by Anthology
“Why don’t you come to my bar?”
I opened my mouth to politely decline, but I stopped myself. Maybe I should go. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t curious to know more about Alec. It would be entertaining to watch him as he worked. Also, I doubted if I’d be as nervous with him if there were other people around us. Then, a thought occurred to me. I could bring Arie with me. Either she would help me flirt with Alec, or if I were lucky, she could do all the flirting for me, and I’d be off the hook. I had no doubt that someone like Arie could handle Alec.
“Can I bring someone with me?” I asked.
He tensed. I could see it from across the room.
“Who?”
“My friend Arie,” I said, giving him a questioning look.
He visibly relaxed. “Sure. Why don’t you have her come to our apartment building, and we can all drive over together?”
“Won’t you be working?” I asked.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I’d rather drive myself. That way, I could leave whenever I want.”
“That’s fine—as long as you don’t leave right after you get there.”
I grinned. “I won’t. Have a little faith, my friend.”
“Fair enough. It’s a date.”
I didn’t realize he’d used the D word until I made it back to my apartment.
Chapter Three
“PLEASE TELL ME YOU aren’t planning to wear that out tonight,” Arie said the moment I opened my apartment door to let her in.
I glanced down at my plain blue fitted T-shirt and jeans. “Yeah, I was. Is that a problem?”
She shook her head. “I knew you’d pull something like this, which is why I brought this.” She held up a gym bag.
“What are you talking about?” I stared at the bag. I was terrified of what was inside.
“You’re supposed to make this dude go crazy for you. He won’t even notice you if you go like that. Chicks go to bars to pick up guys, Rebecca. You’ll look like a nun compared to the rest of us.”
I looked her over. She had a point. Compared to her micro mini and tube top, I did look like a nun. Even Alec had teased me about being saintly the other night.
“So, what’s in the bag?”
“Clothes and makeup. There’s no way I’m letting you go to a bar looking like that.” She breezed by me and dropped her bag on my couch.
“Arie, I’m twenty-three. I think I can dress myself at this point,” I said sarcastically.
She gave me a look. “Obviously, you can’t.”
I watched as she unzipped her bag and started pulling clothes out—no, not clothes. The things she was laying out on my couch were nothing more than scraps of material pretending to be clothes.
“Arie, I hate to break it to you, but we’re not the same size,” I said as I pointed to my chest. “I doubt if one of my boobs would fit into one of your shirts.”
“That’s why I brought stretchy clothes. We’ll make them fit.”
I rolled my eyes. There was no way that anything she owned would fit me.
“Let’s try this on first and see how it looks.” Arie held up a dress I’d seen her wear a few times.
“I’m not wearing that. My ass will hang out.”
“Your ass will not be seen tonight. I promise. Try it on!” She tossed it to me.
I groaned as I pulled off my clothes. I put the strapless dress on. The material clung to my body like a second skin. I tugged it down so that it covered my ass, but then it showed way more of my boobs than I would ever want a bar full of people to see.
“I told you it wouldn’t fit me,” I grumbled.
She frowned as she looked me over. “Okay, so my dresses are out. Your boobs make them shorter on you.”
“You think?” I pulled the dress off and tossed it at her.
“No worries. I brought plenty of outfits for you to try on.” She threw the dress back into the bag.
I watched as she sorted through the clothes. When she picked up a tube top, I growled at her. She rolled her eyes before throwing it back into the bag as well. The next outfit was nixed before she had even lifted it off the couch.
“I’m going to strangle you,” she seethed. “The next outfit I pick up, you’re wearing. I don’t care if I have to dress you myself.” She sorted through the clothes some more before finally smiling. “This is it!”
She picked up a black shirt and a black miniskirt. The skirt made me cringe, but the shirt wasn’t that bad. It was sleeveless, but at least it would cover my stomach.
She handed them to me. “Try these on.”
I sighed as I pulled on the miniskirt. It was shorter than anything I owned by at least six inches. I tried on the shirt, and although it was tight, it covered everything well enough. It showed a bit of cleavage but nothing indecent.
“I told you we’d find something,” Arie said smugly.
I tried to pull the skirt down a bit. “If anyone sees my ass tonight, I’m suing you.”
“Oh, shut up. No one will see your ass. Here, put on these shoes, and you’ll be good to go.” She handed me a pair of black open-toed shoes with six-inch heels.
She obviously wants me to kill myself.
Arie studied me thoughtfully. “Now, we need to work on your makeup.”
***
ALEC HAD TOLD ME the name of his bar, but I’d never heard of it, so he had to give me directions. I stared at the bar as Arie found a parking spot in the lot full of cars. Apparently, I was the only person in Morgantown who hadn’t known this place existed. I watched as several people made their way across the lot to the entrance.
“Damn. You said he owns this place?” Arie asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, that’s what he said. I didn’t expect it to be so—”
“Popular?” she supplied.
“Yeah, popular. I figured it was some dive that no one knew about,” I admitted sheepishly.
“I’ve never been here, but I’ve heard about it. Supposedly, some really good bands play here.” Arie opened her door. “Come on, let’s check it out.”
