16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

T he club pulsed with energy, lights flickering over the crowd in rhythmic waves. Sam sat on the edge of the booth, trying to ignore the way tension sat heavy in the air between her and Jess. It had been like that since the previous night. They’d barely spoken all day, exchanging only a handful of clipped words, mostly for the benefit of the others.

Sam leaned her elbows against the crowded table at the club, tilting the rest of her drink back.

Scarlett suddenly broke off mid-sentence, her gaze shifting over Jess’ shoulder toward the bar. “Jess, that girl over there is totally checking you out.”

Jess turned, following where Scarlett was looking. She stared for a moment before turning back, swirling the last of the liquid in her glass.

“Maybe you should go talk to her?” Scarlett urged gently. “You know, flirt a little. Help yourself move on from the breakup.”

Jess lifted one brow. “I don’t need help moving on.”

Scarlett frowned. “Well, you seemed off this morning. Thought maybe it was bothering you.”

“I’m fine. Seriously.” She swallowed, and as Sam watched the interaction, it felt like Jess was purposely avoiding her gaze. “It wasn’t—that.” Jess said slowly. “I was just out of it. I’m fine though.” She loosed a breath, tugging what looked like a forced smile onto her face.

“I’m gonna grab a drink,” Tiana said, standing up and smoothing down her tight dress. “You all good with another?”

They all nodded, and Tiana slipped away toward the bar, leaving Scarlett and Jasmine to dive back into wedding plans. Sam sat still, her eyes tracking Jess, feeling the unease simmering beneath her own skin.

She cleared her throat, leaning forward slightly. “Hey,” she said softly, keeping her voice low enough that the others wouldn’t hear. “About last night…”

Jess’ eyes flicked to her, a flash of something passing over her face.

“I’m sorry,” Sam continued, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I didn’t mean for things to get so—tense.”

Jess’ expression softened, but only slightly. “It’s fine,” she said, brushing it off. “Really.”

Sam pressed her lips together, nodding, though she didn’t fully believe it. There was still something between them—something left hanging from the night before—but it wasn’t the time to push.

Before the silence could stretch too long, Tiana returned, a playful grin lighting up her face. Behind her was the woman Scarlett had pointed out earlier, the one who’d been checking Jess out from across the bar.

“Hey guys, this is Joanna,” Tiana said, introducing the woman. Joanna smiled, but her attention immediately zeroed in on Jess.

Sam forced a polite smile as the woman settled into their group, her interest in Jess painfully obvious. Jess, to her credit, was polite, nodding along as she chatted with her, though her responses stayed clipped and reserved.

The drinks arrived shortly after, and Sam downed hers quickly, hoping to ease the awkwardness settling in her chest.

“Alright, I need to dance,” Scarlett announced suddenly, pulling Jasmine to her feet.

Sam hesitated, but followed the group as they moved toward the dance floor. The music was louder there, the lights more erratic, casting flashes of neon across their faces. And Sam couldn’t help but notice the way Joanna stuck close to Jess, still talking—pressing for every bit of her attention.

Before long, Jess and Joanna were dancing together, the space between them shrinking with every beat of the music. She watched Jess’ hands find the other woman’s waist, the two of them moving in sync.

Tiana pulled Sam closer as she danced beside her. “You okay?”

Sam nodded quickly. “Yeah. All good.”

But even as she said it, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from them.

Tiana pulled back, looking first at her, then following her gaze across the dance floor. And when she looked back at Sam, she wore an intrigued expression.

Sam stared at her, waiting. But Tiana just kept looking at her like she’d done something completely out of the ordinary.

“What?” Sam finally muttered.

Tiana blinked, cocking her head as the look morphed into an entertained grin. “Are you jealous ?”

“What?” Sam asked, yanking her head back in surprise. “No, of course not.”

Tiana spit out a laugh as her eyes widened. “Oh my god, you are! You’re totally jealous!”

Sam set her jaw, evening out her expression as she continued dancing, looking anywhere but at Jess and the woman.

