Page 47 of Away We Go

“I could get used to this,” she says. She links her arm through mine and we walk deeper into the club.

“Me, too,” I admit, my eyes darting this way and that. I want to soak it all in.

“Let’s get a drink.”

I nod and follow her to the bar. My plan for the night is to alternate between alcohol and water. I do not want a repeat of the sake hangover to deal with in the morning.

“Hmm, yummy.” I’m not sure if Serena is referring to the pink fruity cocktails we’re drinking or the plethora of hot young men swarming around us, but either way—yes. It’s all yummy.

“We should dance.”

The bass of the dance tune playing thumps through the floor and up through my body. It’s so loud, my heart beats along with it.

“Yes!”

We find a spot at the edge of the crowded dance floor and I lose myself in the music. When I was with Troy, we never went out to clubs, we never danced together, and I’ve forgotten how much I love to do it.

“Is that Nicky?” Serena shouts in my ear.

I rub my battered ear drum and turn to where she’s pointing.

“I don’t see anything.” The place is so packed with people and the smoke machine is working overtime. I can barely see my hand in front of my face.

“Over there!”

I squint, finally seeing what she’s pointing at. There, at the back of the club, in a little roped-off area, is Nicky. He’s standing next to his friend and race engineer Paul, and a bunch of other people, staring at the dancefloor.

“Huh.” Though a small part of me had been hopeful he’d be here tonight, I’d really thought he’d just send James to watch out for me and had been surprised to find his bodyguard absent when I got here. Turns out, he is actually here tonight after all, just that he’s here to watch over Nicky.

“We should go and say hi,” Serena nudges me.

I nibble on my bottom lip, my old fears flaring back to life.What if he just wants to hang with his friends? If I go up to him, will I be cramping his style?

“Patrick is there, too,” she adds. “We should thank him for getting us in here.”

That makes more sense. I follow behind her, rubbing my sweaty palms along the front of my dress. I have a fluttery feeling in my belly that I don’t quite understand; it’s just Nicky and his friends. People I work with every week.

There’s just something about being in this dimly lit space, surrounded by writhing, dancing bodies, that makes it feel different.

“Hey, guys.”

Serena bounds up to the VIP area and is stopped by a giant man wearing sunglasses inside.

“They’re with us,” Patrick calls out.

We nod and smile at the scary man.We’re with them.

“Thanks.” Serena throws her arm around Patrick in a side hug. “And thanks for getting us in here.”

He smiles, his blue eyes twinkling even in the dim light. “You ladies look lovely tonight.”

I grin at this. He could tell me I look like garbage, and with his accent, it would still sound like a compliment.

“What are you drinking?”

“Champagne,” Serena says.

“Just water for me,” I say at the same time.

---