Chapter 12

Samantha:

When Sarah, Maggie, and I get to the club, the bad is already on, but there aren’t a ton of people there yet. I’ve been to a few of Robby’s shows in the past, and they always pick up the further into the set the band gets, like the band is calling to them with some kind of siren’s song, luring people in off the street or something.

Abby is guarding a table at the far end of the room, several feet from the dancefloor and waves us over. Sarah and I join her while Maggie flounces off to grab us some drinks. She returns a few minutes later with so many tequila shots I’m surprised she can carry them all, and a waitress following behind her with a tray full of beers. I guess it’s going to be a sink or swim kind of night. The waitress unloads the beers and heads back to the bar while Maggie sets two shots in front of each of us.

We’ve just finished taking the second shot when an adorable couple walks up to the table, arm in arm. The guy could have walked straight off the cover of GQ, with short dark hair, sharp, masculine features, and caramel skin that contrasts perfectly with his crisp white T-shirt under a dark gray blazer. The woman he’s with is probably a movie star, petite and gorgeous with waves of auburn hair and a perfect little freckle under on eye like a beauty mark.

They might be the most beautiful couple I’ve ever seen, and maybe it’s the tequila talking, but I’m glad when they park at our table because it means I can admire them longer.

“Heeey!” Abby squeals and rounds the table to hug the newcomers and press a friendly kiss to the woman’s cheek. Then she turns to us. “Guys, this is my roommate, Krystal, and her boy toy, Jace.”

Jace smirks at being called a boy toy, but otherwise ignores Abby. Like he’s used to her antics. “Nice to meet you,” he says to me and Sarah. Then to Maggie, “Hey, Mags.”

“Hi,” Krystal says to all of us with a sweet wave.

“Maggie, you know these gorgeous people?” Sarah asks teasingly.

Abby answers for her, “We’re all in Drama Club together.”

Sarah smiles and says, “It’s nice to meet you guys. Have a seat!” She motions toward the empty chairs across the table from us.

“Thanks.” Jace sits in one and pulls Krystal into his lap. The waitress arrives a moment later to take their drink order.

I settle in, half-watching Robby’s band playing while also keeping a close eye on the door in case Gavin shows up. I spot himas soon as he enters the crowded club, looking like sex on legs in a pair of dark jeans, a light gray button down with the first few buttons open, and a black blazer. I’m still perusing his person admiringly when his gaze lands on me. For the briefest of moments, I could almost believe he’s come out tonight just to see me. The look in his eyes is pure heat, and it draws me to him. The people around us might as well not exist for all I notice them as I leave the table and push my way through the thong of people as I cross the floor. He starts toward me, and we meet in the middle.

“Hi,” I shout, but the word is lost to the heavy bass riffs reverberating through the speakers.

He doesn’t return my greeting. Instead, he looks me over head to heel and back again, his expression unreadable.

Someone bumps me hard from behind, and I fall into Gavin, landing against him in an intimate way. His strong arms wrap around me, catching me from falling further, and he pulls me tight against him.

His eyes are heavy-lidded and stormy when I finally catch my balance and look up at him. He licks his lips, and suddenly that’s the center of my universe. If I stood on my tiptoes, it could be my tongue sweeping over those lips, slipping between them, my teeth nibbling the lower one. Heat pools in the pit of my stomach and between my legs.

“Wanna sit with us? We have a table over there.” I point over my shoulder in the direction of my friends.

“Sure.” Gavin nods and motions for me to lead the way.

I grab his hand, so I don’t lose him in the crush and pull him along behind me as I cut a path back to the table. When we get there, everyone’s attention is on us, and all of them look surprised. Is it really that weird that I’m in hand-in-hand with a hot guy? Sure, I don’t spend a lot of time on dates, but I’m not celibate or anything. The only people who don’t look surprised are Abby and Sarah. But, they already knew Gavin might be coming tonight, and I might have been planning to flirt with him if he did.

The song ends just in time for me to introduce him to the group. “Everyone, this is Robby’s roommate, Gavin.” I motion around the group as I name off my friends. “Gavin, this is Maggie, Sarah, Jace, and Krystal. And you know Abby from Anthropology.” Shit. Why did I say that? I had been trying not to make any references to class or school in general. I didn’t want to remind him that he was my teacher and send him running for the hills.

Gavin waves politely to the group and shakes hands with Jace when he reaches out in greeting. Luckily, the next song starts up, saving us from any awkwardness. It’s considerably smoother, with more of a sexy dance vibe than the harder song the band was just playing a moment ago.

Krystal whispers something in Jace’s ear and slides off his lap. They glide away from the table, out onto the dance floor.

Abby hops up from her seat and grabs my hand. “I love this song! Let’s go dance!”

I don’t really want to leave Gavin sitting here at the table with people he’s just met, but I know he’s safe with Sarah and Maggie. They’ll be friendly and welcoming to him at least. And this is a really great song, and it’s been so long since Abby and I have gone out dancing. It used to be our thing. Every Friday night, we were at the club dancing until closing. But… then we got busy, and the routine just sort of ended.

