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“Are you sure you don’t want to me find someone who can make you a fake-ID?” I ask, hopping onto the edge of Paige’s bed.

“Oh yeah, because going to a club is definitely my scene,” she deadpans.

“Fine, but promise me we’ll go out when you’re twenty-one?” I pull her hand into mine and hold it close to my chin, begging with my eyes for her to make this promise.

She huffs and rolls her eyes but smiles when she replies. “Fine. I promise we will go out when I turn twenty-one.”

“No take backs.”

“No take backs,” she agrees.

I squeal and plant a kiss on her cheek. She chuckles and wipes away the lipstick that paints her skin.

“Go have fun, I’m going to just finish my book and go to bed.” She holds up her e-reader.

“What are you reading this time?” I lift my chin, gesturing toward it.

“It’s called Waiting for Redemption by Sarah Pirtle. ” A smile spreads across her face and she begins to tell me all about the story.

“Huh… I’d totally bone Tank. He sounds hot AF.”

“Same.”

Laughter bursts out of us and I lean against her arm.

“I wouldn’t mind a big, tattooed, ex-marine calling me his wife,” I say, a dreamy expression spreading over my face. “That’s it. I’m manifesting a big, tattooed man who is possessive and sexy as sin to sweep me off my feet.”

Paige snorts then nudges me with her shoulder. “Get out of here, you crazy woman.”

“Listen, I’m an Aries. It’s in my nature to be the way I am.” I stand and straighten my little black dress I chose for the night.

Paige’s face sobers and her light green eyes rise to meet mine. “Just please be careful,” she whispers.

I came completely unglued when Paige first told me of the horrors she experienced growing up. I had demanded she take me to her mom’s house so I could rip her limb from limb. I wanted to eradicate her existence and that of her fucking drug dealer, Mark.

Her timid and shielded behavior made more sense after that. Since then, it’s been my mission to help her grow out of that shell and to see the good that life can have.

Even if I sometimes struggle to believe it.

“I promise.” I place my hand on my heart and smile softly.

Planting a kiss on her head, I walk out of our apartment.

* * *

I follow Karley – another bartender from work – into the club. We’ve become relatively close since I started working at the bar.

The repetitive thump of the bass vibrates in my chest. On the dancefloor, party goers grind against each other seductively.

Karley leans into my ear. “Let’s head to the bar,” she shouts over the music, and I nod. We push our way through the throng of bodies, finding two empty stools at the bar. After a couple of tries, we finally get the attention one of the bartenders.

A tall slender man with blonde spiked hair and dark eyeliner painted around his eyes stands in front of us with a smile.

“What can I get you?”

Karley leans forward so she doesn’t need to shout as loud. “I’ll have a shot of tequila.”

He nods then turns his gaze to me. “Same.”

“Coming right up,” he replies with a wink then swiftly pours our shots. He sets the glasses onto the bar top followed by a small bowl of salt and two lime wedges.

I pull out my card and slide it over to him.

“Are we opening up a tab?” he asks, taking the card.

“Sure.” I shrug and Karley nods.

“I’ll Venmo you some money for the drinks.”

When he moves to open the tab, Karley and I lick a small area of the back of our hands then dap some salt on it.

“Cheers, bitch!” she exclaims with a wide smile.

“Cheers!” I laugh.

We clink our glasses together, lick the salt, and toss back our shots. With a wince, we shove the limes into our mouths.

The tequila burns as it travels down my throat and warms my chest. The contrast of the salt and the lime make the spicy earth flavor that much better.

Excited howls burst from our lips the moment In da Club by 50 Cent blares through the speakers. Hopping off our stools, our bodies move with the beat as we make our way to the dance floor.

We find an empty spot in the middle of the crowd. Arms raised, hips rotating with the music, I let myself escape into the noise.

Large hands grip onto my hips and a hard body is pressed against my back.

“Fuck, you’re sexy,” the man says as his hips move with mine. I feel the press of his erection on my back.

I don’t reply, just swaying with him. Karley wiggles her brows at me when I meet her gaze. With a smirk, I roll my eyes playfully.

