Denver pulls me closer as we enter the club with the help of two bouncers. "How did you do that? I mean, we are not twenty-one yet," I ask him, and all he does is shrug his shoulders. We dive into the crowd, looking for Meggie until I glance at Meggie waving at me from the bar on the other side of the club. Denver and I cut the crowd to meet her and the guy sitting beside her. Music is loud enough to shake the walls of the Sparrow. And when Denver grabs me by the hand, guiding me in the right direction, safety takes over me.

The bar is crowded, just like the dancing floor. Shirtless bartenders run from one side to another, taking drink orders and serving two or three customers at once. Meggie is wearing a tight black dress, showing off her gym-knit legs. She opens her arms big enough to hug me. "You made it!" she exclaims with a tipsy voice. 

"Would you like anything to drink?" The guy sitting next to her offers me. He shoots me a flirting look that makes me uneasy.

"I'm good, thank you," I say politely. 

"What are you afraid of?" He asks me next, challenging my answer. "I'm Mike, by the way."

"I don't feel like drinking tonight," I say. I really don't. When a shirtless bartender approaches, it is nearly impossible not to notice his perfect abs when his body leans over the counter. "Another Scotch, Aaron," Mike points to his almost empty glass.

"Sure," Aaron proactively says. Then he grabs another glass to fix another scotch. Mike drinks just like water. "Wow," Denver shoots him a concerned look, watching the way Mike throws alcohol into his throat. "That's concerning."

"Is it?" Mike asks without seeming to mind. "Are you telling your Adderall is less than my scotch, Griffin? Why don't you offer your girlfriend a drink, Griffin?" Mike asks Denver with bloodshot eyes. "I'm not his girlfriend," I cut him off short. "

"Ok," Mike fixes his words quickly while shifting his eyes back at Denver, "What about buying your date a drink, Griffin?"

"I'm not his date either," I tell Mike firmly. I want to make it clear that I have no romantic interest in Denver or anyone else around here.

"I could offer Cassidy a drink, but she already said no." Denver stares at Mike when he says the words. He doesn't seem to like his pressure, either. Meggie doesn't say much. Instead, she pulls her hair aside, showing off a butterfly tattoo on the side of her neck. 

"Never say never," Mike laughs under his breath. His comment makes me uncomfortable, but I don't want to show him how I feel. I do my best to create distance between me and Denver. I clench my hands under the stool chair, wishing my dress had pockets to hide them inside. "I could be your matchmaker....," he continues. 

The kitchen bar door opens, and Aaron comes in with a few appetizers. "French fries and mozzarella sticks from the house."

I stiff my body under the chair, anxiety consuming me. Denver laughs, "Cassidy?"

"What?" I ask in annoyance.

"You look like you hate everything about this place. We can go somewhere else if you prefer. The lake seems like a good option."

"I don't think so."

"Cassie. I have some edibles if you prefer." Mike continues, but both Denver and I ignore him. He dives his fingers into the fries as Meggie mimics and mirrors the guy of her dreams. 

"What?" I am confused by his question. I don't know him and am unsure how Meggie could pick someone like him as a friend with benefit. He seems arrogant and entitled. 

"He's giving you a hard time," Denver insists, "He is just an asshole."

"I can tell," I roll my eyes as Denver grabs me by the hand, pulling me out of the bar. We walk through the crowd with hundreds of people. I am still determining how many people this club can hold in just one night, but a good number. Denver seems to know half of the crowd as we walk. He then stops at the corner where none of his peers are around, lights flickering against us. "What are you thinking?" He asks me. His voice is low on my ears through the blast of the EDM song. His breath smells like beer, and it is warm against my temples. 

"Why?"

"You seem thoughtful, Cassie," Denver asks as he approaches me. I look over at him and swallow hard, trying to make sense of things. That seems like a simple question, but the thoughts in my head are never organized. "My name is Cassidy."

Denver's surprised face appears and shoots me a glance, "Oh, like that one from the Hunger Games?" "That one is Katniss. Katniss Everdeen." 

"Oh yeah. You are right. That woman was a smart ass. I wish the world had more women like her."

Another guy approaches, bumping hard over my shoulder, and I fall over Denver chest with full force. I am about to fall on the floor when he holds me tight. 

"What the heck!" I say, but the man doesn't seem to notice he bumped me hard. 

"Hum, you smell good by the way," Denver manages to say. I find my balance without responding to his comment. 

>>><<<

Meggie fixes her tight black dress around her waist. Her blonde hair is still intact despite her time on the dance floor. We are in the bathroom.

"Here," she hands me her lipstick. Through the flickering lights, I can still see the color—bright red.

"Thanks. I'm okay now," I say. Amaya, Danika, and Luna still move their hips on the dancing floor. Mike is back at the bar for another round of Scotch.

"What do you think about him?"

"Who? Mike?"

"Denver," Meggie laughs. Interestingly, I had yet to give him too much thought, let alone talk about him.

"Denver isn't my type. I'm not hooking up with him if that's what you have in mind, Meggie," I wink at her. 

"Why did you give him my address, anyway?" The question is obvious. Why would she give my address to someone I didn't even know?

She taps on the table, "He's lonely. He broke up with his ex a few months ago, and I thought you guys could...you know."

The idea of him having an ex he was still thinking about made me repulsive. "We are not going anywhere. I will probably never see him again after tonight," Frustration takes over me as I explain this to Meggie.

"Why not? He likes you, and he's handsome."

"He's not my type," I remove a strand of hair from my eyes. "I wouldn't date him."

Meggie laughs, "Sometimes all we need is to give ourselves a chance. A chance to meet someone nice like Denver. You both have gorgeous eyes. Yours are hazel, and his are black."

Meggie is not the first person to compliment me on my hazel eyes. "So, what's the deal between you and..."

"Mike? We're friends, that's all."

I smile. Who is she lying to? I won't tell her that, even though she appears drunk. I gave her a look instead. The look a person gives to another when she doesn't sound convincing.

"Mike and I are just a fling...like forever. He knows that. I know that. Mike Winters is a lost cause. He will never fall in love."