Pretty Sweet - Christina Lee Page 0,29

a few interested looks thrown my way, my blush deepened, and I figured I needed a drink, stat, to help me loosen up and take it all in. But first I wanted to find Seth and the speakeasy. I knew from the time frame he gave me that their set had already begun, so I didn’t want to miss much more if I could help it. I paused a moment against the wall and looked around, trying to get my bearings.

Two men beside me started kissing and grinding, and I thought my head was gonna explode. They were attractive and sexy, and I tried not to stare, but unfortunately, I must’ve given myself away because one of the guys grinned at me as he trailed his fingers down my arm. “Wanna join us?”

Holy shit, my pulse started going crazy. I had never been into threesomes—I’d prefer to watch, to be honest—but now I could feel my ears growing hot, and I undoubtedly looked all flustered and sweaty. Totally out of my element here.

“No, thanks,” I replied, finally finding my voice. “Can you tell me how to get to the Underground?”

He threw me a dazzling smile as he pointed toward a door painted black at the back of the club. Directions given, he pulled his partner into a steamy kiss as if we’d never had the conversation at all. Christ, I needed that drink.

I made my way through the crowd to the black door, pulled it open, then walked down the stairs behind another couple of guys, taking in the insular atmosphere after leaving the Playground behind.

“Password?” asked a large bouncer with a purple Mohawk.

“Huh?” Oh shit, now I remembered Seth telling us that they posted the password on their Instagram page. “I, uh…”

The guy behind me whispered in my ear, “Today’s password is Love is Love.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, then repeated the words to purple Mohawk dude, barely having enough time to consider it was a phrase heard all too often in the last few years, and here I was, in my first gay club, embracing the very meaning behind it.

“Don’t sweat it,” he replied with a smile, opening the door to let me inside.

As soon as I crossed over the threshold, it felt like a time warp dating back a hundred years. The sound was muted, the space darker and understated, the vibe more serene, and I instantly felt my shoulders unwind. Much more my speed.

Sliding sideways to let someone by, I perched my hip against the wall. My gaze darted around the room at the packed tables of couples or small groups of friends before snagging on the source of the music—and my jaw nearly hit the floor.

Holy shit, was that Seth? If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t have recognized him. He was sitting at the piano, his fingers flying over the keys as Jesse sang a jazzy up-tempo song I didn’t recognize, but if I were to guess, I’d say it was from the roaring ’20s era. Jesse’s voice was a dream, and he was all glammed up, wearing a silver flapper-style dress, strappy heels, and headband to match, but my eyes kept drifting back to Seth.

Shy, reserved Seth. Not tonight. No, tonight he was in his element, wearing something that was era-appropriate to play off Jesse’s outfit. His shirtsleeves were rolled to expose his sexy forearms, the veins prominent as he pounded on the keys. He wore a pinstriped black vest and deep-peacock-green tie that matched the feather in his black fedora. He also sported a full face of makeup—red lips, ruby cheeks, and long lashes that framed his expressive blue eyes as he smirked and catered to the crowd. He was, in a word, gorgeous.

When I finally tore my gaze away from him and glanced toward the bar, my eyes locked with Dane’s, whose eyebrows rose in surprise. He must’ve taken pity on me because he motioned me over and pointed to an empty stool in the corner.

“You made it,” he said as I sank into the seat, relieved to see a familiar face—outside of the two performing, of course.

“I did,” I replied with a sheepish grin. “This place is cool.”

“Glad you like it.” He slid a drink menu toward me. “What can I get you?”

I looked down at the parchment-paper menu. The drinks had prohibition-era type names, and each contained a list of ingredients. Looking left and right, I observed how many patrons had these drinks in front of them. Apparently, they were popular;