He sits down, pulling me beside him and immediately throws his arm behind my shoulders to pull me in close. His body is warm and inviting, large and strong, hard like marble. Whenever I would come here with Dante it was all business, him meeting my clients and celebrations after a win in the courtroom. It was never this flirtatious, this fun, and the night has only just begun. “Every Saturday night.” He whispers in my ear like an invitation.

Kane snaps his fingers when my drink is close to empty, that’s the dangerous thing about the pineapple passions, they taste like juice, and you get wasted on them very quickly. His large hand goes to my thigh just as quickly as the second drink hits my soul.

I try to sit with better posture, attempting to not twiddle my thumbs. “Why is your name Kane but your friends have nicknames?”

“I’m their leader, so I have the respect of my real name.”

I nod, my eyes widening. “Leader?”

He shuts me up with the move of his hand going a little higher on my thigh. “Let me know if you need anything.” He tells me.

A kiss, a picture of that kiss, to post on social media to make my ex jealous. That’s what I want to say, but I refrain. “How is it that you’re here alone?” he asks.

I think twice about spilling my emotions all over the place, but honestly it would be nice to have a listening ear. “Well, it’s my birthday.”

Kane snaps his fingers, summoning the girls over. “We’ve got a birthday girl.” He tells them, they grin and then disappear into the crowd. In a swift movement, Kane throws me to a sitting position on his left shoulder. “Birthday!” He shouts, and everyone in earshot cheers.

“She’s Twenty-Six now!” Jade dances.

My cheeks redden from embarrassment, but it is sweet. He only sets me down once the girls return, bubbly bottles of champagne in their hands with sparklers flicking light everywhere.

They drunkenly sing, and I lean into Kane, giggling and getting more comfortable as the night goes on. The guys cutting jokes at the expense of one another, and generally making me and Jade extremely comfortable in their presence. I mean, they’re the biggest guys here so they’re probably the safest to be with on a night out in the city.

“So, what were you saying before I threw you a little birthday bash?” he smiles, it’s crooked and genuine.

I shrug, frowning. “My boyfriend, he left me for another girl.”