1 - CLUB

Friday evening arrived with a stack of new files on my desk. I organized the manila folders into three neat piles and checked the clock on the wall. 

It read six forty-five. 

Most of the executive floor had emptied an hour earlier. I opened my bottom drawer, locked away the sensitive financial documents I had been reviewing, and verified the locks twice.

I shut down my computer monitor and pushed my chair back. After I grabbed my jacket from the hook on the door, I paused for a moment. I loved the quiet of the office after hours because it meant no one needed anything from me. 

I loved my mundane, predictable job. I spent my days managing schedules, answering calls, formatting spreadsheets, and booking flights. 

The work was boring, and that was exactly what I wanted. I had experienced enough chaos in my past to last a lifetime.

I walked out of my office and headed toward the elevators. The doors dinged and opened before I could press the button. My coworker Dan stepped out, holding two coats and wearing a wide grin.

"You are not leaving yet," he said.

I stopped walking. "I am leaving right now. My shift ended forty-five minutes ago, and we are done for the week."

"We are done with work," Dan corrected me. He tossed one of the coats at me. "But we are not done with the day. You promised you would come out with us tonight."

I caught the coat and sighed. "I said I might consider coming out. I did not promise anything, Dan."

"You need to leave this building," he said. "You spend your whole life organizing other people's problems. You sit at that desk for ten hours a day. When was the last time you went on a date?"

"I don't need a date."

"You need to meet a nice girl and have a drink," Dan insisted. "There is a new place opening on Fifth Street. A bunch of people from accounting are going. You should come. Sarah from finance will be there, and I know she asked about you last week."

"I am not interested in Sarah," I said.

"Then find someone else. Just come out for an hour."

I considered arguing because I knew I would hate the loud music. At the same time, I wanted a normal life, and going out for a drink with coworkers fit that definition. I wanted to blend in with the crowd and experience normal human things.

"Fine," I said. "One drink. Then I am going home to sleep."

We took a cab to the venue. The club was loud and packed with people. The bass vibrated through the floorboards and made my teeth ache. The air smelled of cheap alcohol and sweat. I stood near the edge of the bar holding a glass of ice water and watched Dan try to talk to a group of women across the room.

I checked my watch for the fourth time. I had been there for forty minutes, which I decided was enough to fulfill my social obligation for the month. I set my glass down on the sticky counter and turned away from the bar to make my way through the dense crowd.

I kept my head down and tried to slip between the dancing bodies without bumping into anyone. The flashing lights overhead made it difficult to see the path to the exit. I took a sudden step backward to avoid a waiter carrying a tray of drinks and collided hard with a solid chest.

Large hands gripped my waist to steady me. I spun around to apologize, but the words died in my throat.

The man standing in front of me was tall. He wore a dark button-down shirt and a tailored jacket. He had dark hair pushed back from his face and pale grey eyes.

I stared at him. A strange heat rushed through my veins, and I felt a sudden tightness in my chest. I had never looked at a man and felt physical attraction before. I liked women. I had always dated women. Yet standing in front of this stranger, my mouth went dry and I could not look away.

The man did not let go of my waist. He looked down at me, and the noise of the club seemed to fade into the background.

"I am sorry," I managed to say. My voice sounded hoarse.

"Are you?" the man asked. His voice was deep and smooth.

I blinked. "I backed into you. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"You should be more careful." The man finally dropped his hands.

I felt a strange sense of loss when the warmth left my skin. I took a small step back, but I did not want to leave. My brain told me to walk away and find the exit, yet my body refused to move. I felt a pull toward the stranger.

"I am Jett," I said. I did not know why I offered my name.

The man tilted his head. "I know."

I frowned. "You know?"

"I know you are trying to leave," the man said, correcting himself.

I felt a flush creep up my neck. "It is too loud in here."

"I agree." The man took a step closer until the distance between us vanished. "Do you want to get out of here?"

I stared into the grey eyes. I did not know this person. I did not go home with strangers, and I definitely did not go home with men. I had a quiet weekend planned with laundry to do and groceries to buy.

I opened my mouth to say no.

"Yes," I said instead.

The man smiled. It was a small, dangerous expression. "Good."

He placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me toward the side exit. I followed him without a second thought. We stepped out into the cool night air. The sudden quiet was a relief. I took a deep breath to clear my head, but my heart kept racing.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"My hotel is two blocks away," the man said.

I nodded. I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach. I tried to rationalize my behavior. I was just stressed from work and needed a distraction from my boring routine. This was just a one-time mistake.

We walked in silence down the empty sidewalk. I kept glancing at the man. I wanted to reach out and touch him. The urge was so strong it made my hands shake, so I shoved them into my pockets to stop myself.

"You are very quiet, Jett," the man said.

"I don't usually do things like this," I replied.

"Neither do I."

"Do you live around here?" I asked.

"No. I am just visiting for business."

"What kind of business?"

The man glanced at me. "I manage people."

I chuckled. "That sounds exhausting. I am a secretary. I manage schedules so other people don't have to think."

"You enjoy it?"

"I like the routine," I said. "I like knowing what to expect every day. I like knowing where I am supposed to be."

"You do not know what to expect tonight," the man pointed out.

I swallowed hard. "No. I don't."

"Are you scared?"

"No," I said honestly. "I just don't understand why I agreed to come with you."

"You will understand soon," the man said.

We reached a large luxury hotel and walked through the sliding glass doors. The lobby was empty and bright. The man led me toward the elevators. We stepped inside, and he pressed the button for the top floor.

The doors closed. The small space forced us to stand close together. I noticed the man smelled of pine wood and crisp air. I felt dizzy and leaned against the metal wall of the elevator to steady my legs.

The man turned to face me. He reached out and traced a finger down my jawline. I shivered at the contact.

"You are shaking," the man said.

"I told you," I whispered. "I don't do this. I date women. I like women."

"You can leave right now if you want to." The man stopped touching me and took a step back. "I will not stop you, Jett."

I looked at the elevator doors. The numbers lit up as we passed each floor. I could walk away. I could go home, wake up tomorrow, and continue my normal life. Then I looked back at the stranger. The physical pull was too strong. I did not want to leave.

"I don't want to leave," I said.

The man stepped forward again and crowded me against the wall. "Good."

The elevator dinged. The doors opened to a private hallway. The man grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the elevator. We walked down the hall to the last door on the right. He swiped a keycard, and the heavy door clicked open.

We stepped inside the dark room. The door shut behind us with a loud thud. I could not see anything, but I could feel the heat radiating from the man standing in front of me.

"What is your name?" I asked into the darkness.

The man stepped closer until our chests touched. He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear.

"Does it matter?”