Despite the lights bouncing off the walls, the pounding music, and the din of the crowd, it was as though an invisible hand touched him.
Swallowing, he looked around, from the entrance to the bar to the back hallway leading to the restrooms, but no one paid him any mind. Then, his gaze drifted higher.
Above the dance floor, so cleverly disguised he’d almost missed it, was a window to an upstairs room. With the club’s black walls and low-hanging light fixtures, it blended in. Assa made out the figure of a man behind the glass. He was far away and dressed in dark clothing, so it was difficult to discern his features. But Assa knew without a doubt that the man was staring at him.
Assa shivered. His cheeks, already heated from the dancing, grew hotter still. He rubbed his clammy palms over his thighs.
“Hey.”
His reverie was broken by the return of Wes, who tapped him on the arm with a water bottle.
“Where were you just now?”
Assa hitched his neck toward the window. “There.”
Wes looked up, narrowing his gaze. “That man is staring at you.”
“He was… Now he’s staring at both of us.”
Wes blinked, his lips pursed. “He must be security or something. That’s a great hiding spot.”
Assa dragged his eyes away from the window and swigged from his water bottle. When he peeked back up, the man was gone.
“Do you want to dance some more?” Wes asked.
“Honestly, I’m fine to head home. But tonight was great. A much-needed break.”
“It was. And maybe it would be a good idea for us to table thefinding a playmatediscussion for a while. Until after Ryde’s birthday. Going out is supposed to be fun like this. Not stressful.”
Assa thought about it. It was true that the process was proving to be more difficult than in the past, but being with other people was what they wanted. That hadn’t changed. Yet something had shifted. They both desired more. But what? And how?
“We can postpone it,” Assa said slowly. “But let’s not table it indefinitely. I realize we let it go for a while after the move, but I don’t want to lose that part of us.”
Wes kissed him on the nose. “Me neither.”
Near the exit, a security guard stepped into their path. He handed them a handwritten note.
You caught my eye. I’d love to meet you both.
Assa glanced at the upstairs window again, seeing no one. But there was little doubt who had sent the note.
Wes frowned at the guard. “If he wants to meet us, why doesn’t he just come over and introduce himself?”
The guard gestured toward a back hallway, roped off from the crowd. “Boss stays up in his office on Beta Night. Doesn’t want to kill the vibe.”
“He’s an alpha?” Wes asked. “Or an omega?”
“Alpha. If you want, you can follow me. Otherwise, he said to tell you to have a good night. No offense if you’re not interested.”
“That’s bold,” Assa whispered.
The guard smirked.
“He’s the owner?” Wes asked him.
“That’s right.”
“And he does this often? Summons guests off the dance floor to come to his hidden lair?”
