Page 3

Standing at the tall table in the corner of the bar, Evelyn clenched the glass in her hand. Her friends Sophie and Brooke’s laughter, Jasmine’s teasing, and the hum of conversation rising and falling swirled around her. The birthday banner was haphazardly strung above their table, fluttering in the bar’s cool circulated air, and the lights pulsed to the rhythm of the song on the speakers. Evelyn had trouble taking it all in. Places likeSapphireweren’t exactly her scene. She preferred her cozy nights at home with her head buried in a romance novel.But tonight isn’t about that, she thought.No, tonight is my birthday. Isn’t that supposed to mean something different? Something more?

Suddenly, Jasmine’s arm looped around her, and Evelyn forced a tight smile. “Are you having fun?” Jasmine asked. She nudged Evelyn playfully, squeezing her waist. “You look like you just got called on in class or something.” Then she paused. “Wait, you always liked being called on in class.”

Evelyn exhaled softly and tried to look less like she’d rather be anywhere else. “I’m fine,” she answered, though she didn’t believe it. She wasn’t sure that Jasmine believed it either. Music thumped louder in the background, and Evelyn’s fingerstightened even more around her glass of ice water. She wasn’t even drinking tonight, trying to keep her head clear. Her nerves didn’t need any more fuel.

Jasmine shook her head of short blonde hair. “Come on. This party is about you,” she said. “You’re not getting away with being a wallflower the whole night. Sophie and Brooke want you out there with us.” Evelyn glanced at her two friends, who were already at the edge of the dance floor. Brooke was doing a twirl, her long, dark hair flowing, while holding up her cocktail dramatically. Red-headed Sophie performed an all-too-familiar spinning move, which she clearly picked up from the Internet. Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh. Brooke and Sophie were nothing if not predictable when it came to having fun. She chewed on her bottom lip, not exactly ready to leave her position of quiet observation in the safety of the corner. And then something happened…

As she turned her gaze across the room, she saw a woman. A stranger watched her from near the bar. A very tall, sexy stranger with cropped brown hair and broad shoulders in a black leather jacket that screamed self-confidence, and a smile just soft enough to be dangerous. For a second, their eyes locked. It was unintentional, their connection, but the way the stranger looked at her for that single charged moment made something inside Evelyn tighten, not unlike a jolt of electricity right to her spine. Feeling her cheeks flush, Evelyn quickly looked away.

“Evie,” Jasmine said. “Are you coming or what?”

The tension in Evelyn’s chest refused to dissipate, and she swallowed, hoping to extinguish it while forcing herself to smile through her sudden confusion. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, okay.” Jasmine clapped her hands and then grabbed Evelyn to pull her toward the dance floor. Evelyn let herself be dragged along, heart still beating a little too fast. Sophie and Brooke cheered, clearly delighted to capture the birthday girl at last.

They started swaying along with the beat as more people pressed in around them. “Time to let loose,” Sophie said, flinging her arms dramatically as she spun in a circle. Evelyn tried hard to match her friend’s enthusiasm with a stiff spin of her own. Yet, even as she swayed awkwardly, trying to mimic her friend’s moves to the best of her ability, part of her mind was still stuck at the bar, stuck on that dark-eyed gaze of the tall stranger in the leather jacket. She swallowed again, momentarily losing track of what she was supposed to be doing with her arms.

“Focus. You’re the star of the show,” Sophie teased. Evelyn did the best she could to recapture the beat, but then, out of instinct, her eyes flicked back toward the bar counter. Now, the stranger leaned against it, pint glass in hand, this time laughing with someone almost as tall, with a blue baseball cap turned backward on her head, and tattoo sleeves on her arms.Only a friend,Evelyn thought, taking in the old-school flirtatious energy that surrounded the woman. She exuded confidence. And that smile…God, that smile.Where have I ever seen someone with a smile like that?

“Earth to Evelyn,” Brooke called, waving her hands. “Are you feeling that birthday buzz yet?”

