Punctual, Kent had picked me up exactly at eleven. I’d settled on wearing a jean skirt and a black halter-top and felt satisfied with the only fancy outfit I had in my closet besides my suits.

“I don’t get it,” Kent said, his face perplexed as he drove through traffic in downtown Chicago.

“I told you, she’s a deadbeat mother. She left me with Nana when I was six and ran away with one of her boyfriends. She came back when I was eighteen. I thought she wanted a new start, but her habits hadn’t changed.”

I glanced in the visor’s mirror and applied a thick coat of mascara.

He shook his head. “I still don’t get it. Why would a mother do that to her own child?”

“Because she’s selfish. She needed a car, but her credit was shot, so she asked me to cosign. I wanted to show her that I trusted her and that I forgave her for leaving me the first time.” I applied a dab of blush on my cheeks. “Boy, was I wrong. She filled out credit card applications with my social security number and info, and then she racked up my debt. By the time I found out because creditors were calling me, I was in college.” I turned to him and blotted powder on my shiny nose.

His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as he glanced at the road ahead of him.

“I tried to contest it, but the creditors wouldn’t believe me. I didn’t have enough money to hire a lawyer, so I’ve been paying the minimum on her debt ever since. Honestly, I never want to see that witch even if it’s in court.”

“Your mother is dysfunctional,” he said with a scowl on his face. “How much debt are we talking about here?”

I glanced in his direction when we stopped at a red light. “I don’t know. Sixty, maybe eighty grand now, including that damn car.” I shook my head. “Can we not talk about this? I just want to have fun tonight. Please?” I begged him with my eyes, wanting to forget what had happened earlier along with all the drama my mother constantly brought into my life.

He regarded me, squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile. “Okay,” he said, as he pressed on the gas to bring us to our destination.

Cars were lined up and double-parked in front of the warehouse. I could hear the bass echoing from inside the building. Red brick spanned the entire warehouse while people lined the exterior, waiting to get inside. I leaned into my window, my nose almost pressing against the glass, as I took the scene in. There was a massive amount of people congregating outside. The glint from a girl’s sequin dress caught my eye and I noticed most of the women were dressed in similar clothing.

“I’m going to give you my valet ticket. I have a spare. You’ll probably leave before me. I’ll have someone take me home. Don’t worry, you’ll be okay,” he said, making me turn in his direction.

“I’m not a little girl anymore.” I pursed my lips and gave him my sexiest look. “I’m going to give out my digits tonight, and in a couple of days, I’ll be on a date.”

He let out a carefree deep-belly laugh. “Oh, this should be interesting.”

I reached for the door and stepped out of the car. Kent walked over to meet me and gestured for me to take his elbow. I linked my arm through his as he handed the valet guy his keys. When Kent handed me the valet ticket, I placed it in my purse and tucked it away for safe keeping. I surveyed the area as men eyed his car while women eyed me. I assumed the women were most likely comparing the plain Jane to the Greek god. The women outside were half-naked, competing over who had the shortest skirt and tightest outfit. They were all made up from head to toe, all in tall thin heels and designer clothing.

I felt like we were on the set of The Bold and the Beautiful and I was definitely underdressed.

As we drifted on the outskirts of the line that never seemed to end, two tall bouncers stood at attention, checking IDs. When we glided to the front, outside the roped area, I noticed dirty looks being thrown our way because we were bypassing the line.

Kent nodded to the guard standing on duty. “Busy night, Chris?”

“Yep, I’ll be here till six in the morning.” Chris unhooked the velvet rope to let us in. With my free hand, I straightened out my jean skirt.

Relaxing his arm, Kent released me and placed his hand on the small of my back. He pushed me forward and trailed right behind me. The warm air stuck to my skin as the damp sweat of the herd on the crowded dance floor filled the air. Trance music pounded in my ears, and my eyes blurred. I tried to focus past the laser lights shining everywhere. I’d never been to a place like this before. This was a real club. I’d only ever really been to Bowlesville’s small-town bars.

Two hands on my shoulders pushed me through the crowd. Kent leaned in to shout in my ear, “Keep moving forward!”

