When we arrived at the club, I wasn’t at all surprised to see the bouncer barely steal a glance at any of our IDs. Connie was using Emily’s, of course, but she managed to find the rest of us identification that somewhat resembled us if you didn’t look too closely, or in my case, didn’t look at all. It was already busy when we made our way in and I figured most of the crowd there were far older than we were, in their mid-twenties. Connie immediately took my wrist and made a beeline to the bar, both of us throwing back two tequilas each. I winced at the stinging on my tongue and she laughed, her voice loud and airy, before an intimidatingly handsome man swooped in next to her.

“I’m really sorry for interrupting,” he said, and I almost believed him, “But I couldn’t not say something.” His eyes fixed on me, wearing a warm smile. “You’re absolutely gorgeous.”

My eyes popped out and my mouth dropped slightly, and I felt Connie stiffen next to me. “Um…” I laughed, looking to Connie for advice. Her features bore the expression of someone highly offended. “Me?”

“Of course.” His smile broadened, unaware of the deadly scowl directed at him. “I’d love to buy you a drink if that’s alright?”

I couldn’t help but blush. Sure, I felt no attraction to him, or to any other man, but being so close to Connie for so long rendered me practically invisible to the male eye. They were always drawn to her first and if she pushed them away, they inevitably turned to Molly, or to Orla. I was very rarely, if ever, on the receiving end of a compliment. Not that I actually wanted them, of course. But there was no denying the egotistical rush that it gave me to feel admired and desired even if I would never reciprocate. Especially when the man in question was polite and friendly, and not a demanding and arrogant man-child like we were used to.

“Well—I—I won’t say no,” I answered him. I could almost hear the exasperated sigh Connie exhaled next to me, but she stayed firmly at my side as he proceeded to buy me a rum and coke. He hung around then for a brief conversation, and when he finally became abruptly aware of the tension that seemed to have settled around us, he informed me that I ought to find him later in the night before leaving us alone again.

“Well, he was nice.”

“Hmm,” Connie responded, her eyes scanning over the crowd.

“Everything okay?”

“Peachy. I’m gonna get another.” She turned back to the bar again and I waited behind her, fiddling with my straw. I watched as she threw back another shot of vodka before her cold mask seemed to slip away, the annoyance she emanated starting to dissolve. It seemed to be all she needed to send her into a drunken bliss because her hand found mine, our fingers slipping together as she dragged me away from the bar toward the dance floor. Molly and Orla were there already, both of them grinding up against two older men with identical shit-eating grins. I rolled my eyes and they both let out a cheer as we approached them, Molly’s dance partner swinging her around to the sound of her raucous laughter.