“Wow,” Tiana said, shaking her head as she glanced back to where Jess was dancing. “Guess there’s a first time for everything.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Right,” Tiana mumbled, rolling her eyes. “If you want her, why don’t you do something about it?”

Sam continued moving distractedly to the beat of the music.

“I don’t,” she muttered, hearing the lie in her own voice. “And even if I did, she just got out of a relationship. Trust me, she needs a friend right now. She doesn’t want..” She trailed off as she glanced back at Jess. “She doesn’t want that.”

Tiana looked back at her, all the teasing amusement replaced with a serious look. “What about what you want?” she asked. “You always put everyone else’s needs first. And I love you for that, but—” She paused, releasing a breath. “You’re gonna drive yourself crazy. You have to go after what you want sometimes, too.”

Sam swallowed, her eyes flicking back up to Jess. She watched as the woman moved closer, wrapping one arm around Jess’ waist as she turned them.

Sam looked back at Tiana, shaking her head. “She doesn’t want that.”

“Oh please,” Tiana scoffed. “She looks like she wants to kill me every time I touch you.”

Sam shot her a look, brows tugging together. “That’s not true.”

“It’s not?” Tiana asked, quirking one eyebrow up in challenge. “How about we test that and see who’s right?”

“What do you—”

Before Sam could finish the sentence, Tiana stepped closer to her, sliding one hand around her lower back. She pulled their bodies closer, then turned until her back was flush against Sam’s front.

Sam stiffened slightly as Tiana swayed her hips. She ground purposely against her, the curves of her back rolling over every intimate spot.

And she let Tiana take her hands, gently wrapping them around her hips. Then she reached one hand up, wrapping it around Sam’s neck and pulling her head down slightly.

Sam gave her a cautious, curious look as Tiana gazed deeply into her eyes.

Then, right when she thought Tiana might try to kiss her, she turned her head slightly, kissing her neck instead in a slow, much too intimate way.

Sam swallowed thickly, waiting a beat before pulling her head away.

She barely caught the split-second where Tiana glanced at some spot ahead of them on the dance floor. And after she did, she turned her body back to Sam, twisting in her arms.

Tiana’s hands slid around her in an embrace, still swaying to the beat of the music. Then she chuckled near her ear as she whispered, “I win.”

Sam glanced up to where Tiana had looked a moment before. And sure enough, she was right.

Jess stood there, a foot or so of space now firmly placed between her and the woman she’d been dancing with.

She stared at them, not meeting Sam’s eyes, but instead, her eyes seemed to meticulously trail over their entwined bodies. Her mouth was set, lips slightly pursed together, but her eyes held an intensity that was oddly familiar. Although she couldn’t quite place the memory in which she’d seen it last.

“Or do you need me to prove it again?” Tiana muttered, shooting her a mischievous smirk before letting her lips drift over her neck once more.

Sam pulled away as she snorted a dry laugh. “No. You made your point.”

She removed her hands from Tiana’s hips, stepping back slightly.

“That doesn’t mean she wants me, though. I already know it’s weird for her to see me with someone else like—that.”

Tiana rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, shaking her head. “You’re so oblivious sometimes.”

Sam frowned, scratching a hand over the back of her neck.

“Come on,” Tiana nodded, leading them off the dance floor

They made their way to the bar, squeezing in between a group of people. Tiana leaned against the counter, still catching her breath from the dance floor.

Tiana’s smirk softened into something more sincere as she glanced back at Sam. “You know, I think I’ve done enough meddling for one night,” she said, raising her voice over the music. “I’m gonna head back early.”

Sam blinked, surprised. “Already? It’s not even midnight.”

Tiana shrugged, but there was a glint of something playful in her eyes. “Yeah, well, I’m tired from the weekend,” she leaned in, lowering her voice, “Besides, the best girl in here is already spending all night thinking about someone else.”

Sam felt the flush creep up her neck. “I’m not—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tiana cut her off with a dismissive wave. “Anyway, can you give me your key card? I forgot mine in the room.”

Sam hesitated for a second, her hand instinctively patting the pocket where she’d stashed it earlier. “You sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

Tiana smirked, letting out a low chuckle. “Not unless you really want to give Jess another reason to be jealous.”

