooed on the inside of his wrist by his crest, however that worked. He was ready for us to be us and nothing else. I had to agree.
I wanted to take him somewhere private right then and finish what we’d started.
He groaned in my mind and pressed his head to mine.
Ah, baby, don’t.
What? I said in fake modesty. I just thought that I’m pretty disappointed we never got to continue-
Not here, please. Think about something else.
I giggled slightly and bit my lip. It was amazing how much I could fluster him.
Oh, I’m flustered alright. He smiled beautifully and sincerely, rubbing a thumb over my cheek. You still have no idea how much pull you have over me. I’m completely captivated. I’m enraptured with you, Maggie. You are all there is for me. Ralph was right, too. You don’t know how insanely beautiful you are. I’m the envy of every man in here, I guarantee you that.
You’re insane.
My argument having no real gusto because I’d heard the things people were thinking about me and it was strange. I’d never really been pretty before.
Yes, you were. You were always gorgeous. I hate to say this, but the thing I noticed first on the street that day was your freckles, how adorable you looked. Your hair was blowing around you and it was dark, making your freckles stand out under the lights. You were the most captivating creature I’d ever seen.
Caleb...I took a deep breath and tried to slow my heartbeat. I put my hand over his heart, feeling both our hearts under together; one strong and steady as always and one galloping like a runaway pony. You are so off the mark. You’re the one who had me stunned. I was a stammering idiot trying to tell you I was ok. You were so close and your eyes…were so focused on me. I’d never been looked at that way before. 
And I’ll never stop.
I hope not.
And then he was kissing me, moving us back to the shadow as he brought his hands up to hold my face and we continued to sway and move. It was so reminiscent of the time we danced on the beach at that party, before all the kidnapping and drama happened.
Caleb held tight to me and showed me his love and adoration with his lips and thoughts. I made sure to keep my mind on the outside of his and just listen. When I went digging, things happen, energy ribbons and breaking glass. I was sure no one here would appreciate any of that. When my fingers started to cramp from fisting his sleeves of his green and white polo for so long, I pulled back slightly and licked my lips to taste him there. He chuckled and breathed a happy sigh across my face.
We were bumped, jostled more than just by accident, by someone and I looked behind me to see a big guy with a black leather jacket and dark sunglasses on.
“I need you to come with me.”
“Excuse me?” Caleb pulled me behind him. “Who are you?”
“I need the girl to come with me. It doesn’t matter who I am.” He looked back to me, or I assume he did because I couldn’t see his eyes. “Come on. I don’t have all night.”
“Like hell,” Caleb growled.
“I don’t need this from you, boy. She’s waiting and I’m not going to explain it to her why I took so long. The girl is coming with me.”
“Who’s waiting?” I asked and the guy growled, reaching for my arm and I heard his thought.