12. Quinn
Quinn
“Let’s go out,” Aubrey said as she took a leaping jump onto my bed, which I was currently laying in.
“Oof,” my breath escaped me as her elbow rammed into my stomach. “Watch it,” I grunted out.
“I’m bored,” she whined with a smile.
“You’ve been here for thirty minutes, you can’t be bored.” I yawned and swatted her hand away as she started to poke me.
“You have been hiding in your apartment for days,” she said as she sat up and rested on her elbows.
She wasn’t exactly wrong, I had been hiding. Since my meeting with Theo on Wednesday, I’d been going to work and then coming straight home, ignoring the text messages from him and trying to focus on reading my book instead. Yesterday he had started calling, but I ignored those too.
I was avoiding him. Because he was charming and endearing and so damn sexy that I didn’t trust myself to keep my distance. I couldn’t tell if he was actually sending mixed signals or if I was just imagining them.
Either way, between getting in my head about my last relationship and him not wanting me in the group chat, I shut down.
It was a good reminder that maybe we should just keep things professional.
“Babe, I don’t know what has gotten into you but it’s Friday night, Max is home with Luna and I don’t work tomorrow. I want to go out!”
“Go out without me.” I grabbed a pillow and shoved it over my face, only for it to be yanked off by Aubrey. “Hey!” I was being a dramatic bitch but it was just where I was at today. “You’re being childish.” My comment didn’t seem to land for her.
“Ryan and his boyfriend Chris are at Pulse.”
I shot a glare at her, she knew whose club that was.
And it was Friday night, meaning he was likely there, which both terrified and thrilled me when I thought about going.
Ryan was someone Aubrey and I had met in school and we’d become friends.
I hadn’t seen him in a while and he was a tempting reason to arise from my depressing hole.
“And how does Ryan know about Pulse?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Don’t look at me like that. I mentioned it to him when you told me about it but he’s already been, twice. His location has nothing to do with the man who is the reason for your sad sack attitude, even though you won’t tell me why.”
“I don’t know…” I didn’t bother telling her that he had texted me this morning asking if I could come out. I still hadn’t replied even when he followed up after a few hours. I could tell he was getting irritated with me. I was hoping that would mean he would give up on me.
The idea of that outcome wasn’t helping either but it seemed easier.
“Come on…” She stood and grabbed my hand, starting to drag me out of bed. “Let’s get you looking hot as fuck and go have ourselves some fun.”
Two hours later we were getting out of our rideshare outside the loud club.
It was later than when I was outside last Friday, the line looked even longer, disappearing around the side of the large building.
The music was vibrating even out here, and people were abuzz with excitement, voices all blending together.
“Damn, I hate long lines.” Aubrey let out a sigh as she linked her elbow with mine. I didn’t move right away causing her to pause and turn to look at me. “Don’t chicken out, you look amazing.”
I was wearing a black lace bodysuit with thin straps.
The lace was heavier over my boobs, but the parts over my stomach were see-through.
I had paired it with a black leather skirt, Aubrey forced me into it when I’d originally wanted jeans and a pair of light pink strappy shoes with a low, chunky heel.
They were comfy and easy to walk in which met both of my criteria for if I was even going to consider a heel.
My hair was down and wavy, mostly because I liked that look the best since it was the easiest.
And I could admit that Aubrey was right, I did look amazing.
“That’s not why I stopped.” I smiled at her, feeling better now that I was out.
I’d told her about my evening here, but I had left a few things out.
I was just hoping he hadn’t been lying to me.
“Follow me.” I took her arm again and made my way to the VIP entrance where there was no line.
I ignored the stares of the people who we had to walk by that were waiting in the general line.
“Umm, Quinn. I don’t think we are supposed to be here,” she whispered to me as I kept pulling her along.
I smiled as I recognized the man at the door. “Hey Dane.” He’d already seen us approaching.
“Quinn West.” No smile, but he didn’t look annoyed. That was probably a good sign. “Didn’t receive word you were coming tonight.”
“Is that a problem?” I asked, blinking up at him. Aubrey looked a little confused as she watched our exchange.
“Of course not, Knight made it clear you’re welcome here any time.”
“Do you always work the door?” I asked to hide the slight blush that rose on my cheeks at his words.
