2. Kennedy
Chapter 2
Kennedy
“ I t’s one night. Come on, Kennedy, let your hair down for once.” Beth was standing at the counter, giving me a pleading look.
It was late, all the little ones had long gone home, and now there were only adults on the ice, so Beth could come back to my den and pester me.
Her current mission was trying to convince me to go with her to a club.
“When was the last time you saw me go out to a bar?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Never,” she said on a sigh. “And that is the point. You’re in your final year. If you don’t let your hair down now, then when will you?” she asked pointedly.
“It’s just not my thing,” I said as I leaned against the counter, toward her.
“Just this once? For me?” she asked pleadingly, pouting at me with those large puppy dog eyes, hands folded under her chin.
“Low blow,” I grumbled.
Beth’s face broke out in a dazzling grin at her victory. “Thank you! We can meet at the club or get ready at my place, whichever you want. It’s not far from campus at all, like a ten-minute walk or a three-minute cab ride.”
“I’ll walk,” I told her, not wanting to admit I didn’t have enough for a cab.
Well, I did, but it was an unnecessary expense.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “You can get ready at my place, if you want?”
“No, I need to stop by my place, anyway, so I’ll meet you at the club.”
“Be ready at eight!” she ordered before bouncing away, her blonde ponytail swishing as she did so.
What had I gotten myself into? I hated clubbing, but I didn’t want to deny Beth when she’d asked so nicely. She had always been such a supportive friend, covering my shifts when I needed to study for tests.
Trudging home, I took my time, mentally trying to figure out what I could possibly wear. I didn’t really own any clothing that could be considered appropriate for a club. The only thing that came kind of close was a slinky, long-sleeve dress I owned that was so short, it was practically a shirt. It was low cut and showed off my cleavage.
Opening the door to my studio-plan dorm room, I placed my bag on the small kitchenette counter and made a beeline for my closet to find the shirt in question. The studio was tiny, but it was all mine.
My scholarships meant that I got a hefty stipend for housing, and I was eternally grateful that I didn’t have to put up with a roommate. I liked keeping my space exactly the way I wanted, and I was very particular about my nest. Everything was blue or white, and there were easily twenty different textures of pillows and throw blankets.
Giving my nest in the corner of the room a longing glance, I continued to the closet.
The shirt wasn’t terrible.
At least, that’s what I told myself while I looked in the mirror. The hem fell a few inches below the swell of my butt, meaning it was technically long enough to be a dress, but one wrong move and I would be exposing myself to everyone.
The dress was also so tight that the only underwear that didn’t show through was a thong.
My hair was clean, so I left the auburn waves as they were, falling down my back until almost hitting my waist. I kept my makeup minimal. While I loved makeup and feeling pretty, I didn’t have the energy for it. Beth would be going all out with fake lashes, and she was naturally stunning as well, so I knew all the attention would be on her.
A lick of mascara and a few dabs of concealer, and I was ready to go. Grabbing a small bag, I threw my phone, keys, and wallet in before giving myself one last check and heading out to meet Beth.
The club was hard to miss; it was new, and there was already a line around the block when I got there. Thankfully, Beth was waiting outside, wearing a deep red dress that fit her like a second skin.
“Kennedy!” She waved excitedly at me, grabbing my hand and dragging me to the front of the line, where we were immediately let in.
“They just let us in?” I shouted over the music in confusion as we wandered through the entrance.
“They always let omegas in right away,” Beth said, leaning close to me so I could hear her.
Huh, I guess that made sense. Omegas were highly sought after.
“Dance with me?” Beth asked, pulling me toward the dance floor.
I nodded. “Why not?”
The dance floor was so full of bodies grinding against one another, it was almost claustrophobic. The air was saturated with so many different scents, both good and bad, they melded into one, and it was hard to pinpoint any specific scent.
Holding each other's hands, we let ourselves get lost in the heavy music, swaying our hips. Beth immediately caught the attention of a few guys—she always did, even though she rarely entertained their advances.
After the first dance, we went to grab a drink, two fruity cocktails that Beth had picked out. They were sweet and didn’t taste like alcohol, so they got a nod of approval from me. I much preferred sweet alcohol over sour or bitter.
