Page 45 of Shadow Dance

Like the other bottle girls floating around the room, the brunette standing in front of us is in a tiny, pink babydoll nightie. I wonder how long she and Callum have been flirting while I’ve been in my own world, people watching.Jaime watching. It’s been a game of little looks all night. Sometimes I catch him, sometimes he catches me.

“Another lemon drop, or what?” presses Callum.

“Lemon drop’s fine,” I say.

“Lemon drop, coming right up,” she says. “A Jack and Coke for you, right, Cal?”

“Yeah, thanks, Sassy.”

Sassy?

I stand, running my fingers over the tulle of my tutu. “I’m gonna go dance.”

Callum nods, not offering to join me. He used to dance with me in high school, but that was a lifetime ago. Instead, he calls for Jaime, motioning for him to come.

“She wants to go downstairs. Keep an eye on her, will you?”

Hours go by. I dance and drink and dance and drink until I’m tipsy and tired. Jaime keeps his distance, but there’s so much heat in his eyes that I feel like I’m melting. I wonder what Callum would do if I asked Jaime to take me home. I don’t think he realizes how good-looking Jaime is.

“Wanna hit this?” Callum wheezes, handing me a glass pipe. It looks and smells like weed, but I wouldn’t put it past him to add a little something extra.

I shake my head, pushing the pipe away. “I’m straight. No more for me.”

He laughs, squeezing my cheeks between the thumb and forefinger of his hand. It’s a little rough, and I yank my face away, but he doesn’tnotice. Or care. He’s pretty sloppy right now. “That's cool. More for me.”

“More for you,” I agree, draining the last of my drink and adding it to the ever-growing mess of glasses in front of us. I’d judge Sassy for doing a crap job of keeping our table cleared, but she’s busy entertaining Mac. I shake my head, watching her giggle and smack his hand away as it tickles beneath her gauzy nightie. If I had a dollar for every time I saw that guy getting busy in public, I’d be richer than Dario.

It’s been a good night, though. There haven’t been any incidents, and no one’s made a scene, not even Callum despite being off his face. The food is fantastic, and so is the music, alternating between a DJ and a live band playing dark wave.

And Bria must have felt me missing them because she texts me pictures of their escapades from earlier tonight. Liam’s going through a superhero stage, so he went as Spiderman with Bria as his Mary Jane. Tristan and Evie joined them as Thor and Black Widow. And Lucky, of course, just went as himself. I text back a selfie I took before leaving the house, promising I’ll call her tomorrow.

I slip my phone into my purse in time to see a petite, blonde vamp approach Jaime.Oh, here we go.I swear, he’s everybody’s type. I wait for him to send her packing, but he doesn’t. My heart drops. It’s hard enough to pretend that Jaime doesn’t affect me in general, but seeing him in flirt-mode is like a gory car accident on the 580, and I’m a rubbernecker.

Jaime’s eyes find mine over the girl’s shoulder. I wish I knew what he was thinking. I wish I wasn’t caught up in this twisted situation, crushing on another guy while my boyfriend flirts with other girls. The vamp kisses Jaime’s cheek. My stomach flips as he smiles and touches her hair.

My stomach sours. Why is he doing this right in front of me? Surely, he must know how I feel by this point.And thenI close my eyes becauseobviouslyI’ve lost the plot. Jaime might be sweet to me, but when it comes down to it, he’s just like the rest of these guys, taking what’s given. And why shouldn’t he? He’s single and hot as sin.

Callum nips at my neck, and I push him away, but he thinks I’m playing so he laughs and does it again. Nearby, Griff pours himself a shot of tequila.

“Can I have some?” Iask, thrusting one of my lemon drop shot glasses in front of him.

Nodding, he fills it up. “Cheers,” he says gruffly, clinking his glass to mine. Tequila splashes down my wrist.

“Cheers,” I say, watching Jaime and the girl sit down nearby.Don’t be dumb, Maeve. He deserves to have fun.I gulp down the tequila and reach for a refill.

“You sure you don’t want any?” Callum asks, offering the pipe again.

“It’s just weed, right?” I ask dully, eyeing it.

“Yeah,” he says, laughing.

I take a few little puffs. It’s definitely just weed, but after the tequila, it hits harder than I anticipated. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” I tell Callum, wobbling to my feet.

The bathrooms are predictably packed, but there are lots of stalls, so I’m able to get in and out in no time. I wash my hands and dry them, taking a second to check my appearance in the mirror. I look as pretty as I did when we got here, even after several rounds of dancing.

Pretty and sad.

By the time I return to the group, Mac and Griffin are getting actual lap dances and Callum is having a heated discussion with some guy I’ve never seen. Jaime’s still sitting with the blonde. She’s hanging on him, saying something, but he’s looking right at me.

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