Page 1 of Raise The Bar
Prologue
Maggie
“Happy New Year, angel face. Come and get your kiss.”
I’m not sure what offends me more, his offer or his breath. I mean, damn. Did this jackass drink a brewery dry?
“No, thank you,” I say firmly, moving further away from the inebriated stranger who has approached me at the bar. I don’t manage to put much distance between us, as there are about five hundred other people at this club and most of us are waiting for a drink.
It is New Year’s Eve, Maggie. What did you expect?
In my defense, I’ve never been to a club on New Year’s Eve. For the past seven years, I’ve celebrated this day at house parties or corporate events with Mark. And before that, I wasn’t even legal.
Mark.
The thought of my ex-boyfriend sours my already dismal mood. What would he say if he saw me here tonight? Crammed against a sea of bodies, trying to get my hands on an overpriced cocktail. My tight curls are down for a change and fall on my bare shoulders. The sparkly gold party dress I’m wearing hugs my bust and only comes to my mid-thighs. Between the dress and the five-inch heels I bought just for the occasion, I’ve got legs for days and several men here have definitely noticed.
But that was the point, right? That was why I decided to come to this place, a place I would never have come to, even on a regular night of the year. It’s why I spent hours getting ready today. I wanted to be seen for a change.
“C’mmon, girlie. Don’t make me wait until midnight.”
Okay. Maybe not seen by this guy.
I scan the room for the friends I dragged here. My best friend turned roommate Betty and her boyfriend Josh are somewhere in this packed room. Even though they’ve known each other since they were kids, they only got together a couple of months ago, so they’re still in that doe-eyed, inseparable, obnoxious state of coupling. I moved in with Betty last month and the two of us have been sharing her one-bedroom apartment ever since. It may sound like a claustrophobic nightmare come to life, but Josh lives two doors down the hall and Betty has been sleeping at his place. I assume they do a lot more than sleep, those adorable little sex kittens. I know they would have been more than happy to have stayed in this evening, snugly wrapped up in their little love cocoon. But I had desperately wanted to end this year with a bang and because they are top-tier friends, they lovingly indulged me.
Thankfully, the bartender finally spots me and I strain closer to her so she will hear my order.
“A Negroni, please.” I’m almost yelling to be heard over the bass-filled electronic beats. As I’m leaning forward, my cleavage goes from eye-catching to borderline indecent. Unfortunately, my new friend notices this as well and takes it as an invitation. As he advances towards me, I plant my feet and prepare to push him away when a tall figure moves between us.
“There you are. I thought I’d lost you.” The voice that comes from several inches above me is warm and familiar. Addressing the leering asshole to my right, he says, “That wouldn’t be a very good start to the year, now would it?”
I look at his face and recognition flares. It’s Callum, Josh’s friend. I met him once, briefly, earlier in the fall. He’d definitely made an impression. Stormy blue eyes and a jaw so chiseled you would think it was made of marble. His blond waves look darker in the dim lighting of the club.
Does he recognize me from that day months ago in the park? Betty had introduced us, but we only spoke for a few moments before going our separate ways. All the same, it was a memorable few moments. For the first time in ages I’d felt a spark of interest, a connection with someone. On the other hand, from what I understand from Josh, Callum sparks with a lot of women. Or did he just see a woman on the receiving end of some unwanted attention and decided to step in? I try and fail to catch his eye, as his gaze remains fixed on the other man.
His body, while not touching mine, has become a physical barrier between me and my unwanted suitor, who seems to be considering whether he could take him in a fight. Spoiler alert: there is no way in hell he could. But Callum doesn’t seem like he’s trying to intimidate him. In fact, there is not a trace of aggression on his face, only good-natured humor. Like we’re all good friends, catching up on old times. The other guy gives my cleavage one last lingering look, then nods at Callum and stumbles away. Once he’s gone, my newfound savior turns to me, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“How’s your night going, Maggie?”
He does remember me. There is something so refreshing about this man’s manner. He could have pretended not to have known who I was and just waited for me to shower him with gratitude, or acted smug about having just fixed a problem he didn’t think I could handle on my own. Instead, he calls me by my name like we’ve just run into each other. The unpleasantness of the other man is already forgotten.
“It’s better now, Callum. Yours?”
His smile lights up his entire face. I thought it was a beautiful face before, but now I’m having trouble remembering how to form sentences. I sip my drink to cover the fact that I’m ogling his dimples.
“Great.” His eyes survey the room before looking back at me. “You never know who you’re going to meet at these places.”
“Like the guy who just left us? You should have gotten his phone number. You could have made a new friend.”
His grin is a combination of boyish charm and a hint of wickedness. “I’ve got enough friends,” he says with a wink.
“I bet you do.”
“Speaking of friends, are you here with Josh and Betty?”
“Yes, but I lost them when I came to get another drink.” I raise the drink in question and then take another small sip.
“What is that you’re drinking?”
