I know we’ve reached our destination when thudding bass vibrates through the air, and then two very large bouncers appear as we turn a corner.
“We’re splitting up for this next endeavor!” Janelle calls from her place between the bouncers. She looks like a five-foot fairy princess next to them in her puff-sleeved dress. “Ladies, with me. Boys, you’re with the groom.”
Thomas’s hand tightens on my hip before falling away, and my stomach drops. It’s such a silly reaction, because this is what I wanted all along—separate parties for the bride and groom. But now that it’s presented itself, it’s no longer an appealing idea.
“See you on the other side,” Thomas says regretfully.
I nod. “Unless you get smothered by a stripper’s awesomely large bosom and don’t make it out alive.”
He considers the idea for a moment. “There are worse ways to go. Hope you enjoy your lap dance lessons.”
“Can’t wait to watch all these girls hump empty chairs.”
“If you want, you can imagine it’s me you’re giving that lap dance to,” he offers.
“Now I’mreallynot interested,” I protest, but his smirk tells me he can see right through me.
An arm hooking around mine prevents me from saying a proper goodbye, because the next thing I know, I’m being dragged toward the now open doors of the club by Daphne.
“What the hell has gotten into you, Stella?” she hisses in my ear as we step past the bouncers. “Why are you acting like this?”
I have to stifle a gleeful giggle as I blink at her. “Like what?” I ask innocently.
Whatever she says next is lost to the music, which pours from speakers into the dark, vast space. We’re up on a landing that encircles the outer edge of the room, with a bar on either side and a few more arched doorways like the one we just walked through. Three steps down is the main pit, where there are curved booths, standing tables with red velvet lamps on them, and wide leather armchairs. They’re all placed to have a perfect vantage of the massive stage. A few gleaming poles extend up from it and disappear into the draped black fabric that hides the ceiling with its dips and folds.
As far as strip clubs go—and I’ve seen a handful in my time—this one is luxurious. Guess I should have expected as much from Janelle. Like Mika and me, girl’s got expensive taste.
Daphne is still yapping in my ear, saying something about how I’m not being true to myself and how Janelle will be so disappointed with my behavior, but between the whiskey and the wine, I can’t bring myself to pay her any mind. I’m warm and loose and determined to make the best of this time away from the distraction of boys.
I wrangle my arm free from her grip and take a few quicksteps to catch up with Janelle, who’s leading us to one of the doorways on the left. Grabbing her hand, I link our fingers together, and swing them back and forth like we’re a couple of kids.
“Hi, bride,” I greet her. Other than hugging hello when I first stepped onto the party bus earlier, we haven’t gotten a chance to spend time together tonight. “How you doin’?”
Janelle beams up at me, her big brown eyes a little glassy from whatever she’s been drinking, but otherwise she’s flawless. And she doesn’t seem disappointed in me at all, so Daphne can go suck an egg.
“Oh, Stella,” she says, and I’m starting to wonder if her eyes look that way because she’s on the verge of happy tears. “I’m so glad you came.”
I squeeze her hand tighter, emotion welling up in my throat. “I wanted to be here for you.”
“I know,” she reassures as we step through the doorway into a wide back hall decorated with tasteful black-and-white photos of models through the decades. “But you’ve been through so much lately, I would have understood.”
Janelle is like a big sister to me. Our five-year age gap meant she went through nearly everything before me and passed down that knowledge. And everything she didn’t—like marriage—we wanted to experience together, thus our closely scheduled weddings.
So much for that working out.
“Well, thanks for insisting I come along, even though your groom’s friends are kind of boring,” I tease, refusing to get lost in the ache in my chest.
Since we were planning our weddings at the same time, we agreed that we wouldn’t make each other participate in our respective bridal parties. We were both just too busy, especiallywith our demanding careers on top of everything. It’s why I wasn’t involved in the organization of this combined bachelor-bachelorette night, or else I would have strongly advised against it. Then again, she may not have beencompletelyoff-base with the choice.
Janelle snickers. “I swear, the only thing most of them know how to talk about is soccer.”
“I know! I was telling that to—” I cut short, not wanting to give away whatever I’ve sparked with Thomas. Even though she’s a little drunk, she’ll catch on to my interest. “To Daphne.”
She brightens. “You guys talked?”
“You could say that.”
“I’m so glad.” Janelle tugs me closer. “I know you two haven’t always seen eye to eye, but thank you for making an effort tonight. It means a lot.”
