Kylie had never seen anything like it. The entire building had metal sheeting on the side, three rows high. The sheets were long, horizontal, and flat against the walls, except for the front of the structure. Those sheets of metal were designed on a curve, lending a futuristic vibe to the place. Along the top edge of the roof was white neon lighting, and in large letters over the front door were dark letters, shadowed by the blue neon illuminating it from behind. PURE was a nightclub unlike any she'd ever experienced, and she gawked openly as she stared at the enormous line of people that wrapped around the shiny building and down the block.
She almost tumbled from the car when Sadie opened the door, beckoning her to exit the taxi. Sadie only giggled and locked arms with Kylie before heading toward the entrance. She and Layla had been just as awesome as Pauleen had described, and the trio had arrived at Patrick's apartment in the nick of time.
Kylie had been standing in shock and horror, staring at the television as a TMZ entertainment reporter quoted Valerie Michaels' statement about her "long-term relationship with Patrick Gallagher." Just as her heart had dropped, and her legs were about to unceremoniously follow, Pauleen had knocked vigorously on the door. Pauleen immediately declared that Kylie was joining the girls for dinner, so they could gossip and "bond" before meeting the boys at the club.
"Guys, is there a theme night we don't know about?" Kylie asked warily. She scanned the line of people again, noticing a startling lack of color in every person's outfit. Without fail, each outfit was completely white. Kylie slowed her steps, which cause Sadie's strides to falter. When Pauleen and Layla realized there were stragglers in their group, they circled back to see what had stopped Kylie.
Kylie looked at Sadie's racy, emerald green dress, then studied Layla's short jewel-toned, purple strapless dress. She scanned Pauleen's red leather mini-dress and then dropped her gaze to her own black halter dress. Not one of them was wearing a speck of white.
"Guys, everyone is in white," Kylie whispered, horrified at their faux pas. Pauleen's rich laughter filled the parking lot.
"We're not even going to get in!" Kylie continued. "There's a dress code. Besides," she grumbled, "the line runs all the way down the next block."
"You've got a lot to learn about running with the A-list, Florida," Layla grinned.
Now that they understood her reluctance, the girls smirked at each other before Sadie once again locked arms with Kylie and dragged her across the lot.
"Look who decided to make an entrance," Jaron yelled from his spot by the bouncer. Kylie immediately searched for Patrick, noting his absence. Her stomach clenched at the thought that he might be with Valerie at the moment. Angry at herself for becoming attached so quickly, she determined to forget him for the evening. She forced a smile onto her face and greeted the guys. She recognized Gabe from the night before, and she smiled when she saw Abby tucked by Johnny's side. There were a couple of other guys she didn't know, but introductions were quickly made. The one that resembled a tall James Dean was John, Layla's on-again/off-again boyfriend. There was a shorter guy with a boyish face with John. His name was Nate. She noticed the entire group was dressed in bright and/or dark colors, but the bouncer didn't seem to mind. Johnny whispered something to him, and he lifted the black velvet rope to allow the entire group to enter.
If she thought the outside was impressive, Kylie was overwhelmed by the inside of the club. The décor was white and shiny. She had no clue how it was kept so sparkly and clean. The edges of all the surfaces in the club were rounded, and bright neon lights were woven through the designs in blues, greens, and reds. The dance floor had some high-tech lighting system that cause shapes to trail across the dance floor. For one song, it looked like everyone was covered in bubbles. For the next, the lights gave the illusion of being under water.
Johnny immediately led the group up the stairs to the VIP section, which had private rooms and balconies that overlooked the lower level. From her perch against the balcony edge, Kylie scanned the dancing crowd excitedly. The thumping of the bass sent shivers of delight down her spine. The atmosphere was intoxicating.
"Want something to drink?" a deep voice yelled over the music.
Kylie turned to see Jaron grinning at her. She smiled involuntarily at his open expression. She could tell just from the little time she'd known him that Jaron was a good guy. She'd never been one for tattoos, but he and his friends definitely made them sexy.
"Sure," she answered. "Something fruity!" she shouted, hoping he heard her. He gave her a thumbs up and headed to the bar. Soon, Layla was standing at her side.
"This place is unbelievable," Kylie said loudly. "We don't have clubs like this in North Florida."
Layla giggled. "We need to get you out more," she called. Layla's eyes widened and she pointed to the dance floor, where a couple was obviously inebriated and having a domestic in the middle of the club. The girls stood, gazes frozen on the train wreck below them. Layla leaned over and began voicing the people, like she was watching Mystery Science Theater.
"How dare you bring my sister to this club!" she spoke, her voice mocking and high-pitched.
"She wanted to pick up a man now that her sex change operation was complete," Layla continued, voice now comically low. Kylie was laughing so hard that her sides were hurting. Wanting to join the fun, she caused her voice to sound husky.
"I've found the man I want, sister. Vladimir doesn't want you anymore. He wants a real, surgically made woman!"
The girls continued to titter as they watched security drag the arguing couple from the club.
"Wow! What did I miss?" Jaron's voice interrupted their laughter, and he handed a drink to Kylie, a twinkle in his eye. "Sex on the beach. One of my favorites," he teased.
Kylie cheeks flamed at his suggestive tone. "Thanks," she murmured. She glanced at Layla and turned back to the dance floor. She virtually chugged her drink, and then looked behind her. Layla was now sitting by John, engaged in an intense conversation. Sadie and Pauleen were laughing heartily at some joke, while Tate and Gabe were across the room talking to a couple of girls. Johnny was currently walking toward her and Jaron.
