She took a parking ticket from the little meter box and the bar blocking her lifted swiftly. Ten dollar parking, per hour, cash only, read the sign. Ouch; but, oh well. Tonight would be worth the dip into her little bit of money.
She parked, grabbed the small purse she’d bought at the mall and zipped across the street to Vision Nightclub. A line of glammed up gals and guys waited outside between red movie theater partitions. Vanessa had her first wave of doubt as she eyed that line. The line meant she wasn’t getting in. The line didn’t move, which also meant the club was probably full and most likely, only a handful more people might get in before closing.
Still, she crossed to the sidewalk and headed down toward the entrance. People glanced her way, some girls giving her dirty looks as if to say ‘if we can’t get in, you can’t either!’ They were probably right, too. She kept her chin held high and walked up to two tall, broad-chested men who looked like they spent a lot of time in the gym.
She put on her best smile. “What’s it take to dance in this place?”
The bouncer didn’t look fazed by her smile. “Fifty dollar cover fee and a wait in line.”
“Damn,” she muttered.
The bouncer next to him elbowed his buddy. “Let her in.”
Bouncer number one looked at number two in disbelief. “Why the hell should I?”
Bouncer number two winked at her. “Beautiful women are always welcome in the club.”
She didn’t want to blush, but it happened anyway. “We got a line of hot babes, Carl,” replied bouncer one.
“None without a fake tan and a shit-ton of makeup. Just let her in.”
After some grumbling, bouncer one lifted the hook on the velvety red rope and she passed through, giving bouncer two a bright smile as he held the door open with her.
“Have a good time, babe.”
“Will do,” she promised and winked back.
As she made her way into the club, she realized she was closer to reaching goal number two pretty quickly. Though the bouncer wasn’t hot so much as attractive, and he certainly didn’t get her hormones pumping like Brayden did. Oh, well, she sighed and squeezed her way into the club. The pulsing music, the dark atmosphere with sweeping and blinking blue, pink, and red lights instantly enthralled her. The club had a rectangular dance floor packed full with bodies, people throwing up their hands and cheering on a DJ who worked the turntable on a small stage up above.
Smiling, she took it all in. There was another floor above her and people crowded against the railing, dancing in place and swinging their hands in the air to the pulsing, hip-shaking rhythm of the music. Vanessa waded her way through the pile of bodies down a short flight of stairs to a bar. She didn’t mind waiting for the bartender to see her because she moved in place to the music, grinning like a fool. Finally, the bartender spotted her and she ordered a hurricane. She’d never tried one before but she heard it had lots of alcohol in it and she planned to get shit-faced tonight. One couldn’t go clubbing and not loosen up a bit, right? She paid cash for the drink and sipped her sweet and very strong tasting hurricane as she made her way back upstairs to the main dance floor.
A DJ with a deep, sexy voice spoke into the mic and the crowd went wild before he did some fancy whirling sounding thing on his turntable and rolled them into another hip-thrusting rhythm. Oh God, it felt so good she just wanted to scream. She finished her drink way faster than she knew she should considering she never drank, deposited it on a small table with other empty drinks, then squirmed her way in between the bodies, and lost herself in the rhythm of the music.
Eyes closed, she swung her hips, dipped her knees, raised her hands and found a sort of freedom in her heart she’d never experienced before. She felt so alive. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and panic rushed through her making her breath catch, but one look over her shoulder found a good-looking human with gelled up black hair wearing too much cologne. She didn’t care; she danced with him. He swayed with her, spun her out the best he could in the tight space, then twirled her back into his arms where they writhed together, chest to chest, thigh to thigh.
The song ended and she cheered along with the rest of the crowd. The man grinned down at her and stuck his hand out. “Tony. What’s your name, baby?”
Her skin crawled just a bit. She wasn’t used to anyone calling her names like that, but it wasn’t his fault. “Vanessa.” He held her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, which embarrassingly, made her giggle. He grinned even wider. She had to practically shout over the loud music as she said, “I’m gonna get a drink.”
“Let me buy it for you, baby.”
She shook her head. She didn’t know him and she’d heard enough stories about the kind of shit men could do to a woman’s drink, so she headed to the bar with a little wave and ordered another hurricane. She paid for it, started sipping on it through the tall straw and danced to the music. She spotted Tony coming down the stairs after her; he lifted his head in greeting.
The effects of the alcohol were doing its job. Her body felt looser, warmer, and lithe. Her eyes felt hooded, like they didn’t quite know if they wanted to stay open or not and that was fine with her. She felt sexy as she rolled her hips under the spinning lights up above; she felt anonymous. Tony smiled down at her and spun around her, his hand settling on her hips. She wasn’t completely comfortable with his hands there. At first, she stiffened, but his hands didn’t glide forward, up, down or anywhere else so she relaxed and leaned back into him, sipping away at her hurricane.
“You’re gorgeous,” Tony said in her ear.
She smiled like an idiot. No one ever called her gorgeous, or pretty, or cute or babe, for that matter.
Her head seemed to spin in time with dancing lights painting the dark room in circles of pink and white. She let herself relax into Tony, and when his hands spanned across her stomach she bit her lip in disappointment that sparks didn’t fly. Damn, it wouldn’t be him. She finished her drink, turned around, and smiled sadly.
“Sorry, but I have to go.”
“What? Come on baby, things were just getting good.”
She shook her head, deposited her empty glass on the bar, then waved goodbye to Tony and started wading back upstairs.
“Fucking bitch!”
She stiffened, but kept going. Now that nickname she was totally used to. Joseph called her bitch. Or fucking bitch most of the time. He never even used her name.
It must be the alcohol, but as she made it back in with the heavy pile of bodies, she’d nearly forgotten all about the human’s barb. This time, her eyes were alight with something. She felt loose and sexy enough to do it. She danced her way through couples and groups of girls looking for a man who’d spark that something special deep inside, that something she’d felt dreaming about Brayden and then really felt when she kissed him. That one kiss made her wet and eager to try more, taste more. Tonight, she’d get it one way or the other—hopefully.
A tall figure came down the stairs from the upper floor. Now that was a man; tall, broad shouldered, but not with the bulky weight like the bouncer outside. She liked muscles, but not serious-looking muscles; it just wasn’t for her. This man wore a white T-shirt which must have been what initially drew her attention to him. The white shirt seemed to glow in the dark room where most everyone wore darker clothes. He waded through the dancers and she bit her lip as she made her plan of attack. Did she ask if he was here with someone first? Did she just ask him to dance, then do some heavy grinding?
His face still clung in the shadows; the sweeping lights never seemed to illuminate him. A few women darted glances, then full on smiles up at him as he passed. Then it dawned on her. He was coming right toward her. Shit. She struggled to get her sloth-slow brain to come up with an idea on how to nab him; he had to be the one. He was the only one who’d caught her eye this whole night. And after two hurricanes, she easily felt like making out with someone. She giggled a little, but that died a moment later.