It switches after that to me constantly dodging. Suddenly, Chase is bound and determined to get me to fuck one of them—even pulling out the eleven-inch dick guitarist shit. The relentless pushing starts to piss me off. I told him before we threw on the costumes I’m not hunting for buried treasure tonight.

When they all empty their drinks, they decide we need shots. Chase throws an arm over my shoulders, bringing me along. We stop at one of the drink stations set up around the club. They have different themes, this one a vampire’s lair. The bar top looks like a coffin with candelabras and skulls for decoration.

The lifeguards and Chase order two rounds of “bloodlust” shots, which end up being rum and raspberry syrup, but I wave off the second.

“I’m good,” I tell him.

He rotates away from the lifeguards on his other side toward me. The redhead touches his arm and pouts, but he puts the shot down in front of him on the coffin, not paying attention. She realizes he doesn’t care, so she returns to giggling with her friends.

By now, Chase is lasered in on me. “You finally come out and don’t want to drink yourself into oblivion, and now you’re cutting yourself off by midnight?” He drunkenly sighs and sets his hand on the back of my neck. “I love you, my little rock star, but you’re killing the image of being one.”

I shake my head. “I’m not your little anything. And considering I barely have a band, I think it’s safe to say I’m not a rock star either.”

“Yet. You’re not a rock star yet.” Nudging the drink closer, he says, “But you fucking will be, Foster West, so you might as well start drinking like one now. Raw dog the life you want or some manifestation shit.”

I snort. “Pretty sure that’s exactly how the saying goes, brother.” My irritation slips, and deciding fuck it, I raise the glass. “Carpe dick.”

He grins as I take the shot. “There you go, buddy. The world is your Fleshlight.”

“You’re getting that on a pillow for Christmas.” I smile, and he shakes me around until I shove him off.

Before we bro-spire the entire club, a panda and a witch pass behind us, talking about another DJ on the roof. I feel Chase refocus on me before I swing toward him.

“They have a roof,” I say at the same time as he shouts, “A fucking roof?”