CHAPTER 15
My semi-sheer shirt did absolutely nothing to chase off the chill of the rain.
Nellie and I huddled together under the Downtown awning.
I was shivering, but Nellie wasn’t, probably because Beck’s black jacket swamped over her shoulders.
She’d offered it out to me, but she only had on a glittering black tank top.
While my shirt was semi-sheer with a camisole underneath, it also was long-sleeved, so I told her to keep it.
Plus, too, it was really cute that Beck had draped it over her shoulders without a second thought.
“Remind me again,” he said from where he stood behind Nellie, half underneath the awning, half out of it, his blond hair plastered to his head. He had both hands on Nellie’s shoulders, holding her underneath the cover of the canopy. “Why are we doing this?”
“Because it’s fun.” That was Lydia, who stood further ahead in the line beside Raelynn, fully underneath the cover of the awning.
She wore a blue sequin dress, and her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders.
The curl that’d been there earlier was gone, frizzy from the rain.
“And this band performing is all anyone’s been talking about. Everyone’s coming to watch tonight.
In the summer, the 18+ club in Bayview was only open three days a week—Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
On Wednesdays, smaller bands or lesser-known DJs took the stage in the back to perform, whereas Fridays and Saturdays were reserved for groups with a little more street cred.
Nellie’s sister’s boyfriend and his band, Untapped Potential, had played on this stage a lot back when they still performed locally, and though this wasn’t where they’d gotten their official start, it had been where they’d caught their big break.
If a band was performing tonight, it meant they were no-names, so I highly doubted Lydia’s prediction of a massive turnout. “I still say we should’ve waited for Jamie,” I muttered to Nellie, sneaking an arm underneath her jacket. “Book club ended five minutes ago. We could’ve waited.”
“Then he’ll be here soon to join us,” Dalton said.
He stood beside Lydia and Raelynn, hands in the pockets of his dark wash jeans.
His eyes trailed over me, and I wondered if he wished he’d worn a jacket just to offer it to me.
“And imagine how long the line would’ve been if we’d waited to leave until five minutes ago. ”
I looked at Dalton closely. No butterflies had tumbled to life at the sight of him in the parking lot earlier, and none fluttered now. Instead, I could only remember his expression from Monday when we’d been searching for Theo. Daisy, calm down.
It still irked me.
Thankfully, we shuffled forward quickly, finally getting Beck out of the rain. He was a good sport about it, swiping his hair back over his forehead. “We should’ve brought Jamie,” he agreed, rubbing his eye with a knuckle. “Or an umbrella.”
Nellie reached for the collar. “I can give this back—”
“I will be very peeved if you take the jacket off, Nell-Bell.” And then he dropped a kiss on the crown of her head.
It wasn’t too much longer before we made our way inside.
A DJ warmed up the floor until the band went on, and they were tucked in the corner near the dancefloor, where pulsing strobe lights beckoned people to come and dance.
Despite Lydia’s prediction, there weren’t that many people in the building yet, and the dancefloor was more lights than people.
“Jamie is coming, then?” Raelynn asked Nellie, ignoring me. “He’s actually going to dance?”
“We’ll see!” Nellie replied dryly, and we locked eyes. It’d probably be a miracle to get him out on the dance floor, honestly. We’d barely even managed to get Jamie to dance at prom. “If anyone can get him to dance, it’s Daisy.”
“I’m prepared to make it my life’s mission,” I murmured dramatically, giving a sage nod.
Raelynn, though, crinkled her nose. “You shouldn’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to.”
I couldn’t hear her that clearly over the music, but the stink eye she gave was clear. “Well, I—”
“You know this is already outside of his comfort zone. Or maybe you don’t care?”
This girl. She was getting on my nerves.
Lydia seemed to sense that, because she suddenly grabbed Raelynn’s hand. “We’re going to run to the bathroom!” she called to us over the music, and then they were gone.
Nellie said something to Beck, eyeing the dance floor like she was interested in going out to it, but nervous. This was out of Nellie’s comfort zone, too. She’d recently hung up her title of Ms. Perfect, and dancing at a club was quite the jump.
Beck swiped up her hand, one corner of his lips tugging upward. With the dim lighting and the pulsing strobe lights, he looked like something out of a movie—something dangerous and fun. “What, you thought I forgot our promise of dancing together?”
Nellie giggled, the sound nearly lost in the DJ’s mix. “Beckham Jennings actually dances?”
