LULA
The mood in the Fire Hooch shifted dramatically once alcohol joined the party and the band began to play.
The Black Rainbow members went from worrying about saying the wrong thing to yukking it up with Rowdy and Clint.
The foxes in the Crimson Guard stopped clinging to each other and began shouting along with the Riot Grrrl songs played by sisters Dali and Jas Tooker with our club brother Graham on the drums.
I tugged Vanessa to her feet and gestured for Nova and Ivy to join us. We stood with the other foxes and bounced to the music. Nova wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She didn’t like the booze, and dancing seemed to embarrass her.
I stuck her between Vanessa and me and had her move to the music.
From what I knew about Exile and Nova’s upbringing, they had spent most of their childhood believing they needed to hide their true selves.
Exile broke free of that programming, but Nova was still letting it hold her back.
She could be silly at the house, yet she became uptight once in public.
I knew she viewed Ivy as fragile. If the little blonde did something, Nova was quick to follow, assuming the activity was safe.
Surrounded by the foxes now, Nova felt safe enough to bounce to the music like Ivy did. She smiled more and even tried an edible from Goldie once Ivy took one. The more my friends included her, the less Nova remembered her South Dakota programming.
For the next hour, liquor flowed freely, music blasted loudly, and the two clubs merged into one.
I kept close to Nova, who got the greatest giggles after the edible kicked in.
As adorable as she acted, she also kept wanting to climb on everything.
Vanessa and I had to follow her around to keep her from standing on tables and the bar top.
As the groups blended, Exile joined me and frowned at his sister.
“She’s happy,” I told him when she stretched out on a table.
After a moment of disapproval, he exhaled his tension and smiled. I danced with him. My bouncing turned to swaying once he tugged me against his hard body and refused to let go.
“You’re so damn hot,” he said, sounding like the liquor had hit him.
Snorting, I replied, “In a few hours, we’re going to need to Uber both clubs out of here.”
Exile chuckled. “I’m not drunk.”
“Neither am I.”
“Nova might be.”
“No, she’s stoned.”
We glanced at Nova, who was now on a chair, pumping her arms to the music. Goldie and Vanessa stood next to her just in case she toppled over.
“Everything is okay,” I told him when he again looked worried. “Nova is blowing off steam in a safe space with people who care if she’s happy.”
Exile’s expression pinched like I’d hit on a very sensitive fear of his. He kissed me hard, stealing my breath and erasing everything around us.
I wrapped him tighter as heat blossomed in my belly.
Few things in my life had felt as perfect as this man did.
Exile’s every breath called to me. His smiles made my heart soar.
His scowls inspired me to fix his every problem.
Even after only a week together, I knew I’d only be happy if I got to spend the rest of my life at his side.