8. Sadie

As we step into the packed nightclub at Rythm Connexion, the thumping rhythm of "La Nueva Y La Ex" by Daddy Yankee hits us immediately, accompanied by the neon lights illuminating the entire room. The air is thick with the scent of sweat, alcohol, and perfume, and the heat from the mass of bodies is almost suffocating. We make our way through the tightly packed crowd, dodging the occasional bump or shove, and finally find a small, available corner booth.

We quickly squeeze into the booth and take in our surroundings. The interior is bathed in a kaleidoscope of colors that catches our attention. The club is spread across two levels, and we could see the main dance floor as we entered. I glance up and see the second level now with its VIP section, extra seating, and a second bar.

The strobe lights on the dance floor are incredibly bright, flashing with the rhythm of the music blasting from the speakers. The DJ"s booth is positioned on a high platform above the crowd, affording the perfect view of the sea of people dancing below. Along the sides of the dance floor, a group of girls dance on elevated platforms.

Before the rest of us settle in, Tiny disappears, muttering something about how she will be back.

With her long black hair cascading down her shoulders and an infectious smile on her face, Lupe leans across the table. "I can"t believe we finally made it out to the club! It"s been way too fucking long."

Telle nods enthusiastically, her caramel-colored wavy locks tumbling over her shoulders as she speaks. "I know, right? And we are looking sexy as hell," she replies, excitement dancing in her amber-colored eyes that almost look like the shade of honey.

Tia shouts over the music, "I need a drink, like, yesterday!" Tia meticulously chose her outfit for tonight—a gold sequin crisscross top that perfectly complements her complexion, paired with tight black leather pants and a pair of open-toe gold heels that showcase her freshly done pedicure.

The bartender, a tall man with a shape-up haircut and muscles like the Rock, strides up to our table. He has a mischievous grin as he leans in and asks, "What can I get you hermosa ladies tonight?"

"I"ll take a tequila sunrise," Lupe says.

Sitting across from Lupe, Tia flashes a flirtatious smirk as she orders. "Martini, extra dry, please."

"Vodka soda with a twist of lime," Telle chimes in, flashing a coy smile at the bartender.

"And for you, beautiful?" the bartender turns to me.

"I"ll have a water with lemon, please," I say with a smile.

"Oh! And chips and salsa," Tia adds. "Baby mama needs to eat something."

The bartender acknowledges our order with a nod and heads to the bar.

"Hey, is it just me, or did the bartender look like Anuel AA?" Lupe asks, her eyes following him as he walks away.

Tia chuckles, a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Lupe, you think every Latino in this city looks like him."

Lupe"s brows furrow in mock offense. "No, I don"t! But come on, you have to admit, there"s a resemblance, right? The haircut, his smile, his ass... he could be his doppelganger."

Tia laughs, shaking her head.

As if the universe has a sense of humor, one of Anuel AA"s hit songs suddenly starts playing, Lupe"s eyes widening in disbelief.

"Where"s Tiny?" Telle asks, glancing around the club. "No idea. She told us that she would be back in a bit when we got here," I reply.

"I"m going to text her." Telle takes out her phone and taps on it.

While we wait for our drinks, I look at the dance floor.

"How pissed off do you think the guys are going to be when they find out we're not really having a sleepover?" Lupe asks, turning my attention back to the group.

Telle rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on. It's not like you're doing anything wrong. If he has a problem with that, tell him to stick it up his ass."

After Jo returned and the chaos subsided, the girls and I decided to spend some time together and try to get back to normal. It felt good to forget about the drama that threatened to drown us for so long.

After a short while, the bartender returns and places our drinks and chips in front of us. Just then, Tiny emerges from the crowd.

"Where the hell have you been?" Telle asks Tiny.

Ignoring Telle, Tiny catches the bartender"s attention just before he steps away. "Rum and Coke for me," Tiny says, her voice as sweet as her drink of choice. Tiny stands out in her navy, crisscross cut-out, lantern sleeve, ruched bodycon dress, and silver heels. Her light curls cascade over her shoulders.

"I was in the bathroom. The line was so fucking long, I almost had to go outside to take a piss," Tiny says as she slides into the booth next to me.

Tiny reaches inside her handbag and pulls out a bottle of perfume. She removes the cap and sprays herself several times. The strong scent fills the air, making me cough and wave my hand in front of my face to clear it.

"Whoa, Tiny! What the hell?" I exclaim, struggling to breathe.

