Page 90 of Where the Dark Knelt
I had no choice but to give in to her, no matter how awkward it would be to have all three of us together where the ‘crime’ had taken place.
Every time she was nice to me, I wanted to burst into tears and tell her what had happened.
I grabbed the tequila shots Will offered. I needed alcohol to numb the guilty feelings that threatened to consume me to such an extent that a confession was tempting. I was a little tipsy by the time we left for the party.
Holly, Brett, Mandy, and Neil came over, and we had prearranged a passenger van with driver to take us so that we could really let our hair down.
It made me feel worse that everyone was in couples, so when a couple of Neil’s friends came to sit with us at our table, I felt much less self-conscious about not having a partner. The way I had behaved I didn’t deserve a relationship anyway.
Neil’s friend, Nick, was a great guy though. We had met a few times previously. He leaned over the table smiling at me. “Has anyone told you how gorgeous you look tonight?”
I blushed, they had but I shook my head. It was nice to know that I was still attractive, even if inside I was an emotionally demolished slut.
Nicktugged on my arm, his voice lost in the loud music. “Dance with me?” His head gestured toward the dance floor. I was about to say no but found myself nodding instead. I really didn’t know what the hell my body was going to do from one minute to the next these days.
The place was buzzing, there was a greatatmosphere. Being a music school a lot of us had agreed to do a couple of songs each. There was a resident DJ too, so the mix of live music and popular dance tunes kept the entertainment fresh.
Nick led me onto the dance floor. There were a lot of people here already. A couple of them looked as if their party had started long before the official one. He was a fantastic dancer, and I noticed a few other women watching us together. I tried to relax and made myself a promise thereand then to try to enjoy the night and forget about all the complex dramas in my life.
Will came over and shouted above the noise of the bass heavy music. “We’re next up, Lily, ten minutes.” I nodded and grabbed Nick’s waist, pulling him in close to me. He looked surprised, but smiled, bending to hear what I was saying. “I have to get ready. We’re playing when this is done.” He nodded and walked back to the bar with me.
I changed from my pumps into mystiletto ankle boots, with my short emerald fitted dress. I felt so much more confident in them. Neil commented, “Jesus, Lily, you were sexy before the heels, now you’re gonna have every man in the room’s tongue hanging out.”
Smiling,I blushed at Neil’s comment, but I really didn’t need any references about attracting men, or their tongues right now. Will chuckled, widening his big gray eyes. “Yeah, Lily’s legs grow even longer in fuck-me heels.” He smirked.Saffyscowled, batting his arm and told him not to make rude comments about me, and I felt bad again.
Walking toward the stage, Will leaned in, commenting under his breath, “I can’t help it, they turn me on, legs in heels like that. They, scream for fingers to wander up them.” He grinned and I scowled, not wanting to offer him any encouragement.
“Don’t do that, Will.” After I said it, I realized that things would be different between us now.
We breezed through our number, and Will hugged me afterwards, spinning me around when he saw thatSaffywas safely over on the other side of the bar with her back turned.
“Stop flirting!” I commented, annoyedhe was still being so tactile.
“Come, dance with me.” He started pulling me toward the dance floor. I looked over atSaffyand Will slung his arm around my shoulder, bending forward. “You know, Lily, we’vegot to move forward. It happened and I’m not sorry,” he reminded me.
I didn’t want to be the person he used to prove a point to my best friend though.It was fortunate that the DJ had put on an upbeat number, and not one that required any tactile behavior orSaffymay have had a coronary, and so might I.
Nick was lining up shotswhen we joined the others. We all had three each. I protested saying I’d be too drunk to finish the evening if I swallowed them, but everyone clapped and goaded me until I found myself throwing the first one back. It burned, and I cringed. My tongue was hanging out once I’d swallowed it, and I spluttered and coughed as some went down my windpipe.
Everyone drank all of theirs very quickly, leaving the focus on me again as I still had two left. “Come on, Lily.Down, Down, Down,” they chanted. I pinched my nose, forgetting about the salt altogether and threw another one back into my throat. It tasted marginally better than the last one.
My third shot was handed to me before I’d had time to recover. “Justdo it.” Will’s eyes glinted at me humorously. I hesitated, then lifted the tequila to my lips. My throat was numb by that time because I didn’t really notice anything sting when I drank it. I felt warm and happy as the alcohol hit my brain and put me into what I classed as ‘fuzzy motion’.
This was right up there with slow motion, only less coordinated.I became very tipsy though. I’d had two shots already and a white wine spritzer. Not to mention the vodka and cranberry when we’d arrived.
My face had a warm glow about it, and I didn’t feel nearly as inhibited as I had at the beginning of the night.Nick grabbed my hand. “Dance time.” He began dragging me to the dance floor again.
The music had changed to sexier beats, or maybe it wasthe drink making me think so. I wasn’t sure but Nick’s dancing seemedmuch more suggestive toward me. I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Hey,” a voice I immediately recognized said. “Wanna dance, Lily?” Alfie’s incredibly sexy smile was right there, at eye level. Turning his attention to Nick, Alfie asked, “Do you mind, dude?”
Nick was about to protest, but I put my hand on his arm. “It's fine.” I smiled sweetly at him, half drunk, and looked back at Alfie who was as sexy looking as ever. “I would love to dance with Alfie.” Nick looked annoyed but headed toward the bar.
The music changed to a slower song, and Alfie tentatively gestured to me for permission to put his hands on my waist. I shrugged, and he slid his arms around my waist. I moved closer to him and put my arms around his neck.
We were slow dancing after all, and I’d had more to drink than I should have had. My breath still hitched when his arms slid around me, and he flashed a sexy smile at me when he noticed.
Sensual hooded eyes ticked over me. Alfie bent forward, his cheek supporting the side of my head as his head leaned against mine.I’ve missed him. I closed my eyes. He smelled familiar, of fresh bodywash and… him. I’d forgotten how good he felt and smelled, and the tension I felt with him melted away.
