to behind the bar.
“Okay, let’s get a shot of you three gorgeous people in your native environment,” Taryn says as she directs her guy to stand a few feet back from her.
Kylie eagerly runs over to her and asks, “What is this for? Is this for something in the press?”
As Taryn explains who she is and where she works, Katelyn tugs on my shirt to get my attention. “Cade, what’s going on? Your father didn’t say anything about people interviewing us.”
“It’s fine. Just smile a lot and do your job. That’s all I plan on doing. Your sister seems happy about this, though.”
I see Katelyn shake her head and wonder why she looks so worried. It doesn’t take long to find out.
Chapter Twenty
Hailey
I cling to Meadow’s arm as she makes a path for us through the standing-room only crowd. Everyone seems drunk and it’s so incredibly loud that she can’t hear a thing I try to say to her. No wonder I don’t hang out in clubs much.
She turns her head and yells, “That announcement said something was happening at the front bar, so let’s go there.”
Nodding, I tighten my hold on her wrist and hope to God we don’t get separated. I have no idea where I’d end up if this sea of people took me away.
We have to stop about ten feet away from our destination when the crowd gets so densely packed that we can’t move. Looking back at me, she yells, “Hold on. I think I see a hole over there near the wall. We might not see everything, but it will be closer.”
Unsure if it’s possible to be closer to any of these people as their arms and legs rub up against my body while we make our way toward the wall, I weave through those body parts as they flail this way and that with excitement. Finally, I see that hole Meadow mentioned and breathe a tiny sigh of relief. If I can just get a few inches between me and the next person, I’d be happy.
“Tonight, as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of Club X coming back from being underwater, let me hear everyone give a cheer for the hottest club in town!” a female’s voice says over the sound system.
Meadow and I stop against the wall as the crowd erupts into cheers and yelling. Hundreds of drunk partiers all at once begin to chant, “Club X! Club X!” It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and after a few times, I start yelling it too.
“Look at you!” Meadow says in my ear.
I turn to look at her and smile. “I’m definitely a fish out of water here, but I figure I should try to blend in. When in Rome…”
“I’m just so glad you agreed to come. When Alex offered me the V.I.P. passes, I didn’t know if you’d say yes. It’s so great you did! And I love you in that dress!”
She hadn’t mentioned if Cade would be here, but I secretly harbored the hope he would since Alex had called Meadow to give her the passes. She didn’t know how he’d gotten them, but Meadow is always up for a good time, unlike me.
Tonight is different, though. I feel different. Spending time with Cade has made me feel like a new person, a more confident person.
Not confident enough to ask Meadow if she knew if Cade would be here, though. He told me he had work when I asked him what he was doing tonight, so I probably won’t get to see him. But maybe because he’s the manager of his own club, he had someone take over since his cousin has tickets to this place.
Of course, all of that stayed in my mind when I was talking to him and Meadow. It’s enough that I dressed in one of her tiniest dresses and her heels that are two inches higher than any shoes I’ve ever worn. I’m not brave enough to let people know how much I love seeing him.
“I don’t see Alex anywhere,” she says in my ear.
Her disappointment comes through loud and clear. From the moment she laid eyes on him that night at CK, she’s been talking about how much she hopes they’ll get together. I hope so too since he’s a great guy and she’s my best friend.
“How can you tell in this crowd? I’d be lucky to find my own hand while we were walking through all those people.”
“I know this isn’t your type of place,