Page 14 of Synodic

“Oh? Tastes in what exactly?” His brown eyes glinted at me, and a crooked smile lifted his mouth as he handed me my usual water.

“Nothing,” I cut in quickly, grabbing Harlan’s drink instead and downing it in one long gulp. The deluge of alcohol scorched my throat and warmed my belly, and I slammed the empty glass on a nearby table. “Let’s dance.”

Both Harlan and Natalie eyed me in shock; they had no idea the mission I was on tonight.

I ignored their stunned faces and headed straight for the mass of dancing bodies. I could feel them follow after me as I led the three of us to the center of the dance floor, directly under the largest of the exquisite chandeliers. I didn’t even turn around before I began lightly swaying my hips to the music.

The repetitive beat thrummed in my chest, goading me to move more freely within its resounding wavelengths, and I willingly obliged. I traced my fingertips down my accentuated silhouette, warming to the dance floor in a way that was foreign to my body.

I found I enjoyed embracing the power of my sensuality as I matched my movements to the highs and lows of the song. I whipped my hair all around me, twisting and turning with abandon, determined to give in to this night and let go of everything if it was the last thing I did.

Harlan’s hands were suddenly on me, outlining my every curve before latching onto my waist and dragging my backside closer to him. He moved and guided me from behind as Natalie pressed to my front.

Already feeling the effects of the drink coursing through my veins, I saw something willowy and earthy flash in my periphery. When I darted my eyes to see what it was, there was nothing, only the dizzying haze of smoke and light.

I shook it off, trying to bring my focus back to the here and now, to the bodies firmly bracketed around me.

Harlan spun me to face him and pulled me tight to his chest, grinding against me as we tangled in breath and body.

The song ended, segueing into the next, and he leaned into my ear. “I have to go talk business for a minute with the boys. Keep having fun with Natalie until I come find you,” he said with a possessive squeeze of my hips and a kiss to my mouth.

Without skipping a beat, I spun to Natalie and we continued dancing, losing ourselves in the sea of music and people.

After a few more songs, our parched throats begged for another drink, and Natalie braved her way to the bar. She returned a few minutes later with two sunset-ombre drinks that tasted of the tropics.

With only a few sips left of our colorful cocktails, Natalie gestured to one of the balconies. “Hey, I know that guy, I think his name is Damon,” she said excitedly, and I followed her line of sight up to the second floor.

Observing the crowd from the wrought-iron railings was a handsome Black man with a drink in hand. His textured curls were longer on top and faded down in a tapered style that was as sharp and stylish as his patterned suit. He made eye contact with Natalie, his face brightening in recognition.

“We intern at the same firm. Would you mind if I went and talked to him?” she asked with not-so-subtle yearning.

All night she had been such a trooper as the third wheel. She deserved to have a little fun herself. “Oh my gosh, yes. Go!” I urged in support.

“You can join us if you’d like,” she said halfheartedly, extending the offer to be polite, but I could tell she wanted to be alone with her fellow lawyer-to-be.

“No, I’ll wait here for Harlan. He should be back soon.”

“Are you sure you will be alright?” she asked, seeming to battle her inner conscience for leaving me.

“Go!” I nudged her shoulder playfully. “I’ll be fine.”

“I won’t be long. Promise,” she said before whirling around with the grace of a trained ballerina and headed up the winding staircase. Her worry for me was clearly outweighed by the allure of the beautiful like-minded man waiting for her on a balcony. I honestly couldn’t blame her.

Once I knew she was safe in the company of her friend, I glanced around for Harlan, but I didn’t see him anywhere. He could be in any one of the several private rooms lining this place. I hadn’t even paid attention to which direction he’d gone when he left to meet whomever it was he needed to rub elbows with.

I didn’t mind; I was content to be on my own as I slowly finished my second drink, the buzz around me intensifying. The effects of the alcohol were hitting me harder now, but I welcomed the relaxed edges.

Noticing my empty glass, a stunning woman in a black bodycon dress approached me with a silver tray of fluted drinks. I gladly accepted one of the bubbly elixirs and charged it to Harlan’s tab.

If he was going to up and leave me, the least he could do was keep a steady supply of tasty beverages coming my way.

I was about to take a sip from my newly replenished drink when my head spun like a top and I thought I was going to be sick all over the club floor. The music began pounding in my skull like a sledgehammer and my legs turned to jelly beneath me.

That was fast. Surely two drinks couldn’t have affected me in such a way. Even though I had nothing to compare it to, this felt way too extreme for the amount of alcohol I’d actually consumed. Now was not the time to learn that my body didn’t metabolize alcohol very well.

Needing to sit for a moment and get some space, I set my full drink down on the counter and began woozily making my way to one of the lounge areas. The brightly patterned lights burned through my eyelids, and I blinked repeatedly, trying to focus on a clear path out of here.

Abruptly, between one strobe flare and the next, my entire surroundings changed. The massive chandeliers flashed into treetop canopies and the long strands of crystal beads blinked away into lush hanging vines, then it instantly morphed back to the opulent space of the club.

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