AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She gives me a questioning glance, then follows Chad, who looks grateful. I watch them disappear into the crowd on the dance floor. Chelsea ditches her sitcom actor and joins me. Two cute guys offer to buy us drinks and we let them, then we abandon them at the bar to join Laurie and Chadwick on the floor. We start out dancing together, but I soon find myself dancing with some guy, then a girl with startling blue hair and a lip piercing, then another guy. The music stays good and I hardly notice as time flies.
I return to the bar after a while. Some time later, Laurie comes to join me, her eyes are bright, and there’s a slight sheen on her skin from all the dancing. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I shrug. “Where’s Chad?”
“Bathroom.” She props her hip on a stool. “He’s cool.”
“He’s still a whore,” I whisper, wrinkling my nose.
She laughs. “He’s leaving for a party at the Insomnia Lounge. Wants to know if we’ll come.”
I raise my brows and she shrugs. The Insomnia is Landon’s club, and she knows. Of course, I want to go there. I smile, remembering the last time, Landon appearing like a figure out of my fantasies, hypnotizing me with his eyes and his touch, until I would gladly have followed him anywhere. He’d been playing a game that night, trying to see if I would confess that I wasn’t the hooker I’d made him think I was.
“I’ll ask Chelsea,” I tell Laurie now.
Chelsea is eager to go, and we pile into the limo for the drive to the Insomnia Lounge. The line there is even longer, and this time, we don’t have a pass, but Chadwick’s host has left his name at the door, and we get to saunter in like VIPs again.
The music is alive. There are dancers hanging from the ceiling doing impossible acrobatics, and on the dance floor, people are moving to the sexy music. The party Chadwick came to join is taking place in a private glass-walled room beyond the VIP area. It’s an eclectic mix of people, a famous rock musician, two NBA players, a writer for the New York times, a ballerina, an actor, and another photographer. I recognize some of Chadwick’s artists friends and a couple of groupies of the hot female variety.
Everybody seems happy to see Chadwick, and we join the party seamlessly. The focus of the group appears to be the rock musician who’s celebrating something I don’t quite hear. Chelsea starts to flirt with him and he looks like he can’t believe his luck.
Drinks are flowing, and Laurie and Chadwick are still engrossed in each other enough to make me worry for Brett. A guy seated beside me starts a conversation. He’s a sports lawyer, very confident too. He starts telling me about all the high-profile players he represents and I’m actually relieved when he excuses himself to go to the bathroom.
A few moments later, someone else takes his seat.
“Hi Rachel,” the new arrival says, in a familiar voice that makes me jump in surprise.
“Jack!” I breathe, surprised to see him.
“Yup.” His eyes flick over my body. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks,” I reply. “You look good too.” He does look good. His hair is tousled, and he’s slowing joining the beard gang, sporting a small overgrowth, while his expensive sweater and slim-fitted jeans make him look casual and cool.
He nods, and looks around the room, before looking back at me. “You know Jem?”
He’s talking about the rocker. I shake my head. “No. I was out with Chelsea and Laurie and kinda ended up here.”
“Ah!” he chuckles. He holds my gaze for a long moment before I look away, remembering our last awkward conversation. “So, where’s the boyfriend?” I hear him ask.
“He’s in San Francisco,” I reply.
“For the big opening,” Jack says. “Why aren’t you with him? I was already getting used to seeing the photographs of you on his arm.”
It’s not like him to be snide, and I search his face, a frown on mine. He doesn’t look as if he knows that he’s being rude. “I didn’t realize you’d started reading gossip blogs,” I respond. “But don’t give up on the photographs just yet. I’m joining him tomorrow.”
“Whoa,” he laughs, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t be so combative. I just asked a question.” When I don’t reply, he sighs. “You’ve changed, Rachel.”
I give him a short laugh. “I sure hope so.”
A new song starts to play. I watch as Chelsea pulls the rocker to his feet and they start dancing.
“Wanna dance?” Jack asks.
I shake my head. “I’ve danced enough for one night.”
We’re both silent after that, but I’m aware of him beside me. I wonder what he’s thinking, and if he still believes that Landon doesn’t deserve me. I feel his eyes on me, and I turn towards him. He has a sad and thoughtful expression on his face.
“What?” I ask gently, unnerved by the depth of emotions in his eyes.
