“What is wrong with you?” I whisper as Dean’s fast footsteps approach us.
Her wide smile tells me it could’ve been way worse. “Just helping things along. Hey Dean.”
“Hey,” he says as he falls in step beside us. “What were you yelling about?”
“Lori will tell you,” Faye says, then turns to wait for the other guys while Dean and I walk on alone.
Faye was right before; he looks as handsome as ever, even with a new faint sunburn on his forearms. His white T-shirt stretches across his broad shoulders and does nothing to hide the muscles underneath. His black hair is disheveled in a way that some people would spend hours trying to duplicate, but I know he just hopped out of the shower and ran his hand through it since we were running late. He sends me his perfect smile, and I realize I’ve been staring at him stupidly instead of answering his question.
“Oh, um.” His spicy-woodsy scent is divine and distracting.
“Ignore her. She started drinking when we were waiting for you guys in the lobby.”
“She is quite a character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone nearly take a volleyball right to the face before and immediately make an inappropriate joke about balls.”
When we turn the corner toward the loud music, I forget whatever I was going to say; the sight is astonishing.
It’s a nightclub, but it’s inside aliteralcave.
No one was exaggerating when they were talking about it, because the entrance isactuallycarved into the side of a mountain. People are standing around in groups chatting, and a small line has formed at the entrance. Even outside lights flash in time to the music, and bouncers stand next to the front door. My nose wrinkles as the cigarette smoke gets heavier the closer we get to the entrance.
“Wow,” Faye says as she catches up with us. “How cool is this?!”
“Supercool,” Anaya says as she joins us, followed by everyone else. “Our friends are gonna be so pissed that they didn’t want to leave the resort tonight. What are we waiting for? Let’s get in there!”
The small line moves quickly. No one asks for ID, which is good because we didn’t bring any, and we pay the entrance fee.
“Oh, wow.” I repeat Faye’s earlier statement because it’s all that comes to mind.
The club’s owners didn’t disguise the fact that we’re in a cave, and I’m grateful for that. I wish I could reach up and touch the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The walls are the cave’s natural sides, no perfectly straight walls anywhere, but the floor is level with concrete. There are two bars on either side, and a dance floor occupies the rest of the space with a DJ at the end.
Multicolored strobe lights flash in time with the catchy music.
It’s not a large club, but not tiny either, and even though we’re in a cave, it doesn’t feel stuffy in here.
“Let’s do shots! First round’s on me!” Alessio yells over the music, slinging an arm around Kiara and Priyasha, steering them toward one bar.
“Hell yeah! Come on, Lor,” Dylan tells me, pulling me after them.
“You promised you wouldn’t drink as much as last night,” I tease, leaning in close to be heard over the music.
“I can drink without getting that drunk.” He pauses then adds, “Probably.”
I eye him skeptically as Alessio passes around shots of a gold liquid, and my eyes burn as I make a rookie mistake and sniff it.
Tequila. Yay.
Adam’s right beside me, so close his body heat gives me goose bumps. He shakes his head as I hand one to him, passing it on to Anaya beside him instead. Unlike Dylan, he doesn’t seem too eager to jump back into tequila tonight. But despite last night, he looks just as hot as he normally does, with his hair lightly gelled away from his eyes and a green shirt that makes his hazel eyes even more blazing.
Kellan raises his glass once everyone except Adam has one.
“To new friends,” he announces, and Dylan suggestively knocks his shoulder with mine, making me blush.
“To new friends!” we cheer back, clinking glasses together before drinking.
The alcohol burns the entire way down and now I’m officially done with tequila, unlike Faye, who orders another round for everyone.
“None for me,” I tell her, moving aside so the people who are drinking can be closer to the bar.