“You both look incredible,” Rose rushes over to admire their costumes. “Timmy, you should be in a Broadway show. And Marianne, Princess Mia would be proud.”
Marianne adjusts her tiara and curtseys. “I’m ready for my royal debut.”
I raise my glass of sparkling rosé, and my friends follow. “To a night of fun, costumes, and making new memories.”
The sound of laughter fills the air as we toast to the night ahead. After months of life pulling us in different directionswith our careers, families, and other projects, it feels like a breath of fresh air to be in the same room again.
I can’t wait to see what the night brings. The club, the music, the people…I’m ready for it all.
Savoring the bubbly feeling of excitement, I toast once more. “Here’s to us,” I raise my glass, smiling as everyone joins in. “Let’s make tonight unforgettable.”
3
I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU
RASMUS
Arriving at Noir 21, a popular new club in Manhattan, I take in the scene in front of me with a sinking feeling in my stomach. The line stretches endlessly around the block. I don’t want to wait most of my night to get in. No way in hell.
“Please tell me you’ve got us on a VIP list or something?” I shoot a wary glance at Beck.
“Oh please, have a little faith in me.” He tugs at the lapels of his jacket. “Of course we’re on the list.”
“Thank fuck,” I mutter.
We step out of the sleek black town car and walk toward the VIP entrance. The bouncer, a towering guy with arms as thick as tree trunks, spots Beck, and his posture eases. He greets my linemate as if they’re old friends. Who knows, maybe they are. Beck seems to have connections everywhere we go.
“Ready to party?” Lloyd asks, paying special attention to three women walking past us. Their tight leather costumes glintunder the streetlights, highlighting every curve of their bodies. “I surely am. I mean, look at them.”
Ford rolls his eyes. “Focus, Romeo. We haven’t even made it inside, and you’re already ogling the women.”
“Aye, Aye, Captain,” Lloyd teases and opens the door for us. “After you, gentlemen.”
Massive chandeliers hang from lofty ceilings, making the entire place sparkle. A DJ I recognize from social media plays a remix of current hit songs, and the main dancefloor is filled to the brim with people shaking their bodies to the beat of the music.
Ford leads us toward one of the bars, his modest yet confident presence parting the sea of partygoers as though he owns the place. Lloyd, on the other hand, is checking out every woman in our proximity. Their costumes range from impressive to something my abuela would’ve called scandalous. The amount of skin on display reminds me of my teen years and how I dreamed about one day attending a party like this.
Realizing we’ve lost one of our posse, I stop the other two. “Where the fuck is Beck?”
“He saw one of his old college buddies right when we walked in,” Ford explains.
“Figures.”
The bartender, a woman with sleek black hair and a colorful Venetian-style mask, greets Lloyd with a hungry look that lingers a second too long.
“Three of your top-shelf tequila,” he slides his black credit card across the counter.
My eyes drift across the club. The sea of costumed people overwhelms me, making my head spin. I’m not one for big crowds, and Halloween seems to only intensify that feeling.
Then I spot her, and a sense of calm settles over me. The noise of the club and all the partygoers quickly fade into the background. Nothing else matters when I’ve got a direct line to her beauty.
She leans casually against the bar, a glass of champagne in her hand. Her fiery dark hair cascades over her shoulders in waves, framing her stunning features. She’s dressed in a skin-tight dark red dress that flawlessly hugs her tall, toned frame. That piece of fabric is the dangerous kind of sexy, the kind that can make a man lose control.
Her gaze shifts, and our eyes meet. A shimmering heat spreads through my chest, tightening around my ribs like a vice.
Fuck me. Those eyes make her even more beautiful, if possible. How has a single glance utterly wrecked me?
Her expression is unreadable at first, but as she scans me up and down, those tempting lips curve, promising trouble.
