Read Club Wonderland for Free Online Page B

her there, was nearly enough of a deterrent to make her rethink what she was doing. If she went in there, found him, and he rejected her once more, how was she supposed to face him at work? God, he might complain to Mr. Murphy...
    Someone banged into her from behind. “Fuck! I’m sorry,” a man said, sounding more than a little out of breath.
    Alice spun around, coming face to face with a man who might be in his mid-twenties. His hair was dyed pink and he had colored contact lenses, making his eyes look like a cat’s. The guy was incredibly skinny, dressed in leather pants and a tight white tank top. He checked his watch, then cringed. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I’m so frigging late I’m going to get my ass handed to me.”
    “That’s okay.” Alice barely got the words out when the young man pushed past her and bolted for the same alley where Gael had disappeared. “Hey, where are you going? Is there a good club down there?”
    “No time to chat!” And he ran around the corner.
    Staring at the spot where he’d been seconds before, Alice gave her head a shake. “You’re kidding me?”
    Well, now she had to know what the hell was down there. If nothing else, she had a perfectly logical reason, one that had nothing to do with Gael, for wanting to check out what exactly was down that alley. Perfectly logical and totally non-stalkerish.
    You keep telling yourself that , Alice.
    Squeezing her clutch, she strode a bit faster toward where the man had gone. The noise from the surrounding clubs faded into the background as soon as she turned the corner. With each step farther into the dimly lit alley, Alice’s heart rate increased. A single woman wandering an unpopulated section of Toronto’s club district. Not the wisest thing she’d done recently. Or ever.
    There was no immediate indication where either the man or Gael had gone. The only thing visible was a neon sign at the far end of the alley. Beyond was another wall of the warehouse, creating a dead end. Stopping before she got too close, Alice heard a cacophony of noise—voices and sounds that didn’t quite register with her. Turning her head to try and catch the bead of the conversation, she was relieved to hear the voice of the man who’d run into her.
    “Come on, man. I’m late as hell. She’s going to whip my ass if I don’t get in there.”
    “You should have thought of that earlier.”
    “Don’t be a dick, Chess.”
    “Go then. I look forward to seeing your red ass.”
    She couldn’t see either man. Alice started moving forward once more, realizing that there was an inset door, hiding them from view. This was it—she’d soon be in full view of whoever was standing there, and she’d have to either look the part to get inside or end up having her night cut short and sent on her way.
    After taking half a beat to check her hair and smooth her hands down the length of her dress, she bit the bullet and went to check out the club. The red neon sign above the door wasn’t as flashy as some of the other clubs in the district. There wasn’t the same blare of dance music coming to her from inside, which held the promise of a slightly more upscale experience.
    “Wonderland.” She licked her lips as she stared at the harsh red letters.
    “Well, hello, little rabbit.”
    Alice gasped at the sight of the large black man standing at the door entrance. He was easily over six and a half feet tall and looked like he’d be at home standing inside of a UFC cage during the main event. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen him immediately.
    “Umm, hi.” She waved and gave him a little smile. “How are you?”
    “I’m just peachy. It’s a warm night with a cool breeze.”
    Unsure what she should do next, Alice took a few steps closer. The bouncer made no move to stop her one way or the other, but she got the impression no one set foot inside the club without his approval. Lying or flirting with him wasn’t going to work either. One look