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Unexpected Encounter
Evan Grace
Chapter 1
Luna
I run toward the open elevator doors, which is a feat in five-inch heels. The doors begin to shut as I reach out, sticking my hand in to get them to open. Inside I look at myself in the mirror. The little black dress I’m wearing is borderline indecent, but my best friend, Holly, convinced me I looked hot in it.
It hits me at my upper thighs, the back is completely open and stops right above my ass crack. The front dips down between my breasts, showing major cleavage. Thank the lord for double-sided tape. It is the only thing keeping my tits and vagina covered.
I run a hand over my auburn hair. In order to show off the back of my dress, it is up in a high ponytail. Once the elevator doors open I step off and step inside The Lounge doors are up ahead. Holly’s boyfriend, Max owns it, so we’re getting VIP treatment tonight.
A bouncer stops me at the door and I give him my name. He looks at his clipboard and then opens the other door, letting me inside. This place is not only the hottest nightclub in Chicago, its high end, and exclusive.
Normally, I am not a high-end nightclub kind of girl—I’m the jammies and Netflix one, but we’re celebrating the fact that I just published my first novel. I’ve written since I was a young girl, or at least that’s what my mom tells me.
I’ve always loved creating fictional worlds. The book is called, Fae Down, an erotic Fae romance. The fantasy genre has always been my favorite to read and write. I graduated in May with my Bachelor’s in English from Loyola, right here in Chicago. I fell in love with this city, so I stayed.
I grew up right outside San Diego, which is so different from Chicago, but I think I’ve adapted well. It is early so I weave through the few people milling about.
“Oh my fucking god.” Holly screams from the leather sofa she’s sitting on across the club floor. She hops up, in a flash she’s running toward me. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”
“I have so much double-sided tape keeping this dress on. Are you sure I don’t look like a hooker?” I do a little spin. “Well?”
She smiles wide. “You are fucking stunning. I was beginning to think that you were never going to change out of your typical uniform, leggings and over-sized t-shirts.”
“It feels good to be dressed up, I have to admit.”
She grabs my hand and drags me over to the sofa and I sit down next to her. Holly holds up her hand, smiling, and suddenly there is a man standing in front of us with a bottle of Moet, a bucket of ice, and two flutes.
“From Mr. Martin. He says he’ll join you shortly.” He pops the cork and pours us each a glass. “My name is Gage and let me know if you need anything.”
We thank him and then clink our glasses together. “To best friends.” She is my ride or die, my sister from another mister. I have a brother, but he is only six, the product of my mom’s second marriage, and I absolutely adore him, but I always wanted a sister too. My step-dad, Pete is amazing and the kind of Dad I wish I had, had growing up. Nicky is a lucky little boy.
Instead of a good one I got the wild one, who ran around on my mom, couldn’t keep a job, and barely paid me any mind. He finally ran off when I was seven. For a long time, it was just Mom and me, but I was always happy and well cared for.
She met Pete when I was sixteen and boy did I hate him at first. He was trying to take away my mom. Over and over, I tried to make his life a living hell, but he just kept loving me.
I was almost eighteen when everything changed. I’d been out on a date and my then boyfriend, Jamie had gotten rough with me, but I got away from him. Pete had been up waiting for me to get home, he told Mom that he had a bad feeling. I snuck inside and found him sitting on the sofa. He took one look at me and bolted out the door. He knew he was going after Jamie, and drove over to his house.
I’m not sure what happened, but Mom had to bail him out of jail. The moment he was released, I ran right into his arms. Right there in the middle of the Jordan County Jail he hugged me tightly, so tight it was hard to breathe, but I didn’t care because he was there for me when my real dad had washed his hands of me.
“Earth to Luna.”
I blink and then look at Holly. “Sorry. I’m excited to meet Max.”
“You’ll love him.”
We drink our champagne, shooting the shit as the club starts to fill up. The music is a little louder than it was before, but we’re still able to talk to each other.
“Have you checked the reviews for your book yet?” Holly claps her hands at me. “I can’t believe my bestie is a published author.”
She has stood by me and every word I wrote. Every time I would doubt myself, she knocked some sense into me. “I have, people are loving it so far. I mean—I know there are going to be haters, but I hope more people like it. I’m working on book two right now, at least plotting it out.”
We’re just finishing the first bottle of champagne when a gorgeous man with dark brown skin, a shaved head, and a muscled body shown off in an expensive suit comes walking toward us.
He only has eyes for Holly as he scoops her up, kissing her deeply. I’m so happy for my friend, she has not been so lucky in love, but this guy seems different. Apparently Max and Holly went to high school together, they hardly knew each other and then ran into each other six months ago by chance and that was that.
