Kyle glanced over at Nolan, who wasn't wasting any time getting to the building that was already reverberating from the loud music playing inside. "You do realize, don't you, that this plan of yours could backfire?" he asked, wanting to make sure his friend was aware of the liability inherent in his plan. "That Claire could get pissed as hell that you're crashing her girls' night out?" As for Ella-Kyle reasoned that she'd already relegated him to platonic status, so he shouldn't pose a threat to her having a fun evening, right?
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Nolan replied, nonplussed, before following that up with a confident smirk. "Besides, I already know that the makeup sex will be worth it."
Kyle just shook his head, but damned if he wasn't a bit envious of his friend's certainty and attitude. At least one of them was going to get lucky with the woman they wanted tonight.
Nolan opened the door, and they were instantly blasted by the obnoxiously loud rock song blaring from the speakers mounted around the open, spacious establishment. They made their way inside, and Kyle realized that he was too old for this shit. That going to an overly crowded bar for a beer was highly overrated when he could have a drink in the peace and quiet of his own home. But he reminded himself he had a purpose tonight, and now that he was here, he found himself already glancing around for Ella's familiar face.
He was at least a foot taller than most adults, but it was still difficult to see anything more than the tops of people's heads and discern whether they were male or female, which only served to frustrate Kyle. The ground level, where he and Nolan were currently, was overpopulated due to the bar setup, standing tabletops, and dance area that everyone wanted to be near. Remembering there was a second-tier balcony that overlooked the entire first floor, he looked up, grateful to find that it was far less busy and the perfect place to keep an eye on anything and everything-and anyone. Once he found her.
Catching Nolan's attention, Kyle made an I'm going upstairs gesture with the hitch of his thumb, and his friend nodded. Up above, they found a vacant table at the far end of the balcony that was next to the railing, and claimed it for themselves. As soon as they were seated, a cocktail waitress took their orders for two beers on tap, then went to retrieve their drinks.
Kyle didn't waste time before combing through the crowd below, and Nolan did the same. It took him a few minutes, but he finally found Ella and Claire tucked away in their own corner downstairs, diagonally to where he and Nolan were positioned. He nudged his friend and pointed out the girls' location, and now that they had them in view, they both sat back in their chairs and relaxed. Their beer arrived, which Kyle paid for while also giving the server a generous tip.
They were good to go, their surveillance underway, and the girls none the wiser.
It was too loud for a normal conversation with Nolan, so for the next forty minutes, the two of them drank their beer and kept their attention on Claire and Ella. For the most part, the women kept to themselves, and no one bothered them, either. They leaned in close as they chatted and leisurely sipped what looked like one of those frilly, fruity martini-type cocktails.
After a while, when they both stood up, Kyle tracked their progress to the crowded dance floor and exhaled a relieved breath when they started to dance . . . with each other. There were other girls doing the same, and he found himself smiling as he watched Ella from afar, seemingly happy and carefree for the moment as she and Claire shimmied against each other, laughing and enjoying their evening.
Half a dozen songs later, they made their way through the growing throng of people filling the dance floor. Ella said something to Claire, who nodded and went in the direction of the table they'd been sitting at, while Ella went up to the bar and ordered a drink from the bartender. He set a bottle of water on the counter, and she twisted the cap off and took a long, thirsty drink just as a guy came up beside her.
Kyle stiffened in his seat when Ella's face lit up and she gave the other man a warm, too-intimate hug. He narrowed his gaze as they broke apart, allowing him the chance to take a closer look at the guy's features . . . and to realize it was her ex-fiancé, Tucker Barnes. She might have ended her engagement to him, but there didn't appear to be any animosity between them. In fact, Kyle didn't care for the way she was smiling at the other man or the easy, familiar way Tucker touched her bare arm.
Kyle stood so abruptly that his chair scraped back on the wooden floor, his entire body so tense he felt his shirt tighten against his chest and arms. Nolan immediately jumped up beside him and pressed his fingers against Kyle's chest to hold him back.