Brightly Grim

John: The Club

"Come on, John, the cab's outside." She grabs my hand and pulls me out to the waiting cab.

I open the door for her, and she slides to the other end as I get in.

She gives the address to the driver, and we begin the ride. I lean back and gaze at her.

"You look amazing," I say.

"I know," she replies. I smile and continue admiring her as she turns her gaze towards the window.

"You don't have to sit so far away. Cassie can't sneak up on you here."

"Cassie can sneak up on me anywhere. It's not what worries me." She glances briefly in my direction.

"You rushed us out of the house pretty quickly."

"Not because I'm afraid of Cassie."

"Then why?"

"To avoid sleeping with you."

"Turn the cab around," I tell the driver, and she quickly lunges forward to cover my mouth with her hand. I grab her hand, and she falls onto me, laughing. She looks into my eyes, leaning in slowly.

She kisses me, then eases back into her seat.

I pull her towards me and kiss her again. She places her hands on my chest, kissing me for a little while longer before gently pushing me away.

I lean back in my seat and smirk at her. She quickly averts her gaze. We sit in a delightful yet awkward silence until we reach our destination.

Stephanie takes my hand, and we walk along the street as she leads me into the pulsating lights and music of the club.

I can't even discern the song playing, but I feel the bass vibrations soothing the tension in my body, bringing me closer to hers.

She places her hands on my shoulders, and I hold her hips. Her fingers trail up my neck, and I pull her closer to me. She rises on her toes and presses her lips against mine.

She withdraws with a teasing smile. I spin her around, lifting my arm and pulling her back to me. She laughs, and I kiss her again. I feel her relax against me, her fingers running through my hair, drawing our lips together even more tightly. In that moment, nothing else matters but the connection between us.

Slowly, she pulls away, a smile lingering on her face. Then her gaze flickers beyond me.

"That girl over there kind of looks like Cassie..."

I glance over my shoulder and spot her not too far away, engulfed in a passionate embrace with someone else. It seems she's too occupied to notice us.

"Oh, it is her."

"No way, she's with a guy." Just as Stephanie says that, Cassie notices us. She disengages from the guy and walks directly towards us.