Chapter Twenty-Four
Wade
“You're going to take the scholarship,” I said to Eryn. “You have to.”
She looked away from me and bit her lip. “I know. And yes, I'm going to take it.”
I sighed. “You'll be all the way across the country. Thousands of miles away...from me.”
I could see tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. “Yeah,” she said, choking on the word as it crept from between her lips.
I leaned in to hug her tightly and felt her body shivering with sobs as she cried. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me ever so tightly.
To tell the truth, I felt like crying, as well. I felt so close to her at this moment – almost closer than I'd ever felt to anyone in my life. I couldn't believe that after everything, after we'd grown so close, we were about to be torn apart, that this amazing bond between us was about to be tested.
I knew I had to be strong here, though. If I broke down now, it would be a disaster. I swallowed my own grief and did my best to steel my will.
“Chin up, Eryn,” I said, feigning strength. “We don't know what the future might hold, all right, so let's not get too hung up on it. I know it seems like everything is going to change, and yes, a lot of things are going to change – but it doesn't mean that you and I will...you know....”
I trailed off, not knowing how to continue or where I was trying to go with it. All I knew was that I had to be strong for the both of us in this moment.
“You know what?” I said, suddenly invigorated with a new strength.
“What?” she asked softly, looking up at me with teary eyes.
“It's Saturday night, for God's sake! We're two young people, and we're sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves while we should be out celebrating life, and all the good things that have happened to us – and all the amazing things we've both achieved with our dedication, hard work, and pure blood, sweat, and tears.”
She couldn't help but smile through her tears at my over-the-top, animated pep talk. “You're right,” she said, looking up at me with muted joy in her eyes. “We shouldn't be sitting here feeling miserable like this.”
“No, we shouldn't. Let's live in the present, for the moment, and just celebrate,” I suggested.
She kissed me, and we drew it out, making it long and passionate. I started feeling very aroused again, but didn't want to just spend the night having sex – as fun as that would be. No, I wanted to give Eryn a real night out.
“But, what about our secret?” she asked suddenly. “If we go out together, and someone we know sees us....”
The thought hit me hard. She was right; she hadn't left FSU yet, and if people saw us out together, there could be a lot of trouble.
“You're right,” I said. “We can't take that risk. That's why we're going to Miami.”
“Miami? When?”
“Right now. I'll call the airport and book tickets on the next flight. I think the last flight out is in an hour, so if we really hurry, we can make it. Go pack some things in an overnight bag!”
“Really? But-”
“Hurry up, Eryn, I'm dialing,” I said, cutting her off as I started looking up the airline number on my phone.
She laughed, the tears disappearing from her eyes and the sadness fading away as a smile took its place. “All right! I don't think we're gonna get seats, but I'll go start packing just in case we do.”
“You do that! Go on!”
She hurried off to her bedroom, and I called the airline at Tallahassee International Airport. “Hi,” I said as a woman answered, “I know this is seriously last minute, but do you have any seats available on the next flight to Miami?”
“Hold on, sir, let me check,” she said.
I heard the frantic typing of computer keys, and then she got back to me immediately.
“You're in luck, sir. There are three seats left on that flight. Are you able to get here in under 45 minutes to board the flight?”
“If I drive fast, yes. I'll take two of those tickets.”
“Okay, sir, may I have your credit card information please?” the lady asked.
I gave her the card info, which she entered and informed me, “Thank you, sir; you and your companion are now booked on flight 753 to Miami, departing at 10 p.m. You have 40 minutes to get to check-in; please hurry!”
“I will. Bye!”
I cut the call off and scrambled to put my clothes on as I shouted out to Eryn.
“Eryn, is that bag packed yet? We have to go! Do your makeup in the airplane bathroom because we've got 40 minutes to get there and check in. Let's go, let's go!”
A minute later she hurried out of her room, clutching an overnight bag.
“What are you gonna do about clothes?”
“I'll wear these ones! Jeans and a T-shirt work for just about anything, and I'll just buy some new clothes tomorrow morning to change into. You ready? We have to hustle!”
“I'm ready; let's go! I can't believe we're actually doing this!” she exclaimed.
“I can't, either,” I said with a grin. “Let's go!”
*****
We walked along the street, holding hands and smiling. Even though it was midnight, there were still a lot of people around, and there was a big line outside the nightclub we were going to. It was awesome to be out in public, unafraid that someone we knew might see us. It was so refreshing to not have to hide, and I found myself wishing that it would always be like this.
Except... it wouldn't. She'd be all the way across the country, and I'd be here, and-
No. It wasn't the right time to be thinking like this. We had come here to live in the moment, to enjoy the present, and thoughts of the future and being apart would ruin that. I had to put them out of my mind and simply enjoy this moment.
“It's so much livelier out here at night than Tallahassee,” Eryn remarked.
She was wearing a figure-hugging, white cocktail dress, and with her makeup and styled hair – all done in the airplane bathroom while we were flying – she looked absolutely smoking hot. I couldn't take my eyes off her and couldn't help but feel totally underdressed next to her in my jeans and polo shirt.
