“It’s a gorgeous night, don’t you think?” she asked.
“Gorgeous,” he answered, but he knew that he was really referring to her. Sitting across from her, Colin had the strange feeling that he was living someone else’s blessed life, someone more deserving than he. And by the end of dinner, after all the dishes had been cleared and the wineglasses emptied and the candles were flickering out, it dawned on him that he’d spent his entire life searching for Maria, and only recently been lucky enough to find her.
CHAPTER 12
Maria
T
he warehouse was located in a run-down neighborhood on the outskirts of town, and the only hint that it served a different purpose than any of the other abandoned warehouses nearby was the scores of cars parked haphazardly on the far side of the building, out of sight from the main road.
Not that its sketchy vibe seemed to matter. In addition to the crowd already inside, there was a long line of people – almost exclusively male – still waiting to get in. Many were dragging coolers, no doubt filled with alcohol; others drank beer or sipped from plastic cups as they slowly edged toward the entrance and the music blaring within. Unless they were with a date, girls didn’t have to wait in line, and Maria watched as one group after the next cheerfully marched toward the door in tight tops, short skirts, and stiletto heels, ignoring the litter-strewn surroundings, whistles, and catcalls.
Colin appeared relaxed, taking it all in quietly. When they reached the door, they were met by a heavyset man in sunglasses who was collecting the cover charge. The bouncer studied Colin up and down – no doubt trying to decide whether he was with law enforcement – then did the same to Maria before reluctantly taking the bills Colin was offering and nodding toward the door.
Inside, they encountered a solid mass of swaying bodies, and with the booming music, the place shook with a vibrant, barely contained energy. No one seemed to care about the oil-stained concrete floor or the lack of décor or the industrial-grade lighting; guys were clustered around their coolers, drinking and shouting to be heard above the music, trying to get the attention of any girl who happened to pass by. Like at most nightclubs, men clearly outnumbered women, and most appeared to be in their twenties or thirties. Maria presumed that the vast majority were working people out for a fun Saturday night. There were, as Serena had noted, some pretty scary-looking guys here, too, with tattoos and bandannas representing various gangs and wearing baggy pants that could easily conceal a weapon. Ordinarily that would have made her nervous, but the atmosphere indicated that most people were simply focused on having a good time. All the same, she found herself scouting out possible exits in case trouble broke out.
Beside her, Colin was also taking in the scene. He leaned toward her ear. “Would you like to move closer to the music?”
She nodded, and Colin began leading her deeper into the warehouse. They squeezed through the crowd, careful not to bump too hard into anyone, and inched their way to the dance area on the far side of the building, the music pulsing ever louder. Along the way, guys tried to get Maria’s attention – demanding her name or commenting on her beauty or even trying to pinch her butt – but afraid to give Colin any reason for confrontation, she merely scowled at them in silence.
The dance floor was separated from the rest of the warehouse by a makeshift barrier of two-by-fours nailed together and fastened across metal barrels. Directly opposite them, on pallets stacked against the back wall, was the DJ, his equipment arranged on a fold-out table. He was flanked by two speakers the size of refrigerators. The music was loud enough to make Maria’s chest thump. On the floor, she watched couples move and spin, triggering in her a surge of memories from a time when life seemed more carefree.