We both drop down and my heart is pounding. I hope he hasn’t seen us. After a few minutes, I lift my head to see him tucking a cell phone into his pants and disappearing into the club. “He’s going in. Let’s do this.”
We both pile out of the car and I take a moment to straighten my short black dress that Kady insisted on picking out for me. It’s low at the front, showing a good amount of cleavage, and the back dips down just enough to let the imagination run wild. I did a light dusting of makeup and left my hair down and straight, figuring it would be easier to fix when the time came. I was right.
Kady and I link arms and enter the club after him.
*
Kady holds my hand tightly as we weave through the people, looking for Raide. We finally reach the bar, and a handsome man leans over the counter and smiles at as. “What can I get you lovely ladies?”
Kady giggles and orders us both a vodka sunrise. As we sip, I let my eyes scan the crowd. I notice Raide in the corner, talking to another man. He’s got his mouth down close to the other guy’s ear, and whatever he’s saying has this particular man’s jaw clenching in either frustration or anger, I don’t know which.
When they finally separate and Raide makes his way through the crowd, I turn back to Kady casually. “Tell me if he comes close.”
She nods, keeping her eye on him. “He’s noticed you. Don’t look.”
I nod back and laugh at absolutely nothing, causing the bartender to give me a strange look.
Kady’s eyes clearly follow Raide, because they’re moving slowly across the room. “I have an idea,” she says.
“What?”
“Let’s dance. No better way to get someone to notice you than to dance. Come on.”
She takes my hand and we shimmy our way out onto the dance floor. We start wiggling with the twenty or so other dancers confident enough to shake their asses.
“Is he looking?” I ask after a few minutes of my best attempt at sexy dancing.
“No, he’s talking to a bartender. He’s sitting, though. So he’s obviously comfortable. Now is your chance to get his attention.”
“It would seem I have to strip to get his damned attention!”
Kady giggles.
“Screw it.”
I turn and start shimmying toward the bar. I notice Raide as soon as I turn, and Kady is right: he is sitting at the bar. A blonde has shimmied up to his side first and is whispering something in his ear. Competition. Great. As I get closer, Raide’s eyes flicker over me, and then the arrogant jerk turns away, like he doesn’t even notice me. Say what? This man is testing my nerves. Who doesn’t like this dress? Everyone likes this freaking dress!
“Can I get you another drink?” the bartender asks.
I jerk and turn to him. “Ah, yeah, vodka.”
My eyes are still on Raide, who is grinning at the gorgeous D-cupped blonde. I am not cut out for this, it’s killing my inner badass and maybe my ego. A drink is slid across the bar and I take it, swallowing it down before stepping back out onto the dance floor. I give it all I’ve got, wiggling and shaking my booty. I’m in Raide’s clear view, I know I am, because he looks every now and then, but it would seem the blonde he’s with is doing better at holding his attention.
“He’s proving hard to get!” I yell to Kady.
She wiggles beside me. “Then get over there and make him notice.”
“What do you want me to do? Jump him?”
“If you have to.” She shrugs, slipping back onto the dance floor.
With an angry sigh, I start swinging my hips as I shimmy through the crowd once more. Just before I reach Raide, I trip—on purpose, of course—and stumble into him and his woman. He reaches down, catching me before I hit the floor. Thank God for that. His hand is curled around my arm as he steadies me. “Careful there,” he murmurs, eyes holding mine for a split second before he turns back to Barbie.
Seriously? I want to stomp my foot.
Just then a short guy with a popped collar steps in front of me. “Hey, baby, I noticed you dancing out there. Maybe you and your friend can come home with me tonight. I can show you a few new moves.”
With a frustrated growl, I turn away from Tiny Dancer and see Raide disappearing through the crowd with his woman. Well, then. This seduction thing isn’t proving to be very easy. At all.
Back to square one.
*