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“Atlas! The rest of the team is already inside,” he said with a wide grin that moved his whole face and twisted the zigzag scar splitting his right eyebrow. Despite his mostly decent attitude, he still stuck out his hand. I held in an eye roll as I passed him an extra twenty along with the cover charge. There must be a DJ tonight, which I wasn’t really that excited about, but Sierra and Boss perked up. As we walked inside, a weird techno-jazz music blasted my eardrums.
The first part of Black Out was dark, and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. The dance floor was tinted with a blue luminescence that always made me feel like I was in a planetarium, right before they started showing all the constellations overhead. It was perfect for grinding with someone.
But I hadn’t brought anyone with me. Boss would probably take Sierra out there later.
Sighing, I moved across the dance floor directly toward the brightly lit bar on the far wall. I easily spotted the team and the basketball players because they were all big guys taking up a long section of the bar with a few girls interspersed between them. My crappy mood lifted because some of the best nights of my life had been spent out with the hockey team, but that was when I noticedWystansitting at the very end, talking to a couple of guys from the basketball team.
For fuck’s sake.
My night soured instantly, and I looked back toward the entrance. I tugged on Boss’s elbow.
He glanced at me with raised eyebrows.
“Let’s go somewhere else.” I nodded at Wystan.
Boss rolled his eyes so hard I was surprised to see his brown irises when he opened them again. I thought maybe they would’ve gotten stuck back in his head. He seemed like he was going to say yes, but then Sierra spotted one of her friends and ran over to give her a hug while they exclaimed about something I couldn’t hear, thanks to the horrible music. Normally, I could tune out something I didn’t really enjoy, but tonight, everything was getting on my nerves.
Boss waved a hand after Sierra. “I’m stuck, man. We’re drinking here now. That’s her best friend, Alexis. Maybe one of the other guys wants to split.” He patted my arm and followed his girlfriend. Running a hand over my face, I stared at the DJ booth that had been set up on one side of the dance floor. The bright rainbow lights that flashed in time to the beat of a new song began to cut through the gloom and made my head ache.
I sighed and stomped toward the team.
Brisco, one of the basketball players who hung out with us occasionally, came over with his hand out. He had a nice smile and long blond hair that framed his friendly face. I shook with him.
“Hey,” I said, feeling a little better.
“Hey, man! How is being captain? The vote was today, right?”
Well, now I wanted to punch that smile off his fucking face. “I didn’t get it,” I said, humiliation burning through me once again.
Brisco’s mouth fell open. “What? Who did? But how’s that possible? You kissed Hoffman’s ass all last year!”
My stomach curdled. Is that really what everyone thought? If I’d gotten the captaincy, is that why everyone would’ve assumed that I’d won? My cheeks burned. I did fucking blow him, knowing damned well I wanted him to recommend me. Maybe this shouldn’t be such a shock, but it only added to the shame that curled around my heart.
Brisco shook his head, and I ripped my hand out of his, but he didn’t seem to notice. “You were always busy with something for him. You barely had time to hang out.”
Forcing a laugh, I nodded. “You’re right.” What else could I say?
“Tough break. Hey, come over here. I’ll buy you a drink.” The sympathy on his face was worse than the shock.
“I’m good. Milo wants you,” I said, glancing over Brisco’s shoulder. Several guys he’d been drinking with were waving their hands, trying to get his attention. “I think they’re lining up shots.” The bartender was setting out a row of glasses.
Brisco patted my shoulder, then went over to them, hands in the air. They cheered, and I was sure they had no idea what for, other than they liked being around each other. That should be me with my team right now.
A fresh wave of humiliation washed over me as I glared at Wystan. The only thing fucking worse than this was going into my room earlier today and dealing with a hard-on that had come from wrestling that asshole. I wasn’t one to leave my junk alone if I could tug it and get some relief, and I hadn’t been able to get his face out of my mind the entire time I’d lain on my bed with my dick in my hand, not even when I’d blown all over the place.
But I hadn’t been hard for Wystan.
I’d been hard because I had a hot, squirming body against mine.
That could’ve happened if I was wrestling with any guy.
I finally made it to the bar and sighed as I passed a nicely muscled man who was wearing leather pants, boots, and a red leather harness. His gold-rimmed glasses flashed in the light, and he gave me a cocky smirk as I glanced down his body.
“Hey, I have someone,” he said with a grin. “But I’m flattered.”
I grunted and couldn’t hide my smile. He was older, but he was in shape and hot. He laid down money on the bar and grabbed a beer, obviously getting ready to head off with it.
“Do you go around that way all the time?” I asked.
