“I wasn’t pining,” Colin said on the way to his car. Up ahead, Lily was walking with Evan toward his Prius. “I was talking to Evan about my fight.”
“The one in Myrtle Beach?”
“No. The one next weekend.”
“What fight?”
Colin filled her in, then added, “Evan will be coming. You should come, too.”
“Will Lily come?”
“No,” Colin said. “Fighting’s not really Lily’s thing.”
“I’m surprised it’s Evan’s thing.”
“He always goes to my fights. He enjoys them.”
“Really? He doesn’t seem the type.”
“And what type is that?”
“People who resemble you,” Maria teased. “Big muscles and tattoos, but mainly people who don’t look like they’ll faint at the first sign of blood.”
He smiled. “Do you want to come?”
“Sure. But the same rule applies. You can’t get too beat up or it’ll bring back memories of the first night we met.”
“Okay.”
“You say that now, but the way you talked about Johnny Reese, you might not be able to guarantee it.”
“No guarantees,” he conceded. “What did you and Lily talk about when you were in the bathroom?”
“Mainly we talked about you.”
“Okay.”
“No follow-up questions?”
“No.”
“How can you not be interested in what we said?”
“Because that was between you and Lily. It’s not my business. And besides, it couldn’t have been too bad, or you wouldn’t still be holding my hand.”
“So what kind of club are we going to?”
“All I know is that it plays eighties music. That’s one of Lily’s quirks. Evan told me that listening to Madonna was the way she rebelled when she was a teenager.”
“Huh. Not much of a rebellion…”
“Not to you or me. But to Lily’s parents? I’m sure they wrung their hands for years. They don’t like me much.”
“Maybe you should invite them to a fight,” she said. “That’ll probably change their minds.” She heard him laugh as he opened her door, the sound continuing as he rounded the car to the driver’s side.
Despite the blaring sound of REO Speedwagon, the scene at the club wasn’t at all what she expected. Instead of divorced women and balding men in their forties trying to relive their youth, the club was populated primarily by students from the university; Maria half expected to spot Serena with her friends. Groups of college girls were dancing in clusters, singing or lip-syncing to the music.
Colin leaned closer to her ear. “What do you think?”
“I feel old,” she admitted. “But I like the music.”
Evan pointed toward the bar, and Colin nodded before reaching for her hand, maneuvering her around tables and groups of people to the thronged bar area. When they were finally able to get the bartender’s attention, Colin ordered water – no surprise there – Evan ordered a beer, and both Maria and Lily ordered sea breezes. Halfway through their drinks, a song by Madonna started to play and a delighted Lily clapped before leading Evan to the floor. Suddenly thinking, Oh, what the hell?, Maria grabbed Colin’s hand and they followed.
The evening sped by as they danced to sets of three or four songs in a row, stopping only for the occasional break. Maria ordered a second sea breeze, and though she hadn’t finished the first, she felt giddy and flushed. For the first time in a week, she’d actually been able to enjoy herself.
At half past eleven, they were able to commandeer a small table for the first time. They were taking a break and debating how much longer to stay when a young cocktail waitress appeared holding a tray of drinks. She placed another sea breeze in front of Maria.
Maria waved it off. “I didn’t order this.”
“Your friend ordered it,” the waitress explained, straining to be heard above the music.
Maria shot Colin a quizzical look. “You ordered another drink?”