“Dom, calm down. Listen…” Dani starts.
“No, you listen.” He takes two strides and grabs us both by the arms.
“You need to leave,” he says to me as he drags us back into the main room of the house.
Dani jerks her arm out of his grip. “Fuck off. You can’t just leave her cooped up in that house alone all the time.”
His nostrils flair and he takes a step towards her. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me,” she hisses.
This is becoming entirely too much for me. I’m now awkwardly standing by, while Dani and Travis yell in each other’s faces. I fidget with my nails, trying to refrain from bolting for the front door. I glanced over and noticed a really old man to my left. He wags his eyebrows and grabs his crotch. Oh My God. I need a minute.
“I need a bathroom!” I croak.
Dani stops long enough to point behind me, then goes right back to arguing with Travis.
I stayed stuck to the wall. In my mind if I just plastered myself to it, I would magically blend in. I quickly scooted two doors down and escaped into the bathroom. I have serious sensory overload right now. I lean on the sink and take a deep breath as I examine my face in the mirror. Dani did my makeup, and I will admit, she did an excellent job. My eyeliner is on point. My hands run over my ripped jeans, and I adjust my V-neck shirt. “It’s fine Tanner. It’s just some naked people. I mean, Adam and Eve were naked in the beginning,” I murmur to myself.
Why the hell am I thinking about this right now? I go ahead and force myself to pee. I need some mental preparation before I have to walk back out into Dante’s Inferno.
Slipping out the door, I search the crowded room for Dani. I don’t see her or Travis. Perfect. I start to take a step across the room when my eyes land on a face. Not just any face. This is probably the most beautiful man I have ever seen. It stops me as if I’ve slammed into a brick wall. He has dark brown hair that looks just long enough for you to run your fingers through it. It’s not styled, but it’s not a mess either, like it’s perfectly tousled in a rugged kind of way. His eyes are what have me intrigued. They are dark. A deep, rich, chocolate. They seem dangerous, but I can feel a hint of softness as they study me. His lips are full, and his jaw is peppered with light stubble. He’s tall, probably taller than Travis. I can see tattoos peeking out of the sleeve of his black T-shirt. I try to pull my eyes away, but I can’t. My brain is telling me to look away, but my eyes refuse to move. I’m not sure why, but he hasn't stopped staring either. He takes a step towards me when a firm hand grips my arm.
“Tanner, come with me,” Travis growls as he pulls me down the hall. I swivel my head and continue to stare at the stranger as I’m dragged back to the kitchen. His eyes never leave mine until I disappear around the corner. What just happened?