I reluctantly opened my own door and climbed out. I’d felt nervous before, but now, I was terrified. I didn’t do this kind of scene. Clubs and parties weren’t a part of my life. I’d thought that maybe I could handle coming here because I’d assumed it was just a small bar. Obviously, I was wrong. I didn’t think I could deal with this large of a crowd.
Arie met me in front of her car and grabbed my hand. She tugged me along as we walked across the parking lot. I had no doubt that she knew I wanted to bolt.
After reaching the entrance, we stood in line for a few minutes. The bouncer checked our IDs before letting us through the door. I grinned when I saw him staring at Arie like he was starving and she was the world’s largest buffet.
Poor guy.
She hadn’t even noticed—or maybe she had and just hadn’t cared.
As soon as we were inside, I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of so many people, causing a few girls to run into me from behind. My face turned red as they glared at me while passing by.
“Come on, Rebecca,” Arie said as she pulled me along.
I looked around as I let her lead me to an empty table in a corner of the bar. People were everywhere. The dance floor was crowded as both men and women moved with the beat. I watched as a girl danced between two men. One man held her hands as she was grinding her way down his body. Coming back up, she turned away from him and then did the same to her other dance partner. I shook my head.
I am so out of place here.
Almost all the tables were filled, and the bar was surrounded by a mob of people. I watched as some forced their way through the crowd to order their drinks. I tried to see if Alec was behind the bar, but it was impossible. There were just too many people.
“How in the world does he own a place like this if he’s a few years older than us?” I asked, baffled.
“He probably inherited it or some shit like that,” Arie said
as she looked around. “I need a drink.”
“Then, go get one.”
“And get lost in that crowd? No, thanks. I’ll wait for the rush to slow down. Once they start playing a better song, I’m sure the bar will clear.”
“Maybe.” Somehow, I doubted that.
There were too many people in here for the bar to ever slow down.
We sat in silence for a few minutes, both of us watching the crowd.
Arie stood up. “I’m bored. Let’s go dance.”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. You go ahead.”
“You’re not going to just sit here and hide. Now, get your ass up, and let’s go dance!” Arie grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.
I nearly tripped and fell in her high heels as Arie pushed through the crowd. I tried to apologize to the people she had elbowed on her way. I didn’t want them to think I was lacking in manners as she was.
When she found a spot on the dance floor that was close to the bar, she stopped. “This is perfect. If your boy toy is behind the bar, he’s bound to see us once that crowd clears a little.”
I sincerely hoped that crowd never cleared. My mother had put me in dance classes from the time I could walk, but that didn’t mean I was comfortable with dancing the way everyone else was. It wasn’t even dancing. They were humping each other to the beats of the song.
I looked at Arie. There was no way I would hump her. I loved her, but no.
Arie started dancing around me, obviously trying to pull me out of my shell. As she began grinding against me, several guys started paying attention to us. I was just wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. I stood there awkwardly, praying this would be over soon.
“Damn it, Rebecca, dance. I know you can!” she shouted at me.
“This isn’t dancing! I don’t know how to do this!” I shouted back.
“Just move your body. Throw in some ballet moves if you have to. I don’t care what you do. Just move!”
I groaned before finally giving in. With the looks we were getting, I knew I was bringing more attention to myself by not dancing. I started swaying my hips, hoping that would make Arie happy, but she frowned at me and shook her head in defeat. Obviously, it wasn’t good enough.
I sighed as I closed my eyes. Letting my body move on its own, I ignored the fact that I was making a fool of myself in a room with over a hundred people. I focused on the beats of the song, and years of dance recitals kicked in. My mind shut down, and my body did all the work.
“Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!” Arie yelled in my ear.
I opened my eyes to see her dancing in front of me. I grinned as I continued to move. Now that I wasn’t actually thinking about what I was doing, dancing wasn’t so hard.
Arie’s eyes widened as she looked behind me. My whole body tensed when I felt someone pressing against me from behind. I turned my head, and I almost stopped moving when I saw Alec.
He smiled as he lowered his head. He whispered in my ear, “I didn’t think you’d show. Imagine my surprise when I looked up and saw you dancing over here.”
I shivered as his breath tickled my ear. “I almost didn’t.”
“I’m glad you did.” He paused. “Dance with me?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I felt his lips turn up into a smile before he pulled away. I shuddered as his hands found my waist and pulled me tight against him. His fingers slipped under the bottom of my shirt, and with his skin on mine, he grasped my hips. Just like the first time when he’d touched me, a shock wave ran through me. It was like my body exploded with electricity every time his skin brushed mine.
A new song came on, “3” by Britney Spears, and I laughed out loud. I hadn’t listened to that song in forever. I moved robotically at first, my mind focused on feeling Alec’s body tight against mine. Finally, I found my rhythm and settled into it. It helped that Alec actually knew how to dance. I couldn’t help but grin when I realized just how perfectly we moved together.
