Page 84 of The Perfect Spiral
“But while I wait, I might as well introduce myself to this lovely lady,” he says, extending a hand towards me. I swat it away.
“Ooh, feisty. I like feisty,” he smirks, edging closer.
“Really, James? I can’t look that different, can I?”
“Holy shit! Alex? Wow! You look... hot! I didn’t recognize you at all! Damn!” He toys with the ends of my hair. James, in case you’ve forgotten, is Hannah’s older brother.
Or rather, Hannah’s hot older brother. He’s always been like this with me, so his behavior tonight is no surprise. I roll my eyes as the room fills with chatter, and he inches even closer.
“Heard you’re single again. Is that true?” I nod and make a beeline for the food-laden table. My workout today has left me ravenous.
“Well, I know who I’m kissing at midnight then.”
“Aww, James, that’s sweet, but no. I’m kissing someone else at midnight.”
“What! Who?” James, Wes, Kyle, and Knox all demand in unison.
I roll my eyes as Hannah raises her hand and saunters over to me. “Yours truly,” she grins, draping an arm over my shoulder.
I rest my head on her shoulder and smile at the boys. “If it wasn’t my sister, I’d be turned on. Maybe you should kiss another girl. Or me.”
“Hell no!” Kyle, Wes, and Knox all shout, shooting James a glare.
Dinner is served quickly, leaving us plenty of time to call taxis and head to the club. We have our own private area cordoned off, as usual.
We bid the parents goodbye, and Ace’s parting advice to us girls—to walk all over the boys—has us laughing as we pile into the taxi. We share with Kyle, Knox, and Wes.
Hannah sits up front with Andy and Kyle, while I’m sandwiched between Knox and Wes. They keep shooting glances at me and each other.
“What? Why do you both keep looking at me?”
“We’re not,” they both lie.
“Stop! Both of you! It’s weird and annoying.”
Hannah spins around in her seat to talk to me. “I can’t wait to get in there and get plastered! I need to find a hot guy and make out with him ASAP!”
I nod in agreement, and Andy lets out a whoop of encouragement.
We arrive at the club, pay the cab fare, and hop out, adjusting our outfits as we head for the entrance. The catcalls that follow us only serve to annoy Knox and Wes, while Kyle is lost in his own world with Andy.
Hannah and I link hands and approach the bouncers, who immediately let us in. We’re escorted upstairs to the rooftop bar, where we have our own private area.
“You look sexy,” Wes whispers in my ear, hoping no one else hears. I flash him a sultry smile, wink over my shoulder, and continue walking with Hannah.
You’re going to have to do better than that, Wes. As we make our way to our area, we pass other VIP sections. We draw plenty of attention and whistles from the guys, which earns them glares from our boys.
Once we reach our area, we find my brothers, Hannah’s brothers, Wes’s brothers, and Knox’s brothers all there, along with their partners, if they have one.
Let’s get this party started.
“Shots!” I yell, spinning towards the bar. The bartender counts us all and lines up the shots. Our balcony overlooks the entireclub, bathed in pink and purple strobe lights, and offers a stunning view of New York City.
“There are so many hot guys here tonight. We’ve got to sneak off before our brothers start following us,” Hannah says. I nod in agreement.
“Give them a few more drinks, and we can make a break for it!” We giggle, then turn back to our shots, clinking glasses in a toast.
We throw back the shots and take the burn like champs.