I had to strain my ears to hear him over the deafening music. All around me, bodies were clasped tightly together, entranced by the sound of the music. Kent inched toward the front of me, taking my wrist, to force us through the crowds. Even though I was rocking three-inch heels, I felt tiny while gliding through the sea of people. We made our way toward the back of the club to another roped area guarded by a good-looking tattooed bodyguard. I had to tilt my head upward to look at him.

He nodded toward Kent and let us in. The music in the new room was more techno. The pounding of the bass echoed in my ears as I trailed behind Kent. Pop music was my usual sound of choice, so I wasn’t accustomed to the noise around me.

He released my wrist and motioned me toward the bar. “You okay?” he asked.

I gave him my winning smile. “Yep, just ready to have some fun.”

“What do you want to drink?” he asked, his eyes scanning the area.

“Gin and tonic,” I replied, noticing that this new area was not as loud as the first area we walked through.

His eyes searched the vicinity, as if he was looking for someone. Kent raised his hand to the bartender and ordered our first round. When our drinks came, Kent handed me mine. “Don’t drink anything that’s not from me, okay?” His dimple flashed as he took a sip from his glass.

When Kent lifted his eyes, I shifted to look in the direction of his attention. A tall, broad male headed our way.

Yes, we are definitely in the land of the bold and the beautiful. I was amazed that they were all in one place. There must have been a prescreening before people were let into this area. I knew I’d gotten a pass because I came in with a Greek god.

As he approached the bar, Kent introduced us. “Beth, this is Luke. Luke, Beth.”

Luke took my hand and gave me a once-over.

Where Kent was a Greek god, Luke was the spitting image of a Ken doll with his blond hair accenting his green eyes. He was built perfectly and evenly tanned. A couple of the top buttons on his shirt were undone, and I couldn’t prevent my eyes from going to his chest.

“What are you drinking?” Luke leaned into the counter and motioned to the bartender.

“I’m fine right now. Thank you,” I replied politely, pulling at the strands of my long dark hair.

He twisted to face the redhead on his other side and started chatting her up. I was momentarily offended that I’d either bored him or I wasn’t hot enough to further more conversation.

Everywhere around me, beautiful women were drinking their cocktails, dancing with each other, or draping themselves across equally beautiful men. The smell of money filled the air. Normality had welcomed me in the first room we’d come in. That was where I belonged, not in this room. I was used to line-dancing in plaid shirts and jeans, so all this glitz and glam reminded me that I was far, far away from Bowlesville. My confidence from earlier in the car faded.

I’ll definitely be leaving early tonight, so I shouldn’t have too much to drink.

I turned when I felt Kent nudge me with his elbow. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked as he leaned over. “Get any numbers yet?” he teased.

I automatically smiled at him. “No, not yet. You have to pace these things.”

Before he got a chance to respond, female hands wrapped around him from behind.

My eyes widened at the voluptuous and very attractive blonde woman flush against Kent. A white halter-top dress hugged her hips and dipped low to accentuate her breasts. Individual curls flowed down her back.

Kent turned to her with a devilish glint in his eye. “Helen,” he murmured.

Her blue eyes met his and then mine. Slowly, her eyes swallowed me in, studying me. “Does she want to join us?” she asked, her eyes alight.

It was warm in the room, but at her words, I got goose bumps.

“No, she’s not into that.” Kent whispered something into her ear and patted her backside.

She glanced at me once more, shrugged, and strutted away.

“She’s pretty,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “And very blunt, too. Don’t let me stop you from having your fun.” I regretted saying it once it had left my mouth. I already felt uncomfortable, and if he left, I wouldn’t know anyone in this exclusive club of the beautiful and wealthy. I reached in my purse and squeezed the valet ticket, relieved it was still there.

“I’ve had her already. I don’t have the same girl twice.”

“Ugh, gross,” I said, surprised by his honesty. “Why not? Is it because you have a little black book, and you want to make sure you have as many names in there as possible? ” I couldn’t hide the repulsion in my voice.

“Because I don’t want to lead her on.” He shrugged his shoulders. “One time is casual. More than that leads to expectations.”

I screwed my face, disgusted.

He leaned in a little closer. “Don’t look at me like that.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, crossed my arms, and shot him a look.

“What? Let me ask you something. Do you think a woman who has sex with a man she just met at a club for the first time wants a serious relationship? Well, do you?”

