Chapter Seventeen
Thedarkenedclubjuststarted to fill with people. The night was still early, most of the crowd wouldn’t be here until closer to eleven. Purple and blue lights flashed over the dance floor and the deep bass beat vibrated through my chest. The thick aroma of sweat and sweet drinks floated through the air, a scent that would never fully fade.
This was impressive for a Monday. Our city was small but thriving, with several colleges and lots of enterprising young people ready to have fun regardless of weekdays. I was never into this scene, but I saw the appeal when I looked hard enough.
Emma shouted to me from the bar, and the fact I heard her was a miracle granted by a dip between the chorus and the verse. Joy broke across her face at the sight of me, although we’d parted only a few hours earlier. I couldn’t blame her for her over-the-top enthusiasm. I understood the satisfaction that came with achieving something you wanted so badly. It occurred to me I never properly celebrated getting my dream career, instead opting to launch headfirst into work. I wouldn’t take away from her big night, but I decided I was celebrating myself too.
The person following me terrified me, but I couldn’t ignore that Mason and Emma made my life a lot less empty than it once was. I had the career I dreamed of, and if not for the horrifying potential waiting around the corner, things would be perfect. We met her at the sleek black bar, with pink lights flashing behind the bottles. “Hi, Mason!” she enthused as she hopped off a stool and wrapped me in a tight hug and turned to him expectantly.
“Congratulations on your new position.” His smooth voice lacked all warmth, and the blue light hit his green eyes, bathing him in a cold and dangerous cast. She dropped her arms, abandoning the idea of an affectionate greeting.
“Thanks,” she mumbled to him, thrown off balance by his curtness. “Let’s do a shot!” She turned back to me, unwilling to let his bad mood dampen the occasion.
“Okay,” I agreed, knowing full well two would be my max.
“Glenfiddich, neat, and two shots of Don Julio for the ladies.” He slapped some cash on the bar, and I smiled at the reference to the first emails we exchanged.He remembered. My heart fluttered.
“Yes, sir.” The bartender grabbed the bottles, then poured our drinks with a flourish.
“Keep the change,” Mason told him as he rifled through the bills at the register. “Thank you, sir.” The man’s eyes lit with excitement—even in a shitty mood, Mason tipped well.
“Thank you, Mason.” Emma smiled at him, pleased with the top-shelf liquor. He nodded and started sipping his drink. We did the shots, and I relished the fine tequila, loving the ritual of salt and lime.
“Do you want to meet some of my friends?” Emma asked both of us, but Mason leaned back onto a barstool, taking himself out of the equation. Emma grabbed my arm, squealing in excitement, and walked me around like her prized pony. “Michael, this is Claire, my boss. Claire, Michael.” Michael looked at me with blatant interest. The dress I wore for Mason was catching more attention than I planned on.
“Wow, boss, huh? You can’t be older than twenty-one.” He was very cute, with his smooth brown skin and bright white teeth.
I tried my best not to roll my eyes at the flattery. “Twenty-six actually, and yeah, I’m her boss.”
“You’re fulfilling the fantasies of men the world over.” He licked his bottom lip, thinking he was quite smooth.
“Oh, how so?” He smiled at me, and opened his mouth, likely planning to tell me what a sexy librarian I was when something over my head stopped him. His mouth hung open, and I turned to find Mason glaring. The scotch in his hands added to the power emanating from him.
“It was nice to meet you, Claire,” he muttered, then hurried off to the dance floor. I offered Mason a smile, and he took a sip of his drink with his eyes boring into mine.
He was angry, but I didn’t understand why he was keeping me at a distance. Our relationship had gone from heated tension to serious faster than I could make sense of it. I understood why everything that was happening upset him, but before today I had nothing to tell.
What was I going to say?Hey, guy I’m seeing, I think someone is following me and leaving me threatening notes? You’re not my boyfriend, but take care of me, please.Yeah, right, because people were clambering to take care of me. “Come on, Claire, dance with me,” Emma shouted above the music.
“No, I don’t dance.” I yelled back.
“Hell, no! We’re dancing.” She grabbed my hand and yanked me onto the dancefloor with her. The music was louder here, and the bass pounded in my chest like my heartbeat. She gripped my hips and ground on me, laughing like a madwoman the whole time. “Dance with me, or I’m going to keep humping you.” She had a few shots before I arrived and they were catching up with her.
“Fine!” I swayed my hips gently, and soon the beat took over and I just moved for the fun of it.
A little while later, Mason came up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. Glancing over my shoulder, I confirmed what I already knew; I would recognize his touch anywhere. “I need to make a call.” Nodding, I watched as he stalked out of the club.
Emma and I danced for another song, then another. When the third ended, I tapped her on the shoulder. “I’m going to check on Mason.” She nodded, then grabbed the closest hot guy. He was all too happy to dance with her, and he seamlessly replaced me. I walked out and found Mason standing at the edge of the building with his back to the door, holding his phone so tightly to his ear his knuckles whitened.
“I don’t give a fuck what yourguysaid. I’m telling you to get this done,” he paused, listening to the person on the other end, “If you think I’ve gone soft, I’d be happy to come down there myself.” He was so distracted he didn’t notice me standing directly behind him. The voice rose in pitch, “That is exactly what I fuckingthought.”
He shoved the phone into his pocket and put his hands in his hair. “Mason, who were you talking to?”
He turned toward me with the same anger in his expression as he had inside. “Don’t worry about it, Claire.”
“You just... It sounded...”
“Sounded what, Claire?” He gripped my shoulders hard, giving me a little shake.