I follow Abby out onto the dance floor and raise my arms above my head, shimmying to the music. Abby sidles up to me with a grin and wraps her arms around my neck, leans in to whisper in my ear… or really shout in my ear to be heard over the music. “He’s watching you.”

I start to turn to glance over my shoulder, but Abby cups my cheeks and holds my head straight. “Don’t look! Just dance.”

And I do. I dance like he’s the only one watching. I close my eyes and imagine he’s the only one in the room with me right now. Until a hand lands on my ass cheek and gives it a not-so-gentle squeeze. I spin to confront the mysterious groper and find a short, wiry guy in a shiny gray muscle shirt two sizes to small, more jewelry around his neck than I have on my entire body, and a pair of white sunglasses perched on top of his head even though it’s night out.

“What the hell are you doing?” I shout, and suddenly Abby is at my side looking like she’s ready to deck the guy.

“Relax. I’m just enjoying the show.” The guy’s voice is whiny and nasal but somehow full of douchey bro bravado.

“By groping my friend? What the hell is wrong with you?”

The guy has the nerve to look offended. Like there’s something wrong with us for calling him out on sexual assault. He looks me over in disgust, lingering a little too long at the hem of my tiny black skirt. Then he jabs a finger in my direction. “You shouldn’t dress like a whore unless you want to be treated like one.”

“It’s not the 1900s anymore, you creep. Slut-shaming isn’t socially acceptable anymore,” I say, but what I really want to do is bite that boney finger right off his creepy little hand.

“So you admit you’re a slut…” This guy just won’t quit. What’s it going to take for him to get the point?

“You need to leave.” A deep male voice sounds from directly behind me. I turn slightly and am surprised to find that Gavin has wended his way through the crowd toward us and is now standing behind me with his arms crossed over his chest like a hot bodyguard.

For the first time since he groped me, the pervert has the good sense to look contrite. “Sorry man, I didn’t know she was with someone.” He holds both hands up in the air as he backs away, but as he turns to leave, he throws a parting shot. “You should keep your bitch on a shorter leash. She was out here being a tease without you to keep her in check.”

What. The. Actual. Fuck. I lunge. I don’t even think about it, but I have my fist raised ready to deck the guy before I’ve even taken a step in his direction. Before I can throw the punch though, strong arms wrap around my middle and pull me tight against a hard body. I know instantly that it’s Gavin holding me, and that cools my ire considerably. But not completely.

“Let me go,” I say through gritted teeth.

Gavin loosens his hold on me but doesn’t let go. Instead, he spins me around to face him. “I would, but you’d probably beat the shit out of that guy. And while he most definitely deserves an ass kicking, especially from a woman, you’d just end up getting yourself arrested. And he’s not worth that.”

He’s right. I don’t need that kind of mark on my permanent record for some slimy toad of a man. I deflate in Gavin’s arms. “Fine.”

The people around us who had made space to watch the show we were putting on, begin to lose interest now that the entertainment is over and turn their attention back to the stage, closing in around us. Someone bumps me from behind, sending me sprawling against Gavin’s chest gracelessly. He catches me easily and holds me against him until I find my footing, but even when I’m steady, he doesn’t let me go.

The song shifts into another, this one just as sultry. The person behind me moves away, giving me enough room to put some space between myself and Gavin, but I don’t want to. When he doesn’t move away either, I start a slow, deliberate sway to the music, moving against him to the beat. He stands frozen for a moment. Then his eyes slide shut. He tips his head back in resignation, or something else, and begins mirroring my movements, dancing with me. Our moves are synchronized and smooth, almost practiced, like we’ve been doing this exact thing for a million years. When the song ends and the crush of people around us begins to thin, he stops dancing, but doesn’t let me go.

“Hey, Sam!” Abby has snuck up next to us without me realizing it, and now she’sjust standing here grinning at us like an idiot. “Mr. Moore…”

The moment she says his name, a visible change comes over him. He straightens away from me and slides his hands into the pockets of his jeans. The stormy look in his eyes clears, and his cheeks flush a subtle rose color. He nods to Abby, but won’t make eye contact with either of us. Instead, he stares somewhere beyond me toward the stage.

The opening bass notes of the next song echo through the speakers just as Gavin says, “I’m gonna go get some air.”

I try to tell him that Abby is teasing him and that her calling him Mr. Moore is no big deal. Truth is, if I hadn’t staked my claim already, she would totally be after him, and in a far less subtle way than just dancing. But my words are drowned out by the music, and before I’ve even finished speaking, he spins on his heel and heads for the exit.

Abby leans in, presses her lips to my ear, and shouts, “Girl, he’s so into you. Go after him.”

I’m playing with fire; I know it. Hell, Abby probably knows it, too, and yet she’s still egging me on. He’s my teacher, for goodness sake. But I feel like I’m in too deep to care now, too emboldened by the thrill of knowing he’s just as into me as I am into him. So go after him, I do. With a tiny wave to Abby, I shove my way through the crowd and break into a jog once I reach the aisle between the tables. When I finally make it through the building and out onto the sidewalk, I have to stop and look around, get my bearings. The air is several degrees colder than when I arrived, and I’m suddenly missing the warmth of my jacket, but I don’t head back inside. Instead, I search for Gavin.