We joined the line for the nightclub, and I felt even more underdressed; everyone here was dressed to the nines except me. I started to wonder if the bouncer would even let me in. Still, Eryn was smiling and happy and full of joy and life, and that's what counted.
Eventually, we got to the front of the line, and the bouncer looked me up and down with a raised eyebrow.
“You think this is some corner café, man? Why you dressed like that?” he asked.
“It was a, uh, last minute decision to come out here,” I replied.
“Please, let us in!” Eryn begged, giving the bouncer her best puppy dog eyes as she pleaded.
He stared intently at my face, his eyes narrowing. “Hey!” he exclaimed abruptly, “I know you! You're that famous volleyball player, ain't you? The one who was dating-”
“Yeah, that's me,” I replied quickly, not wanting Eryn to be reminded of my Hollywood past. “Wade Vinson.”
The bouncer gripped my hand in his and gave it a firm, enthusiastic shaking, which with his gigantic strength felt as if he might crush every bone in my hand.
“Man, you won Olympic gold for this country!” he exclaimed, beaming a huge, gold-toothed grin at me. “Go on, get your asses into the club! And, go straight to VIP, and tell 'em Curtis said you could.”
I smiled. “Thank you, my good man!” I said as he parted the velvet rope to allow me and Eryn to pass. We stepped in, and the noise was immediately deafening.
“Wow, it's loud in here!” I exclaimed.
“It really is! But so fun! C'mon, let's get some drinks!” she shouted over the music.
“All right; let's do that!”
As the bouncer had said, we headed straight over to the VIP bar, which was a lot less crowded than the regular bar. The barman, a Cuban guy wearing a shiny, purple shirt, looked us up and down suspiciously.
“You ain't dressed like no VIP, man,” he said to me.
“Curtis told me to come straight here,” I said. “I’m Wade Vinson.” I stuck my hand out to shake his. “Nice to meet you.”
His expression changed instantly; now he was beaming a big smile at me.
“Seriously man? The volleyball player? C'mon, free shots on the house. What would you and your lady like?”
I didn't like boasting about my achievements, but it seemed that I had to in this place to get anywhere.
“Two tequilas!” Eryn interjected.
I'd never seen this side of her; she was fun and exciting. Not that she wasn't otherwise, but she was typically so focused, driven, and passionate about volleyball that I almost hadn't imagined that she had a side that could let loose like this. She was, after all, a college junior, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised about it.
“Two tequilas coming right up!” the barman said.
We slammed the shots, and both laughed at each other's expressions as we downed the harsh-tasting liquid.
“What's next, guys?” asked the barman.
“I'll take a Bud, and for you Eryn?”
“I think I'll have a margarita,” she replied with a smile. “Sugar on the rim, not salt.”
The barman got us our orders and we headed over to a sofa where we drank them, trying to shout at each other and hold a conversation over the pounding music. We downed our drinks quickly, and I started feeling a buzz coming on from the booze.
“You want another?” I asked.
“What?”
“I said, do you want another drink?”
She chuckled and kissed me playfully. “Look at us here, having to shout at each other to communicate,” she said close to my ear.
“I know! So, another drink?” I asked.
“Yeah! But let's just make it a shot, and then go and dance, all right?”
“Sounds good!”
We went back to the VIP bar, where the same barman greeted us with a smile. “Two more tequila shots!” I said.
“Ah, you guys are getting into party mode now!” he said with a laugh, and then went off to pour our shots.
Eryn leaned over quickly and kissed me deeply and passionately as we waited. I squeezed her hand tightly in mine and stared into her beautiful eyes.
“I'm a lucky guy,” I remarked, “a really, really lucky guy.”
“And, I'm a lucky girl,” she replied.
The barman arrived with our shots, and we knocked them back. Now that the alcohol was doing its work in each of us, the tequila didn't taste nearly as intense as it had the first time.
No sooner than we’d put the shot glasses back on the bar, Eryn took my hands and began to lead me to the dance floor. “I think it's time to dance,” she said with a suggestive smile.
“I think that's a great idea,” I replied.
We found a spot on the crowded floor, and then a Latin-infused bit of pounding electronica came on. Eryn began winding her body and dancing with fluid, sexy moves. I'd had no idea she’d be such a talented dancer, and God, it was turning me on to see her moving with such sexual, erotic grace.
I moved in closer to her, feeling the beat pulsing through my body and moving myself against her. She swayed her hips and raised her arms above her head, closing her eyes as she got into the music and began slowly, tantalizingly crushing herself against my crotch.
I put my hands on her hips, softly and suggestively, and started grinding against her as well. I was getting hard, ridiculously hard, and I knew she could feel my hard-on pressing through my jeans against her.
“God, you're fucking hot,” I whispered in her ear as she snaked and writhed sexily with the energy of the music and the dance.
“I think we should go get a hotel room soon,” she whispered back. “Just a bit more dancing, but I want you...I want you bad.”
“I do, too,” I whispered, the fullness of my erection pressing almost painfully against her body. “Believe me, I do, too...”