After a while, I turn and face my dance partner. With my heels, I’m eye level with him and it’s an instant turn off.

It’s not that I’m not attracted to him. He has chocolate-brown eyes and blonde hair. Even with the lighting in the club, I can tell his skin is sun kissed. I just want a mountain of a man to tuck myself against. Someone who can manhandle me. Dominate me.

Just by looking at this guy, I can tell that’s not him.

He dips his head to my ear. “Can I buy you a drink?”

I nod and he takes my hand in his, striding to the bar. I look over my shoulder and meet Karley’s eyes, so she sees where I’m going. She gives me a thumbs up before resuming her dance with a beautiful brunette in a tube top and jean skirt.

We sit at the bar and order our drinks. Tyler, my dance partner, leans on his forearm that’s rested on the bar top.

“So, any particular reason you’re out tonight?” he asks with a smirk.

Now that I’m alone with this guy, I’m on edge. I haven’t removed my hand from the top of drink since it was set in front of me. He clocked the movement instantly and has – not so subtly – glanced at it repeatedly.

“It’s my birthday,” I reply feigning a relaxed demeanor.

“Happy Birthday.” He nods then lifts his drink to his lips. His eyes quickly shift from me to my drink, then back again.

This mother fucker.

If my brothers have taught me anything, it’s that if someone is acting shady, chances are they’re planning something shady.

“Do you have plans to roofie me, Tyler?” I ask bluntly, tilting my head to the side and raising my brows.

The bartender pauses in my periphery, but my gaze doesn’t stray from Tyler’s. His face blanches before a slick smile spreads.

“What makes you ask that?” The slight increase in his voice’s pitch gives me the answer I need.

I lift my hand from my drink then bring the glass to my lips, eliminating the chance for him to slip something into it. The tension in Tyler’s shoulders cause them to rise nearly to his ears.

When I don’t reply or remove my stare from him, he bolts from his seat.

I smirk as he tries to push his way through the crowd.

“I’ll call security,” the bartender says, lifting a walkie-talkie to his lips.

* * *

“The asshole wanted to do what?!” Paige screams when I tell her about Tyler last night. It wasn’t long after he was hauled out by security that he was arrested, and I decided to head home.

As much as I liked making him squirm, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with another asshole trying to drug me.

After I spoke with Karley, she agreed going home was better than risking another guy trying what Tyler tried.

“Don’t worry, once security was called and they got him out, he was arrested.” I burrow myself further into my blankets. Paige lies next to me.

Paige shakes her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe he was going to try and roofie you, Sarah.”

I shrug. “I’m honestly not surprised. It happens to women all the time.”

Paige looks at me like I’ve grown a second head. “Why are you so calm about this? You could have been attacked.”

“I know. I’m not trying to seem like it didn’t bother me; it did.” I turn to face her fully. “I liked that I was able to make him squirm when he was trying to do something wrong, though.”

She side-eyes me, wordlessly.

“I left right after he was arrested, Paige,” I whisper, nestling closer to her side.

“I know…” she swallows. “But, Sarah, something could have happened to you.” My heart clenches when her voice cracks.

“I’ll be more careful,” I promise.

“What are you going to do when you go again, and you don’t notice someone slipping something into your drink?”

“I guess my only option is to do shots, so I drink them right at the bar.”

Dropping her eyes to mine, she frowns.

“Paige, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. I’ve been using a fake-ID for a few years, you know that.”

“Yeah, Sarah, but this is the first time you’re telling me about it. I worry about you; you just go with the flow and have little regard for your safety. Sometimes I think you don’t care if something happens to you.”

I don’t. But I don’t say that.

“I’m sorry. I promise I will be more careful.”

She lets out a deep sigh and closes her eyes. “Okay,” she whispers. “I guess that’s the best you can give me, right?”

I give her a sheepish smile. There isn’t much I can do to control the actions of men and their entitlement. At least not right now.

I will though.

People, no matter their gender, status, or background, need to be held accountable for their actions.