Evelyn blinked before giving her friend a strained smile. “Totally,” she lied. But in truth, she wasn’t focused on any buzz of celebration. Even as lights twinkled around the dance floor, even as Sophie shouted something playful and Brooke burst into a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” Evelyn’s focus kept slipping. She wanted to ignore the stranger, but she glanced over again. The woman’s eyes were back on her, cutting through the flashing strobes and the bodies twisting between them. Evelyn’s body betrayed her at that moment. Her heart skipped a beat. Her breath caught in her throat. The stranger looked at her like maybe there was something more to say than words allowed.That thought sent a wave of heat running through her, confusing but undeniable.

Evelyn was normally so careful, so measured, but here in the crowded bar, everything felt unpredictable, unsteady, dangerous. It was terrifying. A burst of laughter from Jasmine caught her ear, but it did nothing to distract her from what was happening right across the room. Clearly noticing the stranger’s approach, Brooke moved closer and whispered loudly. “Uh-oh. Looks like someone’s making their way over here.” Evelyn’s eyes widened. The stranger had pushed off the bar, her movements easy, each step slow and deliberate. The woman wasn’t just coming her way.She’s coming for me, Evelyn thought, and she had no idea what to do about it.

Seeming unable to help herself, Jo watched the stranger on the edge of the dance floor.The birthday girl, she thought. The woman stood out amidst the sea of moving bodies, and it wasn’t because of her dancing ability, that was for sure, but because of her nervous energy. It seemed to radiate from her. And yet, for some strange reason, Jo couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. It was a mix of curiosity, but that wasn’t all. There felt like something deeper, something she wasn’t quite ready to name, and it pulled her forward.

As she made her way across the dance floor, dodging bodies as they moved to the music, Jo’s mind briefly flashed back to the earlier conversation with her friend Mica. The idea of settling down and finding someone special seemed so completely foreign hours ago. Yet, here she was, drawn in some strange way to this woman she had never met. She shook her head slightly, pushing the thoughts aside.This is only another night atSapphire, she thought.Just another potential conquest. Nothing more. Still, the closer she got to the woman, the more intrigued Jo became.She saw the way the woman’s eyes darted around, never quite settling on one spot for too long. It was clear that she was out of her comfort zone, trying desperately to blend into the celebratory atmosphere around her and failing.Badly.Jo felt the sudden urge to put her at ease, to see her relax, and maybe even to enjoy her birthday.

When she was close enough, she smiled. “Hi there,” she said. “I’m Jo. And I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.” Her voice barely raised enough to be heard over the thumping bass, but she could tell the woman had heard her. Her gaze snapped to Jo’s face, and there was a nervousness in her eyes.

“Oh, hi. Um, thank you,” she stammered, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. Jo’s smile widened, finding the woman’s awkwardness endearing.

A new song was starting, and Jo took advantage. “I love this song,” she said. “Want to dance with me?” The woman’s eyes widened slightly, and Jo could almost see the internal debate playing out on her face. With a quick glance, she noticed that the rest of the birthday party watched the interaction with interest.

The woman cleared her throat. “Clearly, I’m not much of a dancer,” she said, her voice barely audible over the music.

Encouraged, Jo leaned in slightly, her voice taking a conspiratorial tone as she whispered in her ear. “You don’t have to be,” she said. “It’s your birthday. Don’t you want to live a little?” The woman hesitated for a moment longer and then reached for the drink in her friend’s hand. Before anyone could react, she downed it in one swift motion, grimacing slightly, clearly not used to the burn of alcohol. Jo raised an eyebrow and chuckled. She couldn’t help but be impressed and a little amused by the unexpected move.

“Okay,” the woman said, a new determination in her voice. “Let’s dance.” Taking Jo’s hand, she led them further onto the dance floor. Out of the corner of her eye, Jo saw other women’sfaces, and there was a mixture of surprise and what might have been approval in their expressions. Jo’s focus quickly returned to her new dance partner, who now stood before her, looking equal parts excited and terrified. The music pulsed around them, and other dancers moved with rhythm.

