“Iundresspretty nice too.” He winks.
I roll my eyes as he wraps a muscular, tattooed arm around my shoulders. “Not interested.”
He scowls, tilting his head to look down at me. “Are you still dating that douchebag?”
Swatting his chest, I squeal, “He’s a nice guy!”
“Whatever you say,” he says, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket on his way to the door.
“Hey! You’re supposed to be helping!” Colette shouts.
He pops one between his lips and mumbles, “I’ll be right back.”
Just before people start filtering in, I run to the back to freshen up. There’s a locker room at the end of the hall where weall keep our shit while we’re at work. After grabbing my things, I head to the women’s bathroom just down the hall from the clubhouse. I was hoping to have time to head home before the party, but I brought everything with me just in case—deodorant, wipes, makeup, dry shampoo, all the essentials.
Once I no longer look like I’ve been working at an auto shop all day, I slip into my glittery, emerald-green mini dress. It’s the perfect contrast to my fair skin and has a slit that sits high on my hip, showing off my long legs. I have to do that little wiggle thing to get the zipper up all the way in the back, but I manage.
My heels won’t be on for long, but I slide them on anyway and trot back to the clubhouse.
This time when I enter the room, people are starting to filter in and something starts to buzz under my skin. The clubhouse is one of my favorite places in the world—the smell of smoke and alcohol, music blaring overhead, someone breaking at one of the pool tables—it’s like being home. When I’m here, I’m free. No one looks at me like I don’t belong.
“God, do you ever have a bad hair day?” Nik teases, running her fingers through my waves.
All the other girls will be in fancy New Years Eve clubbing outfits, but Nik looks like she’s dressed for a grunge-themed party in someone’s basement, right down to her Doc Martens boots that I’m not sure she ever takes off.
Her boyfriend, Shane, is a member and one of Gabe’s closest friends.
“I love the pink!” I gesture to the ends of her pale-blonde hair that were purple just last week.
“Thanks!” She shrugs. “I needed a change.”
“Where’s Shane?”
“He’s coming.” She scrunches up her nose, and her lip curls. “Gabe stopped him outside.”
Gabe used to date Nik’s best friend, who’s also Shane’s sister. It’s a long story, but basically, it ended badly. Eventually, Shane forgave him, but Nik has not.
The girl can hold one hell of a grudge.
“What about you? Where’s uh…” She winces. “Shit. What’s his name?”
“Tucker. He’s supposed to be coming later.”
“Oh cool! How are things?”
My voice pitches up an octave. “Fine, I guess.”
“Uh-oh.” Her brows lift, and she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She throws her hands up defensively. “I just know what that means.”
I lift a brow, coaxing her to continue.
“You’re gonna break up with him, aren’t you?”
I met him at a club party a few months ago when he patched into the northern chapter of the Riders. He was charming and handsome, and it didn’t take me long to fall right into bed with him.