“I think you need to change into something more . . . comfortable,” Erin said.

“I just said this is comfortable,” I grumbled.

I didn’t like where they were going with this. I watched as all four of them glanced at each other and smiled. They were like a group of she-devils scheming. Whatever they were up to, I wasn’t going to be dragged to the fiery pits of hell with them. I had a plan. This dress was part of my failsafe.

Keegan all of a sudden looked at me and poked out her lip. “Can I dress you into something a little more clubish? Pretty pretty please?”

“Oh my God, you’ve got to be kidding me? Sure, sic the bachelorette on me to make me feel guilty. Well, it’s not going to work.” I picked up my purse and crossed my arms.

“Come on. Just this once. I know you have something hiding in the back of your closet that deserves to be aired out,” Keegan said.

“Every girl does. But I don’t want to wear it.”

“Can I at least see it?”

“No.”

“Just let the bride see the dress, then we will go,” Macie demanded.

I sighed. “Fine. I’ll show it to you and then we are leaving. Deal?” I glanced around the room. All four of them made a motion to cross their hearts. I knew better than to trust them.

Thirty minutes later, they had me in the skin tight black number that I kept in the back of my closet. The top of the dress was low with a square neck that pushed my breasts up and made them spill over the material. It had capped sleeves and the length of the dress went to the middle of my thighs. I put on a pair of black pumps and then pulled my hair down, combing it out to give the illusion of soft waves. I held up my hand and drew the line with the make-up. Erin wanted to darken my eyes and add red lipstick, but I refused. Accepting that I wasn’t going to allow them to take their shenanigans any further, they all nodded, finally appeased with the way I looked. I think they assumed I wasn’t confident in myself or that I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. That wasn’t it at all. I knew I had a great body. It’s why I bought the darn dress in the first place. It flattered my every curve. But like most women, I had an outfit that was just for me. Something I kept as a “just in case” but never had an occasion to wear it. I had no doubt I would attract the opposite sex if I wore the dress. I just didn’t want too. Especially not tonight when I had four other people to keep an eye on and out of trouble.

“We are fuckin’ hot!” Macie all but yelled when we stepped out of the house. I would have shushed her if I had neighbors to worry about, but I didn’t. The closest person lived a quarter of a mile up the road.

The girls all giggled and loaded into my car. The ride into downtown Athens didn’t take very long. I may live in the country, but I was on the outskirts of the city. As we arrived, I spotted that they had valet parking. With a quick look around, I knew I’d was never going to find a spot on my own, so I went ahead and pulled up. We all climbed out and I think every male eye turned in our direction as if honing in on a prime cut of steak and their mouths were watering. I gave my keys over to a young man and he handed me a ticket. There was a line that trailed around the building and I almost got giddy. If they saw how long it was going to take to get inside, maybe they’d feel deterred enough to want to go back home. At least I would feel safe and comfortable there and not so out of control. Instead, just as I was about to turn and suggest it, Macie was talking to one of the bouncers at the door. He was eyeing her up and down and she had her hand on his shoulder. Oh no, the look on his face said this wasn’t going to go in my favor. Sure enough, she whistled to get our attention.

“Let’s go girls.” She motioned us inside. The bouncer moved the velvet rope out of the way to let us by. Several people in the line grumbled. I didn’t blame them. I’d like to know what Macie said to convince him to let us in.

As we walked up a few steps, there was a girl with a stamp pad standing in front of a cash register. We paid our cover fees and worked our way into the warehouse. The music behind the closed door was a dull thumping. The base rumbled through the floor to my feet. But that was nothing compared to how it felt when you walked inside. Standing on top of the steps and looking down, I could see everything. Strobe lights flashed in every direction and flickered off and on according to the beat. There was a large DJ booth that sat above the dance floor while several people worked up there. To my right and left were two bars. The establishment was so huge, it didn’t surprise me. The sea of people in here likely required a couple of places to get drinks. Looking into the corners, there was one section that was roped off with very few people occupying the space. It looked like a VIP section. The other corners had cushioned seats that lined the walls.

The girls were bouncing in their heels with excitement. They were ready to head to one of the bars and get something to drink, while I, on the other hand, wanted to hightail it out of there and get into some comfy pajamas and cuddle with Chaz. There were too many people here. What if we somehow got split up? What if someone slipped one of the girls a Roofie and I didn’t see it? What if one of them decided to go home with some random strange guy and they drove drunk? The Xanax I’d popped earlier was doing nothing to my overly shot nerves. This crowded cesspool was a nightmare. I hadn’t really planned on being surrounded by this many people. When I googled the Warehouse, it showed photos, but none of them displayed this many people. This was madness. As we started to step down, I grabbed Keegan’s hand. She linked hands with Macie and Macie did the same to the other girls. We formed a chain as I led them through open patches when the crowds would break apart. As soon as I reached the bar, the rest of them circled around me.

“Alright, what do you all want?” I asked.

“I say we do a shot together. Lemon Drops, y’all down?” Erin yelled over the music.

“Yes!” Keegan stated. “Why don’t you do one with us, Annabelle. It will help loosen you up.”

I shot her a look. She knew most of my issues, and I had a feeling I wasn’t hiding my mood very well with her. Not wanting to dampen her evening, I agreed to take one shot. It was her night, and frankly one little drink wasn’t going to cause me to lose my inhibitions. Jordan squeezed her slight frame in between several people squished together at the bar, and placed our order. Once the drinks were made and we all held one in our hands, Keegan grinned at me, letting me know I had made her happy. She knew I wasn’t going to get trashed tonight, but she liked seeing me let loose.

This time, Keegan stepped up and said, “My turn to toast.” We raised our glasses. “To good friends, lasting relationships, hot future husbands, and a lifetime of love.” Clinking glasses, I was just about to tip my head back when something . . . or should I say, someone caught my eye. The other girls had yet to notice me staring, but it didn’t take long for Macie to catch my line of vision.

“Well, what are the odds? Looks like a Brooks brother can be found in every little corner of this God forsaken town,” she said with clear disdain.

Jordan, Erin, and Keegan all turned their heads to see what she was glowering at. About twenty feet away stood a very tall, and exceptionally well dressed, Turner. He was wearing black slacks and a slate gray button down shirt. His eyes were looking down at the woman in front of him that was all but dry humping his leg as she danced. Personally, I wouldn’t call it dancing, it looked more like she was convulsing while standing upright. His features were smooth as I took in the square line of his jaw, and the way he absently nodded at her. He wasn’t listening to a word she was saying. Couldn’t she see his blank expression? Despite my disinterest, I felt a pull, preventing me from taking my eyes off of him. Like an invisible tether that drew me closer even though my feet never left the spot they were standing in.