"Sorry," Tiny replies, "but some girl's ass exploded. God, it was so nasty. I mean, seriously, use the poop spray to mask that shit." She sniffs her clothes. "I think I smell like shit. Reina, smell me. Do I smell like shit?" she asks, turning to me and trying to get me to smell her.

Telle spits out her drink and bursts into laughter.

"Ugh, go away!" I say, laughing and trying to move closer to Lupe.

"That's so fucking nasty," Tia says, shuddering.

"Seriously, I'm about to go home and change out of my clothes." She leans over the table and glances at Lupe. "Hey Lupe, give me your car keys."

"Hell no. I just paid twenty dollars for parking. I ain't forking up another twenty." "I'll pay for it. Please?" Tiny begs.

"Tiny, you don't smell like shit," I say with a chuckle as I try to reassure her.

Telle, who seems to be getting frustrated with our conversation, says, "For fuck"s sake. Can we please stop talking about shit? Talking about shit is not exactly my idea of a conversation." She pops a chip in her mouth and takes a sip of her drink.

As soon as the song switches to "El Cepillo" by Fulanito, Tiny, Tia, and Telle let out simultaneous screeches, forcing me to cover my ears. "This is our jam, girl!"

Lupe slinks out of the booth and reaches for my hands. "Vamos." She takes my hands and pulls me toward the dance floor. I can feel the energy in the air. The music is loud, and the bass thunders through the speakers. Lupe"s walking backward, her hips swaying with every step, and I can"t help but follow her lead. We make our way to the center of the dance floor, where my girls are already moving their hips and legs in a circle to the beat.

The beat is freaky fast, but it doesn"t stop us. We feed off each other"s energy, the music propelling us forward. Together, we move, our bodies swaying and twisting. We become like a force of nature, impervious to anything that might try to break us apart. Even as the beat picks up its pace, we don"t falter, moving faster and with more intensity.

When the song ends, "Me Miras Y Te Miro" by Grupo Mania starts playing. Tia takes my hands and shifts her foot from side to side, her hips swaying gracefully, and I follow her every move. Salsa dancing is one of my favorite dance styles.

As we hit the middle of the chorus, Lupe nudges me, causing me to lose my rhythm for a moment.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Lupe shouts with a grin, gesturing toward the second floor.

Curious, we follow her gaze, and my heart beats faster as we notice Seb, Gio, Max, Ash, and Donnie on the second floor, resting their arms on the railing, watching us with stupid ass grins on their faces.

Donnie looks sexy as hell in his fitted dark-charcoal polo shirt and tan slacks, hair perfectly combed, and neatly trimmed facial hair. Ash, too, looks sharp in his black quarter-zip polo and dark jeans. The rest of the guys are dressed to impress, with short-sleeve dress shirts, dark slacks, and tattoos proudly on display.

"How the hell did they know we"d be here?" Telle asks.

"Wouldn't be surprised if they tracked us," Lupe replies.

I can't help but notice Donnie"s gaze is fixed on me. His eyes bore into me, emitting a possessive aura that sends shivers down my spine.

I shrug. "Who cares. Ignore them."

Donnie smirks, and I feel like he can hear my thoughts.

I pull my eyes away from Donnie and resume dancing with Tia, knowing he'll be joining us soon.

With my eyes closed, I feel the music take over, my body responding to the beat, my hands reaching up toward the sky. The worries and fears that have been weighing me down these past few months seem to melt away as I lose myself in the music.

I am about to turn when a pair of strong arms wraps around me above my round belly. I feel a muscular chest pressing against my back, and I freeze until a familiar cologne scent engulfs me. Donnie delicately takes my right arm, wraps it around his neck, and holds me close to his body, his strong arms wrapped firmly around me. I can feel the warmth of his breath on my skin as he begins to sway us back and forth. "I"ve been watching you for the last ten minutes. Every time I look at you, I can"t breathe," he whispers against my ear.

"Maybe you should see a doctor about that," I say with a smirk, loving how he feels against me.

He lets out a lighthearted chuckle. "Nah. I already got what I need," he says, a hint of mischief in his voice.

"Oh, yeah?"

He leans a little closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "Yeah. You," he says, sending a charge of electricity through me.

"I wish I could help you, but I belong to someone else," I say apologetically, teasing him.

"He"s a lucky guy," he replies, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

Unable to resist a little more teasing, I add, "Who said anything about one guy?"

