Rachel pointed toward the bar giving me a minute to look where she’d indicated. A long blackboard above the bar, filled with neon colored chalk, listed their specialty drinks and prices. As promised, the drinks were expensive. Good thing, we wanted to dance, not drink.
Grabbing my hand, she pulled me to the edge of the swaying crowd and started to dance. I did a little twist in the dress and smiled to myself as the beaded hemline flared out. The dress was as fun to wear as I’d thought. Then the beads slapped my legs on the backswing. The sting of it made me rethink the fun factor. If anyone got out of line, maybe I could use it as a weapon.
The music freed me from worry about male attention, about Clay, about Sam and his stupid rules. I danced with Rachel truly having fun.
Reality crept in a while later along with our own all male crowd. Our dancing became a game of evasion and Rachel arched a brow at me in question. I shook my head not yet ready to call it quits. The deafening music made it impossible for them to talk to me and its fast heavy beat didn’t inspire a slow close dance. As long as I evaded the bump and grind style of dance, I could still enjoy myself.
After a few songs, I signaled to Rachel. A persistent member of the group kept bumming into my backside. She grabbed my hand and led the way to the bar ignoring their protests.
Overheated, I needed a drink. A few of the men followed us. One beat the others to the bar, managing to pull out his wallet and order drinks for both of us. Rachel took hers, but I shook my head and shouted to the bartender that I just wanted water. The generous buyer sulked a bit, but I ignored him and his shouted attempts at conversation.
Sipping my water, I looked around feeling watched. And by someone not in the immediate group of men surrounding us.
I spotted two women further down the bar not exactly watching me, but the crowd of men around us. Neither looked angry, but both looked a little envious. Dressed very similar to Rachel and me, they stood isolated at the bar. They probably wondered what I had that they didn’t. I couldn’t blame them. I looked a bit frumpier than they did.
I motioned to Rachel and we moved down the bar so our group spread out to include them as well. “Gabby,” I shouted my name over the music and pointed to myself by way of introduction. They smiled and seemed friendly, trying to make conversation with a few of the men.
I didn’t notice someone leaning close to me until his breath tickled my neck.
“About time you left your guard dog at home,” an unfamiliar voice spoke smoothly in my ear so I could just hear him over the music.
Curious, I turned with my glass of water still in hand. He stood several inches taller than I did. No surprise since just about everyone towered over me. He looked even taller than Clay, but not as wide shouldered, with copper brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore a humor-filled smile as I studied him. I struggled not to smile back very aware of my pull.
“Excuse me, do I know you?” I shouted.
He leaned in and spoke in my ear. “No need to shout love. You know I can hear you just fine.” His lips touched the curve of my ear causing a shiver as he inhaled deeply. “Mm, you smell good.”
I pulled back, leaning against the bar to make some space between us, and really looked at him. The music ground out a steady beat and the bodies on the dance floor moved in rhythm. Calming, I scanned the area, not surprised to see his blue-green spark. Behind him in the crowd, I saw several more. Blue-green I could deal with. I didn’t want to face the other color again until I knew what it meant.
“What do you want?” With humans, the ‘safety in numbers’ rule worked. Not necessarily so with werewolves. But they did have their own non-human set of rules they still needed to follow… unless they were full Forlorn. Don’t think about that. I’d be okay as long as I followed the rules Sam taught me.
He leaned in again so I could hear. “Just to say hi love. You’re hard to catch by yourself. Did you know your dog follows you to school?”
“Hi, then,” I said refusing to respond to his last question. If Clay followed me to school, how did he ever find the time to work? Again, I wished he’d just start talking to me.
The man beside me remained close. I didn’t like that his breath kept tickling my ear. Clay would smell him on me.
Rachel noticed him talking to me and sent me a questioning look. I gave her a half-smile to reassure her I didn’t mind… even though I really did mind.
“I was hoping we’d be able to go somewhere quieter to talk.”
“Really? Just us? Or those other guys in the crowd too?” I took a sip of my water and glanced at him.
His smile stretched wider. “Here I thought we were blending in well.”
None of their kind could ever blend into a human crowd. At least, not for me. I decided to be blunt. “Do you have permission to be here?”
“We have permission to approach you and request a second meeting.”
“Second?”