Unexpected Angel Read Free Page A

danger?”
    “Well, no.” It’s true. Holly might be into some crazy stuff, but she has never once made me do anything that would get me hurt. There were a few times I was certain the cops were going to come but we managed to get out of wherever we were before anything happened. It’s like Holly has a sixth sense for when parties begin to head south and she leaves.
    “And do you wind up having fun every time I push you to try something new?” She bats her eyelashes at me and I have to laugh.
    “Yeah, I suppose,” I concede, unenthusiastically. I’m not exactly content living my sheltered life, but the ‘fun Holly’ keeps pushing me to try new things, and that is just something I have always tolerated for her sake, whether I enjoyed it or not.
    “Okay, the rules. First, keep an open mind. Second, don't take drinks from strangers. Third, don't set your drink down unless you're done with it. And last, prepare to have your world rocked.” We move forward once again, now two from the front of the line.
     
    The lights blinking from the dance floor illuminate the dark hallway as we walk from the entrance into the club. An odd tension fills the air, and the darkness nearly suffocating as my eyes adjust to the low light.
    “Remember what I told you,” Holly shouts so I can hear her over the obscenely loud music. “If we get separated, I'll meet you back out here. Just do me a favor; stay with me.”
    Holly 's repeated warnings as we turn the corner into the main club are more than freaking me out. It appears that I am one of the only people in the club not dressed head to toe in black or some equally dark color. I am also one of few without a stitch of leather on my body, other than the borrowed boots. Beyond that, it doesn’t seem much different from any other club we’ve been to, although it has been five years since I’ve been to a club at all.
    “We need to find the girls,” Holly yells, grabbing my wrist in her hand before attempting to weave through the crowd. “I told them to meet us in the back lounge because it will be easier to find them back there.”
    The vibe in the room shifts with every step we take toward the back of the building. Off to the left, the seating area has low couches arranged in small groups. Against the back wall sits Jenny, Aimee, and Bev, the remainder of the friends I still talk to on a semi-regular basis. All of them are closer to Holly than they are to me, often leaving me feeling like the proverbial fifth wheel.
    “Holy shit,” Jenny exclaims , jumping up from her seat. “I can't believe you actually got her ass out here!” She throws her arms around me in a tight hug. “Congrats, Tasha. You're a free agent now!” I look down at the table and notice that our friends have started drinking without us and seem to have one heck of a head start. “Oh. My. God. What is that?” Jenny squeezes my cheeks as she turns my head to the side, examining my newest accessory.
    “A little present to myself,” I profess. As lame as it sounds, I am proud of myself for doing something I know he would disapprove of. Never again will I allow a man to tell me what to do, who to talk to, or anything else. If and when I decide to give love another try, it will be on my terms.
    “You bitch,” Jenny screeches, slapping Holly’s arm playfully. “I can't believe you took her to Dragonfly and didn't tell us. That totally should have been a group trip.”
    “Didn't know,” Holly shrugs. “Shocked the shit outta me too.”
    I look around at the four friends sitting before me and realize just how much I time I wasted over the years. All of them are dressed to kill, fitting in with the crowd around them while my outfit screams 'poser'. “So, uh, you guys do this a lot?” I ask, my stomach sinking because I already know the answer.
    “Every month,” Aimee chime s in. She is practically bouncing on her seat and I wonder what I have been missing out on. All of them seem giddy with anticipation.