Easy as pie, Sydney took her straw out of the water and sucked up the shot in two seconds flat, slamming the empty glass upside down on the table.

Glancing in my direction, she tapped her repulsor rays while simultaneously flipping me the bird.

Then she focused on Fernando.

Fernando’s eyes hit the table. He was still embarrassed about the tires. She tenderly rubbed his back, and he looked up. Then she leaned in, whispering something in his ear. He nodded and stood from the table, heading with her into the dancing crowd. Traitor. His three hundred-pound frame nearly shook the roof of the building every time he jumped around.

Eventually, they both moved up the stage, which I expected to collapse under his weight. But as she placed her headphones over Fernando’s ears, my heart began racing in my chest.

Christ, I knew what was coming next.

She splayed out her hand, showing Fernando five fingers, and helped him find the beat to the song by nodding their heads together.

Fernando, poor fool, had a shit-eating grin on his face. Then she tapped a button on the mixer like she was showing him what to do, and walking around his backside, she switched off a knob, disconnecting the sound from the headphones.

Fernando’s eyebrows furrowed and he pointed to the earphones, mouthing something close to I can’t hear. Sinister leaned in, whispered something in his ear, and plopped the headphone back down. Giving him a thumbs-up, she hopped off the stage to join the dancers, and Fernando stood there like a moronic elephant, just nodding his head.

“What is he doing?” Chance whispered into my ear, then leaned back chuckling.

“He’s the DJ,” I growled and pounded my beer.

Sydney lifted her hand in the air and counted down from five with her fingers. When she lowered her last finger, Fernando hit the button.

“THIS DJ SUCKS COCK,” rang out through the speakers. The whole crowd looked at Fernando, who now had his eyes closed as he continued to nod his head.

Chance spit his beer in one glorious spray all over the table. Jack’s face was now completely colorless. Katharine, Allison, and the blonde looked at one another and started laughing. I leaned back in my chair, shaking my head, as Sydney danced circles around the paid skull-mask drama girl in the corner.

When the deaf Fernando opened his eyes, the crowd lifted their fists in cock-sucking solidarity.

He grinned and pushed the button again. “THIS DJ SUCKS COCK.” And then again. “THIS DJ SUCKS COCK.” By now, anyone with a cell had it raised, recording Fernando’s declaration to the world.

Chapter Fifteen

“Can you take the mask off now?” Nick asked, sitting next to me in the booth. “Not that I don’t love me some Iron Man, but you’re so much prettier to look at.”

I was just about to take it off, but now I had to wait a few seconds because I was sure my face was the color of cabernet. When I did pull it off, I got a clear look at the bar.

Nick had taken me to the Elbow Room. It was a rundown dive with a jukebox in the corner and the smell of stale cigarettes embedded into the pleather seats.

“Are we meeting your friends?” I asked, shaking out my hair.

“Oh, they bailed.” He rolled his eyes. “But you’re okay with just me, right?”

My first thought: I was one of those girls. The type of girl a guy didn’t want to be seen with so they took them to dirty bars. I mean, I was in a little boy’s costume. The average age of the Elbow Room patrons was mid-fifties, and the ceiling tiles were dingy and stained. Not the type of place you take a girl you want to impress.

“Umm, yeah, that’s cool,” I said, trying to keep my tone cheerful.

Nick looked me over, searching my face. “Really, I want you to meet my friends, but they went to some lame house party. You’re twenty-one, so you should at least have a drink somewhere other than the SpaceRoom.”

He scooted closer until our legs were touching, and I couldn’t help the goofy grin on my face. Nick was right. I could go to parties all I wanted, but I could drink with fifty-year-olds tonight.

“No, this is fine,” I assured him.

“That was pretty funny.” He smirked, chuckling to himself. “Poor Fernando was up on that stage for five minutes before Gray pulled him down.”

I refrained from tapping my fingertips together like an evil villain. Technically, that was all my dream-wrecker wanted to hear. Just that phrase played during the set. It didn’t say I had to be the one doing it.

“Yeah, well, Fernando should think twice before jacking tires from my truck.”

Nick laughed and stood from the booth. “I’ll go get us some drinks.”

I’d already had four drinks tonight and a buzz was crawling over my skin. Warm and subtle, the alcohol was beginning to reach my brain. My phone scuttled across the table, and at first I thought I was hallucinating until I saw Jack’s name pop on the screen.

Jack: I’m having an awesome birthday, sisssttaaa! Allison says HHHIIIIII

I wanted to stand and take a bow—mission accomplished: Jack and Allison.

Glancing at Nick, I sent him a quick wave as he stood in line. A couple girls approached him from the side, and he let them slide in front of him in line. I was mildly annoyed, but maybe he was just a gentleman.

The doors of the bar swung open, bringing in a draft of fresh air. But why does fresh air follow bad people? Okay, maybe that question makes no sense, but this time it did, because my throat swelled shut when Peters and Chance came barreling through the doors.

Peters pointed to the bar, and Chance ran up to stand behind Nick. Then, as if he were a welcomed party, he sauntered over to our table, plopping down across from me.

“What in all that is holy are you doing here?” I sneered, crossing my arms.

Peters smiled, picking at the crumbling edge of the table. “I’m going to be really straightforward with you, Sydney.” He glanced up, locking eyes with me. “I know you’re stubborn and anything I say you’ll do the opposite. So when I tell you this, it’s coming from Jack’s mouth, not mine.”

I kicked him under the table, but he didn’t flinch.

“You’re not going home with Nick Sharbus.”

A curt laugh came from me. “What the hell did you just say?”

“He’s got a reputation.” He continued. “And that’s all I’m going to say. So here’s the deal. You leave with Chance and me, say you don’t feel well, and we’ll take you back to campus.”

Smug bastard.

“Or we can just hang out on your date all night long.” He leaned back in the booth, spreading his arms over the top of the seat. “Because I promised Jack, my friend, no harm would come to his sister on her twenty-first birthday.” He pointed a finger at me. “After tonight, it’s on you. But Jack is currently getting it on with Allison in your dorm room, and he doesn’t need to be worried about you.”

The Brown-eyed Virgin is getting laid? By Allison?

“No, he’s not,” I clipped, delivering a sharp glare.

“He is. I swear. Send Allison a text if you don’t believe me.”

I looked down at my phone, tempted to text, but Jack would never forgive me if I interrupted such a momentous occasion. He was with Allison still. Damn it, why couldn’t he have taken her to his room?

Wait, I knew why—Jack’s stuffed animal and Toy Story figurine collections were enough to send Allison running for the hills.

“Jesssusss,” I drawled out, rolling my eyes. “Why won’t you just leave me alone, Peters?”

He reached out a hand, covering mine. “Because Jack is a good person, with a big heart, who loves his crazy-ass sister. It’s your birthday, but it’s his too. This is my present to him. Bring his sister home intact.”