Dani entered the bustling bar and bistro with her girlfriends and watched heads turn to track their progress to their table. Dressed to the nines for their night out, four beautiful women were bound to attract attention. The coral sheath and nude stilettos made Dani aware of her body and her walk, in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. She had donned her dress and applied her makeup, arming herself with her femininity in a ritual as old as time, ready to take on the world of men.
She bolstered her power, finding the confidence to walk into the place as if she owned it. Every male gaze that she attracted gave her a secret thrill. It had been too long since she’d let this side of herself out to play. Attracting men’s attention, in the company of good friends, shot her confidence even higher. The fact that she already had a particular man in mind freed her from worrying about following through on any of flirtatious glances coming her way.
“Julia Quinn must be right,” Stella teased as a flight of champagne arrived at their table almost before they did, sent by two suits at the end of the bar. “Men are like sheep—happy followers. Now that one of us is taken, we’re irresistible.”
“What? Who’s taken?” Olivia chimed in.
“Dani, of course. Can’t you see the glowy, I-just-got-laid vibe she’s still sporting?”
Dani felt her face flush, as her friends immediately pounced on this news.
“Details! We need details! I bet it was the sexy new neighbor. Am I right? Tell me I’m right.” Jamie bounced in her seat.
“She got it in one! How did you know?” Stella replied.
“Something about the ‘he’s so sexy, he turns my knees to Jell-O’ story a few weeks ago stuck with me. So, what’s the story, Dani?” Jamie took the lead and engaged the men in suits with smiling nods and flirting eyes, while Dani filled the girls in.
“I’m not sure yet. We haven’t really spoken since the explosion.”
“Explosion?”
“Well, when you keep sexual tension under that much pressure, it’s bound to explode sooner or later. And oh my, does that man know how to let go…”
They placed their orders for small plates to share, and between Stella and Jaime flirtatiously sampling bacon wrapped dates and lemon roasted asparagus spears, they reduced the men at the bar to drooling fools. Laughter and that secret female power glowed in every eye around the table. Dani knew she’d been right to call for a Girls’ Night Out. Every woman deserved to recharge with the girls, and it had been too long for all of them. Grinning at the response of the men at the bar to her friends’ antics, Dani let her gaze scan the rest of the room. She did a double take when she spotted a pair of very familiar broad shoulders across the room.
Nick leaned back in his chair, trying to angle it away from the table so he could see the door. He’d showed up last and had gotten the seat facing the wall. He could feel the prickles of anxiety climbing up his spine. He couldn’t sit still and leaned forward to cup his hands around the single pint of beer he was nursing. He tried to refocus on the conversation his buddies were having about the upcoming playoffs. He hadn’t been following the season closely, and couldn’t let his guard down enough to follow the debate. Every time a waiter passed behind him, his attention shifted, following their movements until they were safely past.
“So, Nick, how’re you settling into your new place?” Killeran asked. “Seth told us you got a place across town?”
“Uh, yeah, Killer. It’s good, you know, a little quiet, but good.”
“Anyone special in your life?” Killeran prodded.
“Nope.”
“What about the babe across the hall?” Santos put in. Nick glared across the table at Seth.
“What? She’s hot! She’s the only positive thing your building has going for it. Of course, I mentioned her. Guys, you should’ve seen her! Blond hair, blue eyes, and a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies? Doesn’t get more perfect than that!”
“She’s not some fantasy girl.” Nick replied with a hint of anger. Dani was the last person he wanted to be talking about right now. He hadn’t spoken to her since “The Incident.” He’d been trying to talk to her for over twenty-four hours now, and had failed miserably. She had to be avoiding him. He’d crossed a line, and now she was pissed. He’d gone over and over it in his mind and hadn’t made peace with it yet. If he could just talk to her, and explain…but no. She didn’t even have the decency to let him down face to face. “She’s got flaws, too.” Like loving him so well he’d lost his damn mind.
“Everyone’s got flaws. She sounds great. I’d be willing to overlook quite a bit for regular homemade cookies,” Killeran said.
“I’d be willing to overlook anything for regular sex!” Santos chuckled and sipped his beer.
“And that explains your last girlfriend.” Seth tossed out the easy joke. “But seriously, Nick, are you telling me you’re not interested? Because I’d be more than happy to tap that! Give her my number!”
His anger surged over his friends' crude remarks. “Touch her, and I’ll break your fingers!” He bit back any further comments and clenched his hands trying to control his temper. His friends traded looks of concern over the outburst. Seth ventured a quiet comment, “But there’s no one special, huh?”
“Dammit! I just said there’s no one special in my life! No one! Ok? Now back off!” Nick shot back at a near yell. Seth’s concerned look shifted from his face to over his shoulder, and a flash of horrified dismay was quickly replaced by his usual happy-go-lucky social mask. Nick’s stomach clenched with dread.
“Hi, Dani! What are you doing here?”
