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a firm grasp on my wrist. Before I knew it, we had reached the door.
    " Here you go," Olivia said, handing over two IDs to a tall, well muscled bouncer. I snatched my hand away and reluctantly reached inside my small purse. Pawing through the contents, I didn't know whether to panic or feel relieved when my driver's license wasn't in its customary spot.
    " Looking for this?" Olivia held out my license and grabbed me by the hand to tug me inside the club.
    " So now you're a thief?"
    " I borrowed it while you were getting dressed. Just wanted to make sure you didn't have an excuse to bolt." My friend knew me too well.
    When we got inside, I stopped before reaching the long bar where people stood shoulder to shoulder waiting to place drink orders. There were three bartenders behind the counter working the crowd, but only one of them held any significance to me. I intended to play it cool, but my palms began to sweat the moment my eyes found Alec's. Damn, he was as handsome as I remembered. He grinned, nodding his head in my direction. He recognized me. Fantastic. Nothing like making a lasting impression.
    Olivia pulled me the rest of the way to the counter where a space had miraculously opened up. It was at the opposite end of the bar from where Alec was working, but was just large enough for Olivia and me to perch on two stools with Taylor standing between us.
    Alec smiled again, watching me as he prepared a drink order. Maybe someone like Olivia would have no problem maintaining eye contact with a hot guy across the room, but I looked away, pretending to fumble with my purse. I stood up to readjust my stool, keeping my head down. After getting myself situated, I found the nerve to glance back at Alec. He smiled as if he had been waiting for me to look at him. Shooting me a wink, he turned his attention back to the customers in front of him. 
    That was my weakness, especially from someone with such striking eyes. Call me a slut, but it wouldn 't take much more than that to get me to drop my panties for him. Winking for me was like liquor to an alcoholic, and he was getting me drunk. I suddenly realized I had bigger problems than making eye contact. At some point he was going to walk over to us and I would have to say something. Preferably something witty or smart. The harder I tried to come up with something clever, the more my mind went blank. Shit, of all the times to experience writer's block. My heart felt like it would beat out of my chest. I had nothing. All I could think about was how I wished I wouldn't have worn my hair up. I could have used it to hide my embarrassing rosy red cheeks. I fidgeted uncomfortably on my stool, praying to any god that would listen to give me the sanity to make it through this.
    Olivia placed her hand on my shoulder. "See, it's not so bad, right? What are you going to get to drink?"
    " Uh, I'm not sure yet."
    Olivia turned her attention back to Taylor. I felt like a third wheel as their voices were drowned out by the crowd. Truthfully, I was probably too distracted to listen anyway. I found myself studying Alec again as he chatted with two women he was preparing drinks for. Neither of the women could have been more flirtatious if they tried. They both wore undersized shirts that displayed as much cleavage as they could possibly get away with. The way they stuck out their chests, you would think they wanted Alec to take a bite. Personally, I found it more funny than attractive, but clearly Alec knew how to handle himself. He leaned in close while they talked before throwing his head back, laughing deeply. The two skanks absolutely ate it up, like either of them stood a chance.
    I didn 't know what had come over me. Alec and I were not a couple. We were nothing. Certainly nothing to elicit jealousy over. It had to be his off-the-hook sex appeal. It was clouding my judgment. As if he could hear my thoughts, he turned my way, flashing a devastating smile as he sauntered over.
    Be cool. Be cool.