The music was loud, and the bass was so deep I could feel it pulsing through my insides. This wasn't the sort of environment I liked being in, to be honest, but it was good to have a distraction like this after what had happened with Everett earlier.
Nick and Angie started dancing together, and it was obvious that Nick had pretty good rhythm and a set of pretty fancy moves in him. He and Angie started moving closer and closer together, and I could see that she was into him.
Suddenly, someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned around and saw Paul standing there with a couple of drinks. He handed me one of the Long Island Iced Teas and then gave the other to Angie.
“Thanks!” I said with a smile, sipping on it immediately. This one felt particularly strong, and to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure whether I'd actually be able to finish it.
“How is it?” Paul asked as he started to move with the beat of the music across from me.
“Very strong,” I replied with a laugh.
“Just how it should be then,” he replied, grinning suggestively. “And that's not the only strong thing around here,” he continued. He flexed his muscles, which looked as if they were going to rip through his shirt.
“Whoa, don't do that too much,” I commented with a chuckle. “You don't wanna rip that shirt to shreds.”
He grinned lasciviously.
“Or maybe I do. Girls always prefer me without a shirt,” he joked.
“Uh, let's keep your shirt on in here, I think,” I replied. He was very obviously hitting on me, and maybe it shouldn’t have, but it made me a little uncomfortable.
“Sure, I can keep it on in here. But you'll really enjoy taking it off me later; I guarantee that. And you're gonna love what you find under it. But there's something else on my body that you're gonna love even more.”
I laughed uncomfortably. “Oh, I don't think anything like that is gonna happen,” I said, sipping on my drink.
“You say that now,” he countered. “But you haven't even given me a chance yet.”
He moved in closer to me, dancing with slick, sensual rhythm. Admittedly, he was crazy attractive, and his dancing was incredibly fluid and sexy, but I wasn't interested. To tell the truth, as much as Everett had hurt me by standing me up, I still couldn't get him off my mind.
“Come on, girl,” he said, grinding himself against me. “Move with me, feel the rhythm of the music. Feel the rhythm of my body, against your body...”
The song changed and a Latin-infused tune came on, very sensual and sexy with its slow, hypnotic rhythms and beats.
“Mm, this is my kinda jam,” Paul murmured as he pressed himself against me and started grinding on my thighs with his groin. He slipped his hands down to the small of my back and pulled me almost forcefully against him so that my crotch was pressing against his. Then he started grinding and rubbing aggressively against me and moving his hands up toward my breasts.
This was the last straw. I'd had enough. I pushed him away and shook my head, glaring at him.
“No!” I snapped. “I hardly know you! That's not okay, alright?”
The expression on his face morphed from one of lust into one of anger. “There's no need to be such a stuck-up bitch about it,” he snarled. “Hell, every girl in this club wants to be with me. You should be feeling privileged that I'm giving my attention to you.”
“Then I suggest you go grind on one of them,” I said as politely as I could muster.
I looked across at Angie. She was grinding eagerly with Nick on the dance floor and seemed like she was totally into all of this.
“Angie!” I said in her ear, “I don't like this. I want to go.”
She looked over at me. “Are you crazy? These smokin' hot guys are totally into us!”
“Look, I'm not comfortable. I really want to go; I've had enough clubbing for one night,” I told her.
“Are you okay taking a taxi by yourself?” she asked. “Sorry, it's just that... I really like Nick, and I'm having a great time.”
I started feeling guilty. I didn't want to ruin Angie's night just because I wa
sn't having a great time. I didn't really feel safe taking a taxi by myself, but again, I would feel terrible wrecking Angie's night, and I didn't want her to resent me for it.
“Sure,” I said. “Yeah, I'll be fine getting a taxi by myself. I'll send you a message when I'm home safe. Please do the same for me, even if you get back at like three in the morning or something, just so I know you're safe.”