Chapter 26

April 19th

When you stop trying to focus just on sex, you realize there's a lot more to a person that a hot body—like being a good friend.

"Max is the coolest," Eli said as they took off arm in arm down the street. WET was less than a mile away and on a busy night it was faster to walk.

"Too bad he has a girlfriend," Leah said what Paige had been thinking.

"Yeah, but just because you can't date him doesn't mean he's not a good guy to be friends with. We guys can be friends too, you know?" Felix pointed out.

"Right," Leah snickered. "When was the last time a guy was just friends with a girl?"

"I'm friends with you and Paige," Felix pointed out.

"He has you there, Leah," Eli laughed but then stopped. "Wait, what about Amelia?"

"I'm friends with Amelia, but we all know I want to be more so the situation isn't the same as Paige and Max." Felix looked ahead of them acting as if declaring he wanted a relationship with Amelia was no biggie. "We're here."

He had to practically drag Amelia to the VIP check-in as everyone stood frozen with shock. Amelia squeaked as Felix slid his arm around her waist, pulled her against his side, and gave the bouncer their names.

"Felix just made his move in a big way," Paige whispered as the bouncer lifted the velvet rope to allow them into the private entrance.

"I guess he got tired of waiting. He did wait a long time for her to make the first move to signal her interest, but I think he's now showing her he's not going to run away," Paige said as they walked through the rope.

"And it doesn't look like he'll let her run away either." Leah nodded to the way Felix was leaning down and whispering something over the loud music to Amelia. He was keeping his hand on the small of her back and sticking to her side in the club.

Paige and her friends had barely walked into the VIP area to be shown to their seating section when a massive man swooped in and wrapped her up in a bear hug.

"Should I tase him?" Leah asked.

"I thought you didn't tase anyone," Max said, appearing beside Leah from the VIP entrance.

Paige laughed as Griz gave her a hug while her feet dangled a foot off the ground. "Hey, Griz!"

Griz looked so different without his furry outfit on. His beard was trimmed, his hair combed back, and he looked handsome in dark gray slacks and a deep moss green dress shirt. "Glad you finally got here, Paige. Moxie and Roman are already dancing." Griz leaned over the railing that looked down at the dance floor and let out a howl.

"What the fuck is happening?" Leah hissed at Paige.

A moment later Moxie and Roman were running up the stairs to the VIP section.

"Paige!" Moxie had her in a hug. While not dressed as a fox, she was wearing a tiny red fake fur mini skirt and a tiny red crop top that gave her the look of a red fox. "We're so excited to meet your friends."

Roman stood by looking sophisticated in black pants and a silver dress shirt tapered to show off his broad chest and narrow waist. He was waiting to give her a hug. The second Moxie stepped back, Paige wrapped her arms around the wolf leader of the furries and squeezed. "Thank you all for coming."

"Are we finally going to get that orgy?" Roman asked jokingly. "Your friends can join."

"I'm totally in," Eli said as Paige saw Leah eyeing Roman appreciatively.

"After passing out together from carbon monoxide poisoning, I think the romance is officially dead. But it did bond us together as forever furry friends," Paige said, wrapping an arm around Moxie and another around Roman.

"Bonded, like carbon and oxygen," Griz said with a big cheesy grin at his pun.

Max chuckled and they all turned to him. "Hey, you're that cop that saved Paige," Moxie said, her whole face lighting up with matchmaking written all over it.

Time to cut in.

"Max is my friend. He came tonight to support Eli in his show. Max, this is Moxie, Roman, and Griz."

Max shook their hands and Paige turned to introduce them all to Eli, Leah, Amelia, and Felix. Noah showed up and joined them less than ten minutes after they arrived. Soon they were sitting on the couches, drinking, talking, and laughing.

"Hello, little one."

Paige felt a large hand clasp her shoulder and looked behind her to the towering hulk of a man standing there. Paige squealed with excitement as she jumped onto the couch and leaned over the back of it to hug him. "Dracklen! What are you doing here?" she asked the hero bartender who had carried her from The Red Door.

"I'm a bartender in the VIP section here when The Red Door is closed. I wasn't sure it was you at first. You look much different from the shiny, swollen, red, rash-covered woman in lingerie I saw last time. But then I saw your little friend there and put it all together."

Paige turned to the group of newcomers looking at them with curiosity as Leah, Amelia, and Eli all greeted Dracklen with enthusiasm. "Dracklen was the bartender at the last, um, club I was at," she began to explain to Moxie, Roman, Griz, Felix, and Max. "I, um, had an allergic reaction and Dracklen carried me out and raced me to the hospital."

Max snapped his fingers. "I knew you looked familiar. I'm the cop who pulled you over and took Paige the rest of the way. Max Caldwell. Thanks for saving Paige."

"Dracklen," he said, shaking Max's hand. "I have to get back to work, but stop by the bar anytime to chat, little ones."

Amelia turned bright red when Dracklen winked at her. Felix put his arm around her shoulder protectively, but not possessively, Paige noticed with a chuckle to herself.

"I find myself parched. He'd be a perfect dragon." Moxie giggled and raced after Dracklen.

Paige laughed as Griz shook his head with amusement. They all talked, laughed, and danced together. Even Max and Noah seemed to fit right in. Paige let go of the thought of her virginity and simply enjoyed her friends. Max was hilarious in a dry sense of humor way. Griz was hilarious in an extroverted, goofy way. Roman was the strong, silent one but was somehow also laid back. Felix, Noah, and Max went to chat with Dracklen and get them more drinks as Griz, Moxie, and Roman took to the dance floor.

"You look happy," Eli told her as he joined Paige at the VIP railing looking down at the dance floor.

Paige nodded. "I am. Actually," she said, looking at her friends, "we all look happy."

"You know, I am happy," Leah admitted as she joined them along with Amelia.

"Because of Noah," Paige teased.

"No. I am not going to date Noah. For the last time, he's not my type. I'm just really proud of myself for my promotion."

"Me too. I'm really proud of my work," Paige said, holding up her martini glass. Leah held up hers too.

"I'm proud of myself too," Eli said. "I nailed it tonight and I'm going to stop trying to convince Kenneth I'm good enough for him because I know am. The real question is if he's good enough for me." Eli held up his glass and they turned to Amelia who lifted hers as well.

"I'm proud of myself for finally talking to Felix. He's so nice. I shouldn't have been so scared, but you all helped me overcome it. To being brave, taking risks, going on adventures, our friendship, and to our resolutions."

They clinked glasses and all took a sip.

"Speaking of resolutions," Leah said, looking directly at Paige. "Someone has been so busy at work she's stopped trying to lose her virginity."

"I know. I needed the break," Paige acknowledged. "The universe will tell me when the time is right to start on my quest again."

Suddenly loud cheerful whoops and hurrahs were heard below them. Paige, Leah, Amelia, and Eli stood up and walked the short distance to the railing and looked down at the dance floor. At least fifty sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen in dress uniform walked in.

A marine looked up and Paige's eyes connected with his. Her breath was sucked from her lungs. That man was so handsome he stole her breath away.

"I forgot," Eli said with a sharp inhale. "It's fleet week!"

Leah turned to Paige and grinned. "I think the universe has spoken."

The marine pointed at Paige and she felt her heart speed up with excitement. He then crooked his finger at her before pointing to the dance floor.

"He's inviting you to dance," Amelia said as she giggled.

Paige tossed her head back and laughed before giving her friends a huge smile. "Well, who am I to question the universe?"