Taking the lead, Jo started to move her hips, swaying to the beat. Not wanting to overwhelm the woman, she kept her movements simple. “Feel the music,” she encouraged.

Slowly, hesitantly, the woman began to move. Her movements were stiff, and at first, her body was rigid. Clearly, she was nervous. But as the song went on, Jo saw her starting to relax, the tension in her shoulders easing ever so slightly. Slowly, the woman set the tempo between them, and Jo wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it. She was used to being the one in control of the dance floor. The one leading and setting the pace, but something about the woman made her want to hang back. She wanted the birthday girl to find her own rhythm.

As they danced, the world around them seemed to fade. The crowded bar, the pulsing lights, even the loud music became background noise. Looking at the woman, their eyes met, and Jo found herself lost in how the woman’s face lit up when she finally seemed to let go and truly start to enjoy herself. Jo noticed the music beginning to shift. The fast-paced beat gave way to something slower. Uncertainty crossed the woman’s face, and for a moment, Jo thought the spell might be broken. Without thinking, Jo stepped closer so her lips almost brushed the woman’s ear. She put her hands on her hips. “Do you want to keep dancing with me?” she whispered. She heard the woman catch her breath, and a slight tremor ran through her body. For a heartbeat everything seemed to hang in the balance onSapphire’scrowded floor. Surrounded by strangers and friends alike, Jo found herself holding her breath waiting for the woman’s response. Pulling back a little, she looked into her eyesand saw her lips were slightly parted as if she were about to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she gave a small nod.

Slowly, as if handling something fragile, Jo moved her hands onto the woman’s waist. She felt the soft silk of her blouse, but also sensed a slight tremor that ran through the woman’s body at her touch. “Relax,” Jo murmured. “Follow my lead.”

As she swayed to the slower beat, Jo found herself aware of every point of contact between them. The heat of the woman’s skin beneath her hands, the slight touch of the woman’s breath against her neck, in the way their bodies seem to fit perfectly together. Around them, other couples moved to the music, lost in their own worlds, but for Jo, everything narrowed down to this exact moment, this dance, and the stranger in her arms.

Clearly not used to dancing so close, the woman’s movements were hesitant at first, but as the song progressed, Jo felt her melting into the rhythm and into Jo’s embrace. As they danced, Jo found her mind replaying the events that led up to this strange moment. How the woman had caught her eye from across the room, and the unexpected pull Jo had felt. That nervous energy that radiated from her and the impulsive way the woman had downed her friend’s drink clearly for courage. Jo had seen countless women inSapphireover the years and had danced with more than she could remember, but something about this one was different. Somehow, she was more vulnerable, and for some reason, tonight of all nights, Jo found that utterly captivating.

As the melody reached its bridge, the smaller woman rested her head on Jo’s shoulder and sighed. The gesture was so natural, so unguarded, that Jo sucked in a breath. She nearly froze, unsure how to respond.This reaction isn’t part of my routine, she thought.This is not how these nights typically go. But the woman’s warmth seeped into Jo, and the scent of her perfume, something light and floral, filled Jo’s senses. Her armstightened slightly around the woman’s waist, pulling her closer. Slowly, all of Jo’s carefully constructed walls, all her rules about keeping things casual and never getting involved, seemed to crumble.

The colored lights ofSapphirecovered the dance floor in an array of patterns, but Evelyn’s world shrunk to a single point of focus. All she could think about was the woman who had introduced herself and asked her to dance.Jo, she thought, finding it so perfect. The woman’s strong arms encircled her waist, and their bodies moved together in perfect sync with the beat that thrummed through the air. Her heart racing, Evelyn had trouble catching her breath. With every subtle shift of Jo’s hips against hers, she felt a blaze of heat.

“You’re a natural,” Jo said near her ear. Her voice was low and husky, sending a shiver down Evelyn’s spine.

Lifting her head and letting out a nervous laugh, Evelyn’s cheeks flushed. “It’s the alcohol,” she stammered, doing her best to steady her voice despite the trembling in her body.