Page 309 of Dark Love

That’s pretty obvious. I nod.

“Have you ever had a shot?”

“I don’t drink. I’m just ordering them for my friends.”

“You’re at a club for the first time, and you don’t drink, but you want to buy shots for your friends.”

“Yeah.” I shrug. “It’s my first week on the job and they invited me.”

“Ahhh,” she says that like any of my life makes sense right now. “Do you want a drink to hold on to while they’re drinking so they don’t pressure you to take a shot?”

They’d do that? Based on the bartender’s serious face, I guess they would. “Yes, please.”

“The shots and one virgin drink coming right up.” She gives me a reassuring smile and hurries away.

I guess now I wait. There’s enough to look at that I’d never get bored. People move in a current around me, kind of like the ocean moving around a boulder.

“Well, hello there. What’s a pretty little thing like you doing here?” The man slurs his words as he pushes up to the bar next to me, earning nasty looks from the couple that was standing there.

What do I do? I certainly don’t want to engage in a conversation with him. I pretend to look away and hope he’ll forget I’m even here. There’s so much chaos around it’s not hard to focus on a couple that is currently making out in the middle of the dance floor. Is that really allowed in here? It can’t be legal.

Two men wearing t-shirts that proclaim them as bouncers converge on the couple before they can take their little exhibition to an X-rated level.

“That sure is a pretty skirt you’re wearing.”

The scent of alcohol and rotting flesh wafts over my face as those words are whispered in my ear.

A normal person would jump and scream, but I freeze up.

“But it would look better in a puddle on the floor of my bedroom.”

Does he really think women want to hear things like that? He’s obviously not thinking about anything. “Um. Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m here with my friends.” Hopefully, that’s enough to get him to go away.

“Ditch them and we can have some fun.” The vile man moves even closer.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.” There, that should be enough. He can’t mistake my intent.

“That’s okay. I like girls that play hard to get.” He runs a finger down my arm and my blood runs cold.

This guy isn’t going to take no for an answer.

What should I do?

Mindy or Diane would know exactly what to do. But there’s no way I want to lead this creep over to them.

Where is a bouncer when you need one? What would I even say… Please help me. This guy is creepy and trying to proposition me. That’s what you would say.

But there aren’t any bouncers.

What should I do?

“Are you this shy in the bedroom?”

What should I do?

My only point of reference for things like this is television and books. The woman either decks the guy—something I’m not going to do—or they find someone else to make the guy backdown…

Hmm…

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