“I run overall security for the club but we’re short tonight so I’m working the door,” he said. “Which also means I can’t walk you up. I can either call Wade to meet you halfway there or if you wait ten minutes, I’ll have an extra man and can pull someone off the main door.”
“Damn, first class service,” Aubrey whispered, but I ignored her and shot Dane what I hoped was a normal smile.
“You don’t have to do that. I think we can make our way in.” I didn’t want Wade to tell Theo or any of the other guys that I was here.
I hadn’t really decided if I was going to go and see him or spend the night with my friends.
“Knight made it very clear—”
I waved him off with a smile and a small laugh. “He’s an overprotective ogre, I think we can make our way in on our own.”
He watched me for a moment before he decided I was right and nodded, moving to allow us to pass.
“Holy shit! We just got into the hottest club in the city for free in under five minutes!” She squealed into my ear as we made our way in.
It felt like being hit by a wall of noise and people. The dance floor was packed, and the bar was busy enough that we would need to push through the people to get to the front.
I snuck a glance up at the VIP loft above the club.
There were more people up there than last week.
It looked like there wasn’t much space to move there either.
I saw the back of a man, pretty sure it was Jaxson, and there was a girl with her mouth on his neck.
He was the only one I could spot but there were a lot of women.
I looked away, mad at myself for the jealousy brewing in my stomach, even worse though was the disappointment.
I was a mess.
Goal one for tonight: ignore the man who was upstairs and not look up there again.
Goal two: get drunk.
“I need alcohol,” I yelled at Aubrey to be heard over the music. She nodded, grabbed my hand and led the way to the bar. I didn’t often drink a lot but tonight was going to be an exception.
“Four shots of Tequila please!” Aubrey said as she pushed her way to the front of the line and got a bartender’s attention quickly. Perks of being a woman.
I leaned my hip against the bar to look around the room. The place was busy but with the bar being massive and there being a lot of space to mull around the edges of the dance floor, people seemed to get their drinks and move on.
Our drinks were placed in front of us and I started to pull out my credit card, but the bartender held out his hand, shaking his head.
“It’s on the house,” he said as he passed us our drinks and then wiped his hands on his pants.
“I have a boyfriend, just so you know,” Aubrey said as she slid my drinks toward me and he let out a snort.
“It’s not for you. She doesn’t pay here.” He tilted his head toward me.
I was confused for a moment before I remembered why I was getting free drinks. “Theo told me the bartenders had seen a picture of me and were told that I drink for free. I didn’t think anyone would remember,” I told Aubrey with a shrug as she looked at me with wide eyes.
“It’s going to be a good night then. Bottoms up, bitch!
” Aubrey clinked her glass with mine as she smiled and then we both shot it back.
I coughed after it passed but enjoyed the burn.
“Ryan is around here somewhere, I sent him a text. I’m sure he’ll find us soon.
This is fun! We haven’t done this in so long! ”
We downed our second shot before leaving our spot at the bar.
“I want to dance!” I announced, focusing on feeling good but that was ruined as I broke rule one.
I’d glanced up at the VIP section to see Theo leaning on the railing looking over the bar, luckily not in my direction. But the problem was he had a girl pressed against his side and he didn’t look unhappy; he didn’t push her away.
Not that it mattered, because it didn’t.
At least that was what I was going to tell myself. That the unease in my stomach had absolutely nothing to do with Theo.
Maybe I’d read the signals wrong or maybe he just wanted to get laid. I had no right to be upset because even if he did like me, he didn’t owe me anything. We weren’t together, we hadn’t really gone on a date, we weren’t even really friends.
I just had issues from my ex and it was a bit of a sting to the ego. This was my own fault, I rejected him at every turn and wasn’t texting him back.
This was for the best.
I shoved any lingering feelings aside and joined my best friend on the dance floor.
My body moved effortlessly to the beat, my hands lifted above my head as the music pulsed through me.
Whenever a guy tried to edge his way into our space, we simply spun away, dodging them with easy smiles and zero interest.
After the fourth song I was warm, and Aubrey dragged me back toward the bar. I had a good buzz going so it was time for another shot because I didn’t want to lose this feeling.
“Tequila please, kind sir,” I said to the bartender who had served us before.