Chapter 17
Abby:
I forgot what a great drummer Paul is and how much I used to enjoy going to his band’s shows when we were together. Never mind the fact that I love a night out dancing in general and Downdraft’s music is totally danceable. Even the harder, more metal songs have a great dance beat.
Paul and I barely get ourselves put to rights when one of his bandmates comes looking for him, and by the time I get back out to the table—after a stopover in the ladies to freshen up—the first song of their set is already well underway.
Luckily my table is still vacant when I get back to it. That might have something to do with the fact that I left my jacket literally laid out over the top of it like it was a tablecloth. I move my coat to hang from the back of one of the chairs and am just about to flag down a waitress for a drink when my friends, Sam and Maggie, come in the door with another of their friends. They look gorgeous, and perfectly dressed for a night of man-eating, as is our plan for the evening. I wave them over, and within minutes we’re settled with enough tequila shots and beers to really start things off right.
Krystal and her boyfriend, Jace, arrive right as we’re christening the night with our first round, and then Mr. Moore—Gavin—my too-hot-for-school anthropology teacher who Sam has been hard-up for since the first day of class. What better way to draw his attention than by dancing?
I tug Sam out onto the dance floor with me and get her grooving to the music in a way that’s guaranteed to draw him out of his shell and right to her. Just as I planned, within just a couple songs, he’s out on the dance floor shimmying so close to her they might as well be having sex right there. I give them some space and groove to the beat, directing my attention to Paul, and recall the way he touched me backstage just a short time ago.
Paul seems to have his own gravity. Even if I tried to stay away from him, I’m not sure I could. My body knows him, recognizes him as the one who knows how to draw the most pleasure out of me, for me. Not to mention the fact that he still has my heart.
Someone taps me on the shoulder, and I look up to find RJ, my one-time fuck buddy and always thorn in my side. We were never an item. We just used each other to scratch a mutual itch for a short while last semester. But I can’t stand him, and he feels the same about me, and we’re both fine with that.
“Gawd, they’ll let anyone in here,” I tell him.
“Exactly what I said when I saw you,” is his response.
“What do you want, RJ?” I cut to the chase. I have no interest in bickering with him tonight. Sometimes our banter is invigorating, I assume the way boxing is for the fighter, but right now, I’m fresh off a rocking orgasm and all I can think about is tackling my sexy-as-sin drummer the second his set ends and making him give me another one. Brawling with RJ has no place in my plans.
“Who’s your friend?” He leans forward to yell in my ear so he can be heard over the music.
“Which one?” I ask, impatiently looking back at the table where my girls sit—well, everyone except Krystal who’s still grinding on our teacher.
“You have more than one friend?” RJ feigns shock.
I roll my eyes. Even if I didn’t, I’d still have one more than you.” Okay, so maybe I do have the time for one come back.
RJ shimmies up to me like we’re dancing. I assume it’s because he doesn’t want it to look like we’re standing around talking about whoever it is he’s interested in. In a rare moment of good humor toward him, I dance too. “The blonde who looks like she’s never been to a club in her life.”
Sarah, Sam’s boss is sitting with her legs tucked under the bar table and cupping her coke glass with both hands. Her shoulders are hunched, and RJ’s right, she looks like she has no idea what to do with herself.
I’m a little surprised that she’s the type of girl RJ would go for. He’s all pomp and flare and douche-baggery. I don’t know Sarah all that well, but she seems too sweet for him. But I’m not one to judge.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you!” I lean in close so RJ can hear me, then I grab his hand and lead him over to the table where our friends are.
Just his luck, there happens to be a seat next to Sarah.
“Hey, guys! Look who I found!” I announce. Krystal, Jace and Maggie already know RJ, so I skip over the introductions for them and turn to Sarah. “Sarah, this is … my friend, RJ.” If I use the term friend loosely, that is.
“Hi,” RJ says in a come fuck me tone and claims the seat next to her. Me, I’m not ready to sit. So, I give a small wave and head back out to the dance floor.
Just in time for the set to end. Damn. Oh well, at least that means Paul is done playing for the night. Another band is following his. Maybe he’ll dance with me the way Sam and Mr. Hot Teacher are dancing. Speaking of… they’re still canoodling and swaying to the music that isn’t playing anymore.
I sidle up next to them. “Hey, Sam!” I greet my friend. Then to our teacher, “Mr. Moore…”
As the next band starts their first song, he announces, “I’m going to get some air.” Then he’s practically running off of the dance floor and out of the club. Judging from how he was hanging all over her before he took off, my guess would be that he’s scared of his own attraction to her.
Sam watches him go, looking like a wounded puppy. Uh oh, girl needs my help.
I lean in and shout into her ear over the music, “Girl, he’s so into you. Go after him.”
She does, and now I’m alone on the dance floor. I decide to head back to our table to wait for Paul and the rest of his band to finish up whatever they’re doing backstage and come join us. I’ve just made it back to the table and claimed the empty seat on the other side of RJ when Paul is suddenly looming in front of me looking angrier than I’ve ever seen him look.
“You couldn’t stay monogamous to save your own life, could you?” He spits the words at me, and I swear I feel my heart split in two.