Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
JILLIAN
Jamie and I, along with all of our friends except for Jordi, stand in line outside of The Limelight. The building’s gothic architecture makes me feel like I’ve stepped back in time.
I inhale a breath, absorbing the warm summer night air, and try to calm myself—I’m practically vibrating with excitement because I’m about to dance at one of the most epic nightspots in Chicago for the first time in my life.
Sure, we had teen bars, like Medusa’s and McGreevy’s, in the burbs in our area, but I was so caught up in my studies that I didn’t go. Not like Jamie, who went to those juice bars all the time. And since we moved to the city for college, he often bar-hops. So, this is a new adventure for me.
The muffled music coming from the castle-like structure has me tapping my right foot, but as I watch the bouncers allow only certain people to enter the building, my jealousy and nervous frustration begin to grow.
“Where’s Jordi?” Dean worries out loud, a plume of smoke unfurling from his mouth as he speaks. He takes another drag of his menthol cigarette and then points it at Jamie. “If I end up standing here another hour, I’m leaving and heading to the bars in Boystown.”
“He said he’d be here, and I believe him,” Clark jumps in, giving Dean the evil eye for talking smack about Jordi.
Maybe Jamie is right and Dean and Clark should just get it on already. But despite what he says, Jamie assures me that those two are only friends and they will never sleep with each other.
Yeah right. Even I can feel the sexual tension between them.
“You’re only saying that because you want his—”
“Hey—hey, keep it clean around my sister,” Jamie warns.
“I’m no prude,” I defend.
“And who hasn’t sucked a dick here or there?” Kate, one of my besties, adds. She bends over slightly and mimics the action of giving a blowjob. Her sparkly metallic, halter mini dress barely covers her butt.
“Girl, yes.” Clark high fives Kate when she stands back up.
I raise a hand in answer to Kate’s question, not ashamed that I’m innocent of all things sexual, especially sucking off some random guy. But that doesn’t mean I’m not curious. “Maybe tonight,” I admit with a sly grin and a wiggle of my eyebrows.
Jamie scoots close to me and yanks my hand down. “What the hell, Jillian?”
“What? It could happen.” I shrug, knowing my brother hates it when I talk about sex. Don’t get me wrong, he’s far from a virgin. Yet, he has a double standard for me, and I’m not having it tonight.
My other friend, Sue, chimes in. “I, for one, am not up for any dick sucking tonight. It’s Jillian and Jamie’s birthday.
We’re here to celebrate them. Not to get laid,” she chides, smoothing the front of her simple green, button-front shirt and black chinos.
Sometimes she’s such a party pooper, dishing out truths that hit like a battering ram.
Then again, her blunt honesty is one reason I love her to death.
“There he is,” I shout when I spy Jordi.
He’s dressed in a black and white half shirt and acid wash Jordache jeans.
I’d think he just threw his clothes on, but getting into those jeans must have taken effort—they are so tight there’s no hiding the bulge between his legs. I wonder if he painted them on.
He’s so the opposite of Jamie and Dean. My brother’s dressed in his “Miami Vice” outfit: high-waisted trousers, an electric blue silk shirt, and a jacket with wide, padded shoulders whose sleeves he’s rolled up a bit.
Dean is wearing a polo shirt and black pants.
Clark—being the queen he is, is dressed to perfection in an outfit similar to Jordi’s, but a bit more covered up around the middle.
“Never fear, I’m here,” Jordi announces, wrapping his arm around my brother’s neck. “Are you ready to party like it’s 1999?”
“About damn time you show up,” Dean grumbles.
Jordi flips him the finger, then smiles. “Follow me, boys and girls, to wonderland.”
“How are we getting in there?” I ask, glancing ahead to the two beefy bouncers protecting the entrance of the dance club.
Jamie pulls out of Jordi’s hold. “You’ve better not messed up my hair, asshole.”
“I know one of the bouncers.” Jordi waggles his thick black brows, totally ignoring my brother’s complaints. “You know.”
“Yes, we know,” we all say in unison. He might be Jamie’s best friend, but I question Jordi’s slutty ways, especially since he might influence my brother’s decisions when they go out to party. But who am I to judge? I just admitted that I might give a guy a blowjob tonight.
We follow Jordi to the two bouncers standing by the red velvet rope blocking the entrance. Jordi blows the big black guy a kiss, and the man’s frown turns into a bright smile, like it’s Christmas.
“Hey, Mike,” Jordi greets.
“Hey, Jordi,” the bouncer replies in a deep baritone. He unhooks the rope. “Have fun.”
We scoot past the bouncers and head into the building.
Closer to the main area of the nightclub, the music is bouncing off the walls.
I stop and my lips curve into a smile as I gawk at the sight—the space is massive and dark, illuminated only by flashing lights.
Tipping my head back, I count two floors of bodies dancing, drinking and appearing to be having a bodacious time.
I find myself sandwiched between Sue and Clark, on the outer edge of what I can see is the dance floor.