By the time we were on our fourth dance, the alphas had started to approach Beth, asking her to dance. I nodded enthusiastically when she looked at me, her features torn. She didn’t want to leave me, but it was obvious she liked one of the guys by the way her gaze kept returning to him.
“I’ll go grab us drinks,” I shouted, making sure I kept my smile plastered on as I turned back to the bar, wading my way through the gyrating bodies.
“Hey.” I smiled at the bartender. “Can I get two waters, please?”
They smiled at me, taking my order, despite the throng of people.
There were occasionally perks to being an omega. Don’t get me wrong, they were few and far between, but I may as well take advantage when I could.
The bartender placed the two bottles of water in front of me, and I grabbed my wallet to pay. Before I could even pull my card out of its holder, a man's arm extended in front of me, tapping his own card against the reader, paying for my drinks.
Then it hit me. That scent. Fresh rain—clean, sharp, and bright. It was comforting and exciting all at once. I wanted to curl up in that scent…and also lick the owner.
Turning, I was met with a familiar face.
The alpha from the hockey rink.
“What a pleasant surprise running into you again,” he said, his smooth voice making my insides flip-flop.
Leaning close to him, all I could think about was his scent. In such a large room, full of overpowering scents, his was almost an anchor. My omega screamed at me to cling on to it and never let go.
“Are you stalking me?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Was it wrong to kind of want him to be stalking me? Because anyone who smelled that good could definitely follow me around.
My inner omega was hormonal and a pain in my butt.
“I'm not. Are you stalking me?” he asked, beaming at me.
“Nope, just enjoying a night out.”
“That makes sense. Someone as beautiful as you doesn’t need to do any stalking. All you have to do is smile at a guy, and he'll be at your beck and call.”
I snorted. “That's not quite how it works, but thank you for the compliment.”
Sparing a glance at the bottles on the counter in front of me, he gave me a chastising look. “I thought you’re supposed to be enjoying a night out? So, why the water? Let me get you something tastier.”
I shook my head. “My friend and I have been dancing. We need to hydrate. Maybe after.” Taking in his smirk, I smiled back. It was impossible not to. This alpha was dragging me into his orbit, his scent calling to me like omega crack.
“Maybe I can join you for a dance?”
Usually, I would say no. I despised it when alphas ground up against me on the dance floor. It was uncomfortable and annoying, and they typically got too handsy for my liking. Being surrounded by mediocre or downright repulsive scents was nauseating.
With this alpha, every one of my instincts was demanding I let him get handsy. A simple smile from him, and my panties were getting damp.
I needed to get a new vibrator if I was this desperate after a few smiles.
“Sure, I don’t see why not,” I said, grabbing the waters and heading back to the dance floor. His presence behind me was palpable as he followed, hot on my heels.
I quickly located Beth, who pulled away from several guys she was dancing with, batting their hands away as she gratefully reached for the bottle of water, downing it in several gulps.
“Who’s this?” she asked, eyeing the alpha behind me.
“A friend…” I told her with a knowing smirk.
Beth’s eyebrows rose. I wasn’t usually one to hang out with guys, but she didn’t say anything as the alpha’s hand wrapped around my waist, pulling my back to his chest.
I followed him deeper into the throng of dancers, enjoying the way our bodies swayed together. Every touch made my skin burn with a need I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
We danced together—well, it passed for dancing, but it was more like mindless grinding—for several songs. His hands slowly explored my body. Usually, I would have been repulsed at the idea of being touched like this in public, but every nerve in my body felt alive. My inner omega was crying for attention from this alpha. There was something about him that was so magnetic, and I wanted to explore his body right back.
God, his scent. It was perfect. No one had ever smelled that good to me. I wanted nothing more than to drown in it.
We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to. Our touch did all the talking for us, and I didn’t want to ruin it with words. For once, all I needed was to close my eyes and just feel.
Eventually, we were both breathless and needed some air, so the alpha pulled me off the dance floor, toward the bar, grabbing two bottles of water.
“What do you want to do next?” he asked.
Uncapping my bottle of water, I took a few gulps before abandoning it on a table and making my way to the dance floor.
“That depends,” I said, biting my lip.
“Depends on what, beautiful?”
“What’s your name? You already know mine.”
His smile widened, my stomach fluttering.
“Charlie.”