44. Indy
FORTY-FOUR
INDY
It’s been a while since I’ve felt alive like this.
All the worries about the shittastic state of my life are floating somewhere beyond the horizon in a sea of alcohol.
I’m faintly aware they’re there… but I can’t see them anymore, so it’s fiiiiiine.
I know I have to figure out my next step and do it soon, but for tonight, I just want to forget.
I deserve to forget.
“Can I buy you a drink?” the guy I’m dancing with shouts.
You probably shouldn’t.
The fact that the voice of reason is still there is technically a good sign. But then, getting drunk is preferable to wallowing in self-pity over stuff I can’t change.
I take a proper look at him. He’s hot. Tall and lean, with reddish blond hair and freckles all over his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose.
But then he also seems enthusiastically interested in me, which is a bit of a con in my book right now.
“Sure,” I eventually say. “I could use a drink.” I’m still analyzing this situation too much, so I’ll have some shots and get rid of whatever common sense remains.
I push through the crowd gathered in front of the bar and hold up two fingers to the bartender.
He pours the shots and slides them in front of me.
I glance around to see if the dude is still there, but there are only strangers around me.
I shrug and toss back the shots a moment before he manages to push his way up next to me.
He glances at the empty shot glasses and at me.
“You work fast,” he says.
We’re pushed close together. His hand goes to my hip when somebody bumps into him, and his cheeks flush.
“Sorry,” he calls out. “It’s—”
The rest of what he says is inaudible because of the music.
I nod anyway and smile. Why not?
His lips move when he says something else. No idea what. I point to my ears and shake my head.
He leans closer. “It’s loud here,” he shouts.
“I know,” I call back.
He seems relieved for whatever reason. He calls out something else, and I just nod and smile because I don’t really care what he said, so it’s whatever, but clearly I missed something because he takes my hand and starts pulling me through the crowd and away from the bar.
Amused, I let him.
I assume we’re going to dance again, but he skirts past the floor, and we’re heading toward the exit. Before I know it, we’re outside.
“Umm…” I stop walking.
He turns around and sends me another one of those bashful smiles. “Where do you want to go? Not many options this time of night, but there’s a diner a few blocks away that’s open all night?”
I stare at him, glance over my shoulder at the door of the club, then back at him.
“What?”
Now he looks confused. “I… asked you if you wanted to go somewhere quieter? To talk?”
Well, that’s sweet.
But no.
Of course I managed to find the only dude in this place who wants to get to know me instead of just wanting to fuck. This is just my luck.
I start to laugh because I’m drunk enough that this misunderstanding feels funny for no reason at all. He starts to look very unsure in turn.
“That’s gentlemanly.” I take a step closer so we’re standing toe to toe. “You really don’t need to do all of that…”
I blank on the name. Did he tell me his name?
“Julian,” he says.
“Right. Julian.” I tilt my head. He’s so adorably shy, and that blush is pretty sexy. I could fuck him. “Are you planning to seduce me, Julian?”
His eyes round, and there’s another one of those furious blushes that’s visible even in the dimness of the streetlights. His throat moves as he swallows.
There are people all around us on the street. Talking loudly, walking past us. The low thump of the bass pulses in the air from the club. Two guys are making out by the wall.
“I…” His voice is low and nervous. “I’ve never…” He clears his throat. “This is my first time in…” He waves toward the doors of the club. “In this kind of place.”
“In a club?” I ask.
“A…” He clears his throat again. “A gay club?”
He doesn’t look worried about being seen with a guy or anything. Not like one of those people who are dying to get their dick sucked and then get back to their “normal” life. All that blushing and shyness is probably just inexperience. I guess we’ve all been there.
I paste a flirty smile on my lips and pat him on the chest. “You’re sweet. So you need to go and find yourself somebody else who’s sweet too.”
He bites down on the side of his lip. “You look like you could be sweet. If you wanted to.”
I snort out a laugh and shake my head. “No. That ship sailed a long time ago.”
I start to take a step back, but he grabs my hand and keeps it on his chest. Then he looks down and scrunches his nose.
“Sorry,” he mutters. This is sickeningly precious. “Let me give you a ride home.” His eyes widen. “Not… not to do anything. You just… you look sad?”
I feel my expression freeze for a moment, but I shake it off. This dude is now ruining my buzz.
“It’s my looking-to-get-laid face,” I say flippantly. “Easy to get those two mixed up. No worries, I’m gonna head back inside and take care of it.”
I take a step back. He grabs my hand.
