I feel a flutter in my stomach at the way he glances at me, and despite myself, I smile back. Maybe tonight isn’t about overthinking. Maybe it’s just about being in the moment.
The man turns to me. “And what about you, gorgeous? Are you having fun?”
I nod, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but I barely answer. The room is almost moving in slow motion around me. “Yeah, I am.”
He leans in closer, his hot breath fanning my ear. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“Yes, you can,” Minny answers for me with a wink.
I feel a little uncomfortable, but she’s enjoying the attention just as much as I am. The man orders another round of drinks, and we chat for a while, laughing and flirting. He’s charming and confident.
The bartender slides four drinks down in front of us. Minny tips hers back and takes mine when I offer it to her.
“You okay?” she mouths to me.
I nod.
“Another round,” he orders the bartender before he leans in closer. His body is nearly on top of mine now. The heavy notes of musk from his cologne waft over me. “You guys want to come with me to the VIP section?” he asks. “I have a table reserved.” He points, drawing our attention to the roped-off section opposite the dance floor.
“I don’t know,” I hesitate.
“How about this?” the handsome man offers, shifting off his barstool. His body is so close to mine that I suck in a breath. He notices but doesn’t say a word. “I’ll go check to make sure my table is ready, and while I’m gone, you two can decide if you’d like to join my friends and me.”
“That sounds great,” Minny answers. He nods to his friends, who follow him to the VIP section. We watch as he stops to talk to the bouncer.
“Why are you hesitating? He’s into you.”
“We barely know him. I don’t even know his name.”
“Honey, it’s Vegas. This kind of stuff happens every single day. People come here to let loose and indulge in their fantasies. If I were single, I’d have dragged him off to the nearest bathroom already.”
“I’m not brave like you,” I slur. My speech is slower and more drawn out.
Minny grabs my hand, “Look at me, Charlie. You’re in a city where it’s okay to be whoever you want to be and do whatever you want to do. You have the chance to make memories that will last a lifetime. Don’t waste it by being afraid.”
I chew on my bottom lip, mulling over her words. The brain fog is only getting worse. She reaches behind me, grabs my drink from earlier, and hands it to me, “Liquid courage.”
I draw the glass to my lips before a large hand snatches it from me.
“What the hell?” I hiss, peering up at the large man in front of me.
His long, blond hair is pulled tightly against the crown of his head in a bun. “You should watch your fucking drink,” he growls before dumping the contents on the floor next to me. The contents splash on my heels.
“Hey, asshole. You’re going to pay for that,” Minny protests.
“Your drinks are dosed,” he growls out again.
“Listen, asshole. If you think this is your in to talk to us, you have another thing coming. You can take your white-knight shit and shove it up your ass.”
“One of his buddies dosed your drinks while he distracted you.” He draws up the glass, and a white substance rings the inside of it. He extends it out to show Minny before handing it to the bartender. “You’re lucky I noticed before she drank it. If that makes me an asshole for ruining your night, I think I’ll live.”
She dumps her drink on the floor next to us and inspects her glass. A similar white ring is on hers too. “Fuck,” Minny swears.
“I think what you meant to say is thank you.”
He tried to drug us. I’m frozen in shock, and he notices.
“You feeling okay, sweetheart? How much has she had to drink?”