He looked to me for an answer, and I gave him none.

“Well, the answer is no. She’s here for the same thing I’m here for—a little release. If she does want something more than that, then she needs to change her approach because no man will ever take a woman who gives it up that easily seriously.”

I had nothing to say to that, so I set my empty glass on the bar, and motioned to the bartender. “I’m buying the next round. What are you having?”

He shook his head, as a dimple flashed on his cheek. “I like how you change the subject when I’m right,” Kent said. “I’ll have a shot of Crown.”

I held up two fingers to the bartender and she placed both shots in front of us. I ordered a glass of Coke as the chaser.

He had been right. I had no right to judge him. The situation would only be wrong if we were dating, but we weren’t, so really, he could do as he pleased.

I raised my glass up to him, and he mirrored my actions before we both threw back the shots of Crown. The burn touched my tongue and slid down my throat. I closed my eyes and chugged my Coke back to minimize the scorch. When I opened them, Kent was staring at me with a smug smile.

I widened my eyes. “Yes?”

“Interesting. I never would have coined you as someone who could handle her liquor.”

“I said I wasn’t a drunk. I never said that I didn’t drink. Kendy introduced me to wine coolers at fifteen.”

When he raised two more fingers to the bartender, I pulled down his arm.

“Uh, no. Let’s not push our luck, okay? Plus, I still have to drive home,” I said.

He tossed money to the bartender as she placed two more shots of Crown in front of us.

“To friendship,” he said, lifting up his shot glass.

I reached for my drink and lightly tapped my glass against his, and we swallowed the shot together.

“Ugh,” I said, making a face. This time, I had nothing to wash the shot down with, and I coughed a little, which made Kent laugh.

“Hey, I’ll be back in one second,” he said, glancing at someone behind me.

When Kent left my side, I already felt the hard liquor coursing through my body. I stepped toward the barrier between where the pretty-people room ended and where the common folk began. Trance music dragged me closer and closer to the other room. I glanced up at the bouncer who was guarding the roped area separating the rooms. When he sidestepped to let me pass, I wondered if I could get back in again later.

Music filled my ears, and my body started to move to the rhythm. I made my way toward the exterior of the dance circle. Scantily clad bodies moved and swayed against each other. When I felt small hands on my hips, I rotated and noticed a tall, lanky boy dancing to the music behind me. His grip was not overly aggressive, his nearness not as close, so I didn’t resist. I turned around and placed my hands in the air while his hands remained on my hips. I closed my eyes and danced to the trance beat, swaying my hips from side to side.

I didn’t know how long I’d been dancing there when I sensed someone different behind me. I twisted to see a broader male moving to the music. He was more aggressive as I felt his body flush against mine. I advanced closer to the lankier guy in front of me to give the guy behind me a hint, but he just inched forward.

Now sandwiched in the middle of the two men, I tightened up and froze on the dance floor. When I tried to disentangle myself, the lankier guy leaned in for a kiss. I turned my head, and he grazed my cheek. My pulse quickened as I used both hands to shove him away, but he didn’t budge.

The more I tried to disengage myself, the more they pressed me in between them. The guy behind me planted his hands on my behind and slowly down to where my short skirt ended and my bare legs began.

“Hey,” I said, jabbing him with my elbow. My eyes skittered over the area. I thought of screaming, but wondered if anyone would hear me above the deafening music. Probably not.

I used both hands to shove the guy in front of me, but he gripped my upper arms with force.

He smiled, and when I looked into his eyes, they were dilated, and they slightly rolled to the back of his head. Realization that he was high on something set in, and my adrenaline spiked.

Fight or flight rang in my head, and right before I decided I would bite down on his hand and draw blood, I noticed Kent plowing toward us. There was a tightness around his eyes that frightened me.

He stopped right in front of us. “Get off of her,” he said slowly, not shouting but firm and loud enough for both of them to hear. His chestnut eyes were dark with intensity as he flexed his fingers at his side.

The lankier guy moved away from me while Mr. Brawny grabbed my backside one more time before placing himself in front of Kent, challenging him. He was broader than Kent and slightly taller. Kent was over six feet, so this guy looked massive.

“What are you going to do about it, pretty boy?” he snapped, giving Kent a slight push on his chest.

