Page 15 of Hold Me

I nod, and we dance for a while until my feet start killing me.

“Care to join me for a drink?” I ask as we pull apart.

“Sure.” He follows me to the bar, and we take a seat at the end where no one will bother us. When the waiter places our drinks in front of us, I take the glass and gulp a big sip of my vodka-orange juice, which is a small relief for my dry throat.

“Um, do you come here often? I haven’t seen you around here before,” I say, breaking the awkward silence between us.

“It’s my first time here, actually. I just moved into the area.” He fumbles with his drink, nearly spilling it.

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“What about you? Do you come here regularly?”

“Yeah, my friend loves this place.”

“Your friend?”

“Yeah, she’s around here somewhere.” My gaze immediately searches the crowd. Where is Katherine? I haven’t seen her anywhere. Usually, I catch a glimpse of her at the bar or on the dance floor, but tonight it’s like she’s disappeared. That’s weird.

“Oh, okay.” The guy wipes his palms on his jeans, and I find it amusing that he’s nervous around me, but it’s also kind of cute.

“Are you a student or do you have a job?” I can’t tell how old he is. He looks around my age, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was slightly older.

“I... I’m looking for a job, actually.” He shrugs. “College wasn’t for me.”

“Good luck with that, then.” I offer him a smile.

He cocks his head at me, worrying at his lower lip. “You said your name was Lilith. Lilith Barrons?”

“Yeah.” I blink rapidly, surprised that he knows who I am. Sure, I’ve appeared in the press with my father, but people usually don’t recognize me in clubs or on the street unless they’re paying special attention.

“You’re very lucky,” he says, and my eyebrows shoot upward. “I mean, you’re an heiress. You can do and have whatever you want. Must be nice.”

“It is.” I take a sip of my drink. Geez, this is getting awkward.

“Look, I wouldn’t ask... but...” He looks away, licking his lips.

“Ask what?”

“I really need a job... and your father... maybe he needs someone.”

I frown, unsure if the only reason he agreed to dance with me was because he recognized me and thought it was a perfect opportunity to score a job offer. Unfortunately for him, I don’t know if my father is hiring at the moment because that’s not something he talks to me about anyway. “I can talk to my father, but I can’t promise you anything.” I cover his hand with mine, and a smile spreads his lips as he lifts his eyes.

“You’d do that for me? Thank you.”

“Sure. Just give me your contact info.”

He immediately takes out a small card with a name and number on it, and I slip it into my small purse. “Thank you. Really.”

“No problem.” I suddenly don’t feel like talking to him anymore. The relief on his face is too big and I’m sure he isn’t really interested in me. “I’m going to look for my friend now. See you around.”

“Yeah, see you.”

I down the rest of my drink and head toward the dance floor. A couple of guys try to drag me into their arms, but I push them away. I circle around the room, but Katherine is nowhere to be found. I briefly consider calling her, but she told me not to wait for her, so she probably doesn’t want to be bothered, or she’d be somewhere I could see her. Finally, I give up and leave. Maybe I’ll have better luck with guys next time. Or maybe not.

“I can’t do this anymore... with Sam,” Jade says, her makeup smeared all over her face, her eyes filled with tears.

Caleb immediately pulls her into his arms. “Yes, you can,” he says and plants a soft kiss on her forehead.