chapter 1

"Are you ready for this?" Krystal asked, shutting off the engine of her vintage '76 Monte Carlo. We had just arrived at Griffin's, a notorious strip club on the outskirts of town. It happened to be her twenty-first birthday, and her boyfriend, the owner's son, had requested our presence before meeting up with the rest of our friends downtown.

I glanced at the rundown establishment, its neon lights flickering and a row of gleaming motorcycles parked along the side. I had never stepped foot inside, but its reputation preceded it. Griffin's was known to be a shady place, and the mere thought of going in made me uneasy. I could only imagine the disapproving expression my mother would wear if she knew I was even contemplating such a venture. She would likely think I had gone off the deep end.

A chill ran down my spine. "Seriously? Can't we just wait for him out here, in the parking lot?"

Krystal turned to me, her hand reaching for the visor. As she adjusted her blond hair and fluffed it out, she effortlessly pulled down her push-up bra, accentuating her cleavage in the sparkly black tank top that barely contained her assets. "What's the matter?" she asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Nervous about stepping into a biker bar?"

"It's more than that, and you know it." The place had a notorious reputation, plagued by gangs, fights, drug dealings, and prostitution.

"Relax, girl. Nothing is going to happen inside. You're with me, and everyone knows I'm with the owner's son," Krystal reassured with a casual wave of her hand.

I let out a weary sigh. "Okay."

"You good?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied, though the unease lingered.

Krystal flashed a mischievous smirk. "Liar. Here, take a shot of this." She reached under the seat, retrieving a bottle of peach-flavored schnapps. "It'll take the edge off."

"Schnapps?" I raised an eyebrow, unsure.

She uncapped the bottle and took a long swig. "Mm... yeah. Here." She extended the bottle towards me.

"Maybe we should wait until we leave the club," I hesitated, contemplating the consequences.

"No, babe. We need to get this party rolling," she insisted.

"Fine," I reluctantly agreed, taking the bottle from her. I took a swig, feeling the warmth and tingling sensation spreading through my stomach. "Hmm... Not bad. It's a little sweet, but I like it."

"I'm surprised you've never tried it," Krystal remarked, taking another gulp.

"Actually, I think I have. I had one of those drinks, 'Sex On The Beach,' when we went out for my twenty-first. I think this schnapps was in it."

She nodded in approval. "I love those and Fuzzy Navels. You've got to try one. They're fucking excellent."

I wasn't sure what a Fuzzy Navel entailed, but if it involved the peach-flavored schnapps, I was definitely up for it.