Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 87943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
And it was a good night. Patrick and Sean had decided to try living together. Abby was starting a new job in a week. Kody planned to leave for a late summer stint in The Hamptons at the end of the month but wanted Geoffrey to look at a new software prototype he’d built before then. Todd gave a stirring dramatic performance of his argument with Will about Todd’s out-of-control spending habits. More friends checked in online, ready to meet them at their next stop down the block.
“Sooo…G, have you heard from your new BFF? When’s he gonna open up a new club?” Todd slurred. He didn’t miss Sean rolling his eyes as he lifted an arm to flag down a server, motioning for their check. Trouble Maker was getting packed, and it was time for them to move on now that Geoffrey was sitting in the warm, toasty glow of that early buzz brought on by two drinks with little food in his stomach.
He knew exactly who Todd was talking about and Geoffrey didn’t feel like thinking about local billionaire property developer, Lucas Vallois, and his too-sexy group of friends. His own acquaintances had made the insane assumption that he was welcome in that tight-knit group simply because he’d gotten VIP access at the opening of Lucas’s new club, Warehouse. There was also a picture of him floating around, chatting with Lucas and his fiancé, Andrei Hadeon, at the Children’s Winter Gala.
Yeah, he knew Vallois and his friends. He’d even helped them out once. But Lucas would have laughed his ass off if Geoffrey had described himself as their friend. Fuck, acquaintance seemed like a stretch. Those men were so close. It was obvious whenever they were all in the same room that they were banded together and no one could touch them.
Geoffrey swallowed back the swell of jealousy that formed a knot in his throat. They’d all been very nice to him over the past year, but he knew he was an outsider. Always would be. Not their fault. He just didn’t want to be reminded of it.
“I’m not BFFs with Lucas Vallois,” Geoffrey growled, suddenly wishing he had another drink.
“Whatever,” Todd mumbled. “Keep it one hundred.”
God, Geoffrey hated that phrase. He was keeping it real—he just didn’t feel like arguing with Drunk Todd. Drunk Todd sucked.
Patrick gave an audible sigh of relief when the server handed over his check. He quickly shoved some bills inside as he stood. “Regardless, I really miss Shiver…and Gaile was a great place to unwind on a Friday night.”
“And your description of Warehouse was so cool,” Abby chimed in. “He does need to open another club or two. Cincy is just becoming too dull without his touch.”
“Yeah, tell your BFF to open another club,” Todd said. He pushed to his feet and swayed for a second before righting himself.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m in the mood to dance,” Geoffrey said, standing.
With the rest of the bill paid—which somehow ended up being Geoffrey’s responsibility as usual—they left Trouble Maker and wandered down Main Street, heading closer to Over-the-Rhine where they would find Aesthetic AF. The drinks were watered-down shit, but the dance floor was huge and the music was loud. Todd, Abby, Patrick, and Sean accompanied him. At Aesthetic AF, they were met by two more of Abby’s friends—Veronica and Girl with the Crooked Smile—as well as Franklin, Josh, and Mike. Faces and names ran together as he lost himself in dancing.
He forgot about the idea of new clubs. He forgot about Lucas Vallois and his friends. He just danced and laughed. For a short time, the emptiness was pushed back.
Two hours later, Geoffrey stumbled against the rough brick wall in a shadowy part of the club, closed his eyes, and reached for his head. The nerves in his scalp felt electrified, speeding away from his fingertips like code gone wild. The lights strung out into swirling lines behind his eyelids, the music and voices around him blended and rose until they came at him in waves of ear-splitting noise. When he tried to focus, the people twisted into odd shapes, their colorful clothes turning into kaleidoscopes that blinded him.
Nausea slammed into his gut, bending him in half.
This…this was wrong. He’d had two drinks at Trouble Maker and only two more drinks at Aesthetic AF. And that second one, he hadn’t even finished. He shouldn’t feel like this. His tolerance was way higher. He knew it. This was wasted.
Had…had someone drugged him?
He tried to cling to the ripple of fear that started to move through him, but whatever was pumping through his bloodstream washed it away before he could use it to clear his head. He just wanted to slide right down this wall and go to sleep.
Yeah…sleep sounded so good.…
“Hey, baby, you need some help?”