I watch them walk out the front door, side by side. Brandi looks shaken, withdrawn. Nate moves a hand to her lower back, and I can see that it calms her down, the way candy calms a child.

Something inside me shatters.

I can almost feel the weight of that hand. The warmth. My jaw tightens against my will. I want this night to be over. I want to go back upstairs, disappear in my room, but I know I won’t be able to sleep.

I head outside to the bar and a waiter hands me a freshly poured flute. The blow and the weed still have a grip on me, but I don’t care.

I glance around, looking for my father. He’s nowhere in sight, and I’m so glad because I can’t deal with him right now. I can’t deal with anyone right now.

A guy shifts toward me just as I take a sip. “That’s an incredible dress.”

I ignore him and gulp another mouthful.

His eyes never waver. “You know what? I’m wrong. It’s not the dress. You look incredible.”

I barely glance at him. “I’m not interested.”

“But you—”

“Fuck off, okay?”

That amuses him, a dimple forming in one cheek when he smiles. I roll my eyes and swallow down more of the champagne than I should.

He starts to shift away, then changes his mind at the last second and leans in for my ear. “Your loss, baby. I’m hung like a Clydesdale.”

My mouth opens.

Our eyes lock for the first time and he holds my gaze, unrepentant. Dark brown eyes, dirty blond hair pulled back into a tight bun. I study him, trying to place his features, but I don’t know him. He shrugs and turns to walk away, and it’s this, this moment of just total nonchalance, that does me in.

“Wait.”

He stops and spins back around to face me. This time there’s a certain arrogance in the way that he looks at me, like he just knew I’d stop him. I take a few steps forward and when I stop, my hand settles on his cummerbund.

His eyes drop, then shoot up to meet mine. “What are you doing?”

I smile when he glances over his shoulder to check if anyone is watching us. “Take it out.”

His eyes dart from left to right. “You...right here?”

I nod, draining my glass. “Show me.”

He snorts out a laugh. He thinks I’m joking, then realizes I’m serious when my expression doesn’t change.

“Fine.” He glances around one more time. “Here.”