Page 19 of Forever Mine
Scott picked up his glass and met my eyes. He offered me a sneaky smile. “I guess we’ll see what we’ll see.”
“I hope all that mysteriousness counts for something.”
“You know what?” He put the glass down. “You’re gonna eat your words. Just wait.”
“Uh-huh. I hope you have the moves to back up your bragging.”
He was about to make another remark when Joey touched my arm. “We’re going out with some guys, so we’re heading upstairs to change.”
“Mind telling me who you’re going with?”
He pointed to where Pete stood with two young men they’d introduced me to earlier in the week. “Those guys. The nightclub’s a few blocks away. Don’t worry, they’re from Miami.”
“Okay, remember to take your phone and call me in case anything happens.”
“Sure.” His gaze went to Scott before he added, “Later guys, good night.”
Scott watched him walk away. “They’re good students. They seem to like what they’re doing and that’s important in this business.”
“They’ll be happy to know you think that,” I said.
“That's how I see them. Anyway, what if we do the same?”
When I cocked my brow, he continued, “Change into something casual and meet me in the lobby.”
Nodding, I said, “Give me twenty minutes.”
He rose and held out his hand to me.
I put mine in his and got to my feet, saying goodnight to the people still sitting at the table.
On our way to the door, I heard Scott’s name. If my guess was right, it was our emcee. I stopped and faced him. “I’ll go ahead of you. See you later, okay?”
Wearing a faint smile, he said, “Okay.”
In five minutes, I was standing in my room. I wanted a leisurely Saturday morning, so I’d packed already. From the closet, I got a pair of stretch jeans and a soft, flowing blouse. The combination looked sophisticated but felt casual. They'd do fine. I put away the dress I’d worn to tonight’s function, satisfied with my intuition that Scott would want to take me somewhere after dinner.
In the bathroom mirror, I studied myself and decided to leave my hair up. I rubbed my lips together to redistribute my lipstick, rather than applying more.
My watch told me I had a few minutes to spare, so I used them to flip through the television channels. I’d spoken to Mom and Angelica earlier to avoid disturbing them later in the night. Angelica’s jokes and innocent delight made me want to be back home. I could almost feel her little arms squeezing me tight. People said she was a replica of me, but I also saw Nolan reflected in the shape of her face and her strong personality. I breathed a thankful sigh that I no longer had to put up with him.
With the remote, I switched off the television, got the keycard, and slipped it into my purse.
When I got to the lobby, Scott was waiting. I was almost next to him when he looked up from his phone. A wide smile captured his mouth, and he got to his feet and took my hand. The delight in his eyes sent heat shooting to my nerve endings.
Scott’s gaze swept me from head to feet. “What can I say? You look good enough to eat.”
His words were corny, but they did something to my insides. Maybe it was the intensity with which he said them, or the appreciation in his gaze. My face warmed, and I was glad my complexion didn’t give away the heat flushing my skin.
“Let’s go,” he said, capturing my fingers in his grip.
We rode the elevator down one floor. Music greeted us from the door someone pushed open as we approached the club. Scott entered the club behind me.
A moment went by before my eyes got accustomed to the darkness. The interior was furnished like a typical nightclub—bar to one side of the room, dance floor at the other, and padded seats spread across the entire space
The club was far from crowded, which I didn’t mind. I couldn’t stand rubbing up against a multitude of people and shouting to be heard every time I spoke. I’d done the nightclub scene early in my twenties and got over it fast.
With his hand at the small of my back, Scott guided me to a seat where we had a view of the dance floor. Seconds after we sat, he pulled out his phone again. He squinted at it and then sucked his teeth—or so I thought. The music was pumping, so I couldn’t be sure. When he raised his head, I couldn’t tell if he was upset by looking at him.