After paying the bill, we all walk to Club Blue. It’s 9:45 and the doorman lets us pass through without waiting in line. It’s great that Stacy’s on TV, even if it is the news. Her face gets us in most places, and we use it to our advantage.
Finding a table that will accommodate the five of us, I take a seat at the end of the high top table on a barstool for a seat.
Ben and Kyle are walking up with our drinks when Ben pulls me off the stool and says, “We are going to go dance, sweetness.”
I hear the pop song, “Mirror” playing in the background, causing me to think about Nick momentarily. I think it’s a Justin Timberlake song. It’s not my type of music, but I know Katelyn and Stacy love it, and I can usually roll with whatever. I may not fully appreciate JT’s music, but I love his performances on Saturday Night Live. The guy is funnier than shit.
Ben is really into this and he’s moving us all over the place on the dance floor. We are having a blast. After fifteen minutes, I squeeze him by the shoulders and shout into his ear over the music saying, “It’s time for me to sit down. I need more alcohol.”
He stays on the dance floor and I exit, making my way back to our table. Katelyn is handing me a glass of white wine as I take a seat. “I got you a refresh,” she says as she takes a sip of her wine.
“Holy hell! If that isn’t the hottest piece of ass I’ve ever seen,” she says while looking past me, over my shoulder.
I go to turn around and she grabs my arm to stop me. “Don’t look. He’s walking this way.”
A few seconds later, warm hands are wrapping around me, and my friends eyes look like they are about to pop out of their sockets. It’s him…it’s Nick. I know by the way he feels, the intoxicating smell of him, the way my body has little tingles of electricity running through it.
“Pardon me, but I need to borrow this one for a moment,” he says, pulling me off the stool by my waist. My friends do not protest and are sitting there stunned with their mouths on the table.
He guides me to a corner by the wall, turning me around to face him. My back is against the cold concrete and he’s towering over me with his hands placed on the wall above me.
“Your friend is lucky he’s gay,” he says with a serious expression. The anger that was in his voice on the phone isn’t present.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask, clearly not understanding his point.
“It means, if he wasn’t gay and had his hands all over you on the dance floor, his face would have come in contact with my fist. That’s what that means.” He tells me through dark, intense hooded eyes.
My anger is building and I’m about to lash out at him when he grabs the back of my neck, pulling me into a kiss. The anger subdues as I kiss him back fisting the lapels of his jacket in my hands. All my built up tension from today leaves my body, and I begin to relax.
Damn, I do love the effect he has on me.
He breaks away all too quickly for my liking, but I remain holding him by the lapels of his jacket. I ease my grip and look up at him.
“Shannon, do you mind telling me what it is I did wrong, and why you chose to leave me without a goodbye?” There is hurt in his eyes; it hurts my heart. I’m getting tired of seeing this pained look, especially as I don’t understand it. I release him and look down. “Talk to me, damn it.” He sounds frustrated. I look back up at him.
“Earlier today, in your office, you dismissed me, like…like I’d only been there for you to fuck.” I say it in a low voice and it feels awful saying it out loud. I look back down. My good night I was having is turning to shit.
He bends his head down and rests his forehead on mine. “That’s what you think?”
“That’s what it felt like, and I didn’t like it.” I grab his lapels again, I’m just holding on to them. He lifts my chin so I look him in the eyes.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t dismissing you. I swear. I had another meeting to get to, and you brought your portfolio, so I thought we were done.” He has the most sincere look on his face.
I believe him.
Don’t get me wrong, a goodbye kiss would have been nice, but shit. This whole thing that’s going on between us, is all kinds of confusing.
“Okay,” I whisper. How did I miss reading the situation?
“Okay, as in we’re good?” he asks, and I nod. He kisses my cheek softly, and then moves to that spot on my neck that he likes so much and kisses me again. He continues and trails kisses up until he reaches my ear.
“Introduce me to your friends,” he whispers. I nod again, and he steps back taking my hand. I lead him to the table. My friends are staring and still have their mouths lying open on the table. They are in disbelief, I think. I guess they were watching that.