Chapter 3
Theo
I set my makeup kit aside as I grab my phone, pulling up the group chat with the band.
Not a single one of you is excused from tonight’s festivities. I will personally hunt you down if you bail.
Eric
What was tonight again? Babe, do you remember getting an invitation? Or are we just being kidnapped?
Dmitri (Sticks)
I… feel like I need to stay out of this one.
Neutral territory. Pass.
Eric
You’re supposed to take my side. That’s fiancé privilege.
If you don’t confirm you’re coming right now, I will show up at your place in a full-on kidnapper van.
Blacked-out windows, dog collars with your names embroidered on them, the works.
I’ve got snacks and zip ties. Don’t test me.
Tai
Well, sign me up for the van of doom. Sounds like the best ride of the night. Do I get shotgun?
Dmitri
Yeah, that actually does sound fun. Count me in for the snacks.
Dante, help me! Your bandmates are traitors and I need backup.
Dante (The Phantom Fingerer)
Everyone better show up. Or else.
Eric
What does “or else” even mean?
You gonna glare us into submission?
Dante (The Phantom Fingerer)
Or. Else.
You heard the man. He’ll hunt you down.
Tai
Okay, okay, I’m in. But only if there’s an open bar.
And if someone films Eric trying to escape the dog collar.
Eric
Bold of you to assume I'd want to escape.
Dmitri (Sticks)
Theo will be responsible your trauma after you discover how much Eric likes something around his neck.
Trauma? Babe, that’s just a good time.
See you all tonight.
Wear something cute.
I set my phone on the counter and turn back to the mirror, determined not to look like I’m trying too hard.
A thin line of dark eyeliner, smudged just enough to soften the edges, followed by a gentle blend of shadow that makes my blue eyes pop without screaming for attention.
A swipe of soft pink gloss finishes it as the perfect final touch.
I smack my lips together once, twice, then step back to take in the full picture.
Ripped black denim shorts hug my hips over wide-woven fishnets, while delicate silver chains drape lazily along the sides like they wandered there on their own.
The oversized black shirt falls loose across my shoulders, the hem skimming the waistband and flashing a sliver of stomach whenever I lift my arms. Chunky lace-up knee-high boots ground the whole thing, adding just the right edge.
I give myself a satisfied nod, then spin once in the mirror, admiring the way everything moves together.
Slutty enough to turn heads, but not so much that anyone mistakes me for a working girl. It’s a deliciously fun line to blur, and tonight I’ve nailed it.
I pull up to Prism and leave the engine idling as I saunter over to the valet stand. The attendant is a tall blond with the kind of easy confidence that comes from knowing exactly how good he looks.
He gives me a slow, appreciative once-over before reaching for my keys, then hands me the tag with a wink. “Killer outfit.”
Compliments have always been the fastest way to my heart, and this one just floored the gas pedal. I spin back around to face him, letting my grin spread wide and shameless.
“Thank you! It’s my birthday.”
That little fact is pertinent to every conversation today. And yesterday. And if we’re being honest, the entirety of last week, plus tomorrow. Birthdays aren’t events, they’re seasons, and I’m in full bloom.
He grins, flashing a row of white teeth. “Maybe I’ll come in after my shift ends and brave the crowds to ask for a birthday dance.”
My hands land on my hips as I tilt my head, pretending to mull it over. “I can’t guarantee that my line of suitors won’t be out the door by then. It’s the talk of the town, you know. People are traveling from far-off realms just for the chance to lay eyes on me.”
He steps closer to my open driver’s door. “Oh, naturally. Does this turn into a pumpkin at midnight as well?”
“Oh, shit, I really hope not.” I gesture down at my outfit. “Black does not hide those kinds of stains well.”
He laughs, then opens the door wider and squeezes himself into the driver’s seat. The space clearly wasn’t designed for someone his height, and his knees nearly kiss his chest as he folds his long legs in. The sight is so ridiculous that we both burst out laughing at the same time.
“Well, that didn’t go as smoothly as planned,” he teases once he catches his breath. “I have to get your pumpkin parked, Cinderella.”
“Cinderfella,” I correct without missing a beat.
His expression goes perplexed for half a second until the pun lands. “Right,” he says, chuckling quietly to himself as he adjusts the seat back. “Cinderfella, then. I guess I’ll have to brave the crowd and take my chances at finding you later.”
“It would appear so,” I say with a tiny wave, turning toward the entrance with a little more pep in my step than is strictly necessary.
The moment I step inside Prism, the lights flash in perfect sync with the bass that booms through the giant room, vibrating up through my boots and into my chest. Before I can orient myself, a hand snags my wrist and spins me in a dizzying circle.
I’m grinning like an absolute fool by the time I come face-to-face with Tai, who leans in and plants a loud, smacking kiss on my cheek.
“Hey there, birthday boy,” he drawls over the music. “Aren’t you just a tasty treat tonight?”
I yelp as he dips closer and nips my ear.
