Zack wrenched himself free before John’s iron grip could wrinkle him. He couldn’t escape now. It was clear he’d come over with John. Feeling more than a little embarrassed, Zack stood next to the booth and gave a feeble wave.

All three of the men at the table looked like they belonged on the cover of GQ. The black man on the left had the loveliest cheekbones Zack had ever seen, the middle guy had red hair and was beautiful in an elvish sort of way, and the final guy could have been used as an example of European beauty standards: blond hair, blue eyes, and classic good looks. They were all dressed impeccably and watching Zack with inscrutable expressions. He fought back a sudden feeling of inadequacy.

“Hey,” Zack called over the music, trying not to sound as awkward as he felt. “I’m a friend of John’s. I just wanted to make sure he got back to you all right.”

“Don’t leave,” John whined as Zack started to edge away. “I want you to meet my friends.”

“Yeah,” said the black man, who on top of having incredible cheekbones also had perfect, bow-shaped lips and whiskey-colored eyes. Zack tried not to salivate. “It seems we owe you one. We were just wondering where John had run off to. Pull up a chair.”

“That’s all right,” Zack said, knowing that if he sat down, he’d have a much harder time leaving. “I just wanted to make sure he found you. I have friends of my own I should get back to.”

“Why won’t you stay?” John asked, slurring a bit. “Are you mad at me?”

Zack started to protest, but the blond guy cut in, “I’m sure he’s not, but I will be if you keep bothering the poor guy.” He smiled at Zack. “Sorry about him. He can’t hold his liquor, and despite knowing that, he overdoes it every time.”

The overhead lights flickered on and off again, signaling that the club was going to close soon. The bartenders rang the last call bell, and everyone surged toward the bar. Zack glanced at the dark swarm of bodies. If his friends were inside, he’d be hard pressed to find them in that crowd. He turned back to the table and gestured vaguely toward the exit. He was trying to convey something akin to, “They’re closing, so I have to leave.”