Page 13 of Unlucky You

“I’ve heard of you.”

“Seriously?” I smiled approvingly. It wasn’t unlikely that he had.

“Yeah, from what I’ve heard you’re pretty solid too. You’re the one who managed to get an invite to Leijah’s listening party. I heard that was damn near impossible because they didn’t want the songs leaked, but you managed to be there. The people like you.”

“They do, so hook me up.”

He groaned, allowing his eyes to dance around before stalking off without warning. He made his way to the register which he opened and lifted the cash tray, returning to me with something in his hand.

I smiled when he placed it on the bar and used a finger to slide it toward me.

“What’s this?”

“The number you text to request an invite. They’re selective and there are no guarantees that you’ll get a response. That’s the best I can do.”

“Good enough, thanks.”

I lifted the matte black card with a number and the words fight night printed in a serif gray font.

“Can I keep this?”

“No, save the number. I need to hang on to it.”

“Bet.” I slipped my hand into my pocket and it resurfaced with my phone. I typed the number and fight night into my notes and handed the card back to the bartender.

I had what I came for which meant it was time to head home. I wrapped my hand around one bottle of water, holding up my other hand which held the phone.

“Thanks for this.”

“You’re leaving my gift?” He motioned to the water I left on the bar top.

“Nope, that’s the one I paid for.” I winked and he chuckled as I navigated my way through the crowd to leave only to be stopped a few minutes later by a pair of unwanted hands grabbing me from behind, jerking me against a warm, sweaty body.

“Dance with me?” The lingering scent of liquor wafted into my nose at the same time hot breath fanned across the side of my face.

“Not interested, get your hands off me.” I lifted my foot and came down hard on a booted foot planted beside me, causing enough damage for the guy to release his grip. I attempted to escape only to be jerked back again by a hand fisting the back of my shirt. I turned to face the assailant and immediately realized the man was a handful of drinks beyond his limit.

“What the fuck is your problem, bitch? All I asked for was a dance.”

“My problem is, you put your hands on me without my permission and I declined the offer.”

The guy wasn’t bad looking. Decent looks and build but he was barely standing which meant he had no business asking anyone to dance. I also wasn’t interested and he had no right to put his hands on me.

“It’s just one dance.” His hands launched forward in a failed attempt to grab me again but his balance was shaky from the alcohol and all he managed was to grab ahold of the hem of my shirt.

I dropped the bottled water, curled my fingers into a fist, and landed a solid hit to his face. I leaned into it, just like I’d been taught in the handful of self-defense classes I took years ago, only relaxing my stance at the sight of his head snapping back.

The guy swayed, grabbing his jaw briefly and lunging faster than my mind could process, fisting a handful of hair. While my head jerked toward the asshole, something flashed before my face and the attacker’s grip went slack. His eyes rolled back in his head with his body dropping to the floor in what felt like slow motion. I stumbled away and caught sight of an extended, tattooed arm that caught my hips forcefully enough to steady me.

“You good?”

I managed to lower my eyes to the unconscious man at my feet before they held the stare of the stranger who put him there.

“Great, actually. Thank you.”

“You said no, he didn’t listen. Maybe next time he will.”

Before I managed to formulate a response, the sea of bodies parted, allowing him a clear path before he disappeared into the mass of patrons who seemed oblivious to what had just taken place. After standing dumbfounded for a moment longer, I took off in the opposite direction to leave.

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