Page 247 of Unexpected Hero

“There she is,” Freya yells over the din, pointing toward the long bar near the VIP section entrance.

“I don’t see her,” I holler.

Freya faces me, smiling bright as daylight. “She’s behind the wall of dicks.”

I canvas the room, locking my sights on a row of inflatable penises near the bar. The phalli are dancing and bobbing to the music.

Now that I’m closer, allow me to amend that statement. It’s a group of women wearing inflatable penis headpieces. Must be a bachelorette party.

After wading through the throngs, we find Vanessa.

Sadly.

She’s hanging on the arm of an attractive man with dark hair and even darker eyes. A shorter, less attractive man stands on her other side.

“Freya!” Vanessa flings herself off the barstool at Freya for a hug. Thankfully, my roomie has catlike reflexes and catches her under the arms.

“Whoa, horsey!” Freya groans but hugs her back.

Vanessa squeals in drunk girl fashion. “Where were you? I missed you. You’re so cute.” She pats Freya’s cheeks with her splayed palms.

Vanessa was clearly hitting the sauce while we were in the bathroom. She’s much happier. Almost no trace of the bitchy cunt face she revealed earlier. Perhaps she should do humanity a favor and drink more often.

The handsome man she was hanging on takes us in, his eyes widening. “Aw, lovely ladies. So beautiful. Join us in VIP. We wait for you.” His accent is strange. European perhaps?

“This one is Freya.” Vanessa beams, waving an open palm toward my roommate before flouncing it at me. “And this one here… she’s my other friend. Isn’t she gorgeous? Her name is Lettie.”

Oddly enough, that didn’t sound all that catty. Perhaps the secret to a better Vanessa is in the sauce.

Get it? The secret’s in the sauce. Like booze.

The men let their assessing eyes sweep down my body. A chill shivers up my spine, instantly dissolving my internal levity. The way the shorter one appraises me is eerily reminiscent of when Mama would study me before I left the house. Always looking for a flaw to chastise me over.

Make sure you keep the top button on your blouse closed. Wouldn’t want to give anyone a free show, now would we?

Where did you get that V-neck? Do you really want to have an arrow pointing down the front of your body?

That top accentuates your breasts too much, darling. You don’t want to be a stumbling block to the young men, now do you?

That last one might have been one of the worst. As if to say that men can’t be held responsible for their urges. It’s all on us females to protect them and ourselves by what we wear.

Give me a fucking break.

After being introduced, I nod and smile. Just a tiny grin that won’t give them the wrong idea, but also won’t make them angry. That’s my default smile when I’m around male strangers. I’ve learned over time that it’s the safest approach to avoid trouble.

We let them usher us behind the velvet rope into the VIP section and take seats at the end of the bar. It’s far less crowded than the other bar.

The taller guy smiles at me, leaning closer. “Please. We buy drinks. Our treat.” He gestures to his friend, who tips his chin at me and winks.

Okaaay. The shorter one is a little creepy.

“Nothing for me,” Freya answers. “One of us needs to stay sober enough to drive.” She clicks her tongue at Vanessa, who’s ordering shots. To me, Freya adds, “Go ahead and have a drink if you want, Lettie. I’ll be the DD.” She leans closer and whispers into my ear, “Don’t worry. A little won’t hurt anything this soon.”

Not something I’m gonna risk. Freya gets a bottle of water, and I ask for an iced tea.

Once we all have drinks, Vanessa raises hers for a toast. “To a night out with the girls. Sorry, I was a cunt earlier. Salute!”

Despite her earlier behavior, I appreciate anyone who can call themselves the C word, so I laugh along with her and Freya.

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