Page 11 of Flung

Chapter Five

Emma

The thought of staying up any later for the after party was exhausting, but… I really wanted to hang out with Colton a little longer.

Marilyn was happy to stay, of course. She was really getting along with the guy she’d started talking to—Braeden or Brendan or something like that—and wanted to stick around.

So I parked on the couch, except for going to get drinks, and waited for the after party.

At midnight, just like Colton had said, bouncers started to go around the main area.

With everyone gone, I could really see how huge the club was. The swimming pool in the middle of the room was bigger than a standard home pool, and the dance floor looked as big as my apartment.

Marilyn really had picked an incredible place.

I stayed on the couch, watching Marilyn talk with her guy for the night. She caught me looking and smiled, then came over to sit beside me.

“What’s up, Em?”

I shrugged. “That guy, uh, Colton? He wants me to stay for the party.”

“Okay! You totally should!”

Of course, she would say that.

“I just… I’m kinda nervous, you know?”

“Why?”

“Because I think I like him.”

Marilyn grinned. “Even more reason to stay.”

“Okay, but…”

“Emma. This whole trip is about living it up. Like, you never let yourself have fun, you know?”

She was right.

But I was still nervous.

“Look.” She spoke gently this time, trying to be comforting. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Okay?”

I nodded.

“But… being outside your comfort zone, just a little bit, isn’t bad for you. You’ve gotta try new things to see if you like them.”

That was a fair point.

“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll stay. And hang out with him.”

“Good.” Marilyn glanced over my shoulder. Her guy had gone over to the bar and was in the process of ordering more drinks. “Look, I might go back to his room tonight. You okay on your own?”

Of course, I was. I spent a lot of time alone. “Yeah. I will be.”

“Okay. Good.” She smiled. “I’m gonna go try to get laid. If you need me, call, okay?”

“I will. Go have fun, Marilyn.”

---