“Let me give you a ride home. You’re kind of…” He fails to finish that sentence.
I narrow my eyes. “Do I look like I need a babysitter?”
“I just want to help.”
“Okay. Nobody asked you to.”
He fidgets for a bit. “Let me take you home.”
I sigh and open my mouth to tell him to get lost.
“He already has a ride,” a voice that is completely unwelcome says from right behind me.
I whip my head around, and my mouth drops open.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Nick sends me an unreadable look, eyes moving up and down me impossibly slowly. Judging by his expression, I come off wanting. Big surprise there.
“Bailing you out,” he says. “Come on.”
I raise my brows at his fucking audacity in thinking I need his help. “No. Now get out of my way. I have a party to get to.”
I step past him. The way my buzz is just disappearing should be studied.
He grabs my arm.
“Let’s go,” he snaps. “Now.”
I laugh out loud in disbelief. “Go fuck yourself.”
“Uh, do you know this guy?” Julian asks.
“Yes,” Nick says, just as I say, “No.”
I cross my arms over my chest, and we glare at each other.
I lean to my left to look past Nick at Julian. “I changed my mind. Turns out I could use a ride. Take me to your place.”
Julian gives Nick a dubious look before he nods at me. “Of course. I’ll find us a car.”
“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Nick growls.
“Ignore him,” I tell Julian.
Nick and I stand facing each other. If he thinks I’m going anywhere with him, he can think again.
Next thing I know I’m hanging upside down over his shoulder.
“What the fuck?!” I snap.
He ignores me. I pound uselessly against his back as he starts down the sidewalk like hauling off a furious, swearing guy is a completely ordinary evening for him.
“Put me down, you psychotic asshole!”
A few people walking past slow down to stare.
“He’s drunk,” Nick says flatly.
“I’m not drunk!”
“It makes him emotional.”
“I will fucking kill you in your sleep!”
The people scurry past us. Nice of them. Really makes you believe in human decency.
I twist my body hard enough that I nearly slip free of Nick’s grip. His arm tightens around the backs of my thighs before I can hit the pavement.
“Stop wiggling,” he says.
“Then stop kidnapping me!” I snap.
“I’m not kidnapping you.”
“If it walks like a kidnapper and talks like a kidnapper…” I growl.
He ignores me.
“I swear to God,” I snarl, glaring at his back, “once you put me down, I’m going to knee you in the dick.”
“I’ll make sure to drop you on your ass and buy myself some time,” he says dryly while he keeps walking.
“This upside-down swaying is really something. I’m going to puke down your back in a second.”
He mutters something under his breath. He stops walking a few seconds later and puts me down on my feet. I sway for a moment before I get my balance back.
“Get in the car,” he says tonelessly.
I narrow my eyes at him. “You realize I’m just going to go back?”
“Give it a go. See what happens.”
I grit my teeth, and we stare at each other.
My fingers curl into fists, and I feel like stomping my foot, as if that would help.
“Car, Blue,” he says.
I open my mouth because I have some choice words to say about him trying to boss me around.
“Please,” he says.
I blink. Next thing I know he’s shutting the door behind me. I honestly don’t know how that happened.
A few seconds later he pulls out of the parking space and onto the street.
I turn my head and look out into the darkness.
The rest of the drive is quiet, and I zone out while I fume.
He parks the car in an underground garage, and we get out, and only then do I look around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
And then I’m being marched into an elevator.
Nick pushes the top button and leans against the wall while the doors slide shut.
“Did you move in the time I was gone?” I ask.
“No.” He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “I’m going to feed you dinner. Soak up some of the alcohol.”
“I’m not hungry.” The elevator doors open into a round atrium that looks less like the entrance to an apartment and more like the lobby of someone who probably owns a yacht.
Warm, muted light reflects off a chandelier made out of hanging glass rods. The floor beneath our feet is black marble. One entire curved wall is glass, stretching from floor to ceiling, revealing the city below.
There are absurdly large plants in matte gray stone pots and abstract art on the walls.
I stare.
Then I stare harder.
“Um, Nicholas? What the fuck is this place?” I ask in a hushed voice.
“It’s an apartment.”
“Are you sure? Because I’m getting a cult headquarters vibe. Is this where you tell me you’re into scientology now?”
He snorts out a laugh, and I whip my head around to look at him. I’m startled enough by the display of amusement that I forget I’m not supposed to be here, and before I know it, I’m following him inside the apartment. An apartment that opens when he scans his fingerprint. The fuck?