It’s sharp enough to sting and playful enough to make me laugh, and I swat at him, half-hearted and delighted.
My smile hurts my cheeks in the best way as I pull him into a real hug, arms wrapping tight around his shoulders while he squeezes back just as hard.
Tai is the only member of the band who’s remained immune to my chronic crush syndrome.
I couldn’t possibly be with someone cooler than me, and Tai is the coolest cucumber in the entire garden.
He doesn’t even have to try. The effortless way he carries himself, along with the quiet confidence that never feels forced, would be too much pressure to compete with.
I’d spend the whole relationship trying to keep up, and that’s no fun at all.
Still, he’s pretty to look at, and flirting with him is pure, uncomplicated fun, especially because there’s zero stress about it ever leading anywhere more. No expectations, no what-ifs, just the simple pleasure of someone who gets the game and plays it back with perfect timing.
I run my hands over his arms, admiring the way the tight leather pants hug his legs and how only Tai could make a Playboy bunny T-shirt look like high fashion instead of a costume. “We’d be so hot together,” I tease.
“The hottest,” he agrees with a solemn nod, playing along without missing a beat. “Can you imagine how unfair it would be to everyone else?”
“Terribly cruel. Modern society might fall apart from the shock alone,” I declare as I wilt dramatically into his arms, draping myself across his chest. A guy in a purple shirt walks past, shooting us an approving, lingering stare that says he’s already mentally casting us in his fantasy.
“Come on, before someone tries to turn us into the bread on their man-meat sandwich,” Tai says, tugging gently on my wrist. “Everyone else is here waiting for you.”
“They came?” I squeal, bouncing on my toes as he leads me through the throng of bodies.
Tai turns just enough to smile at me over his shoulder. “Theo, you are literally impossible not to love. Of course they all showed up to celebrate with you.”
We finally break through the sea of bodies, and I spot three familiar faces tucked into a booth in the VIP section.
On one end, Eric and Dmitri are practically stacked on top of each other, cheeks flushed and hair ruffled in that unmistakable post-make-out disarray.
Dante sits opposite, arms crossed tight across his chest and staring away from the pair like his life depends on ignoring whatever just happened.
The annoyance on his face makes me grin, but the second his eyes find mine, his scowl softens and melts into something sweeter.
Tai drops into the spot next to Eric while I crowd in beside Dante, sliding close enough that our thighs press together under the table.
A chorus of birthday greetings rings out around us, and I beam at everyone.
Tai pops up again, announcing he’s heading to the bar for drinks.
I twist in my seat to find Dante already staring at me, his expression peculiar. It’s intense like always, but searching and impossible to read. I bump him gently with my shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts, big guy?”
His tongue traces the seam of his lips, and my eyes drop to follow it without permission.
After a brief pause, he slides his arm along the back of the booth, drawing nearer until his warmth envelops me and his voice can cut through the booming music.
“You look fantastic tonight.” He pulls back just enough to study me again with that same indecipherable look that makes my pulse skip.
“What, this old rag?” I gesture down at the outfit I spent no less than an hour agonizing over, fingers fluttering dramatically over the ripped shorts and silver chains.
“Honestly, I just played roulette and grabbed the first thing my hands landed on. Pure coincidence that it turned out this fabulous.”
His laugh rolls out rich and deep, vibrating through the space between us. “Completely unplanned, huh?”
“Oh yeah, it’s a damn miracle I didn’t end up wearing last year’s Halloween costume.”
“Remind me what that was again,” Dante says, leaning in just a fraction closer.
“Well, it consisted of a rock-climbing harness, a few decks of cards…”
A hearty laugh interrupts me, rolling up from the bottom of his belly.
It’s deep and unrestrained, the kind that shakes his whole frame.
It transforms him, melting away layers of worry and stress in real time.
He looks at me, eyes squinting at the corners from the giant smile spreading across his face, and for a heartbeat the club noise fades entirely.
“God, Dante, you—”
“Bottoms up, bitches!” Tai’s voice crashes through the moment as he drops a tray full of shot glasses in the center of the table with a clatter.
I glance up at Dante just in time to catch his smile weaken slightly, though the happiness lingers in his eyes.
His thumb traces a slow, absent line across my shoulder, sending a shiver racing down my spine as Tai passes out the drinks.
“To Theo!” he shouts, raising his glass high.
The group follows in a chorus of clinks and cheers, and we all toss the shots back in unison.
The alcohol burns down my throat and I sink back into my seat, the warmth of the liquor mingling with the solid comfort of Dante’s arm draped along the booth behind me.
I wriggle in closer until my side presses fully against his, laying my head against his shoulder. A wide, contented smile spreads across my face as he tilts his head and plants a gentle kiss on the crown of my hair.
“Happy birthday, Theo,” he murmurs into the strands like a secret.
I close my eyes, letting myself sink into the sensation of his body against mine, and savor the comfort it provides, if only for this moment.