He closes the distance between us. I almost want to laugh. This whole scene has been so surreal. I feel like I’m in the commercial now.
His cologne is subtle, takes a moment to reach my senses. On his face he’s wearing an amused smirk, as if he’s finding something funny.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says. Apparently he just can’t help the grin that parts his lips. He’s got a mix between an American and Australian accent. It’s weird, like nothing I’ve ever heard before.
This time I really do laugh. “Jesus,” I whisper, tucking hair behind my ears. “That’s the best you could do?” I don’t even know why I say it. What was I expecting him to do?
“You’re joining me tonight,” he says. “You and your friends.”
Rose grips my arm, and I can almost hear her mentally pressuring me to accept.
“I, uh—”
“Hey, it’s the best club in town.”
“Juice?” Rose asks.
Pierce’s eyes don’t leave mine. “Yeah. We’ll get our own section.” His face grows serious. It’s all hard lines and angles. He’s a looker, but it’s better when he smiles. “Shall we go?”
I bunch my brow together. “You can’t be for real.”
Rose cuts in excitedly. “You know your parents are dating, right?”
Pierce levels a curious look at me. “Is that right? So you’re Penelope?”
“Yeah,” I say.
He only smiles. He just keeps looking at me, as if he’s measuring me, somehow, adding up everything he sees of me and labeling me, categorizing me, figuring me out.
I feel put on the spot; I feel hot, and I feel flushed.
I’m at a loss for words. Whereas in the cage he was all aggression and showboating, somehow now he’s no longer just a brute with a penchant for violence and lifting weights. His personality is intense. I can’t place it, can’t describe it.
I feel off-balance. I feel like I’m in the cage with him, and that I’ve got to hold my own.
“Well, nice fight,” I say. “Sans the showing off.”
Somehow – it’s subtle, but I don’t miss it – he uses his body language to guide me into walking with him. An arm out, a gentle gesture, and we’re walking down the street. Someone calls out his name, but he ignores them. Rose and Jason fall into step behind us. She’s positively giddy.
“First fight, Penelope?”
“Yeah.”
“Like it?”
I shake my head. “Not really.”
“It’s not for everyone.”
Feeling on an island, I look behind me. Rose and Jason urge me on with their looks. Behind them are Chance and Cassie. I guess we’re all going to the club together.
Rose winks at me.
“I noticed you tonight,” Pierce says, and I snap my head back around and look up at him.
“I could tell,” I say. “The pointing wasn’t exactly subtle.”
“It’s part of the personality.”
I shrug. Somehow, I don’t believe he compartmentalizes his fighting from his everyday life that much.
Our shoulders touch, and I feel this current of electricity shoot through me, right into my belly.
“You’re not comfortable.”
I blanch. “Sorry?”
“You’re not comfortable, are you?”
“Um, no, I guess?”
“First time to a fight, and going by the way you’re dressed, I’d say your friend didn’t tell you what the atmosphere was going to be like.”
My cheeks burn. “You know, I’m not really feeling this. I’m going to go home.”
“Don’t,” he says. “I want you to join me.”
“Don’t I get a say in this?”
He stops, turns and looks at me. “You can leave any time you like.”
Again, I’m put on the spot. I hear Rose hiss my name, only this time she’s getting impatient.
“I get the feeling you do this after every fight, right?” I ask.
“Go celebrating?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re right. I do always win.” He grins.
“I meant pick out some girl you think you’re going to get with.”
“Think?”
“Wow,” I say. “And just before you said it was all an act.”
“That’s not what I said.” He turns around and says to Jason, “Alright, see you guys there. Wait for me at the front door, or they won’t let you in.”
I do a double take, and then look behind me, but Rose and Jason are already crossing the street.
“Hey!” I yell. “Where are you going?”
“To the car.”
They keep going, and I turn back to Pierce, and he’s just regarding me. I feel like I’m on display or something. Being tested.