Sam frowned as Tiana held out her hand expectantly, wiggling her fingers. With a sigh, Sam pulled out the card and placed it in her hand.

Then Tiana leaned in, pressing a quick, friendly kiss to her cheek. “Good luck, babe. And remember what I said. Go get what you want.”

Before Sam could respond, Tiana slipped away, weaving her way through the crowd with that effortless confidence she always had. Sam watched her go, a strange mix of relief and anticipation settling in her chest.

“Where’s she going?” Scarlett’s voice came from behind her, and Sam turned to find her standing there, with Jasmine following close behind.

“Heading up early,” Sam replied, nodding toward her retreating figure. “Said she was tired.”

They lingered by the bar a while longer, conversation ebbing and flowing as they sipped on their drinks. The club had reached its peak. Every foot of the dance floor was filled with people.

Sam glanced back every so often, catching glimpses of Jess still talking with Joanna. The woman was leaning in close, but Jess’ smile looked tight and strained.

Sam forced her attention back to Scarlett, who was animatedly telling a story about her latest work drama. “And then she told me how to do my job,” Scarlett said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Jasmine snorted, hiding her smile behind the rim of her glass. “I’m surprised you didn’t say anything back.”

“Oh, I wanted to,” Scarlett replied with a scoff. “But I’m trying this new thing called ‘professionalism.’ It’s exhausting.”

Sam chuckled along, but her gaze drifted back to Jess once more. Tiana’s words flowed back through her mind as she watched Jess lean away from the woman’s touch.

“So what happened between you two last night that put her in such a bad mood this morning?” Scarlett asked, giving Sam a pointed look.

Sam arched one brow as she took a sip of her beer. “What happened to Jess tells me everything ?”

Scarlett shrugged lightly. “She didn’t wanna talk about it.”

Sam nodded, swirling the drink in her hand. “Then I guess nothing happened.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes as she looked out to where Sam had been staring. “Well, I’m glad she’s putting herself out there again.”

Sam turned away, taking a swig of her beer.

“Even if she does kinda look like she’s dying to get away now,” Scarlett continued with an amused chuckle.

Sam looked back over her shoulder once more, catching the obviously fake smile Jess had on her lips.

Scarlett sighed, setting her empty glass on the bar. “Well, I’m ready to head back,” she said, looking between Sam and Jasmine. “But I don’t want to leave Jess here by herself.”

“I’ll stay,” Sam said immediately.

“You sure?” Scarlett asked, although she knew she wasn’t surprised by the offer.

Sam nodded with a reassuring smile. “Yeah. I’ll hang out until she’s ready to leave. Make sure she gets back okay.”

“I think I’m gonna go with you,” Jasmine added, stifling a yawn. “I’m not really used to these late nights.”

Scarlett smiled at her, then turned, squeezing Sam’s arm. “We’ll see you in the morning at checkout.”

She turned to Jasmine, giving her a gentle tug on the arm. “Come on, let’s get out of here before I start falling asleep at the bar.”

Jasmine gave a small, sleepy smile as she followed Scarlett toward the exit. “Goodnight, Sam,” she called over her shoulder.

“Night,” Sam replied, watching them disappear into the crowd. She blew out a breath, turning back to the bar and signaling for another drink. She wasn’t sure how long she’d have to wait, but she wasn’t planning on leaving until Jess was ready.

Sam took a slow sip from her glass, letting the cool liquid slip down her throat. Her eyes found Jess again, and this time, she could see it clearly—the way Jess subtly shifted her body away, the slight wince when Joanna’s hand landed on her arm. It was enough to make Sam’s decision for her.

With a deep breath, Sam pushed away from the bar and made her way toward them.

She weaved through the array of people, stopping beside Jess.

“Hey,” she said with a soft smile.

“Oh, hey,” Jess replied, taking a small step closer to her.

Joanna didn’t bother even glancing toward her, her eyes still clinging to Jess. In reality, she actually kind of felt bad for her. Maybe on another night, she would’ve had a fair chance. But Sam knew better than she did. That night wasn’t it.

