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James gave me another searching look and then shrugged before going to the bar again. This wasn’t working out too badly after all.

* * *

“Whoa, slow down, baby,”James said when she handed me my third drink and I tried to take it all down at once.

“Baby?” I asked after I choked on the first sip.

“Sorry. It slipped out.” She’d gotten herself a glass of clear liquid with ice that might have been water.

One of my favorite songs came on and I couldn’t stand still.

“Oh my god, you have to dance with me,” I said, yanking her hand toward where a group of people were dancing and having a great time. I wanted to join them.

James’s eyes were wide, and she was like a deer in the headlights as I stood in front of her, putting my hands on her shoulders to show her where to stand.

When the hell was the last time I’d danced like this? Not just alone in my room or something?

I couldn’t remember when. And I’d never danced with this much alcohol in my veins. It was fucking awesome.

Tonight wasamazing.

I let out a cheer and a few of the women around me joined in. Throwing my hands in the air, I spun in a wobbly circle and didn’t fall, but only because James caught me, pulling me close.

“Be careful. You’ve already had a few.”

“I have! I want another one. Can you get me another one?”

She studied my face. “Maybe in a little bit. And you should have some water too.”

Pft. Water. That sounded responsible. I didn’t want to be responsible. I was always responsible.

“Fuck responsibility!” I yelled.

“Oh Jesus, you’re well on your way to being wasted,” James said, smiling a little.

“I really like your hair,” I yelled over the music. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I didn’t want to give you a compliment.”

She burst out laughing. “God, I wish I could save this night. Thank you, Delaney. That’s very nice to hear.”

Another song came on and I started moving with the beat, not caring how I looked. Not caring how anyone saw me. Just moving any way I wanted to.

“Fuck.” Somehow, I heard James’s little exhalation over the cacophony of other sounds.

“What?” I asked, doing another twirl and managing to stay on my feet. It was a near thing.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head and weakly bopping to the beat.

“You gotta put your hips into it, James.” I reached out and grabbed her hips, doing my best to make her sway to the beat.

She completely froze, doing the opposite of what I’d intended.

“Move,” I told her, pushing as hard as I could. Finally, she did what I asked. I looked up to find her closer than I’d realized.

Oh.

Her eyes were pools of darkness and I liked the way they flashed at me. I liked the way her hair fell and the way she was breathing hard, even though she was still barely moving.

“Is this what you wanted?” she asked, her voice dipping low in a way that made goosebumps pop up on my skin. The dance floor was a cramped, sweaty place, but I was struck with a strange chill.