When I looked at Kent, shivers ran down my spine.

Kent let out a slight smile that was eerily disconnected, not meeting his eyes. “I’m going to break your arm for violating a woman.”

Before I could even blink, the broader guy swung at Kent, but he moved, avoiding the impact. Kent grabbed the guy’s arm, twisted it, and brought the broader male to his knees. The harder Kent twisted, the louder the guy moaned in pain. The high-pitched cry of pain didn’t sound as if it could come from a male that immense. Kent showed no mercy as he had the other guy immobilized.

I knew Kent had meant it when he said he would break the guy’s arm, and I was scared. “Stop, Kent.” I inched closer as he tightened his grip and maneuvered the guy’s arm.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you some manners about how to treat a woman?” he said slowly, twisting the male’s arm to an uncomfortable angle.

“Kent!” I yelled louder, looking at his face.

I knew he hadn’t heard me. He seemed so focused, so intent. The hair stood at attention at the nape of my neck as I knew what was going to happen next.

“Apparently not, but I will.”

I grabbed his arm, tugging it toward me. “Kent, he’s had enough.”

“Oh, I don’t think he has,” he said, maintaining his grip on the immense male in front of him.

“No, stop!” I yelled, lunging toward him. I hugged his arm, yanking it toward me. “Please stop,” I begged.

Kent angled his head to look at me, finally seeing me and realizing I was there. Slowly, he released the guy and stepped away. He ran one hand through his dark brown hair as he released a heavy sigh.

Two bouncers moved through the spectators who had already surrounded us. Before they could reach Kent, I stepped in front of them.

“That guy assaulted me.” I pointed to the man lying on the ground, clutching his arm. “My friend here taught him a lesson,” I said, linking my arm through Kent’s.

The bouncers picked the man up from the floor, forcing him forward through the crowd.

Kent took hold of my wrist and dragged me toward the other room. Tension was in the air and I released the breath I’d been holding because the near event had been averted.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” I asked, trying to regain my composure while processing what had just happened.

“Black belt in karate,” he said, glancing behind me and toward the brawny guy being led out.

We drifted past the roped-off area and back into the pretty-people room. After Kent plopped me down on a stool by the bar, he motioned toward the bartender and asked for a glass of water.

“Drink this,” Kent ordered, placing the water in front of me.

“Thanks,” I replied.

“Are you okay?” His eyes quickly inspected me from head to toe before meeting my eyes.

I nodded my head but didn’t speak. I was afraid that my voice would quiver as my pulse lowered to its regular pace. He observed me while I drank my water.

“Beth, pick yourself a nice guy, okay? Don’t pick up a guy at a club. Club guys are not good for girls like you. Understand?”

I was surprised at his sentiment, and I nodded again. “I was only dancing. Plus, you’re a club guy.”

“Exactly.” His tone was serious, matching his eyes. My insides warmed at Kent’s protectiveness.

Luke walked up behind Kent, tapped him on his shoulder, and whispered something in his ear.

Kent’s demeanor changed as a slow smile crept up his face. “Beth, I’ll be back.” He pointed one finger at Luke. “You—watch this girl and make sure she drinks. Understood?” He turned to leave and passed through another roped-off area toward the back. I focused on his retreating back until I couldn’t see his figure any longer.

I took a swig of my water as Luke observed me, quietly studying me like I was some sort of animal he’d never seen before.

“How do you know Kent?”

“He’s my friend.” I continued to drink my water.

Luke laughed once. “Yeah, right. Kent doesn’t have any friends—well, me maybe, but no female friends, that’s for sure.” He raised two fingers to the bartender in front of us and pointed to his glass.

“So, what happened out there? I only saw Kent gripping that guy in a death hold,” he asked, leaning against the bar.

“Those guys were getting frisky, too frisky, and then…I don’t know. Kent came out of nowhere and helped me out.” I took another drink.

Luke examined me from head to chest with another bewildered look on his face. He was silent, studying me once again. To ease the awkwardness, I glanced to my side at the couple groping each other.

Silence was broken when the bartender placed two drinks in front of us.

“No, that’s okay,” I said, pushing the glass toward Luke.

He tossed money on the counter and inched the glass back in my direction. “Well, Kent told me to have you drink. You heard him.”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean whatever is in that glass,” I said, eyeing the deep gold liquid in front of me.

