Taking A Shot

A good thing, too, because he had special plans for her tonight, and she might end up pissed off at him all over again. Hopefully, he’d maneuver this just right and she’d never know he set it all up.

He picked her up at eight. She wore jeans and a really sexy shirt, which she covered up with a leather jacket and finished off with high-heeled boots. She looked so hot he wanted to forget all about taking her out and get down to the business of peeling off her jeans and getting her naked. But that wasn’t tonight’s objective.

Or at least it wasn’t tonight’s starting objective. He hoped to end up there later. He couldn’t help himself. It’s where his mind wandered whenever he was with her.

She climbed into his car and made herself comfortable by stretching her long legs out and crossing her feet at her ankles. She turned toward him, her long silver earrings dangling against her neck.

“You look beautiful tonight.” He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her lips, coming away with a taste of something flavorful. He licked his lips.

“Cherries,” she gave him in answer. “And thank you. You look pretty hot yourself.”

He was hardly dressed up. He’d worn jeans, a button-down shirt and his own leather jacket to ward off the icy cold chill in the air. “Thanks.”

He took off and got on the highway.

“So where are we going?”

“This club a few of the guys’ wives and girlfriends have been talking about. Supposed to be a popular hotspot. A lot of good music, from what I hear, and some awesome games.”

“It’s not a sports bar, is it?”

He laughed. “Not a television screen in the entire place.”

“Then I’m sure I’ll love it.”

The drive didn’t take long since the spot was midtown in the city, which wasn’t the place you’d expect to find some killer club, but the parking lot was full. They had to park halfway down the street. Ty helped Jenna out of the car, then took her hand as they walked toward the club.

“I know about this place,” Jenna said as they neared the front door. “A couple of my friends mentioned coming here. Said it was hard to even get in the door. I couldn’t believe it considering the location, but now I understand what they were talking about.”

There was a line outside. “Fire code restrictions, I guess,” he said, then looked down at Jenna.

“Maybe we should have gotten here earlier.”

“We’ll get in.”

She laughed and scanned the line. “Yeah, by midnight.”

He walked right up to the front door and grinned at the well-muscled guy guarding the door.

“Hey, Tyler.”

“How’s it going, Greg?”

“Good.”

Greg opened the door for them. “You two have fun tonight.”

“Thanks.” Ty tipped him, then escorted Jenna through the door over the complaints of those waiting outside in the cold.

As soon as they stepped inside, she turned to him. “So you’re that famous, or have you been here before?”

He quirked a grin. “This is my first time here. Greg does security at the Ice games. I saw him when we drove by, figured he might let us bypass the line.”

“Lucky break.”

“Wasn’t it?” He put his hand on the small of her back and led her inside the club.

It wasn’t a rocking dance club with high-tech loud music. There was a bar off to one side and a stage that centered the whole place, with lots of tables scattered around. Right now a band was on stage playing something cool and country.

“Oh, this is fun,” Jenna said, turning to him as they wound their way around the crowds to locate an available table. They found one near the far side of the club and sat down. “Not at all what I expected.”

“Yeah? What did you expect?”

“From the lines out there? Something louder, heavy on the lights and bass. I figured it was one of those hot new dance clubs.”

He laughed. “Yeah, you’re not going to find that here.”

The waitress came by and they ordered drinks.

“My friends told me it was a great club, but they didn’t tell me what kind. This band is good.”

“They are.”

They sat back and listened while they had drinks and watched everyone dance. Tyler waited for Jenna to notice the book, as well as the pencils and cards on the table. So far she was preoccupied with the band and checking out the club, as well as her no doubt natural inclination to eye the bar and the bartenders. Checking out the competition and all that.

But when the band finished their set, took their instruments, and left the stage to thunderous applause, Jenna frowned.

“That’s it?”

“Huh. I guess so.”

“That was short.”

Until a singer came onstage, a girl dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She had on neon orange tennis shoes and her hair was in pigtails. She was cute.

The announcer asked them all to give it up for Marie, so everyone clapped and hollered.

Music started playing, and Marie began to sing.

She was pretty good.

Then Jenna frowned again, noticing the book on the table.

“Oh. It’s karaoke or something.”

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