"You guys want to hit the dance floor?"
"Sure you won't get mauled by all your fans?" Jaron teased.
"It's the price of fame, Jaron, my boy." Johnny winked and held out his hand to Kylie. Without hesitation, she grasped his hand and looked back to Jaron, a challenge in her gaze.
"You coming?" she smirked.
Jaron took one last swig of his beer and followed Johnny and Kylie down the stairs.
It would have been easy to get lost in the crowd at Pure. The club was operating at capacity, but a benefit of having Johnny Messer, Hollywood heart throb and A-list celebrity in your group was the ability to ignore rules, or in this case, theme nights. Brightly colored clothing caused Johnny's entire entourage to be easy to locate. Kylie trailed behind the celebrity as he deftly weaved his way through the mob.
When they reached the dance floor, Johnny and Jaron let loose. They lost themselves to the music, eyes closed and heads thrown back. They looked completely at peace, and Kylie wanted a piece of that - just an iota of that feeling. Following their lead, she lifted her face to the ceiling and closed her eyes. Several songs played before she felt someone grasp her waist gently. She opened her eyes, stunned to see Trent in front of her. She smiled at his flirtatious expression.
"What are you doing here?"
He grinned wickedly at her. "Well I was being bored out of my mind until I saw an angel on the dance floor," he schmoozed. "Would you care for a dance partner?"
Kylie nodded shyly, and Trent pulled her into his chest. She could feel his muscles through his white dress shirt. Reaching her arms around his neck, she allowed herself to relax into his arms. He traced her lower back with his fingers, and the two began to sway.
"I was hoping I would see you again," he whispered into her ear. "I was worried that after our date ended, you would be on the next flight to your kids."
"I almost was," she confessed. "Patrick talked me down. He reminded me how it would look to a court, so I am biding my time."
"I hope you don't consider your time spent with me to be such a tedious endeavor," he teased.
Kylie chuckled. "Not at all, Trent. I really enjoy your company."
"And I enjoy yours," he murmured seductively.
She could feel the distance between them closing, but she couldn't understand the sudden stiffening of her muscles or the turning of her stomach. Trent was a perfectly nice, extremely attractive man. When his lips met hers, her heart sank when she realized she had the same problem as before. There were no fireworks, no lightning bolts, no chemistry. The kiss was nice, and it was pleasant, but it stirred nothing in her physically or emotionally.
Trent pushed his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss, and taking control. His hands slipped to her ass, squeezing the globes with his palms. He moaned, pressed completely against her, and then he was gone. Kylie looked around, but Trent was nowhere to be seen. She turned in circles, scanning the room, but all she saw was a sea of white, and Johnny and Jaron surrounded by adoring females. Puzzled by Trent's sudden retreat, Kylie decided she was no longer in the mood for dancing.
She had just reached the stairs when a hand firmly grasped her by the elbow. Ready to deck whatever person was responsible, she turned to glare at the perpetrator. A gasp escaped her mouth as her hazel eyes met the intense grey-blue gaze of one Patrick Gallagher.
Red hot fury flooded her with a fierceness she didn't expect. She ripped her arm from Patrick's grip, unwilling to allow herself to succumb to his charms. The man had a girlfriend, and he apparently had no shame, for he grabbed her arm once more, halting her escape.
"We need to talk." He gritted out the words like he was restraining himself from losing his temper. Like he had a reason to be mad. She was the one who had been hurt. She was the only one with a right to be angry.
"We have nothing to talk about," Kylie spat, the golden flecks of her eyes flickering in the light.
"Well, I have something to say, and you are damn well going to listen," Patrick growled.
"I'd like to see you make me," Kylie retorted, her hands rested on her hips. All that was missing from her display of attitude was a swiveling head and a z-shaped finger snap. Thinking she had won, Kylie started back up the stairs. One moment her gaze was on the steps leading to the VIP floor, and the next moment, her gaze was on Patrick's ass. He was carrying her like a sack of potatoes!
"Put me down, you bastard!" Kylie screamed, hitting Patrick's back and trying to escape his grasp. She would have thought a place with such extensive security personnel would send rescue to a girl in her position, but the security guys just smirked at Patrick and gave him a thumbs up.
When they reached the front door, Patrick set Kylie back on the ground, but he grasped her hips to keep her in place.
"Kylie, you are going with me, whether you like it or not," he threatened. "Now, there are paparazzi outside this club, and whatever choice you make is probably going to be reflected in the tabloids tomorrow. I'll take you out of here kicking and screaming, or you can choose to walk out of here with your dignity intact."
Kylie's look was poisonous. "What will your girlfriend think about that?" She scolded herself immediately for showing weakness.
"Since I don't have one, then she won't have anything to say," he answered.
Before his words could register, Patrick opened the door. He placed an arm around Kylie's waist and led her out the club door. As the throng of paparazzi yelled to them, and flashes from numerous cameras lit the sky, Patrick tucked Kylie protectively into his side. Reaching a dark, black SUV, Patrick opened the door and lifted Kylie to the seat. He climbed into the vehicle and quickly told the driver to leave.
"I didn't want to drive tonight, in case I had a little too much to drink," he explained.
Kylie nodded, still dazed at Patrick's earlier words, and the two rode to his apartment in silence.