Page 54 of Black Wave

“Are you pregnant?” I grab her boob and twist it.

“Ouch.” She grabs her boob, rubbing it. “What are we, twelve-year-old boys?” She is angry with me but is hiding it or in denial. The vomiting, the dizziness, the missed periods perhaps?

“You need to take a pregnancy test.” She nods in agreement, and I get her some medication from her drawer where she keeps her headache and anti-nausea medicines in a bag for emergencies.

“I have an upcoming appointment with Planned Parenthood to refill my birth control,” she says, rubbing her forehead.

I go over to her. “You know I love you to the moon and back, right?” She returns the embrace.

She has tears in her eyes when I pull away. Let her keep her secrets. I can’t disclose mine and wouldn’t want to put her in any more danger than I would have if I had continued to live here.

Opting for a change of conversation, I clear my throat. “Let’s get ready, shall we?” I turn on Carrie Underwood’s “Church Bells,” and we laugh at the crazy memories. It was a favorite song we frequently played on the old-fashioned jukebox in this dive bar during our nursing school years.

“For old time’s sake,” I say, hitting play on my phone, and the girls laugh. Soon, we are all dressed and ready for a much-needed night out.

We elect for an Uber, or at least that is what the girls think. Instead, Philip drives us to the club. The club is packed, and the girls are excited. My besties are wrapped up in short dresses and mini skirts, ready to break hearts.

I lead them to the front of the line, smiling at the bouncer. He nods at me and opens the rope, allowing us entry. By this time, everyone knows me or is made aware of who I am. I turn around to make sure everyone makes it through and grab onto Liv to keep her close to me. Yes, I am hovering like a mother hen, but she is my best friend, my ride-or-die.

We go to the VIP section and walk up the stairs single file. The bouncer at the entry to our VIP area stays with us, standing by our table. He is replaced by another person, allowing access into this secluded space. A nervous-looking waitress comes over to take our order.

“I really missed you guys,” Val and Ainsley say in unison, exchanging excited squeals at the opportunity of having us all here together again.

The petite waitress comes back with our bottle service. The security guard comes over, and before she can pour us anything,he stops her and they exchange a look. She stops what she is doing as he picks up the tray’s contents and makes himself a drink. The girls watch with curiosity, and he takes a large swig and nods at her. She continues to pour us drinks and leaves after we all have one in our hands.

I don’t know how to make this seem normal, but I try to take their concern away from that weird exchange. “I guess he is making sure it isn’t diluted.” I shrug. “I think that has been happening. Call it quality control.” The girls seem to buy it and pick up their drinks. I see them looking at someone, and I turn to see what has gathered their attention.

My man is walking this way, looking dangerously handsome. His tattoos are visible past his sleeves and reaching up toward his neck. The one I had my tongue over earlier today.

The girls thank him for letting us skip the line, but his attention is always on me. He leans over to tell the security guard something, and the security guard tenses. He nods and looks over at me. I squint my eyes, wondering what he said. Before I can ask, Eduardo leans over and kisses the top of my head.

“Behave,” he says with a playful wink. He walks away to the other bouncer at the stairs and looks back at our table. He pats the guy on the shoulder and leaves the area through the back stairs.

Needing a distraction from my worry, I pick up the liquor and pour us some shots. “Come on, girls, let's take some shots and go dance.”

We dance for a couple of songs, and when “It’s Getting Hot in Here” by Nelly comes on, the girls scream in excitement.

“Yay, who doesn’t like a little 2000 throwback!” I laugh, throwing my hands in the air and my head back. I am feeling the temperature rise as more people pack into the small space to dance around us.

I see security around us, and they are talking into their headset. The sight makes me nervous, and I look around apprehensively. I see one motion over to the other side of the dance floor with his hand, and I am on high alert, no longer feeling so carefree.

A big, muscular guy comes over wearing a tight-fitted Henley shirt with tattoos in similar places to Eduardo, but it isn’t Eduardo, and I don’t like how he looks at me. He starts to grind against me, and a small commotion occurs on the dance floor. I see security approaching us and tapping the guy on the shoulder. A very pissed-off Eduardo tells the guy something in his ear while looking at me. I look over at the guy, and he nods, recognition of his misstep clearly visible in his facial expression.

Eduardo grabs my hand to lead me off the dance floor. I was starting to get creeped out anyway, and I am relieved that he has me in his embrace. I look back to see if the girls are following me and notice Liv. She is leaning over a barstool, and I run over to her, yanking my hand away from Eduardo. This shocks him, and he follows me, waving security over.

“Pick her up and take her to my office.” Eduardo has security over in seconds as they take a now very passed-out Liv upstairs.

I grab a cool compress and place it over her forehead, and she stirs. “There you are, Liv.” I am thankful she is coming to, but I am no less scared of what happened to her. “You made us all so worried.”

She tries to sit up but seems to think better of it, placing one foot on the floor to steady herself, I assume to stop the vertigo. I hear Eduardo talking on his phone, saying to let him in and to bring him up around the back to his office. Moments later, a distraught Dax comes in to scoop Liv up in an embrace. When she has difficulty standing, Eduardo offers to help him to get her into his car.

Eduardo comes back in, and the girls and I are still trying to figure out what to do. I decide to make the most of the time with them, and we return to the VIP area with our hearts a little less intact, missing the girl who completes our circle of friends.

CHAPTER 30

Eduardo

Ihad to get on the phone and call Dax to tell him about his girlfriend lying passed out on the sofa in my office. People pass out occasionally in my club, but no one has ever been brought up here. Emma had hovered over her best friend, clearly upset. She doesn’t need any more shit in her life. I understand her concern for her friend, but I am more concerned with the fact that someone was touching my girlfriend and, even worse, the thought that he was used as a distraction for someone to get to her. If Liv hadn’t passed out, Julian could have gotten to her. After they left and Emma returned to salvage the rest of the night with her friends, I had to confirm whether we needed to be worried now.

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