"Are you trying to get me arrested?" His possessive tone makes my tummy clench.

I turn my head to face him, curious. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not a sharing kind of guy," he murmurs, playfully nibbling my earlobe and kissing the sensitive spot on my neck.

"Wait, are you jealous?" I let out a soft chuckle.

"Think of it this way." He tightens his grip around my waist. "You are like a priceless, classic car claimed by a lucky bidder at an auction. Men can"t keep their eyes off you, but even though they can"t have you, they still appreciate your beauty from afar."

As he whispers those words, my chest tightens, and my breathing becomes erratic. His warm breath on my neck sends shivers down my spine, and my skin erupts in goosebumps.

"So, you"re possessive," I say, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I"m territorial. I protect what"s already mine. There"s a difference."

I draw in a deep breath and hold it as his words sank in, causing a sudden rush of warmth to course through my veins. My skin tingles with the sensation, and I close my eyes, savoring the moment. It is as if I have just swallowed a sip of hot cocoa, and the liquid is now spreading through my body, leaving me with a pleasant feeling of comfort.

The world around us fades away as we dance, lost in each other"s embrace. It"s a moment frozen in time, one I wish my camera could capture and preserve in a photograph that would last a lifetime.

Donnie grips my hand and spins me around until I face him. Tipping my chin up with his fingers, he flashes me a warm smile. As we continue to move to the beat, his arm rests on my lower back while the other holds my arm in an L shape. Together, we travel across the dance floor.

With confident steps, he uses the hammerlock turn and adds a cuddle turn. Moving to the side, we stand hip to hip, his hand firmly on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. He gently grasps my hand and leads me into a graceful turn, guiding my arm with a firm yet tender touch. My body is drawn closer to his as we spin until we are pressed tightly together. My knee slips between his legs, and we move side to side, so close I can feel his body heat. It"s as if I am sitting on his leg, and the moment"s intensity leaves me breathless. From a distance, it must look like we're doing the dirty with how close our bodies are. When the song ends, we are sweating and breathing heavily. He grabs my face with both hands and softly kisses my lips. Our friends erupt into cheers and wolf whistles, and I laugh against Donnie"s full lips.

"Damn, boy. You can salsa and merengue?" Tiny chuckles but is clearly impressed.

"There"s nothing that boy can't do when it comes to his girl," Lupe interjects with a grin. Just then, Seb pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Donnie leads the way back to our booth, his grip on my hand as we navigate the sea of people. We slide into the booth, and the bartender appears, ready to take our orders.

Seb speaks up first, his voice carrying over the din of the bar. "I"ll have a Corona," he says, lifting Lupe into his lap. Max follows suit, settling Tiny onto his lap and ordering the same.

Gio leans back in the booth, looking thoughtful for a moment before finally requesting a whiskey sour. Telle, who had slipped into the booth before him, orders a beer. Sitting next to me, Ash asks for a beer, and Donnie asks for a glass of water.

The bartender turns to Tia, Tiny, Lupe, and me with a friendly smile. "And the ladies? Did you want another round?"

We all shake our heads, indicating that we"re good for now. The bartender nods and walks away.

Lupe takes a sip of her drink and looks at the guys. "Seriously, how did you guys know we were here?" she asks. Seb grins and rests his chin on Lupe"s shoulder. "Did you really think we didn"t know you girls were coming here?" he says teasingly.

Tells rolls her eyes. "You asshole! Did you track our phones or something?" she snaps.

The guys laugh.

"Nah, baby girl," Gio says. "We didn"t have to. Tony called us."

Tony, the club's bouncer, is a good friend of Seb"s.

"That mother—" Tia starts to say, but Seb cuts in. "Hey, he was just doing what I asked him to do. I need to know that you girls are safe."

"Safe? But Seb, the threat is gone. Ain't nothing going to happen to us," Tia says.

"I"m not taking that chance, Tia. Either accept it or shut up." Seb winks at her, and Tia rolls her eyes.

Just as she opens her mouth to respond, Ash pulls her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist, and whispers something in her ear. She blushes and looks up at him, and he leans down to gently kiss the tip of her nose. I can't hear what he said, but it seems to help calm her down and put her at ease.

Huh. Did they finally pull their heads out of their asses?

Donnie flashes me a lopsided grin and pulls me closer to him. I lay my head on his chest and listen to his heart beating steadily beneath my ear, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. His arms wrap firmly around me as our friends chatter around us.