“Where’d everyone go?” Jess asked, craning her neck past Sam to scan the crowd.

“Back to the rooms,” Sam answered, throwing a nod over her shoulder.

“Oh,” Jess muttered, disappointment painting her face. Then she looked back at Sam. “You didn’t want to go?”

Sam shrugged lightly. “Figured I’d hang out a little longer.”

Jess nodded, opening her mouth to say something before Joanna cut her off.

“Let me buy you another drink?” she asked with a wide grin.

Jess frowned, giving her a semi-apologetic smile. “That’s okay. I think I’m at my max for the night.”

The woman’s smile dropped for a moment before she quickly recovered. “Oh, yeah, I probably I am too,” she said with a chuckle. “I can definitely keep dancing, though.”

She took a step toward Jess, her hand outstretched. But Jess pulled back slightly. And that was all it took.

Sam shifted behind Jess, sliding one arm around her waist, resting her hand on her hip. Jess stiffened for a split second before she completely relaxed into the front of her body.

Sam rested her chin lightly against her shoulder. Then said in a low voice, but loud enough for Joanna to hear, “Dance with me?”

The way Jess turned to look at her left their faces only inches apart. And the look in her eyes was intense with surprise and curiosity. She swallowed, then nodded.

“Oh,” Joanna muttered, her eyes flicking between them. “I—sorry—I didn’t realize you two—”

She knew what she was asking. And yes, leaving it unsaid would be a lie. But at that moment, she didn’t care.

Jess stayed quiet too, and Sam felt her hand drift over her own, where it rested on her hip. Jess ran her thumb lightly over her wrist, and Sam instantly had to remind herself of why she was doing this in the first place. That it wasn’t real.

She held Joanna’s stare, offering a small smile she knew would give her the answer she needed to see.

Joanna looked between them once more, then gave Jess a tight smile. “Well, it was nice meeting you. Have a good night.”

Sam watched her walk away, waiting until she was far enough into the crowd that she wouldn’t be able to see them anymore. Then she loosened her grip on Jess, immediately pulling her arm away and stepping back. It was like a switch had flipped off, her boldness evaporating as quickly as it had come.

“There,” Sam said with a forced grin. “Problem solved.”

Jess didn’t respond right away. She just stared at her, eyes searching, the intensity of her gaze making Sam feel exposed in a way she hadn’t expected.

“You were just doing that because she was here,” Jess said finally, her voice soft but edged.

Sam opened her mouth, ready with a quick denial, but the words stuck in her throat. She looked away, her gaze fixed on the row of liquor bottles behind the bar. “You looked like you needed an out,” she muttered.

Jess’ expression softened, but there was a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. “Right,” she said, her voice losing its edge. She looked down at the space between them, flexing her fingers like she was trying to release the tension. “Well, thanks. It worked.”

Sam’s heart twisted at the way she said it, the flatness of her tone. “I—”

“I think I’m ready to leave,” Jess interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sam nodded, swallowing against the tightness in her throat. “Yeah. Me too.”

***

Sam yawned as they walked through the lobby.

Jess slowed, stopping halfway to the elevator. “Actually,” she said, turning halfway, “I’m gonna see if the shop is still open and grab a couple water bottles.”

Sam stopped, ready to follow her.

“It’s okay,” Jess said with a small smile. “You don’t need to come with me.”

“You sure?” Sam asked, glancing around the empty lobby.

“Yeah,” Jess said with a wave of her hand. “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Sam said with a nod, scanning the area once more. “I’ll see you in the morning, then?”

Jess nodded. “Yeah. I’ll see you guys before we all head out.”

“Alright,” Sam said, turning for the elevators.

She took the elevator up, yawning again as the exhaustion clouded her vision. When the elevator dinged, coming to a stop at her floor, she trudged out, making her way to the door of their room.

She knocked lightly, trying not to make too much noise.A few moments passed with no response.

“Tiana,” she called through the door, knocking again.

