37. Last Call
37
LAST CALL
RORY
L ast Call is absolutely packed by the time we arrive. The popular sports bar is on the prime strip between the ballpark, the Garden and the Breakers’ arena. The line to get in nearly wraps around the next block.
When I make a start for the end of the line, Liv links her arm through mine, rolling her eyes before leading me right past club hopefuls until we reach an unimpressed looking bouncer who’s armed with a radio and a clipboard.
“Name?” He looks between the four of us with a bored expression.
Liv breaks out one of her signature dazzling smiles. The stunning white is a sharp contrast to her jet black locks. “Olivia Sinclair and the Breakers Belles.”
He doesn’t bother checking the list in front of him, waving us through.
The Last Call is a luxury high-end sports bar and the girls half drag me through the entrance when I try to stop to admire the dark decor. The bar is huge and packed tight. High top tables and plush black leather couches adorn the lounge area. One wall is basically a large projection television, with highlights from the Breakers game tonight currently on the screen.And for those not wanting to watch the games, there’s a massive dance floor across the bar. Already packed with people moving to the music pumping out from the neon flashing DJ’s booth.
“There’s the team. C’mon” Liv shouts above the loud music, taking my hand in hers. I snatch Elle’s, dragging her behind me as we weave through the packed crowd. “What do you think, guys?” She angles her head back to us when we’re almost through the crowded floor. “Do you think I have a chance with Colt tonight?”
Colt?
“Colt King?” I ask for confirmation, bewildered. Though it makes sense, now that I think about it. Liv nods before turning her attention back to parting the crowd.
Wait—if Liv is trying her chances with Colt tonight, that means the team she is referring to is…
Oh no.
My suspicions are confirmed when the crowd finally tapers off and reveals a roped off platformed VIP area packed full of Breakers players.
We stop momentarily for Liv to rise onto her tiptoes, whispering into the VIP bouncer’s ear.
“You didn’t tell me ‘ the team ’ meant the hockey team,” I hiss at Sadie and Elle behind me, narrowing my eyes accusingly.
Elle shoots me an apologetic smile while Sadie replies, “Well, I mean all the Belles are here, too,” She shrugs. And sure enough, mixed in with the hulking hockey players are the rest of the Belles skating team. Natalia’s smile drops to a frown the second she spots us.
I shut my eyes tightly as my friends push me against my will into my VIP version of hell. Maybe he won’t be here… He hates people. Why would he be here?
Tough luck. My eyes fly open, locking immediately onto Aidan’s. In the neon glow of the club lights, his green eyes are brighter than I’ve ever seen them. The second he recognizes me, they darken to green flames.
“Welcome, ladies.” Colt King wraps his arms around Liv’s shoulders and mine, drawing me unwillingly further into the team’s center and closer to my favorite Irish defenseman. Aidan’s eyes flash with unmistakable violence as we get closer and I force myself to look away. Someone hands me a beer and I take it, needing something to do with my hands.
“You know, my last team didn’t have a cheer squad.” Colt looks between Liv and me, batting his long, dark eyelashes. “I’m looking forward to working alongside you ladies.”
A few of the guys shout their agreement and raise their glasses.
“Ain’t that right, O’Rourke?” Colt shouts over to his teammate. I laugh nervously, finding it hard to tear my eyes away from the simmering glare Aidan is shooting at Colt and me.Colt is all too aware of what he’s doing, smirking at Aidan—actively trying to rile the enforcer up.
Sensing my discomfort, Elle tugs me out of Colt’s grip. He doesn’t seem to mind. He wraps himself closer around Liv, who fawns under his undivided attention.
“Wanna dance?” Elle’s eyes shoot toward the dance floor, giving me a much needed out.
I nod, a little too exuberantly. I take a long pull of my beer as we sneak away, Sadie trailing after us.
One song and one more beer in, I’ve almost completely forgotten about the brooding Irish enforcer back in VIP, mostly thanks to Elle. The girl is absolutely magnetic to be around. She’s like the sun, extending her rays of sunlight to everyone around her.She and Sadie have me laughing to the point of tears as we compete in an impromptu dance-off to see who can come up with the most ridiculous dance moves.
Our fun does not go unnoticed, and soon I find myself with a tagalong. When the music takes a turn into a sexier beat, I feel him slide up. I let him grind up against me for a few minutes before spinning around to put a face to the firm body pressed up against mine.
A slow smile creeps across my face at the sight of the attractive blonde whose hands are on my hips. The way he’s dressed, his moves, the look on his face, all of it screams player . I’m hardly looking for a boyfriend, so what do I care? He’s perfect.
