My best friend’s brother
Chapter One: Peyton
“What are we doing here, Julie?” My voice came out as a yell with the techno music blaring around us. Neon lights bounced around the large club as bodies jumped and gyrated on the dance floor. It was enough to give any sane person a headache.
“Calm down and enjoy yourself for once, Peyton,” Julie screamed back at me. “Can’t I treat my bestie to a good time without her complaining?”
“Not when it’s a rave and everyone in here looks like the high school kids I’m teaching Monday,” I said. I should have expected it with a place called Neon Nights. Seeing Julie’s idea for entertainment made me think I should have chosen the destination beforehand.
Julie convinced me to come out for my last free weekend before I started teaching biology for Weston Academy High School. After I told her my coming days and free time would be filled with lesson plans and grading, she demanded we celebrate my new job before she never saw me again, which was no less dramatic than Julie’s normal flare.
Her oldest brother, Max, worked as an event organizer in Los Angeles, so he often gave Julie perks for new clubs and bars in the city, since he was no longer into the nightlife with a wife and two kids.
“They’re not that young,” Julie said, pulling me through the dance floor. “This place is twenty-one and up. Besides, Max gave up his booth in the VIP section. It’s probably quieter and fancier back there.” She nodded to a place that was roped off and had a huge bouncer guarding it.
Whatever was back there in the VIP area had to be popular if his size and muscles were any indication of it being an exclusive place. He wore all black with the only color being the club’s pink logo on his chest, which the guard out front had on, too. He also wore an earpiece in his ear, which I would have missed if it hadn’t shown a blue light blinking on it.
Julie walked right up to the bouncer and gave him her you-don’t-scare-me stare, a look that even made me tremble sometimes.
“Max Mitchell has a booth for us. Julie Mitchell plus one.”
The bodyguard didn’t flinch or look away from her as he grabbed a black book that was on a small table next to him. He briefly glanced down and looked back up at us before speaking. “You’re not on the list,” he said.
“I know for a fact Max gave us access,” Julie said. “He wouldn’t lie to me. No one lies to me.”
“Look, little lady, you’re not on my list, and no one gets in here unless they’re on the list or get a green light from the boss.”
Oh, hell. Why did he have to call her little? Julie was petite, but she would beat anyone down for pointing it out. I blamed it on her growing up as the only girl in her family with five brothers.
It was up to me to do damage control, or Julie would have us thrown out and in jail before long with the temper she had.
“Don’t worry about it, Julie. We can go somewhere else,” I said, pulling on her arm.
“No,” she said. “Max said he reserved a section for us, so we’re not leaving until we get what he promised me.”
The bouncer crossed his arms. “I suggest you enjoy yourself out there with everyone else. Otherwise, I’m going to have to see you to the exit.”
“We’re leaving,” I said tugging on Julie, who wouldn’t budge.
The bouncer put his hand up and turned his head as if someone was speaking to him.
“He did not just put his hand up to me!” Julie said. “Hold my purse, Peyton.”
“It’s not worth it,” I said to her without taking her purse. I didn’t want to see what she could do with free hands. Some of the people closest to us were already staring. This was so not my idea of relaxing before work. “Let’s just go somewhere else.”
The bouncer moved quickly for his size. He unhooked the rope and stood to the side, which had both of us staring at him.
“Boss says you can go in,” he said. “Drinks are on the house for you, too.”
Julie and I glanced at each other before turning back to him.
“Your choice, ladies,” he said. “In or out?”
“In,” Julie said before pulling me past the entrance. We went down a dark hallway before coming to another neon-filled room. Music still played, but it wasn’t as loud. The neon lights were also more subtle than the ones in the general club area. A good amount of people were in the VIP lounge, but they wore fancier clothes that looked like they were worth more than I’d make a year as a teacher. They also seemed more our age and a little bit older.
It was actually a decent setup compared to what I had just experienced, which made me sigh in relief. Maybe I wouldn’t need a couple painkillers for a headache after all.
“See?” Julie said. “Totally worth it, right?”
“It’s not bad,” I admitted. At least lights weren’t flashing like an emergency drill and the music was a decent level to actually enjoy it.
“Ooh! They have Jell-O shots!” Julie squeaked as a waitress walked by.
People immediately looked our way, and I wanted to slink into a dark corner.
“Nope,” I said. “Not a chance.”
“Why not?” She actually tried her pout move with me. Julie did that all the time with her father and brothers, who all fell for it. Sadly, I had succumbed to it more than a few times myself.
I shook my head. “Two words: sophomore year. I’m not doing that again.”
“We were nineteen and invited to our first frat party,” she said. “It’s normal not to know your limits when you’re nineteen.”
“I’m pretty sure those things have the same effect on me now as they did three years ago,” I said as she pulled me to the bar.
“We’re supposed to have fun and fun means shots.” Julie sat down on a bar stool.
I was regulated to sit beside her. “You can barely taste the alcohol in them, which makes them dangerous. I’m not spending this weekend blitzed out of my mind. Can you imagine the first day of hell I’ll have to go through Monday?”
“You have all weekend to sleep it off. That’s why we took a taxi. You can’t turn down free alcohol. I’m sure that’s a bar crime somewhere. Besides, that bartender looks hot.” Julie beckoned him over before I could protest more. “Four Jell-O shots and two strawberry margaritas. Make those drinks nice and sweet, and there will be something sweeter for you later.” She winked to enhance her bait tactics.
As soon as he smiled, I knew she had him. How did she do that? Even after being friends since middle school, Julie had a way with getting attention from any guy she wanted.
“Coming right up,” the bartender said. He pulled the pre-made shots from the mini fridge before he started on the margaritas.
Julie handed me one shot. “Promise me something.”
I sighed. “I’m afraid to ask what it is.”
“Promise me before the night is over, you’ll do at least one thing out of the ordinary for you. Something non-Peyton.”
“Non-Peyton? What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Sometimes you get so stuck in your head you forget to have fun.”
“I have fun,” I protested.
“Watching the Discovery Channel all weekend is not the fun I’m talking about. I mean get out and live life. It starts tonight, okay?”
“Well, I’m out here doing a shot, aren’t I?”
“This doesn’t count.”
“Fine, Julie. Whatever.”
“That’s my girl,” she said, hitting her plastic cup with mine before downing the thing.
I shook my head before swallowing mine. Yep. I couldn’t taste the liquor. Thankfully, there were only two instead of the ten I did in college, which made me avoid all shots after that.
I figured my current crazy surroundings would look better with alcohol in my system. Maybe even the night would go by faster with it, too. I downed the second shot faster than the first and hoped for the best.