“Come on, I bought you a drink.” He lifted his glass toward me and nodded to my drink on the bar.

“Fine.” I reached for the glass, feeling the coldness. It was a hard contrast to my warm hands. I lifted the glass and wrinkled my nose at the potent smell. “What is this anyway?” I took a sip and made a face. Whatever it was, it was strong enough to kill the germs on my kitchen counter.

“Keep drinking. It’s good.”

I shook my head as I took another chug. The liquid coated my throat and hit my stomach with a burn. I felt queasy. I lowered my head and closed my eyes as I felt the burn deep within my belly. “Crap, that stuff was strong.”

“Don’t throw up. That’s one sure way to get us kicked out of this place.”

He caressed my neck and massaged it with one hand. His touch gave me goose bumps and not the good kind.

I lifted my head and moved slightly away. “I don’t even know how I’m going to drive home.”

He leaned in and ran a finger on my outer thigh. Bile rose in my throat, and I flinched at his touch.

“I can take you home,” he said, edging closer toward me.

The scent of liquor on his breath mixed with the smell of the expensive cologne he was wearing. Everything about him repulsed me.

I pushed myself off the bar stool in one swift movement and moved away. I was tired of being fondled today.

“No flippin’ chance, loser.” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. I stomped toward the roped area where Kent had entered.

A stoic bouncer stood there. I tried to stand straight, but failed and stumbled slightly. I was queasy from the drink Luke had given me, and all I needed was to get home. “I’m here to see Kent,” I said.

The bouncer nodded and moved to let me pass.

Darkness engulfed the room. The only sources of light came from tea lights on the tables. The music pounded in my ears, but as I skimmed the room, I saw no one was dancing. People were sitting and drinking at the tables.

I moved past a girl straddling a guy on the couch. His hands were up her skirt. I scurried to the next table and watched a group of three crowd around a mirror sprinkled with a powder-like substance. I’d seen enough movies to know what they were doing.

I walked faster and scanned the room for Kent. I wanted to tell him that I was leaving. The faster I moved, the more I felt like falling. Taking off my heels, I stepped barefoot on the cold, hard floor. My eyes searched the room and I finally felt my shoulders relax as I spotted Kent in the corner.

I was relieved that he wasn’t snorting something. His head was rested back against the couch, his lips slightly parted. When I approached closer, I noticed his breathing was accelerated. I would have thought he was sleeping, but his eyes were shut tight in concentration. His breathing became erratic, and that was when I looked below.

I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw red high heels sticking out from under the table. The last thing I saw was his pants dropped to the floor before I gasped and wheeled around to run out of the room. Panic began to rise as I discovered that I was totally out of my element. I wasn’t familiar with the surroundings nor did I know my new friend as well as I thought I had.

I swayed, feeling unsteady, and then stopped to place my heels back on. I had to grip the table closest to me for support. I rushed myself out of the dark room and into the pretty-people room. I took one last glance behind me and realized that I was way out of my league. I didn’t belong with this group of people—not that I would ever want to be a part of this group anyways.

When I crossed from the pretty-people room into the normal clubbing room, loud music filled my ears. I wobbled as my vision doubled. I stumbled into a girl, and she pushed me off of her.

“Sorry,” I said, trying to regain my footing.

I raced toward the front, and when I finally made it outside, I gasped for air, blowing a series of short breaths to keep myself steady. I had to concentrate hard on not throwing up on the valet guy in front of me as I handed him my ticket. I fished in my purse for a dollar and pulled out a twenty. I pushed it back into my purse and yanked out a ten. Clutching my stomach with both hands, all of a sudden, I felt faint. I gave him the ten, and he reluctantly handed me the keys.

“It’s right there on the corner, unless you want me to drive it up.” He pointed at the end of the street where the black Bentley was sitting under a lamppost.

I shook my head, unable to voice an answer.

I held my mouth and rushed toward the Bentley down the street. When I pressed the unlock button, the Bentley’s lights flashed. Falling to my knees, I gripped the door handle and threw up all over the exterior of Kent’s shiny black car. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, stepped into the car, and locked myself inside. After reclining the passenger seat all the way back, I passed out.