A minute went by, but again, no answer. She let out a sigh, rubbing a tired hand over her eyes.In hindsight, giving an incredibly heavy sleeper the only key probably hadn’t been the best idea.

She pulled her phone out, clicking the call button on Tiana’s contact.

It rang a handful of times before going to voicemail.

She sighed as the faint ding of the elevator rang out down the hall.Light footsteps padded toward her as she knocked again.

“Can’t get in?” Jess’ soft voice asked from a few feet away.

She turned, seeing her approach with two water bottles tucked under her arm.

“No,” she answered with a frown.

Jess stopped beside her, adjusting the bottles in her hands. “What’re you gonna do?”

Sam tucked the phone back into her pocket, then shrugged. “Guess I’ll head back down and see if someone at the front desk can get me another key.”

She yawned again, her eyes blurring with teary exhaustion.

Jess opened her mouth, then paused, as if apprehensive.

Sam watched her for a moment. “What?”

“Well,” Jess started, shifting the bottles in her hands again, “I was gonna say, you could stay in my room, but—” Her eyes bounced away for a moment. “There’s only one bed.”

“Oh,” Sam said, slightly surprised by the offer.

“I mean,” Jess continued quickly, “that’s fine with me. I just meant—I don’t know if you’re okay with that.”

Sam scratched a hand over the back of her neck, thinking it over. She glanced back at her locked hotel door. It probably wouldn’t take too much time to get a new key from the front desk downstairs. But it was already late, and they had to get up early the next morning for check out.

But was it a good idea to sleep in a bed with Jess? Her brain said yes, that it would be totally fine. They were just friends. Sleeping in a bed together meant nothing.

But there was also another part of her—something much deeper—that said it was a bad idea.

“You look like you’re making a life or death decision,” Jess said, the corner of her mouth tilted up in slight amusement.

Sam chuckled, letting out a breath as her shoulders relaxed. “Sorry—no. I’m just tired. Can’t think straight.”

“I can go back down to the lobby with you to get another key,” Jess offered. “I’ll just drop these off real quick,” she said, nodding down at the water bottles.

“No,” Sam said, shaking her head. “No, that’s okay.”

She was overthinking things. Jess was right. It wasn’t some gigantic decision. She was just letting what Tiana said earlier get in her head.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I crash with you?” she asked. “I don’t want to take up your space. I know how you like to take up the whole bed.”

A smile cracked over Jess’ lips as she rolled her eyes. “I think I can deal with sharing for one night.”

“Right,” Sam mumbled with a smirk as Jess pushed past her down the hall.

She followed her to the end as she stopped in front of the last door on the left.

Jess switched the bottles to her other arm as she pulled her key card out and held it up to the door. The lock box beeped, and Jess pushed the door open, holding it as Sam walked through after her.

Cold air swept over her.

“Think you have the AC blasting high enough?” Sam muttered as she switched on the main light.

“I love the air conditioning in hotels,” Jess replied, placing her things down on the dresser below the TV. “If it’s really cold in the hotel room, it makes the bed feel so much better when you go to sleep.”

Sam hummed, sitting down on the edge of the perfectly made bed.

“I have some clothes you can wear, if you want.”

“Oh,” Sam mumbled as she stifled a yawn. She hadn’t even considered the fact that she didn’t have any of her stuff with her. “Yeah. Thanks.”

She pulled her phone out, checking her latest emails as Jess went through her suitcase on the floor in the corner of the room.

She typed out a few replies, answering assorted questions from the development team before Jess stood back up.

She tossed a couple items beside her on the bed. “Are those okay?”

Sam picked up the large black t-shirt and sweat shorts, turning them over. The corner of her lip tugged upward when she saw the familiar college lacrosse logo on the front. She’d worn that shirt before. More times than she could even count.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Jess walked to the bathroom with another set of clothes in her hands, then called back over her shoulder, “I’m gonna shower real quick.”

Sam waited until she heard the water running. Then she stood, pulling each item of clothing off before quickly replacing them with the shirt and shorts Jess had given her. She folded her clothes neatly and set them on the chair beside the small table in the corner of the room below the window.

