Saudade

Twelve. Just One Kiss

By the time we rolled up to the club I was fully excited at the prospect of dancing and drinking all night long thanks, in part, to the succession of songs we had all screamed the lyrics to. I was officially pumped up to the fullest degree.

I hopped out of the car and onto the hard concrete. My excitement shining through as my feet did a little dance on the sidewalk. I waited impatiently for everybody to climb out.

"Are you drunk already?" Leilani stared at me, stepping onto the curb. "What did you guys give her back there? Trevor?"

"I didn't give her a thing!" Trevor protested, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

"I'm just happy," I beamed. "Does a person need to be drunk or high to be happy, Lani?"

"I'm going to need a lot of alcohol to deal with you tonight," she sighed, looking up at the sky as if asking someone up there for strength.

"She's annoying isn't she?" Dylan smirked, breezing past me. I was quick to stick my foot out and trip him which got some laughter out of everyone. "And If I had cracked my skull on the pavement? Would it still be oh, so funny then?"

"Even more so," Maya giggled, pumping some chain into the meter.

Liam motioned for us to follow him to the door, which meant we had to cut in front of quite a few people who were waiting to be let in. I threw a few of the disgruntled patrons an apologetic smile as I passed, feeling a little bad.

As Liam promised, Alex was waiting by the door. At first, he didn't notice us walk up as he was pretty engaged in conversation with the very large and very intimidating looking bouncer, who seemed to be ignoring the line of impatiently waiting people.

"Alex," Liam grinned, bringing his attention to us.

"Hey, man," he straightened up from the wall he was leaning on and slapped his hand in greeting.

Of course, it wouldn't be a normal encounter if I didn't check him out. He looked hot as always in that usual effortless way I had come to learn seemed to be his thing. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his sculpted upper body far too tightly. It looked like if he made one wrong move it would result in the shirt ripping in half, which I, as any normal young woman, wouldn't be opposed to seeing. I was curious how he looked shirtless.

Again, like any normal young woman would be.

I must have had my eyes trained on him for a bit too long because when my eyes trailed back up to his annoyingly beautiful face I saw that his brown eyes were staring right at me with the stupidest and smuggest smirk known to man.

The pure arrogance that was radiating off of him in waves was enough to piss me off, but only because I had given him an excuse to get so full of himself. I rolled my tongue against my cheek and swiftly looked away, crossing my arms tightly across my chest.

"Glad all of you could make it," he expressed, and I didn't need to look at him to know he was still staring at me.

"Of course we all made it," Liam exclaimed. "I can be very persuasive."

"And by persuasive he means demanding," Leilani piped up. "I was forced to come."

"I gave you forty bucks," he shot her an annoyed look. "Shut up."

"Y'all are good to go in," the bouncer nodded his bald head towards the door, speaking in a crazy deep voice.

"Thanks, Carter," Alex patted his back. "I owe you one."

"Yes, you do," he gave me a pointed look. "And don't think I won't collect."

Alex smiled, shaking his head and led us into the club. There was a short hallway from the entrance to the doors that led to the main area.