Family Matters

Xavier

Saturday night finds Austin, Ethan, and me at Orion, our favorite dance club. We’re lounging in our usual VIP booth when Brie, a waitress we know, delivers our drinks. As she hands me mine, she bends over just a bit too far, giving me a clear view down her dress.

We’ve had a fling or two, and I can tell she’s hoping for more than a simple “Thanks” from me. Normally, I’d be all over that, but not tonight.

Bella is still on my mind. Why can’t I shake her? We barely exchanged words, yet she’s all I can think about.

I’m itching to return to the Sapphire Casino to find her. I want to discover what makes her laugh, her favorite meal, how she feels in my arms. What the hell is happening to me?!

“Hey, you alright?” Austin’s voice breaks through my thoughts, his face etched with concern.

“Yeah, why?” I respond.

“You seem off.”

“I’m good,” I assure him, even though I’m far from it. I need a distraction, so I head over to the railing to survey the club. My eyes land on Jonah at the bar, leaning in to kiss a girl. But it’s not just any girl. It’s Bella!

Hold on, she’s not mine. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this slide. I storm over to the bar and summon Jonah.

“Hey Boss!” His grin is wide, oblivious to the scowl on my face.

“Why the hell are you kissing her?” I point to Bella, seated with her friends. He follows my gaze.

“Oh, her?” His grin widens. “She’s a cutie, right?” He needs to stop talking. “She’s wearing a ‘Kiss me! It’s my birthday’ button, so I did.”

She’s wearing a what?! What the fuck?!! And why does he look like he’s about to do it again? I lean across the bar, locking eyes with him.

“Don’t you dare kiss her again! Understand?” I growl. Jonah raises his hands in surrender, nodding and grinning. I’d fire him right now, but ‘kissing the woman I want who isn’t technically mine’ isn’t a valid reason.

I instruct our hostess to move Bella and her friends to the VIP booth next to ours. I need to keep an eye on her and anyone else who might take that damn button seriously.

I return to our booth and down the rest of my drink.

“What’s going on?” Austin asks as I slide in next to him.

“Bella’s here,” I say, setting my empty glass on the table.

“Where?” He starts to rise, but I yank him back down. “What the fuck?!” He shouts. Austin and Ethan give me a puzzled look, which quickly morphs into goofy grins when they spot the girls settling into the booth next to us.

“Damn! She’s got some hot friends!” Ethan’s comment is just loud enough for us to hear. Her friends are attractive, but Bella outshines them all. I glance over to see the girls raising their glasses in a toast.

“To the magic of the birthday button! May you get more kisses like the one from the hot bartender!” One of her friends cheers.

More kisses? Over my dead body!

Mental note: Tell Bella to destroy that damn button.

***

Cassie

It’s six o’clock on a Saturday evening and I’m at Chelsea’s and Abbie’s apartment. They’re my best friends from high school and we’re getting ready to hit the club.

They’ve been my rock through all the tough times. They’re the closest thing I have to family.

We moved into this apartment together after high school. I only recently moved out because my obsessive ex-boyfriend wouldn’t leave me be.

I decided to get my own place to keep Chelsea and Abbie out of his reach.

“Can’t wait to hit the town for your birthday!” Chelsea’s voice echoes from her bathroom, her makeup routine in full swing.

“I’m thrilled! It’s been ages since you’ve hung out with us!” Abbie chimes in from her room. “I was beginning to think you were avoiding us.”

“Now that you mention it…” I saunter into her room, pretending to scratch at imaginary hives on my arms.

“Very funny!” She retorts, playfully smacking my arm.

“I’m all set.” I announce. “What about you two?”

“I’m good to go!” Chelsea declares, joining us in Abbie’s room.

“Me too!” Abbie responds. She then turns to me, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “But you, Cass, aren’t quite ready.”

She strides over, pinning a large “Kiss me! It’s my birthday!” button on my dress.

“Now you’re set!” She proclaims, a proud grin on her face. I roll my eyes at her and Chelsea.

“Why do you guys torment me?!” I feign a pout.

They just giggle in response, and we make our way to Orion, the city’s hottest club. We arrive early enough to bypass the line and snag a prime table before the crowd pours in.

The music is already thumping, and a good number of people are inside.

“Hey! Let’s grab that table!” Chelsea shouts, pointing to a table strategically located near both the bar and the dance floor, with a clear view of all the VIP sections above us.

“Great spot! Perfect for scoping out the VIP sections. Ideal for hunting!” Abbie exclaims, high-fiving Chelsea. I just shake my head at their antics. They take their quest for hookups to a whole new level. I hope they’ll eventually find good men to settle down with.