His words were a punch in the gut. Her breath literally whooshed out of her lungs, and she curled protectively, an arm wrapping around her stomach. “No one special,” he’d said. She had heard it as clear as day. She was no one special to him. The pain of betrayal was instant and stunning. Her heart broke in half, the pain in her chest mirroring the pain in her belly. Hours passed in those few seconds, as she reeled from his words and the fierce anger behind them. How could she have been so wrong? How could he not have felt how right it was between them? But she pulled it all inside, to be dealt with later. She still had enough pride and awareness to paste a carefree smile on her face and respond when Seth greeted her.
“Hi, Dani! What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Seth. Hi, Nick. My friends and I are here for our Girls’ Night Out.” She gestured over her shoulder. “I saw you guys and thought I’d come say hey.”
“Killeran, Santos, this is Dani. Dani, these are some of our buddies, in town for some training.” Seth made the introductions. Dani carefully kept her attention on the three men facing her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Nick raised a hand, reaching for hers. Like hell. Dani stepped back out of his reach. “Well, I’ll let you guys get back to your dinner.” She watched his expression as he raised his gaze from the floor to her face, taking in every inch in between. She saw heat flare in his eyes, and it took every ounce of her control not to slap it out. She kept her eyes cold, her smile empty. As regret replaced the flames in his gaze, she delivered her parting shot.
“Goodbye, Nick.” She used her remaining scrap of feminine power to sway her hips and make him stare as she walked away with her head held high.
Dani barely made it back to her table before her façade started to tremble.
“Oh, shit. Something happened! Code red ladies!”
“What’s going on?”
“Who was she talking to? Is she OK?”
“I think that’s the guy.”
“What guy?”
“THE guy?”
“Oh, shit!”
“Bathroom intervention?”
“Immediately.”
Her friends collected their purses and circled around her. She numbly allowed them to guide her through the crowded bar. They swept her into the ladies’ room, just in the nick of time. Her mask cracked as soon as she looked in the mirror, and the tears began to flow. Jamie pulled her into a hug and Olivia ran into a stall and returned armed with tissues. Once Dani’s sobs quieted to mere tears, Stella broached the sensitive subject.
“What happened, honey?”
“I was wrong.”
“Was that Nick?” Dani nodded. “What did he say to you?”
“To me? Not much. About me to his buddies? Quote: There is no one special in my life. At full volume, about five seconds before I walked up. You never do hear good things when you eavesdrop, do you?” The tears still streaming down her cheeks spoiled her poor attempt at humor and a smile. She relayed the gist of the conversation and how she’d said goodbye. “I thought this was it. I really thought we were great together. Wow, was my radar way off.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t just being razzed by his friends?” Jamie wiped away the neglected tears.
“Does it matter? The man I slept with yesterday just disavowed the existence of anyone special in his life to his friends. And he knows I heard him. How can I just ignore that?”
“You can’t. He’s a complete ass who doesn’t deserve you. Either he should’ve been man enough to keep his hands off you if he didn’t have the feelings to back it up, or man enough to admit those feelings to his friends if he does have them. No matter how you look at it, he’s handled this poorly, and hurt you in the process.” Olivia rubbed her hand up and down Dani’s arm. Her logical analysis, while solid, didn’t help Dani feel any better.
“Want me to go out there and kick him in the balls? I will, you know. That’s how deep our friendship goes!” Stella said vehemently, coaxing Dani’s first true smile.
“Ooooh, instant revenge! I like where your head is at, Stella!” Ever the cheerleader, Jamie rubbed her hands together.
“Nope,” interjected Olivia. “That’s too obvious and could get you hauled in on assault charges. I don’t have money for bail. Besides it doesn’t hurt long enough. But if you really want revenge,” Olivia caught and held Dani’s gaze in the mirror. “Don’t let him see you hurt. You are hot enough to make any red-blooded male in the room swallow his tongue. Show him that if he’s not interested, many others are. Jealousy is a bitter pill, and the image of another man’s hands on your hips as you dance close, swaying to a slow song? That’ll be burned on his retina for life.”
“Why would he be jealous? He obviously doesn’t want me. Why should he?”
“Hey, none of that negative crap in here.” Jamie cut her off. “Of course, he wants you. That’s why he fought for three weeks to keep his hands off you. I’d bet money that he’s upset he lost control. Olivia’s idea is brilliant. It’ll make him suffer now and later, when he can’t get you out of his head. Can you pull it off?”
“Of course, she can pull it off! Didn’t you see her balls of steel as she kept it together for the whole conversation? Let’s do it!” Stella cheered.
Dani gathered her courage and channeled her anger and hurt into resolve. She nodded decisively. “Let’s do it. Olivia, can you help me get my face back together? Stella, I’m going to need another drink. And Jamie, go work your wiles on those two guys who sent the champagne. Let’s give him something to think about.”
“Yes! That’s my girl. Screw the bastard, on three.” The ladies huddled up and put their hands in on top of hers. “1-2-3 break!”
Her friends scattered to tend to their assigned tasks. Dani pushed her pain deeper inside, determined not to ruin their GNO. She would make her pain and her pride push her through the next hour’s charade. Then she’d allow herself to poke all the sore spots and have a good cry when she was home and alone. Her falsely bright smile was back on display when Stella returned with a fresh flute of champagne.
“Atta girl,” Olivia whispered as she pulled out her emergency stash of cosmetics. “Let’s go kick his ass.” And she got to work.