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Audry
My body moved in time with the music, the beat thumping deep in my chest. I closed my eyes, falling into it as the bright lights heated my face. I let myself be taken by the jostle of the crowd. There was something soothing about not being able to hear anything but the thunder of music in my ears. My mind cleared, and the day fell away.
My phone buzzed against my thigh, pulling me from my trance. I tugged it from my pocket, the night getting better.
Lexi
On my way there! Can’t wait to see you. Sorry about your dad.
Me
it’s fine. Tea with the monster went as expected. Can’t stay out too late though.
Lexi
its taco Tuesday. Come on!
Me
Another tea with the Ladies League :( I’ll fill you in when you get here
I placed my phone back into the tight pocket of my jeans and pushed my way through the crowd to the bar. Another bartender made her way behind the bar. She glanced my way and finished up an order before heading my way.
“What can I get you, hun?” she asked, placing a small, round coaster onto the bartop. The vampire teeth logo of the band stared back at me. The logo was a sinister reminder I lived in the real world with no escape into a fantasy world. There was no vampires, witches, or magic.
“Rum and coke.” I nodded. She went to work, moving throughout the bar with a grace I could never rival. “How long have you worked here?” I shouted over the music.
“A few months.” She passed me the plastic cup, dropping a straw into it.
“Are they hiring?” I smiled widely, taking a sip of the concoction.
The bartender smirked. “I’ll talk with Jeb when he gets in, hun. He may need an extra barback on the weekends.” And with that little tidbit of information, she fluttered to the other end of the bar.
I scrolled mindlessly on my phone, the crowd growing around me. The resident band this week was popular, so even though it was a Tuesday, they drew a crowd. That, and there was nothing else to do in this town for locals. The tourism industry always boomed, though. The pier marine life shows, and the local music scene brought people in from all over. At least until winter returned, then no one but locals would be around. Something about the snow and harsh weather turned touristsaway. I never fully understood that. The cold bite of the winter months was tranquil and beautiful in its own way.
I slurped the last bit of my drink down, the taste of rum coating my mouth.
“Can I get you another?” A man squeezed next to me, too close for comfort.
I glanced up through my eyelashes, uncertain how this interaction was going to go. After Quinton, I wasn’t opposed to finding someone else to spend some time with. Except, I also wanted to be without expectation of anything. I wanted to hang with Lexi.
His shoulder rubbed against mine as his knee pressed against my leg.
A shiver went up my spine and the overwhelming need to leave came over me.
The man was tall, bulky in muscle, and his hair was buzzed to the scalp. Tattoos lined his arms, disappearing under his muscle tank. But it was his gaze that made me uneasy. His eyes were a piercing shade of blue—sharp and unrelenting. They fixed on me in a way that made me squirm. The heavy scent of cigarettes mixed with a stale, musty odor that I couldn’t pinpoint.
My stomach clenched, and my blood ran cold.
“No, thank you,” I whispered, my confidence draining. I forced myself to get up from my chair, but he caught my hand. My fear grew as his fingers tightened around my wrist, and my heart began to race in my chest. Despite the crowd of people around me, I felt completely alone.
“I’ve seen you around the past few nights,” he grumbled, the scent of liquor heavy on his breath. He yanked my wrist down, so I fell further into him. “Seen you flirtin’, and dancin’. Anddrinkin’.So, what can I get you?”
He stared at me. The sea in his eyes was devoid of kindness. There was a depravity in it. His gaze dragged over my body. Isuddenly became aware of the hemline of my skirt. It was as if he could see underneath all my clothes.
“No. Thank you,” I stated, harsher this time.
“Come on, sweetheart,” he insisted.