Jamie, Dean and Jordi go to the bar to grab some drinks.
Kate heads off toward a bouncer—and wow, that’s the third bodyguard so far.
This one is guarding an interior door. Wonder where that door leads?
I try to keep an eye on Kate, but there are too many people in the way and I lose sight of her.
Should I be worried? But I know Kate. She is more than capable of taking care of herself, since she’s a cop.
We’ve been here almost an hour and the music seems to get louder as the time passes. Prince begins to jam through the speakers, and I start to move with the rhythm. Like me, Clark sways along with the beat, but Sue remains stiff as a board.
After a few minutes, Sue bends slightly and says something to me, but I can’t hear her. She leans closer, points to the corner and shouts, “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Want me to come?” I ask, equally loud, pointing at myself.
She shakes her head and wanders off, leaving me with Clark, who is now talking to some Italian beefcake with a cool mustache. His silky dress shirt is fully open, and I can see a thick mat of hair on his chest.
“Are you alone?” A male voice whisper-shouts into my right ear.
I swivel my head around as bright lights flash across the man’s face. “Patrick Martin,” I exclaim, shocked at seeing my brother’s co-worker and friend. And my biggest crush in the universe!
“That’s me.” Patrick smiles as he straightens to his six-four height.
God, I love his smile. It was the first thing I noticed about him.
I met Patrick during one of Jamie’s crazy poker nights at our flat and have been crushing on him ever since.
It’s the pits that he only sees me as a friend, and as Jamie’s sister.
I also love how tall Patrick is—I barely reach his collarbone. It’s weird but he’s always given me a sense of safety—and I don’t know why.
“What are you doing here?” I ask in a tone that I think makes me sound aloof. For some reason, every time I’m around him, I get tongue-tied and come off sounding snobbish. I try to change that and explain, “I mean I’m surprised to see you here.”
He leans in, never losing that bright smile and says, “Your brother invited me.”
“Why?” Again, foot in mouth. Get a hold of yourself, Jilly.
“Because it’s your and Jamie’s birthday and it’s been a while since I let loose. And I’m thinking I made a good choice on coming out tonight.”
“What does that even mean?” Wait. “Are you gay?” My heart stops and disappointment spikes at the thought that Patrick is not only out of my league, but he also likes men.
“No,” he chuckles. “I like women.”
“It means he likes you,” Clark blurts out from my other side.
I turn my head and frown at him. “Mind your business. Go dance,” I order and make a shooing motion with my hand.
“Don’t mind if I do. Come on, Vito. We can take a hint,” he counters, winks at me and then takes the beefcake, who apparently is named Vito, in hand and leads him onto the dance floor.
“Patrick, you made it.” I barely hear my brother’s voice, then turn to watch him greet Patrick with a fist bump. “Just get here?”
“Yes. A few minutes ago,” Patrick says to Jamie, but his eyes remain on me, which is slightly unnerving. Was Clark right? Does Patrick like me? God, I hope so.
“Cool. Since my sister doesn’t have anyone to dance with, and I don’t trust any of the dudes in here, I’ll leave it to you to keep her safe,” Jamie says before he turns to me. “Have fun.”
“What? I can find my own dance partner,” I say, ready to kick my brother in the shins. Then I realized what Jamie said. “You’re leaving already?”
“Come on, Jilly. You know the plan. Have fun with your friends and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Are you for real?” My heart sinks as I watch Jamie wave at me and then walk away, along with Clark and his beefcake. Jordi and Dean follow close behind them.
I can’t believe my brother. He leaves me with a virtual stranger—okay, not a stranger, but still. I don’t know Patrick well enough to—
“Hey, come dance with me.” Patrick doesn’t give me time to argue. He tugs me by my hand onto the dance floor, right as You Spin Me Round comes on.
At first, I stand watching him, not sure what to do. But I’m pleasantly surprised that Patrick can dance—and dance well. He’s just as smooth as Jamie.
He leans close to me and asks, “Are you going to dance?”
His question stumps me for a moment. I guess I’m still mad that my brother left me here to celebrate our birthday by myself. “Yes,” I finally say and begin to move with the music.
Two songs later, Patrick takes my hand again and leads me off the dance floor.
I tug my hand away and try to step back, but it’s difficult to move since the space is so crowded.
“What are you doing?” I ask as I look around trying to spot Kate or Sue.
“It’s too loud in here to talk,” Patrick says and thumbs toward the door Kate was headed toward earlier. “Come with me.”
I glance at his extended hand and then at the guarded door.
I bite my lower lip, not sure if I should go with him.
Kate had headed in that direction earlier and not come back…
Then I remember Jamie’s words. You need to let loose for once in your life, Jillian.
We’re young and we need to have fun tonight.
With that, I take Patrick’s hand and nod, giving him the okay.
“Great,” he says and heads toward the bouncer. He leans in and whispers to the guard, then the burly man opens the door and lets us pass.
Patrick leads me down a short hallway into another room. A room that has me stunned down to my toes. “Where are we?”