Chapter 6
I take one last look in the mirror as I walk out of the suite. I hardly recognize myself. I look good. Slutty, but good.
We head down to the lobby to meet the rest of our group. No one is there. They're waiting outside by the minibus reserved to take us to the club. I take a quick survey of the small crowd, searching for him. I spot Kiara and Francesca’s cousin Dana. Even Mr. Touchy-Feely, but I don't spot Walker. Walker's not here. He's not anywhere.
I try not to let my shoulders slump and hide my disappointment. I don't want to admit that the excitement of seeing him again has been building from the moment Francesca mentioned his name. I've been trying to play it cool, but I've been looking for him all day without any luck.
What's worse is that I'm jumping through hoops, jumping through them and doing backflips, to impress a guy I'm not even sure is interested in me. Hell, at this point, I'm questioning if he exists. And even if he does, even if I know for a fact that he is into me, this isn't like me—wearing tight, skimpy dresses with nothing underneath and three pounds worth of makeup.
It's not like me, but I can't ignore the voice in my head whispering that maybe it should be.
In little more than a heartbeat, Francesca’s swallowed up by the small crowd. I can't find her until I spot Sam. She slips her arms around his waist as he pulls her close.
I'm on my own. Again .
It's not just that my best friend found her happily ever after while I lost what I thought was mine. If I'm honest with myself, what upsets me most is that I had to come on this trip alone.
The thought of stepping out of my comfort zone and socializing without someone by my side makes me nauseous. I'm not good at it. Over the years, Francesca’s boisterous personality has shielded me from having to start conversations and make small talk. With her or Corey by my side, I’ve always had someone to turn to, someone to hide behind.
When did I start hiding from people?
When I started dating Corey. He sucked the confidence out of me like a vacuum collapsing a storage bag. From this point on, I'm on my own. Corey is history, and Francesca won't be at my side. She's taking her place at Sam's.
I find an empty row and slide in, hoping no one will notice. Hoping someone wants to join me. I'm a walking fucking contradiction. I don't know what I want from one second to the next.
"Would you mind if I join you?"
My chest tightens. I look up and meet a pair of steely gray eyes. Eyes that hold my attention and captivate me. Eyes I could lose myself in. It doesn't hurt that he's cute. Very cute.
"If it's a problem—" he runs a hand through his dark blonde hair.
"It's not," I answer too fast.
Why should I turn him down in the hopes that Walker will magically show up? Besides, even if he does, that doesn't mean Walker will want to spend any time with me.
"No, sit. Please," I say and smile as sweetly as I can without looking or sounding like a condescending bitch. "I'd like the company."
"I’m Ian. In case you were wondering," he says, sliding in next to me.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Bailey."
"The pleasure is mine." He smiles and rubs his palms over his pant legs. "So, have you ever been to Charleston before?"
I shake my head. "No. You?"
His eyes are downcast, and there is something heartwarming about how uncomfortable he looks right now. It makes me want to talk to him. It makes talking to him easy . His eyes meet mine again.
"Nah. If I’m honest, I’m not crazy about going to clubs in strange cities. I mean, I want to, but I don’t know the landscape, you know? And you might not have noticed, but we don’t sound like the people down here.”
"Then I guess it's good that we're going in a group. That way, we won’t be singled out for our accents.”
He shrugs. “It would be better if I had someone to pair up with.”
“Are you hinting you want to hang with me?”
"That wouldn't be the worst thing." He rakes his eyes over my body in slow, deliberate measures that make me very aware of the budding sexual tension between us. "I mean, you are easy on the eyes.”
“Thank you. But just to be clear, is that a yes?"
"Hmm, if I am, will you?"
Boy, did this conversation take an unexpected turn. I like it, though. It's fun. And his eyes are darker than they were a minute ago. I recognize the heat of lust in them when they meet mine. Unsure of myself and a bit uncomfortable, I let out a nervous giggle.
"Not one for small talk. You just get straight to the point.”
He shakes his head. "When I see something I want, I don't play games. I go for it."
He reaches his right hand on the back of the seat in front of us and the arm closest to me on the back of our bench, caging me in. He leans in. Not so close that I'm uncomfortable or feel threatened, but close enough for me to feel his body heat and energy reaching for me, drawing me toward him. Close enough for me to feel his breath on my lips.
“Is it a date then?”
Shit, I don't know what to say. I don't want to say no. Ian looks super good, and he has my belly swirling. I'm definitely attracted to him, and he wants to spend his time with boring old me.
Me!
If I turn him down, I run the risk of being there alone. Especially if Walker's not there. A club is the last place I want to be alone. That screams loser. And even if Walker is there, I have no reason to believe he wants to be there with me. He did turn me down last night.
