Chapter Three

The club is absolutely pumping. It’s the perfect RNB night, the dance floor is packed and the line for the bar is crazy long. Bodies are grinding and flowing. The smell of alcohol mixed with sweat and perfume hit me as soon as we opened the door. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had even been in a club, being in a long-term relationship would do that to you I guess.

“We need somewhere to sit!” Macy yelled out over the music. I nodded my head and signalled towards a table not far from us that a group were moving away from. Freya ran over, barging other patrons out of the way before laying her hands out across the entire table practically daring someone to fight her for it. I laughed as I walked over with the rest of the girls and slid onto the bar stool.

“First round is on me, don’t leave the table. We won’t get another!” Freya calls as she heads off towards the bar, Layla follows her to help leaving Macy and I.

“So, are you going to text that hot guy from the restaurant?” I roll my eyes, as I shake my head.

“Absolutely not. He thinks I’m some other random girl. I mean, the confidence boost was nice after everything that happened but I’m not interested in anything like that right now” I shift uncomfortably on my stool as Macy eye’s me. Like Freya we have been friends since primary school, but she has always been the wild one of the three of us. Into boys before the rest of us, super confident, the girl is afraid of nothing and no one. I envy her sometimes, just a slither of her confidence might have changed how my world just got turned upside down on me.

“Who’s ready for shots!” Freya slides a tray with eight shots on it onto our table. My eyes fly to her and go wide. I am the world’s biggest light weight, I hardly drink on a normal girls night out let alone take shots! What on earth is she trying to do to me!

“Easy girl” Freya says as she eyes me with a wicked grin and evil laugh. “It’s just two shots, nothing crazy you’ll be fine!”

I absolutely was not fine.

Next thing I know I am out on the dance floor, swaying my body to the music, singing at the top of my lungs, fluttering my eyelashes flirtatiously at anyone who showed me attention. The girls continued to reappear on the dancefloor with cocktails. I down them so fast and continue to dance.

“Can I borrow your phone Grace?” I nod my head as I hand my phone over to Macy and continue to dance.

The night continued, most cocktails than I can count later I was starting to feel a bit sick. “I’m just going to go and get some air. I’ll be right back” The girls nodded to me as I went to walk towards the front door.

“Grace. Your phone” I turned back to see Macy handing me back my phone, I raised my eyebrow at her but shrugged it off and slid it in my back pocket before pushing the heavy door open. The fresh air hit my body and I instantly had chills. My head began to spin as I walked outside and lent my back against the cold brick wall of the front and closed my eyes. 

“Hey pretty lady”

My eyes flung open and went straight to the stranger beside me. He stank of alcohol and cigarettes as he stumbled around beside me, leaning his hand against the wall beside my waist. “Whatcha doing out here all alone cupcake?”

“I’m not alone. I’m here with my friends. Can I help you with something?” His eyes went up and down my body, pausing at my crotch and breasts.

“I’m sure you could help me with plenty” I instantly got goose bumps all over my body, and not the good kind. I start to take steps away from him as he laughs.

“Where are you running to cupcake?” The man takes another unbalanced step towards me

“I’m going to go back inside to my friends” I move to take a step towards the bar entry and the man suddenly stands up straight, using his hand to block my path. It appears that all of a sudden, he is no longer affected by the copious amount of alcohol he had ingested, or he was acting when he first came over. My eyes grew wide as I realized I was suddenly in danger. I felt my heart rate begin to rise and my breathing quicken. I looked around for help but we were completely alone out here. No one was outside and the music was so loud, I doubt anyone could hear me call out.

“You’re not going anywhere cupcake”

Before I even realized what was happening the guy in front of me had his face slammed into the brick wall. I gasped as he fell to the ground.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up at the man speaking to me. I’m sure I had seen him before “Do I know you?” He suddenly looked confused. I turned to see the second man, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the man crumpled on the floor.

“Levi?” His eyes look up suddenly and flash between me and the man staring at me with a serious look on concern etched on his face. “Hey Grace, you good?” I nod slowly as I look back over to the other man who is now glaring at Levi.

“You remember Max from the restaurant? My, ah-er boss” I look back over at Max and realize that is where I know his face from. He took us to our table at the restaurant and then hurried away so fast. We didn’t even see him again for the rest of the night.

“Ah, yes I do. Hi Max, I’m Grace” His brows furrow again as he looks at me confused “Why are you guys here? I mean I definitely appreciate the save. That guy was getting very scary” I looked down at the man on the ground who still hasn’t come to yet, they must have hit him hard.