“Oh, Nell-Bell, let me show you how well.”
Nellie reached for my hand as Beck pulled her away, trying to get me to go with them, but that was a heck no from me. I was not going to third wheel them on the dance floor. No way.
Except that left me with Dalton, standing near the doorway where people filtered in.
He tried to say something to me, but it was lost as the beat dropped.
“What?” I called, frowning at his lips.
“I like your shirt!” he called back, gesturing to his arms.
I glanced down at it. In the dim lighting, the brown sheer material almost looked black.
There were several celestial shapes in the fabric, like the sun, moon, and several stitched-on stars.
I’d chosen it because it reminded me of Jamie’s bedtime story.
My black skirt was a little tight on me, since it was Nellie’s, but the velvet material was flattering.
Any other time, my heart might’ve tumbled at the compliment.
Now, I could hear how simple it was. “Me too!” I told him, looking him straight on.
He’d shaved off the stubble he’d been nursing, and his dark hair was carefully styled back with gel.
His white button-down glowed in the lights, the top two buttons undone, looking like the perfect image of a frat boy. “Gonna be looking for girls tonight?”
Now it was Dalton’s turn to frown. “What?”
I leaned in closer while he leaned down. My nose nearly clipped his cheek. “Are you looking for girls?”
Dalton leaned back an inch, shooting me a smile. “Why? Jealous?”
“No. I was just—”
The song the DJ was playing suddenly wound down, and at the same time, mic feedback cut through. “Hey, everyone!” the singer on the stage called, and a spotlight swiveled to him. He was lanky, wearing a cut-up graphic tee, his dark hair spiked. “We’re Cutlet!”
A scattered applause filled the half-empty club, with one person letting out a particularly energetic whoop! It sounded suspiciously like Beck.
“Cutlet?” Dalton echoed, looking to me. “Like chicken cutlet?”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed. And then mentally kicked myself for it.
“We thought we’d start off with a few old-school bangers,” the singer went on, glancing at his band.
The drummer flicked his drumsticks, while the bassist beside him stared on with a stoic expression.
They were really leaning into a stereotype, apparently.
“Ones you’ll love. Just to get ya warmed up! ”
This applause was stronger. After several beats, the guitarist started off with a few hard, solo chords.
The song was immediately familiar. The drummer and bassist joined in, and I grinned when the singer started their first lines, reaching for where my phone was stuffed into the waistband of my skirt to text Jamie.
The band playing started with an Untapped Potential song lol. you’ll have to tell your sister’s boyfriend he’s famous.
Just when I pressed send, a text from Nellie came through.
Nellie
OMG IT’S AN UNTAPPED POTENTIAL SONG !!!
!!!!
The singer was slightly out of tune, but the ferocity of their guitarist covered for the faltering vocals. Their sound was good, though, and it still left me feeling warmer, more energized. I gravitated forward toward the dance floor like many other people filing in and filling up the club.
Dalton followed me.
I immediately stopped.
“It’s just dancing, Daisy.” He ducked in close again to say it, and then nudged my shoulder. “You think your boyfriend would have a problem with it? He’s that controlling?”
“You know he doesn’t like you.”
Dalton’s grin was so white that it glowed. “I know.”
I shot him a look that he ignored. He grabbed my hand instead, pulling me the rest of the way to dance under the lights. I craned my neck, searching for Nellie or even Beck, but the people around me were too tall. The measly lift my sneakers offered helped me none.
Whereas everyone on the dance floor swayed their bodies in time with the beat, Dalton started wiggling his body side to side in some kind of old-fashioned dance move.
He stuck out like a sore—and incredibly embarrassing—thumb.
He stretched his arms out as he pretended a wave rolled through him, and then that move transitioned into some sort of popping of his elbows.
When he started to do the Sprinkler, another traitorous laugh slipped out of me, this one louder. “Oh my gosh, stop, stop.” I grabbed Dalton’s outstretched arm, pulling it down. “You’re so stupid.”
“There,” he called with a grin. His eyes roamed my expression, lingering on my mouth. “Have fun, Daisy! Do you remember what that feels like?”
Fun. Immediately, the accusation made me feel indignant. I had fun. All the time. I sketched in my room—that was fun. Watching Wizards, Wizards with the kids before bed was fun. Senior Skip Day had been fun, even if it had just been Jamie and me getting ice cream.
Dalton started doing the Sprinkler again, and this time I watched him.