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“He’s not my boyfriend,” I replied, finishing my drink. “As I said, I’ve never talked to him before. And I’m pretty sure he was under the impressionyouwere my boyfriend with the way you introduced yourself,” I pointed out.

Nik was about to open his mouth to reply with some witty retort when Tess turned to us, her hand on my back.

“Come to the bathroom with me?” It was a rhetorical question, she all but physically pulled me along with her and closed and locked the door behind us.

“Dude. Puck iscute. Like…really cute. And British. Why did you not tell me how cute he is?” she exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders, and shaking me.

“I’m pretty sure I did tell you he was cute,” I pointed out as she bounced to the sink and wet a paper towel, pressing it against her forehead to cool herself off.

“And you and Nik…” she started with big eyes, “I saw you two getting hot and heavy out there on the dance floor.” I hoped I wasn’t a terrible dancer, but I had nothing to compare the experience to. It had felt easy dancing with Nik, following his lead. I would be dreaming about the feeling of his lips at my neck tonight, that’s for sure.

Did he like me? Did I like him? I couldn’t deny I was attracted to him. I had never felt this way about a boy before. Sure, there were cute guys at school, but none of them had grabbed my attention in this way. But we still didn’t know anything about him, and something in my gut told me he might be bad news.

“Can we ask them to give us a ride home?” she asked, smirking at herself in the bathroom mirror.

“Sure.” I shrugged, it would be better than having Tess’ dad come pick us up anyway, we wouldn’t have to walk back down all those blocks in these ridiculous heels. My feet were already starting to hurt, and I had half a mind to ditch them if the floor weren’t so sticky.

“And was that Zach Walsh I saw dancing up on you, too? You are on fire tonight.”

“I don’t like Zach,” I replied, watching her pat herself down with the paper towel.

“Yeah, that’s because you’re all about Nikkkkk,” she laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day, my Diana, totally smitten over a boy.”

I rolled my eyes and joined her at the sink, checking to make sure my makeup hadn’t smeared at all during all the dancing and sweating.

We made our way back to the bar, a line now forming outside the girl’s bathroom. The fourth band had just started to play, and the crowd was more packed than ever. As we approached, I could see Nik still sitting on the barstool where I had thrown my jacket, but he was no longer alone. Lacey, one of Tess’ dance friends, was settled between his open legs, a hand on his shoulder as she threw her head back and laughed at whatever he had said. Of course, someone would already be hitting on him. Lacey was perfect, the same long tanned legs as Tess, but with a head of voluminous wavy blonde hair.

Nik peered back at her through hooded eyes, not appearing interested, taking a long sip of what appeared to be a beer. Neither he nor Puck had the fluorescent underage wristbands that Tess and I had been stuck with.

“Girl, you better go get your man,” Tess said at my ear.

“He’s not my man…” I started, but she had taken off already to go find Puck. I thought about turning back to find Tess, but from what I could see I didn’t think Nik was all that interested in Lacey. I circled around the bar and came around Nik from the back, wrapping my arm around his neck and sliding it down his chest as I faced Lacey with a smile.

Her face immediately fell, and she lost track of whatever it was that she had been saying. “Hello, Diana,” she said stiffly. I glanced down at Nik, who now wore a devious grin. She looked as if she was hoping Nik would tell me off and I would simply disappear.

“Hello, Lacey. What were you saying?” I asked as she took a step back, out of the circle of Nik’s legs.

“Oh…umm…” Her gaze traveled from my arm around Nik’s neck, then to Nik’s face before letting out a huff. “Never mind.” Lacey turned on her four-inch heels and left, fuming.

“Jealousy looks good on you, firecracker,” Nik teased, spinning his bar stool towards me so that it was now me who stood in the circle of his open legs.

“Jealousy?” I played dumb, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It didn’t bother you? Seeing Lacey’s hands on me?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. Oh, it bothered me alright, but I wasn’t about to admit that to him.

“Oh, you and Lacey are on a first name basis now, are you?” I asked, resting my hands on his thighs possessively as I inched closer.

“She’s in my biology class…” he replied, glancing down at my hands on his legs.

“And does she like you?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied with a smirk, turning his face up towards mine.

“And?”

“And…what? I don’t like her back,” he answered, sliding a finger into the loop on my jeans and pulling me closer. I moved my hands from his thighs to his shoulders as he glanced up at me.

“Whodoyou like?” I asked, I felt hot all over being this close to him again. I don’t know where this burst of confidence came from. Was it the makeup? The outfit? Or was I feeling bold under the dark lights of the club?