Reading my look of approval, my dance partner slithers closer. His warm breath tickles my ear when he leans in. And despite holding a glass of what looks to be alcohol, I don’t smell alcohol on his breath. “What’s your name, gorgeous?” He pulls back to flash me an overly whitened smile while he awaits my answer.
I have to tip onto my toes to get close enough to his ear, wrapping my arms around his shoulders for stability. “Rory,” I tell him with a smile on my lips, still vibing to the beat of the song. “Rory Collins.”
He beams in response before giving me his own name, “Cameron—Cam Reeves.”
“Nice to meet you, Cameron—Cam Reeves,” I repeat with an amused smile, and he laughs.
Cam notices my empty beer bottle. “Need a refill?” he asks.
I follow his gaze to the empty bottle and shrug my shoulders. “Sure, why not?”
He wraps his hand around the neck of the bottle, taking it from me. “Be right back.” With one last wink in my direction, he disappears into the thick crowd surrounding us.
Almost immediately, I feel hands on my hips, spinning me around. Sadie and Elle’s excitable screams force me to cover my ears.
“Oh-my-God, he-is-gorgeous,” Elle rushes out, straining to follow Cam’s trail through the crowd.
“Agreed, Rory. You should totally tap that.” Sadie sips on her glass of clear liquid, smirking at me.
I laugh at my friends’ assessments, because I plan to do exactly that. Cam looks like he’s the type who wouldn’t mind a quickie in a back alley or bathroom.
A deep voice clears its throat behind me and I spin around, expecting Cam. The smile fades from my lips when I lift my chin, coming face to face with my favorite Breakers’ player. His towering height makes him look distinctly out of place on the dance floor. That, and the fact he’s standing completely still in a sea of dancing bodies.
“What do you want?” I narrow my eyes at him, trying to look past him for any sign of Cam. hoping to get away from Aidan as quickly as possible.
“Are you having fun?” I don’t miss the subtle look of judgement in Aidan’s cool green eyes.
“I was ,” I shoot back, looking him up and down pointedly.
Cam chooses the perfect moment to reappear, two glasses in his hands. I raise a confused brow at the sight of the hard liquor, but brush it off, reaching to take the glass he’s handing me.
Aidan shoulders his way between us, knocking my hand and sending my glass careening to the floor where it shatters.
I squeak out in surprise when the cool liquid and bits of ice splash up against my leg.
“Dude, what the fuck?” I catch a flash of pure rage in Cam’s eyes before it’s gone again, giving me pause. He’s laser focused on Aidan beside me.
Aidan turns to face Cam, wedging himself further between Cam and me in the process, and inadvertently pushing me behind him. He towers over Cam by at least four inches and sends a look promising death toward my dance partner.
“Get the fuck out of my club, Reeves.” Aidan signals to the nearest bouncer, pointing at Cam.
Cam’s light eyes darken, becoming almost unrecognizable before he sneers at Aidan. “You know what… fuck you, O’Rourke.” I watch their exchange with wide-eyed surprise. Clearly, they know each other.
Cam shakes his head in frustration, but stalks his way through the crowd, pushing a couple of girls out of his way as he passes by.
Okay, maybe there were some red flags…
“What the hell, Aidan?” I practically shout, shoving him hard from behind and forcing his gaze back to me. A quick glance around me turns up no sign of Elle or Sadie; the thick crowd must have separated me from them at some point.
He looks down at me with an infuriatingly bored expression, as if he can barely stand to talk to me after going out of his way to cock-block me. “Your father wouldn’t approve.” He gives me a casual shrug before he looks away, scanning the crowd of dancers around us.
“Put-lease,” I scoff, folding my arms across my chest, “like you give a shit.” His excuse for ruining my night is lame, and we both know it. But I don’t have the time or the bandwidth right now to work out Aidan’s true motivation. It’s at that moment his previous words sink in. “Wait, a minute...” I wobble slightly on my heels, the result of both alcohol and the raucous crowd moving around us. “You own this club?”
He gives me a hard look, like it should be obvious.
“Of course you do,” I mumble, nearly under my breath. I pull out my cell and check the time. It’s nearly one. A quick glance over to the VIP area shows the Breakers and Belles in full party mode.
I spy Liv, half deep into a mojito, still wrapped around none other than Mr. Colt King himself. I heave out a small sigh. She’s not leaving anytime soon…
I look up to find Aidan still watching me. “Well, as much fun as this has been... I’m out. Have the night you deserve, Aidan.” I give him a little salute because... of course I do... and spin on my heel. For good measure, I shout back over my shoulder, “Don’t follow me.”
I leave him with my best withering stare, and make a beeline out of the bar.