“Ah, you texted me and asked me to come meet up with you and your friends” I think the look on my face is giving away the fact that I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about and that I did in fact not invite them here. Then I realize, I roll my eyes and start to laugh.

“Oh my god, Macy”

“Macy?” They both ask at the same time as I nod. “She asked to borrow my phone earlier, I forgot she even had it. If you’ve been talking to anyone. I can guarantee it’s been Macy the entire time”

“Well, this is slightly embarrassing” Levi responds with a nervous laugh. Max runs his hand down the front of his face. I’m not quite sure if he is embarrassed or annoyed. I felt bad that they now seem like they have crashed some party uninvited. They did just also save my skin from that creeper too.

“Not at all, just because I didn’t invite you directly. Doesn’t mean I can’t now. I do have to thank you somehow for saving me from whatever that creep was thinking about” I gesture towards the door and both of their moods seem to lift instantly as they nod and follow me back towards the bar and inside.

Once back inside I head towards the dance floor but I can’t see the girls anywhere. I walk back over to the table we were sitting at and again they can’t be found anywhere. I smile at the two guys now following me through the bar looking slightly confused.

“I’ll just quickly text them and see where they are, then we can grab that drink I owe you”

Grace: Hey, where are you guys?

Macy: Heard you had some company, so we headed home. Text us in the morning.

I scoff, they both raise their eyebrows. “It appears they left me here. How about that drink?”

They turn to each other, shrug their shoulders and head towards the bar. I ask what they want and they both just say a beer, bit boring but who am I to judge. I grab a vodka sunrise and we walk towards a free table.

“So, am I going to be mortified when I read through what Macy was texting you, or did she at least keep it PG? I ask Levi. He looks towards Max with a grin and then back towards me “About that”

“You were, well your friend was using your phone to text me” I turn to Max confused.

“How on earth? I don’t even have your number” I hear Levi chuckle under his breath as I turn to look at him.

“I may have written down Max’s number instead of mine” I look between the two again and Max’s hands fly up in defence

“I had no idea he was doing that until it was already done! I swear. Then you, er your friend texted. Which given what was happening outside I’m glad she did. Why were you outside by yourself anyway? That’s so dangerous. Anything could happen. These places are full of random creeps.” He was suddenly incredibly concerned about my welfare, which was sweet but also slightly concerning. It just dawned on me that here I am sitting with two other men I have no idea about and my friends have left me here with no way to get home. I will absolutely be having a word with them in the morning.

“Your right. There absolutely dangers in finding yourself in situations with men you don’t know” I say as I eye them both up and down, pulling my drink closer towards myself.

“Not us. Your safe with us. Max- ah we would never let anything happen to you” I turned to look at Levi, who was once against looking at Max. What on earth is going on with these two. This situation is getting really weird, really quickly. I lift up my drink and scull it down. Both men look at me with a concerned expression and then back at each other again. Maybe they like each other? Unprofessed dying love. Would definitely explain the sexual tension.

“I think I’m going to call it a night” I stand up to leave “It was nice to meet you both, and thankyou again for earlier”

“How will you get home?” Max asks. Crap. I didn’t think about that. I did come with the girls.

“I’ll just call a taxi. I’ll be right!”

“Ah and stand outside on your own again after what happened earlier? I don’t think so, we will drop you home”

“That really isn’t necessary, I’ll be fine”

“At least let us wait with you, while you wait for the cab then?” Levi presses. I take a deep breath. I mean, at least I’m not getting into the car with two random men. It also doesn’t look like they are going to take no for an answer so I nod my head and start walking towards the door. I see both guys down their beers and follow out after me.

It’s really awkward trying to book the taxi without them hearing my address. I walk towards the end of the street and say it as softly as possible. The lady asked me to repeat it three times before she finally got it right. I then walked back towards them and let them know a taxi was on the way. You could cut the tension between us with a knife. Levi continued to make small talk, but max just kept staring at me and then looking away awkwardly when I made eye contact with him. His eyes were so beautiful. I have never seen anything like them in my life. They are such a beautiful rich brown colour, but every so often the light catches them and I swear it’s like they are flecked with gold. They are breathtaking.

Finally, the taxi arrives and I thank them both for waiting for me. As I reach out to open the door Max does as well. As soon as his hand is over mine intense sparks shoot up my arm and I gasp. He immediately pulls his hand away from me as his eyes go wide. “Sorry he mutters”. What the hell was that, did he just shock me? I look back at him as I pull the door open as soon as our eyes meet I feel a flutter deep down in my core and my heart rate picks up again. It’s not fear doing it this time though, it’s desire.