Worth the Risk_ A Contemporary - Megan Hart Page 0,158

to give in to self-pity might overwhelm her. Instead of turning left at the traffic light, she turned right. The night was young, and so was she. She had soaked in a steaming tub, washed her hair, and put on makeup. She’d shaved her legs, for God’s sake, and she wasn’t going to waste her time at home watching bad movies on cable TV. She was going to go out and forget Tom Caine.

"This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I decided to surround myself with good-looking men." Lila looked around the crowded club.

Darren laughed loud and hard. "Honey, this is exactly the place you need to be. Ain’t nothing more soothing than being surrounded by a bunch of super hot guys."

Lila couldn’t help tapping her toes to the disco beat filling the nightclub. "Yeah, that’s such a problem for me normally."

"Stop right there." Darren snapped his fingers. "I didn’t fix your makeup and take you out just so I could listen to you be all nasty to yourself. If that Mr. Gorgeous can’t tell a good thing when he’s got it, then he doesn’t deserve it."

"Thanks, Darren. That’s what I needed to hear."

She leaned across her stool to plant a kiss on his caramel-colored cheek. Darren returned the buss, smacking his lips loudly on one side of her face, then the other. Lila began to feel better.

"Moving in on my main squeeze?" thundered a male voice from behind them.

"Sorry." Lila moved aside to let Lance slide onto the bar stool beside her.

"Not you," Lance kidded, squeezing her gently. "I meant him. Darren, don’t make me get up in your face. You may have known her longer, but she’s my boss lady tonight."

"He thinks he’s the black Mr. Clean." Darren rolled his eyes.

Looking at Lance’s shaved head, tiny gold earring, and white T-shirt with rolled sleeves, Lila could definitely see the resemblance. The thought made her giggle until Lance looked at her from wounded eyes. Then she kissed his cheek, too.

"Don’t fight over me, boys," she said archly. "There’s enough of me to go around."

Darren hooted and Lance chuckled. Lila slid off the bar stool and grabbed each of them by the arm. She was surprised to find herself feeling better.

"C’mon. You promised you’d take me dancing."

"Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

She shook her head, held out her hands, and let them pull her onto the floor. "Not yet."

"And I don’t aim to tonight, honey! Let’s dance!"

Lila had never moved so fast for so long. The music went on and on without stopping; one beat merging with the next so she couldn’t even tell where one song ended and the next began. The dance floor was crowded, bodies crushing against each other, but everyone moved to the same rhythm. Sweat poured down her face and streaked the careful makeup Darren had applied earlier, but Lila didn’t care. All that mattered was the sound of the drums and guitars gave her no time to think. No chance to let her mind fill with images of Tom.

Closing time came too quickly for Lila. As the club lights came on and people slowly began filtering out onto the street, Lila was filled with an exhaustion that, while not quite happy, at least was better than the draining lassitude she’d experienced earlier in the day.

The music didn’t slow, but she did. At last Lila had to beg defeat, protesting when Darren and Lance both insisted on buying her yet another drink and taking her for one more twirl around the dance floor.

"I can’t. Really. I’m exhausted!"

"You going to be all right?" Darren held the door open for Lila as they left the club with Lance.

"Fine." She yawned. "I’m going home and going straight to bed."

"We can go with you, if you want." Lance suddenly looked less like Mr. Clean and more like a very angry Marine. "In case that jerk is waiting for you."

Lila hadn’t even thought of that. "No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine."

Darren pulled her close for a hug. "You call me if you need anything."

She nodded. "I will, but I won’t."

Darren shook his head. "Honey, what’s scary is I understood that."

"Go home," Lila urged her friends. "I’ll be fine."

She got in her car while they watched and drove away with them still looking after her. It was nice to have friends. She was glad she had stopped by Darren’s apartment, and even gladder she’d caught him before he went out for the night.

Rivka would be furious Lila