If nothing else, Ian could serve as my safe zone. He could be a deterrent if any pushy guys or freaks come my way. Just as long as he doesn't deter Walker.
And what's the worst that happens? We leave there and end up spending the night together? I've never had a one-night stand, and if one is to be had, I could think of worse guys to experience it with. Besides, he's flirting with me. I'm out of practice, and Lord knows I need help in this department.
The bus stops, and the doors open. I'm feeling better about the whole situation now that I have a buddy to hang out with. Francesca and Sam lead the way off the bus and to the club door. Ian is careful not to touch me but sticks close to my side. The fact he hasn't touched me has me wondering what his hands feel like.
I look up at the windows on the two-story building. They are all blacked out. If not for the line of people waiting to get in and the music pounding outside, I'd think we were standing outside of an abandoned building.
Once we're let in, our group disperses. Music pounds through the room. I look around the dimly lit area. There's a dance floor with people grinding and holding each other close. A silver pole stands in the center of the floor.
A bar takes up one corner of the room. The women are dressed in tight, skimpy dresses, similar to me, and the men are in pants and button-down shirts.
"Where do you want to go?" Ian asks.
Clueless, I shrug. Before getting off the bus, we were told there were booths reserved for us in the VIP section upstairs. The main level is where most people dance and hope to make enough of an impression to get invited to the VIP section.
“Want to dance?" He suggests. “I’d love to see you move.” He slips an arm around my waist and pulls me close. His nose skims up the side of my neck, making my muscles tense.
Okay, what is going on here?
All of a sudden, this feels creepy.
I'm new to all this: flirting, dressing like I’m looking to get laid, and considering a one-night stand.
"Um . . . I’m not sure."
"It's okay," Ian smiles and creates a little distance between us. “I didn’t mean to come on too strong—"
"Hey!" Francesca comes from behind and forces herself between us. "This place is great, isn't it?" she asks, excitement brimming in her eyes.
I shrug. "I guess. I haven't seen much."
"Sam's looking for you," she directs to Ian.
“My work is never done. I’ll be back," he says, giving me a long, hard look before he leaves us.
Once he's gone, I exhale. That was an intense couple of minutes.
"Wow, look at you. Last night Walker, tonight Ian. You keep up at this rate, and Penelope Prude will be dead and buried before we get home and be replaced by Slutty Stella."
"You're not funny."
"Of course I am. I just came to see why you were leaving Walker to Kiara, and now I see it’s because you have your hands full with Ian, although I should warn you, he tends to get a little intense."
My mood drops with this news. Walker's with Kiara? Fuck! It's a good thing I didn't reject Ian in the hopes Walker would want to be with me.
"Where are they?"
I shouldn't want to look, to see proof that I'm not good enough, not pretty enough. But I do. I need to see firsthand what he rejected me for. I need to see them together with my own eyes.
"Over there."
Francesca turns me around. I see a couple making out, going at it pretty hot and heavy on the dance floor. His hands are all over her ass, and I feel like we’re in the middle of a filming of Dirty Dancing 2 . The girl lifts her calf against his hip. He removes one hand from her ass to slide it up her leg, up her thigh; okay, I’ve seen enough, time to look away. The girl is Kiara, but the man isn’t the guy I met in the hall last night.
"That's not Walker," I say, looking back at my friend.
"What are you talking about? Of course it is."
I take another look and realize she's referring to Mr. Octopus Hands. Is that who she saw me with? Of course, we were drinking and laughing at check-in while she was being led to her room.
"No, I mean that's not the guy . . . Never mind."
"Oh fuck!" Francesca covers her mouth with her hand, realizing the meaning behind my words. Her eyes grow wide as saucers. "Fuck! You ho!" she laughs. "There's someone else? Walker, Ian, and another guy?"
I look around, mortified at her words. "Keep your voice down."
"I want deets. Now."
"There are none. I ran into a guy in the hall last night, and we talked a little. I thought that's what you saw."
"Oh, hell no. I saw you and Walker waiting to be checked in. Since his hand was on your thigh and you didn't slap him or scream for him to get off you, I figured there was something there."
"There's not. He's not my type. He's too . . . physical for me."
"But Ian's your type?" Her eyebrows and voice rise up. “I hear his hands are magic,” she teases.
I shrug. "I don't know. He's really cute, and I'm having a good time with him, but I can't get this other guy off my mind. I felt like there was something there."
"It looked like there was something there with Ian."
I nod and look around for my mystery man. For either man.
"Yes, but you thought there was something there with Walker, too."
"I guess I’m worrying for nothing. You don't need my help. I'm going to rejoin my future husband. He promised me a lap dance. Want to come?”
“Um, I’m not sure about that. Thanks, but I'll wait here for Ian. You go have fun.”
"Okay. I'll send him back to you."