Chapter 7

“What place?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

She grinned. “It’s in the next town over. Don’t worry, I’ve got my car. I’ll drive you wherever you want after— or better yet, I’ll just book you a room at a motel. You’ll probably be tired after all the fun we’re about to have.”

Before he could even process that last part, she was up and practically launching herself toward the powder room, causing the table to rock dangerously. It almost tipped over, but she caught it at the last second, flashing him an apologetic grin.

“Oops, sorry. Just going to wash my hands. I’ll be back.”

He couldn’t help but watch her go, his eyes lingering on her as she strutted across the room. That confident, almost too-cool-for-school strut. The kind of walk that made her round, jiggling behind sway with every step.

He swallowed hard, quickly looking away. Was it the wine? Or was it something else?

No. This wasn’t just about the wine. This was about her. And no matter how he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t. There was something so… real about her. Something that made his mind race and his pulse spike in ways he didn’t want to admit.

I don’t know where this is going… but I hope TeeCay’s up for the game.

*

*

*

And then… they arrived.

Century Bird. The place TeeCay had insisted on going.

It looked… okay from the outside. The building was sleek, modern, with a mixture of glass and concrete that screamed classy. Two stories, a rooftop bar. Rows of luxury cars parked outside. No big deal. Just a regular night out. Nothing weird about this place, right?

Right.

TeeCay was already unbuckling her seatbelt when he snapped back into reality. He leaned over to help her, popping the lock for her, and then... BAM! She leaned in, kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re sweet,” she grinned, her eyes twinkling. “I like you.”

He froze. What?

His face immediately turned five shades of red.

What the hell was happening here? Wasn’t he supposed to be the one flattering her? He wasn’t sure if the blush was from the wine or the fact that TeeCay had just totally thrown him for a loop.

“Let’s go,” she said, opening the door. He grabbed her arm before she could step out, surprising both of them.

“Wait, wait. Let me get the door for you.”

Her brows shot up in surprise, but she smiled, obviously impressed.

That felt good.

“I want you to feel special tonight,” he said, trying to sound as charming as possible. “Just like I promised. Just like you deserve.”

He offered his arm.

And with a playful giggle, she linked her arm through his as they walked toward the entrance.

The sign above the building buzzed with neon, the words “Century Bird” glowing like a beacon. And yet, for some reason, he couldn’t shake the nagging thought in the back of his mind:

What the hell kind of name is Century Bird?

As they reached the door, one of the black-clad bouncers stepped forward.

“Ma’am, Sir, we’ll need to check your IDs, please.”

A nightclub? In this part of town? What was he, thirty? This was getting too weird too quickly.

TeeCay was already pulling out her ID with a sassy grin. He reluctantly handed over his driver’s license, trying not to look as clueless as he felt.

The bouncer scrutinized TeeCay’s ID like it was a rare artifact, then gave her a skeptical look.

“Sorry, you’re too young to enter. Come back next year.”

Without missing a beat, TeeCay fired back. “I’ll be nineteen in three months, y’know. I can get married at my age.”

He chuckled.

This woman… she had spirit.

The other bouncer, twirling a Rubik’s Cube like it was no big deal, called out, “Just let her in, Borg. As long as she’s over eighteen and can pay, she’s good.”

And just like that, they were in.

Two steps past the entrance, there was another set of doors. Bright pink. They opened the moment they stepped closer.

He didn’t know why, but his gut dropped as he glanced inside.

The dim, pulsating lights. Velvet couches. Smoke swirling in the air.

And…wait.

Half-naked men dancing on stage.

This… was not what he expected.