“I’ll handle the drinks tonight. What do you guys want?” I ask as they settle into their seats.

“Rum & coke” Chelsea replies.

“Same for me!” Abbie chimes in, raising her hand. I make my way to the bar to place our order.

“Hey beautiful! What can I get you?” The bartender asks. Wow, this guy is stunning! His muscles look like they’re straining against his shirt! He winks at me and flashes a dazzling smile. I can’t help but giggle.

“Three rum and cokes, please.”

“Coming right up!” He replies. He returns a few minutes later with our drinks. When I offer my credit card to pay, he just slides it back to me.

“These are on the house,” he says, leaning over to plant a sweet kiss on my lips. I can feel my cheeks heating up instantly, and I haven’t even had a sip of my drink yet.

“What was that for?” I ask, trying to conceal my blush. He points to my button and winks. Oh, I’d forgotten about that. He leans in close, his lips brushing my ear as he speaks.

“Happy Birthday, darlin’,” he whispers. Oh my! I can feel myself getting flustered. I thank him and carry the drinks back to our table. Naturally, as soon as I sit down, the girls start grilling me about the kiss.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it. He only kissed me because of this silly button,” I say, taking a long sip of my drink.

“It was more than just the button,” Abbie teases. “Did you see the way he was looking at you? And he practically climbed over the bar to whisper in your ear! The button was just an excuse.”

All I can do is laugh and shake my head at her. We’re about to toast when the hostess approaches us, informing us that we’re being upgraded to a VIP booth.

“Hell yes!” Chelsea squeals, raising her glass to the hostess in gratitude. We grab our drinks and head up.

“Did you arrange this?” I ask her.

“Nope.”

“I didn’t either. Maybe it was a gift from the hot bartender?” Abbie suggests, waggling her eyebrows at me.

“Doesn’t matter how we ended up here. Let’s just savor the moment,” Chelsea fires back. We reach our table and she lifts her glass, prompting us to do the same. “Happy Birthday, best friend! To many more!”

“And to the power of the birthday button! May it bring you more kisses like the one from that sexy bartender!” Abbie chimes in.

“Cheers to that!” Chelsea and I shout. We burst into laughter and our glasses meet in a toast. My laughter turns into a coughing fit when I spot the trio from the casino last night in the booth next to ours.

“Good grief!” I manage to splutter, still choking on my drink.

“Holy cow! Are you alright? What happened?” Chelsea inquires, patting my back in concern.

“Remember the three guys I mentioned this morning? The ones from the casino?” They both nod in response.

“Well, don’t turn around, but they’re right behind us in the next booth.”

“No way!” Abbie exclaims, spinning around to get a look.

“For heaven’s sake, Abbie! I said don’t look!” I scold her, grabbing her shoulders to stop her. When I glance up again, I see them heading our way.

“Goodness gracious!” I mutter under my breath.

“Hello Bella and company!” The one I’d labeled Flirt 1 greets us, sporting the same goofy grin as last night.

“Seems like you’re having a celebration. What’s the occasion?” Flirt 2 inquires.

“It’s her birthday!” Chelsea announces, pointing at me.

“And according to the button rules, you all owe her a kiss!” Abbie adds, pointing at my birthday button.

“Just kill me now,” I whisper to myself. I glance at the three men standing in front of me. Mr. Moody seems a bit irritated.

Hold on... Is he annoyed because she told them to kiss me? I know I’m not his type, but that’s still pretty rude.

“You don’t have to do that,” I assure them, trying to give them an out... or more accurately, trying to give myself an out. I glance at my friends, hoping they’ll catch my ‘please stop’ look, but they’re too busy giggling and flirting with the two flirts. Chelsea and Abbie aren’t even drunk yet and they’re already making me cringe. I pray for the strength to survive this night.

“Well, we can’t exactly break the button rules, can we?” Of course, Flirt 1 would say that. I notice Mr. Moody shoot his friend a glare. What was that about? This is all too overwhelming, and the night has barely begun. I need to escape this awkward situation.

“Um, I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back,” I announce, practically leaping out of my seat. As I walk past them, Flirt 1 reaches out and grabs my hand.

“Wait.” He leans in and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Happy Birthday, Bella.”

I have to admit, that was really sweet. I smile and thank him. Over his shoulder, I see Mr. Moody looking like he’s about to blow a fuse. Could he be jealous?

I’m not drunk, so I couldn’t have imagined that, could I? Damn it! This button is going to be the end of me.