Page 37 of The Mirage Guild

“I haven’t been out dancing since . . .” I said as I tilted my head up to think back.

“Marrakech. The Rose Bar.” Nat reminded me. “Remember the bouncer threw that guy out because he wouldn’t stop trying to get up on the bar and do the Coyote Ugly routine?”

“Oh, my god, yes.” I laughed. “But yes, I will be there, I’ve still got some dance moves in me.” I looped my arm with Nat’s as we walked back out onto the sidewalk and slid into our waiting car.

Sitting outside an adult club, scheming events to plan, and daydreaming about one of my brother’s best friends was certainly not how I had envisioned my life to be going at this point, but something about it all felt right.

SEVENTEEN

ISABELLA

The glow of Neon Wild bathed the Brooklyn street in flickers of pink and blue, a siren call for those seeking a reprieve from mundane days. My heartbeat echoed the thumping of the bass from inside the club, an electric excitement coursing through my veins.

I adjusted the strap of my emerald-green dress, the silk material whispering softly against my skin, offering a luxurious comfort amidst the lively clamor around me. As the slit of the dress revealed my thigh with each step, a chill reminder of vulnerability brushed against me, akin to the nagging voice that whispered of fleeting youth.

The vibrant buzz of New York City nightlife as I stepped out of the cab was a familiar siren call, yet it carried a bittersweet echo of days when such outings weren’t tinged with self-consciousness. “Still got it,” I murmured to myself, a half-hearted attempt to quash the small, insidious doubts that crept in at the edge of my excitement.

Stepping through the club doors brought me back to my days clubbing with Nat. The smell was always the same: a nauseating blend of perfumes and colognes mixed with the sticky stench of spilled cocktails.

I headed toward the group as I breezed past the bouncer, who hadn’t even needed to see my ID. I spotted the birthday girl, Jules, shimmering under neon lights, her “26” tiara sparkling amid the kaleidoscopic glow.

Her laughter, pure and unfettered, sliced through the techno beats as she threw her arms around me. “I’m sooooo glad you made it!” Jules screamed in my ear as she hugged me.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” I screamed back, “Happy birthday!”

Jule shimmied away from me, grabbing a shot of pink liquid off a tray before downing it in one gulp. I made my way through the crowd over to the couple of high-top tables reserved for our group.

I squeezed Nat in a huge hug, both of us giggling at the fact we were in a dance club on a Monday evening. It looked like everyone from work was here, well, except for Max. I subtly scanned the club for his face as I smiled across the table at Emma and Jessie.

Liam and Emma were practically connected at the hip, his eyes never leaving her face as she talked about all the changes she was excited to make at Mirage. Her design agency had rushed their project through so it could open it on time. It turned out Jessie was responsible for crafting that beautiful cellar I had seen yesterday. They all acted like their own small family, dropping anything to help out the other. I hoped I wouldn’t always feel like an outside in their group.

“The striped fabric for the tent was amazing,” I said, leaning over toward Emma. “It makes it feel circus-y without it being cheesy. And the vintage doorknobs? Where did you find those?”

Jessie turned toward us, speaking up, “I have secret vintage shops around the city where I find my treasures.” She steepled her hands together like a madwoman who would never reveal her sources.

“Well, they’re amazing. You all crushed it,” I said.

Another woman, whom I had never met, joined their table. She waltzed in like Barbie in a tight light pink dress and hugged Dominic tightly before squeezing Jessie and giving her a light kiss.

Jessie beamed and turned to me. “Iz, this is Reagan.”

“Hi, it’s great to meet you!” I had to yell across the table as the techno beats blared around them. Jules had already made it to the dance floor, dragging Maureen with her. I made another sweep of the club, looking for Max.

It’s not that I needed him here, I just thought since everyone from work had been summoned here that, he’d already be here. Plus, the idea of seeing nerdy Max let loose in a place like this put a grin on my face. There was something about having him around that calmed me. He brought security and excitement all at the same time, and I didn’t quite know what to do with those feelings.

“Looking for me?” Max’s voice, a silky whisper, melted into my senses, his words laced with a teasing undertone. My shoulders softened knowing he was here.

A playful grin stretched across my face, a flutter of anticipation lighting my eyes. Without turning, I responded, “Took you long enough.”

He slid a cold, perspiring glass into my hand, his fingers lingering near mine a moment too long. “I’m sorry, dear,” he murmured in my ear. “When I walked in, I saw you over here without a drink, so I stopped by the bar first to grab you one.”

I turned to face him, my expression an enticing mixture of amusement and intrigue. His eyes, dark and full of depth, cradled a secret jest, inviting me into a private joke only we understood.

The moment lingered, intimate and charged, amidst the tumultuous celebration around us. It was as if everyone around us had blurred out, their chatter muffled and dim.

Max leaned in. “If I told you to take off your panties and hand them to me, would you listen.” His words, a repeat of what he’d asked me in the cellar, laced through the fog in my brain and made my eyes widen.

My heart skipped, and for a moment, the blaring music, the pulsating lights, and the crowded room faded into a distant reality. It was just us enclosed in a bubble where time seemed to pause.

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