As we danced, I lost myself in the music and the heat radiating off of Alec’s body. I glanced up and noticed Arie dancing a few feet away with a stupid grin on her face as she looked back and forth between Alec and me. When she saw me watching her, she winked. It seemed that I was doing something right for once.
Maybe it was the song or maybe it was the atmosphere in the bar, but whatever it was, I suddenly felt daring. I closed my eyes as I reached down and grabbed Alec’s hands. I lifted our joined hands above my head so that I had something to hold on to because I didn’t want to end up on my ass. Once I was sure he wouldn’t let me fall, I slowly started grinding my way down his body toward the floor, like I’d watched that girl do earlier.
I felt Alec tense for a second before he finally relaxed again. I stopped once I was almost completely on the floor before slowly grinding my way back up his body. I peeked at Arie to see her watching me with her mouth hanging open. Then, she threw her head back and laughed.
Alec released our fingers and slowly slid his hands down my arms and body. When they were resting on my hips again, I covered his hands with my own. I didn’t dare look back at Alec as I continued to dance. I was terrified of what I’d see in his eyes. This was supposed to be a game and a simple one at that. I just needed to make Alec want me and then laugh as I walked away from him. But with his body pressed up against mine like this, it didn’t feel like a game anymore. It felt too real, too good.
I tried to remind myself that Alec was nothing but trouble, but that thought flew out the window when he lowered his head and kissed my shoulder. I shuddered hard enough that I knew he felt it.
The song ended a few seconds later. He spun me around until I was facing him. My breath caught at the raw hunger in his eyes.
“I thought you were a good girl. Maybe I was wrong,” he said, his voice deepening to the point that his words came out as a growl.
“Maybe you were,” I whispered.
A new song came on. I had no idea what song it was. I was too preoccupied with the fact that his mouth was inches from mine, and it was coming closer with each passing second.
“Are you going to hit me if I kiss you?” he asked.
People were dancing all around us, but neither of us moved. I finally shook my head, unable to speak. I knew the moment he kissed me, the game would change. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. Ready or not though, it was about to happen.
He leaned in the last few inches and pressed his lips against mine. He kissed me softly at first. When I didn’t push him away, he deepened the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I couldn’t get enough of him. He pulled away for a split second before crashing his mouth down on mine again. I moaned as his tongue slipped inside and caressed my own.
He broke away suddenly and took a step back. All I could do was stare at him. I was so lost in my own need that I couldn’t think.
“Go home, Rebecca,” he said roughly.
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Go home.” He stepped closer, but he made sure that our bodies weren’t touching. “If you don’t leave right now, I won’t be able to control myself. I’m going to take you into the storage room and fuck you hard against the wall.”
My mouth dropped open in shock.
“Go. You’re my neighbor, for Christ’s sake. You’re not just some random chick in this bar. This can’t happen.”
“You didn’t seem to care about that when I met you!” I shouted.
A few people around us stopped dancing as they looked back and forth between the two of us.
“I was just fucking with you then. I knew what kind of girl you were the moment I saw you. I knew you wouldn’t fall for my bullshit. Obviously, I was wrong. Go the fuck home!”
I stumbled backward as if he’d hit me.
Arie was at my side instantly, glaring at Alec. “What the fuck did you do to my friend?” she shouted at him.
Alec shook his head and turned away from us. I watched as
he walked away, shoving people aside as he went.
“What the hell just happened?” Arie demanded.
“Just get me out of here. Please,” I said.
She didn’t say another word as she led me back to her car.
Chapter Four
I WAITED UNTIL ARIE left my apartment before I let myself cry. I’d forced my tears away in the car as I listened to her apologize over and over for coming up with her stupid plan. When she hadn’t been apologizing, she had cussed Alec out and wished all kinds of STDs on him. She’d practically begged to come up to my apartment with me, but I’d refused. I just wanted to be alone.
I showered and changed into my pajamas without even realizing what I was doing. The next thing I knew, I was lying in bed with tears streaming down my face. I let out a muffled sob. I’d been so caught up in the moment that I’d let my guard down. I’d been stupid to think that there was something between Alec and me. He’d danced with me just to prove that he could, and I had been the one who took it too far. But he’d kissed me. It wasn’t as if I’d tackled him and forced my mouth on his. No, that had been all him.
He’d played me, and I’d fallen for it. We had been playing a game after all, but I was the one who had been fooled. I was an idiot to think I could trick someone like him. Arie had been right. I had no idea what I was doing when it came to men. I didn’t even know how to have a life. I was just some pathetic girl without a clue.
I had no idea why I couldn’t stop crying. It wasn’t like I actually cared for him. I barely knew him, and what I did know wasn’t that great. He was a womanizing asshole, and I was the moron who had given him the power to hurt me.
I groaned when I heard someone knocking on my door. The only person it could be was Arie. She was obviously ignoring my request to be alone. I stayed in bed. Maybe if I didn’t answer, she’d assume that I was already asleep, and she’d leave me be. She knocked one more time and then silence. After a couple of minutes, I sighed in relief as I wiped my tears away.
She must have left.
“You really shouldn’t leave your door unlocked like that. Any asshole can come into your apartment,” a man’s voice said.
