Fate Interrupted

16. Find Me In The Club

"Long story short, Ren texted him for a booty call last night, and they were about to do it when her fire alarm went off."

Kristin chokes on her drink.

"Sydney!" I gasp, stabbing her with my eye daggers.

"What? They need to know, and your version was way long. They can't be in the dark if he suddenly shows up here and starts groping you on the dance floor." She gives me wide, dramatic eyes, taking a long sip of her drink through the straw.

"God. Stop!" I say, feeling heat burning at my cheeks.

"Hold the phone!" Kristin says in disbelief, "Back up. Are you two seriously getting back together?" 

"That would be so sweet," Hannah chimes in, laying a hand on her heart.

"Look, girls, I don't know what's happening. We are sort of in limbo right now, and we are definitely not a couple. Don't be weird if he comes, okay?"

I field more questions from Kristin and Hannah while we finish off our drinks and head off into the multi-colored lights of the crowded dance floor. Sydney, Kristin, and I are enjoying dancing by ourselves—moving our bodies to the sexy beat, keeping in a tight group to ward off the four or five guys eyeing us like wolves from the perimeter.

Hannah, however, has already been separated from the herd and is dancing with the sexiest guy there... (well, so far—Gio hasn't shown up yet), a tall, dark, and handsome man from Nigeria who has the most amazing smile and killer dance moves. He and Hannah are currently smashing it and getting low in the middle of the floor.

A few epic songs later, we retreat, happy and slightly sweaty, to the bar to cool off and get more drinks. The crowd at the bar is at least three people deep all the way down. Crap. So, while Sydney and I wait in line, Kristin departs for the bathroom.

After standing in line for five minutes, the crowd hasn't moved. "Screw this," Sydney mutters, slipping her way through the shoulders to the front.

I see the cute guy she's pulled up next to give her an annoyed glance, but she strikes up a conversation with him, and soon he's smiling and chatting away. She points to me, and I wave with my best flirty smile. I have an inkling she might be pulling free drinks for us soon.

"Hey, beautiful," I hear a deep voice soothe from behind me.

I look over my shoulder for Gio, but reel when my eyes meet a familiar pair of blue eyes. Logan! My bad date from OkCupid is standing right behind me. My stomach twists. Oh god, not him again!

"Oh... hi." 

"Lauren, right? That dress..." he emphasizes, surveying me in an ick way. "You look great tonight."

"Well, it is my birthday." As if I needed a way to rationalize it to him. Crap! 

"It is?" he shouts over the noise. "Well, let me buy you a drink then," he mouths into my ear, putting his hand out and trailing a knuckle down my arm.

"No, thank you." I back up and hold my arm where his slimy hand just touched me. Again, my compulsion against seeming rude is flaring up. Just tell him to get lost.

"Aw, is this about what I said the other night? Look, I'm sorry. My bad. I shouldn't have said that. Girls play me all the time on that site. Use me to buy them expensive meals and then just beat it. Let me try again, huh?" He moves in closer to me.

I glance over at Sydney, but she's still waiting for our drinks to come back. I scan the sea of heads for Kristin, but she must still be in the bathroom—probably an equally long line.