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I turned to see what she was talking about. I swallowed to keep my mouth from dropping and did my best to keep myself together.
Maci wore a navy long-sleeve dress that hugged every curve on her body. The material in the front had a deep v-cut that stopped right above her ribcage, and a dangly necklace hung between her chest. She wore dark pink lipstick, and her dark lashes made her blue eyes pop from across the room.
She caught me staring and took a few steps toward me. “Does it look okay?”
A whiff of her perfume invaded my space, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. I wanted to feel the fabric of her dress in my hands as I tugged it up her thighs. I would make sure she didn’t question how good she looked tonight. I’d make her say my name like she did the night I fucked everything up.
“You look amazing,” I admitted, careful not to let my voice waver.
We locked eyes, and she smiled shyly at my compliment. There were so many other words I could’ve used, but the reason I hesitated walked right through the door as Katie handed Maci her shot.
Bryson looked Maci up and down, and a satisfied grin spread across his face. I raised my shot glass as we all cheered for another night on vacation.
Chapter56
Maci
March 2016
It tookthree Ubers to get both condos to Razzle’s.
After everyone divided and piled in, we drove the twenty-minute journey to a lakeside club on the water. Connor had explained that it was the only bar in the area that presented any kind of scene like Bowling Green. There was karaoke, a dance floor, a DJ, and a heated open deck so people could extend outside.
When we pulled up, I felt relieved that I didn’t over-plan my outfit. Since Katie and I couldn't get a female’s perspective on the place before coming, we were forced to make a judgment call.
Katie convinced me that we were always better off arriving overdressed instead of underdressed. I would never wear this dress out to a BG bar. It was an impulse buy for a holiday party at a club in downtown Columbus.
I was wedged between Bryson and Katie in the backseat. Bryson wasted no time climbing into the van behind me when he saw my outfit. I tried not to notice that Jaxon chose to ride with people from the other condo.
Bryson’s hand rested on my upper thigh. I turned to face him as we pulled up to the entrance of the club. “Ready?” he asked.
My mouth involuntarily lifted into a half smile, and he gave my leg a squeeze. Heat shot up the inside of my thigh and spread into my groin.
The door to the van slid open, and Connor led our group to the entrance. The cold Lake Erie air hit my bare legs, and as the chill settled over the group, we all made a beeline to the double doors. The bouncer checked all our IDs, and soon we were thrown into a mix of bass and flashing lights.
Razzle’s was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. A massive dance floor sat in the middle of the space, and two giant bars sat on either side of the crowds of people that moved to the music. A huge stage area sat at the back of the room where a DJ booth was set up, along with a few microphone stands. Two guys performed an impressive version of LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out”, and the lights overhead moved with the beat. The DJ stirred up another hit as soon as their song ended, and the original track played through the room.
“They alternate,” Connor explained. “They do a performance, and then they play a track. It keeps the music flowing.”
“Let’s get a drink!” Katie yelled over the noise.
She grabbed my hand and led us to the bar, where we ordered two cranberry vodkas, and Connor ordered a Jack and Coke. Connor handed his card to the bartender and slid our drinks to us as they appeared at the bar.
Jared appeared next to me and playfully slung his arm around my shoulder. “Are you ordering shots, man?”
I rolled my eyes at Katie, and we laughed. While Jared talked a big game, he was totally harmless. As much as he acted like he didn’t care, he seemed to enjoy the company Katie and I provided.
“No shots yet.” Connor grinned and took a sip of his drink. He winced and turned to face the dance floor. “Let’s get a table.”
Rows of tables lined one side of the bar, and we snagged two right next to each other toward the back. I placed my drink on the table in front of me and casually scanned the room for Jaxon. He was at the bar we just came from with Heather, Reagan, and one of the girls from the hot tub. He had just said something that made them all laugh, and when the girl from the hot tub stroked his arm, I had to look away.
“Hey.” Katie nudged me.
She forced me to look at her, and I took a minute to reset my tone to a more cheerful one. “What’s up?”
I felt an arm slip around my waist, and I turned to see Bryson look me up and down. “Let’s go dance,” he interrupted and tugged at my hand.
I looked at Katie, and she grabbed Connor’s hand. He assessed what was happening and knew he didn’t have a choice. We found a spot on the dance floor just as “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira blasted through the room.
