I finished off my third whiskey, and Marcel turned, one of his bushy eyebrows arching. “‘Nother round?”

“Nah.” I pulled the wallet out of my back pocket with the chain attached and flipped it open, sliding two twenties across the counter. “I’m good for the night. Gotta drive. Appreciate it though.”

Marcel accepted the change. “Mmmhmm.”

Standing from the stool, I turned for the exit, the bright neon lights burning my eyes as I staggered toward the door. Before I could reach the handle, the door had already swung open, and a young girl with the ends of her hair dyed pink dashed in, laughing so hard I swear she was about to pop a lung.

“Oh my gosh! This place fucking sucks!” she yelled, loud enough for Marcel to hear. I glanced back. Marcel’s line of sight shifted from the TV screen above him to the girl. He then looked at me. I shrugged, looking forward again. “Damn it, Chloe! Why’d you drag us here?”

Chloe? I wasn’t sure how I made out that name, considering the girl’s speech was horribly slurred. My back straightened, breathing turning shallow as I focused on the other girl that walked through the door. And my fucking god, she looked amazing. Good enough to fucking eat, but maybe just a little too hot to devour right away.

In this moment, as she walked inside with a halter dress that hugged her body, strappy heels, and her hair pinned up, it seemed she was on fucking fire. And for only a millisecond, I couldn’t breathe. I liked this fiery side of her.

Blazing.

Burning.

Untouchable.

If I got too close, I knew she’d burn me. But, like a child, I was mesmerized, dying to cop a feel. Unable to stop staring. Wanting so badly to play with that raging blaze.

Fuck.

Her eyes caught mine when she made it through the door, a guy following behind her. My fists automatically clenched as he pressed his palm on the small of her back and said something to her, but then he hurried for the pink-haired girl. I realized he wasn’t Chloe’s date. He was the crazy girl’s.

Pink Hair and her date went to the bar, ordering a round of drinks from an irritated Marcel. He was never the type to kick anyone out, especially if the kids looked wealthy and ready to drink the night away, and that was exactly what they looked like. Ready to party. Ready to get wasted. Ready to blow all their money on overpriced drinks.

I turned forward again, watching as Chloe stood there, a light smile on her face. Her grey eyes bolted with mine, the sound of a lock clinking in my head, verifying that I would no longer be able to look away from her for the rest of the night.

Her skin looked as smooth as satin beneath the dim lights, her hair probably as soft as silk. It was actually tamed tonight. No wild curls. No hippie style to go along with it. It suited her as well. She had a versatile appeal.

“Hi, Theo,” she murmured, taking a step towards me. “Sorry I’m so late.”

“Nah… it’s all good.” I took a step with her. “Didn’t think you’d show though.”

“Good… that’s exactly what I wanted.” Her cheeks stretched.

“Oh really? And why is that?”

“I wanted to see how long you’d wait.”

I shrugged. “Playing the hard to get game, huh?”

“No not at all,” she teased.

“I just figured you’d made up your mind… chose a different path.”

Her brows narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

“You know what I mean.” Her eyes moved quickly from mine, avoiding the subject at all costs. Sighing, she looked from me to the bar, shaking her head at her friends. “Those must be the friends that beat me to the punch, I presume?” I decided to forget about the subject too.

“Yep.”

“Wild,” I chuckled.

“Her name in my phone is actually Wild Child. What a coincidence!”

I glanced over my shoulder. “I can see why.”

She continued a smile, rocking on her heels. To avoid awkwardness I pointed back with my thumb, gesturing towards the counter. “How about we join them? I owe you a drink, right?”

“Oh—no!” She waved a hand. “You don’t have to. I’m DD.”

“DD?” I frowned, confused.

She giggled. “Designated driver.”

“Ohh.” I cracked a half-smile. “I knew that. Shit, one drink won’t kill you. Come on!”

She looked at me and then at the bar. I guess all of the aligned bottles on the shelves felt welcoming because she finally moved forward. “Fine, but sheesh,” Chloe laughed, walking past me and meeting at the far end of the bar. “Come on Mr. Black, you aren’t that old. You should know what DD means.”

I watched her hips swing, throbbing when my last name ran off her lips. I controlled myself, keeping my voice even as I said, “Your generation is a little different than mine.” I followed her to the bar, taking a seat.

“How so?” she questioned.

“Just is. Some of the shit I hear kids say now confuses the fuck out of me.”

Chloe laughed, her eyes shimmering from the dim lighting above. “Like YOLO, thot, and Bye, Felicia?”

“Exactly! What do those even mean?” I gestured for Marcel to come my way and after ordering another drink for myself and allowing her to order her own, she responded.

“YOLO means ‘you only live once’. A thot is a girl that apparently is a whore, or someone that will sleep with anyone for attention. And Bye, Felicia pretty much means ‘get the fuck out of here with your bullshit’.”

My eyes expanded, and I couldn’t help the laugh that spewed out of me. “Wow… see! Like I said. This generation comes up with some pretty wild shit.”

She shook her head, still fighting that cute little grin. Her arm happened to brush mine, a bolt of electricity lighting my core. As if she felt that same spark, she looked up at me, but she didn’t dare move away. The smoothness of her skin on mine, the flesh on flesh, was all too familiar, and I refused to kill this moment by pulling away. I couldn’t be a pussy, pretend nothing was here when there was clearly so much.

So many unanswered questions.

So many unshared moments.

So many times I’ve wanted to make her mine repeatedly, take her in every position, hear her whisper and then cry my name, hold me close as our lips molded, our breathing entwined, deep in passionate trances.

I placed my hand on top of the one she had resting on her lap. Moments later and the wild girl appeared over Chloe’s shoulder, her drink sloshing all over the countertop, interrupting our connected gazes. Chloe turned quickly to take the drink from her and placed it on the counter before she could spill it on our clothes.

“Chloe,” the girl whined, “can we pleeaaassseee go back to Brix. I was having so much fun there!”

“I know, but you swore we could come to Dane’s at twelve, Mariah.” Chloe frowned.

“Yah… I know, but…ugh.” She looked around in revulsion. “We’re not having fun here.” She pouted her bottom lip, placing her elbow on the edge of the counter. She then zoned in on me, her hooded eyes narrowing. “Oh my gosh… you are so fucking hot!”

I pressed my lips, nodding in appreciation.

“No seriously…” The Mariah girl stood up straight. “Is he why you wanted to come here? My fucking goodness he’s beautiful.”

Chloe’s cheeks burned, and she purposely avoided my eyes.

“He looks sooo familiar though…” Her lips twisted as she walked around Chloe to get a closer look at me. When it finally registered, she said, “Oh! I know! He totally looks like your friend Izzy! You know, the one we hung out with for spring break last year?”

In an instant, my face went strict, jaw ticking. Reality, like a whirlwind, hit me and I turned forward, looking up at the screen and pulling my hand far away from Chloe’s. I pretended not to notice Marcel looking at me from his end of the bar. I was sure he’d been wondering why I was hanging around my daughter’s friends at a bar… buying them drinks. Snooting it up with her best friend.