Page 11 of Fire of the Fox

I faced forward again as we reached the bouncer. We each showed him our IDs, and after drawing an X on the back of our hands in black sharpie to signify that we were underage, he stepped aside to allow us in.

As soon as I walked through the door, a dark room greeted me. The only light source came from the flashing lights, and the smell of perfume and cologne overwhelmed me. People littered the space. Most of them occupied the dance floor, and those who weren’t dancing were at the bar getting drinks. Seeing as it was my first time at a club, the loud music, strobing lights, and strong smells were a lot to process.

“This is crazy!” I yelled above the music.

Dallas laughed and nodded eagerly. She grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor near the side of the room that housed the bar. She started grinding and dancing to the electronic music, already seeming like she was on cloud nine. I stood near her, unsure of what to do with myself. I didn’t know how to dance like that.

She noticed me just standing there and grabbed my hand again. Leaning in close, she yelled, “You’d better start dancing! There’s a hottie at 9 o’clock who can’t stop staring at you!” She paused, then said, “Wait a minute, is that—”

I spun around to look in that direction. I had to peer past people dancing around me, but when my eyes found his, my heart tripped over itself.

It was Cinnamon Roll.

His arms were crossed over his chest, and he watched me with those amazing amber eyes of his. He looked mouthwatering, standing there in a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and something akin to amusement played in his gaze. Warmth pulsed in my lower stomach at the sight of him.

It also seemed he wasn’t alone. On one side of him stood a guy who had shortly cropped black hair. On the other side was a darker skinned guy with long black hair. They were the same ones he’d been with at the restaurant.

When they saw me looking at them, the one with short hair gave me a friendly wave. The one with longer hair looked at Cinnamon Roll and nudged him. Cinnamon Roll didn’t move. His eyes stayed locked on me, turning my knees into mush.

I blushed and quickly looked back at Dallas.

She winked at me and yelled, “Why don’t you go ask him to dance? Make sure you get his name this time. I’m tired of referring to him as food.”

I rolled my eyes and shouted, “First of all, I can’t dance. Second of all, I’m not good at flirting with strangers.”

“Don’t be afraid! Go for it! Have some fun for once!”

She gave me a gentle push in the direction of the guys, but I held my ground. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go talk to him, let alone ask him to dance.

“Dallas—” I started, but as soon as her name left my mouth, a guy came up behind Dallas and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She turned to him and squealed before throwing her arms around his neck. The lighting was so dim on the floor that it took me a minute to realize the stranger was actually Rance.

“I thought you’d be here,” Rance said, meeting her grin with one of his own. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

He pecked her on the cheek before giving me a happy wave. I returned the gesture. It occurred to me then that the two of them planned to meet here, which meant I was totally a third wheel. Dallas was no doubt hoping I’d find someone to pair off with so that I wouldn’t be alone. She was torn between wanting to have a fun Friday night with Rance while also wanting to cheer me up.

“You wanna go dance?” Rance asked her.

Dallas glanced at me, chewing on her lip as she struggled with what to do.

Laughing, I yelled, “Go! Dance! I want to go get some water anyway.” I didn’t want to hold her back from having fun.

After a few more reluctant moments, she finally blew me a kiss. They grabbed at each other’s hands and disappeared into the sea of people.

I frowned, suddenly feeling alone. I glanced at Cinnamon Roll against the far wall. He was still watching me, but now the corners of his mouth were turned down at the edges. I quickly looked away and turned around, determined to get a drink. As soon as I spun on my heel, I came face-to-face with the person I least expected.

Dax stood there, looking astonished and abashed at first. He gave me a once over, and his expression quickly changed. He smiled.

Chapter Six

“WELL, WELL, WELL,” Dax said as he walked in a circle around me. “Don’t you look sexy as hell.” He stood in front of me, and after staring at my chest for longer than necessary, he finally met my eyes again. “Wanna go dance with me?”

He grabbed for my hand, but I quickly pulled it back and stepped away from him. Narrowing my eyes, I snapped, “Don’t touch me! Why would I want to go anywhere with you?”

He threw back his head in a burst of laughter and yelled above the music, “I know you’re still in love with me, Bria. You’ve had a thing for me forever now. This is your chance to make me happy and win me back. We both know that’s what you want.”

My stomach churned at his words. I was so sick of his toxic attitude. I noticed then that his nose was free of any bruising from earlier, and despite my good nature, I suddenly wished Dallas had hit him harder. He deserved some hurt for once—something I never would’ve wished on him before. That was before I snapped out of my delusion. Which was exactly what our relationship had been. My feelings for him had been fueled by hormones and unrealistic adolescent fantasies. In other words, he’d been a waste of time, and one I didn’t want to repeat.

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