A shower sounded nice, but she didn’t have enough energy to stay up.So instead, she went to the other side of the bed and set her phone down before pulling back the comforter.

The more responsible part of her said that she should take the next few minutes to finish replying to emails and missed messages from work. But the other part of her just wanted to lie there, enjoying the peaceful feel of the bed. And even with the lights still on, the rhythm of the running water was enough to almost lull her to sleep.

She let her mind replay the events of the weekend until it came to the conversation they’d had the night before. Jess’ words. The look in her eyes. Then it skipped to a different look. The one she’d seen that night at the club when Tiana was dancing on her.

She blinked, opening her eyes to end the memory right as the water shut off.

A few moments later, the bathroom door clicked open, and Jess walked out, clothed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. She glanced over at Sam as she ran a towel through her wet hair, squeezing water from the ends.

Her eyes seemed to catch for a moment on the shirt she was wearing.

“Want a water?” she asked, looking away as she draped the towel over the back of the chair

Sam cleared her throat. “Yeah,” she said as Jess took the bottles from the dresser and handed her one. “Thanks.”

She downed a few big gulps before setting it on the nightstand beside her phone.

Jess set her own things on the other nightstand, then went to shut the main light off, leaving the bathroom light still on.

She returned, pulling her side of the comforter back and sliding into bed.

Silence fell between them for a moment, the only sound, the light hum of the air conditioning still running.

Jess shifted, and without needing to look, Sam knew she’d turned toward her.

Sam turned her head, looking at her in the dim yellow light of the room. Wet hair draped over her shoulders and across the white pillow. It was a sight she’d seen so many times before. It almost seemed normal. Like sleeping beside her, even as friends, was the most natural thing in the world.

“What?” Jess asked, her nose crinkling slightly as her eyes squinted through the darkness.

Sam couldn’t help the wide grin that broke out over her face. “I’m pretty sure I’ve worn this shirt more times than you have.”

Jess’ expression faltered for a moment, like those were the last words she’d been expecting. Then she broke out into a laugh.

“It’s basically more mine now than yours,” Sam continued.

Jess adjusted the pillow beneath her, still laughing. “Well, then I guess it’s nice of you to have let me keep it all this time.”

Sam smiled, turning her head toward the ceiling again.

“Did you have fun tonight?” Jess mumbled through a yawn.

“Yeah. It was a good night,” Sam answered. “Scarlett and Jasmine seemed like they had fun.”

“They did.”

“You looked like you were having fun, too,” Sam muttered, the image of her dancing with the woman floating back into her mind.

“Did I?” Jess asked. Sam picked up on the somewhat daring tone in her voice. As if silently challenging her to elaborate.

Sam hummed, closing her eyes. That was one challenge that was probably best left untouched. Especially when they were mere feet away from each other in bed.

Jess was quiet for a moment before she continued. “Tiana looked like she was having a lot of fun, too.”

Sam opened her eyes, turning to Jess once more. The corner of her lip tilted upward, unable to stop herself. “Did she?”

A semi-annoyed, but also amused, look passed over Jess’ face. “You know, you keep saying she’s just a friend, but I’ve never seen friends dance like that.”

Sam snorted a laugh. “ You’ve danced on me like that.”

“Exactly,” Jess shot back, “and afterwards we’d end up in bed together.”

The words sparked a certain burn in her stomach, but she pushed it away, ignoring it as fast as it had come.

She cleared her throat, forcing a light laugh as she said, “well I guess we still end up in bed together even without the dancing.”

Jess chuckled, and Sam was grateful for the small pause to calm whatever feeling had begun to work itself up inside her.

She shifted again, pulling her arm out from under her head and replacing it with the other one.

A few beats of silence passed, and Sam wondered if that would be the end of the conversation. Really, that would probably be for the best. It seemed that the more they talked, in any situation, much less in bed beside each other, it always led back to something that made her feel a burning anticipation.

And she’d felt enough toward Jess in the past that she knew that feeling was something she needed to be careful with.

She closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath, trying to will away the thoughts creeping up, trying to keep things simple.

They were friends. Nothing more.