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Since I didn't know exactly where we were going, I kept imagining I'd run into Raph. New York's a small town, right? I meandered over to a rack of brightly colored dresses.
I held up a teal cocktail dress and twisted in front of the mirror.
Would Raph like this one?
Everything I did, I wanted to do for him. It was a sickness; a habit I couldn't kick. I put the dress back and picked up an olive-colored one.
"How could you put this back? It's gorgeous," Shell said, plucking the teal dress from the rack.
I shrugged one shoulder. "I don't have the boobs for that neckline."
Shell twitched her eyebrows. "I do."
She and I stepped out of the fitting room, her in the little teal dress with the plunging neckline, and me in a simple green A-line with gold shimmer. We turned toward each other and nodded.
Lunch, trip home, and an hour to get ready. Our heels clicked down the sidewalk as we made our way to the train station. Pain sliced through my feet with every step. I didn't know if I'd make it through the night alive. Now I knew why I never wanted to go out and do things with Shell.
She was wild and uninhibited, carefree, and fearless to a fault. Also, her feet were completely numb from wearing heels all the time. These shoes were a living nightmare.
When the train arrived, the little ball of excitement in my belly expanded.
"So, where are we actually going?"
"The club's supposed to have a really fun atmosphere and like edgy music. Don't worry, I promise we're gonna have fun. It's got Nick's stamp of approval, and he's the one to listen to. You never come out, so I've got to make this special."
Before I could stop myself, I grimaced.
"What? You said you wanted to go out."
"It's just my shoes," I said, holding my foot up and tapping her leg. "I'm not used to the heels."
"We'll get there, and you'll forget all about it. Promise!"
I tried to keep an open mind, but doubts crept in as we walked from the train station to the club and stood in line. When we finally got through the front doors, I was blown away.
The airy theme was incorporated through the vivid yet pastel color scheme, and it made the space soft while maintaining the dim depth classic to a club. Everyone inside shared the same pulsating energy. To be a part of the group was liberating and electrifying.
Nick met us at the door.
Aire. Of course it is.
The one-in-a-million possibility; Nick chose Aire, the nightclub owned by Experience. That meant Raph. That he could be in the same place as me. Imagining running into him was one thing, the real possibility was another.
We checked our coats and headed into the thumping throng, Nick leading Shell by the hand while she giggled the whole way. If they were ever romantic, I couldn't see it. They were super friendly, but there wasn't even a hint of sex in the air. I hung back and let them catch up. Clubs weren't exactly my scene, and I needed time to adjust.
I hadn't been to a place like this with Shell since we were in college. Did that mean I needed to get out more?
Nah.
"This place is spectacular!" Shell gushed.
"Yeah. The same guy who has Experience does this place, too, so it has a lot of that upscale flair even though it's a younger, funner crowd. I like to hit this place when I'm feeling fancy."
I tuned out their conversation as the music grew too loud to listen without effort. I did a slow turn in the main room, looking for back rooms or office corridors. There weren't any obvious doors or split offs from the big throbbing room. I wanted to say it was for research, but I knew it wasn't.
There was a stage up front where the DJ or musician could set up and get ready, and there was a door for the kitchen in the back. The set up was like Experience Shoreview, although there wasn't a second floor in Aire. Just a high warehouse ceiling and light coming from everywhere.
The feel in Aire was exactly that; airy. The pastel colors and the sounds enveloped us, and those elements reflected in the energy of the patrons. We all experienced our surroundings as a whole. It felt right.
