Birthday at the Club

Chloe pressed tightly against me, shivering in the cold as we made the trip from the car to the nightclub. Even with my arm around her, she was determined to steal my body heat for herself. The exterior of the club was nothing special. It was located in a converted warehouse in a somewhat rundown section of downtown. Neon lights lit up the signage, but overall the exterior matched the surroundings. There were two lines leading up to the entrance, one much longer than the other. Victoria was standing near the entrance to the shorter one, speaking with a handsome man. Her face lit up as she noticed us, waving excitedly. She must have been freezing, considering her outfit, yet she didn’t seem to let it bother her.

“Hey, girl! Happy birthday!” she said, wrapping Alexis in a hug before giving her a kiss. I blinked, gaze shifting to Chloe as a surge of jealousy in her Noise caught my attention. She noticed me staring, embarrassment washing away most other emotions for a moment.

“What?” she whispered.

“Nothing.”

Introductions were made as Victoria clung to her boyfriend, Ezra. He was a charming man with a soothing voice. His Noise was light and filled with pleasant emotions as he made an exaggerated look at Chloe. “She is every bit as cute as you described!” he said with a light laugh, earning a blush from her. “Good to finally meet you, Chloe.” There was a clear interest and desire in his Noise, but it was nothing excessive. No more than anyone else had when meeting someone attractive. When his gaze met mine, his curiosity spiked, amusement growing. “And Jake. Been wanting to meet you for a long time.”

“Oh?” I said, giving his offered hand a firm shake.

His smile was certainly a charming one. It caused a noticeable flicker in the ladies’ Noise. “The only straight man on the planet who turned down my girlfriend.”

Victoria scoffed, crossing her arms. “And hopefully the only. Now, can we please go inside before poor Chloe freezes to ****?”

I looked to the girl glued to my side. Her teeth were clattering as she tried to tough it out. Reaching over, I rubbed at her exposed shoulders. Alexis moved to her other side, hugging her and whispering something I couldn’t hear. We followed Victoria as she strode up to the bouncer. I didn’t hear what she said, but his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before checking the clipboard. He nodded and we were let in—at least, the others were.

His hand went up as I tried to pass. “You look a little young.” He was looking at me when he said it. Odd that he wasn’t including Chloe considering she looked nowhere close to twenty-one. A glance at his Noise suggested envy and frustration were his leading motivators.

“Come on, Greg. They’re with me,” Victoria said, lingering behind the others.

“Sorry, Vicky. Everyone’s getting carded tonight.”

“Since when?”

He shrugged. “New policy.”

Victoria stared at him flatly. “Really? That’s the line you are going to use?” She looked to the other bouncer. “Just ask him if he’s old enough to enter.”

The other bouncer looked from her to Greg, then shrugged as he turned his gaze to me. “You old enough to come inside?”

“Yes,” I answered, not knowing what else to say. His eyes narrowed as the silence stretched.

“Well?” Victoria asked with a huff.

“I’m not getting a lie,” the bouncer slowly admitted. It looked like he was straining himself, a baffled look on his face when whatever he expected failed to materialize. “But... damned if I can get a reading on him at all.”

“So he’s not lying. Come on, Jake.” She reached out, grabbing my free arm and pulling me past Greg. Anger and frustration spiked in his Noise as he watched us pass, but he didn’t stop us. Beside me, Chloe sighed in relief.

Alexis grinned, leaning in towards Chloe. “See? I told you Vicky would handle it.”

I could hear the dull thud of music as we joined the others. There was a set of heavy doors at the end of the short hall, but the sounds of music and voices were audible already. The pulsing beat was everywhere, filling the air with the relentless pounding as we approached the doors. Even through the walls, I could feel the heavy thumping from the base. The noise wasn’t even the worst of it. The Noise from the people inside slammed against my mental fortress. It was almost blinding, merging together into a solid wall of emotion. Dizziness swept over me, leaving me unsteady on my feet as I reeled from the sudden influx. The Noise was an endless storm of emotions. With hundreds of people and the intensity of a nightclub, it was a riotous maelstrom of both sound and emotion.

I felt a tug at my arm, causing me to look over at the source. Chloe had a worried expression on her face. “You okay?”

“Fine.” My voice was clipped short, not trusting myself with anything more at the moment.

“You don’t look okay,” Alexis chimed in, looking at me from the other side of my girlfriend. “Seriously, if this is too much, we can leave.”

I shook my head, fighting off the mental whiplash. “It’s just a lot to take in. I need a moment to adjust.” I took a step forward to where the other three were waiting, bringing Chloe and Alexis along with me.

The actual club itself was even worse. Everything was overwhelming every sense I had. Pulsing lights, thumping music, heightened emotions, all combining into an almost physical ****. It was disorienting. I found myself leaning against Chloe for support, trying to ground myself as I recalibrated my mental fortitude to match the stimuli.

“Seriously, Jake. We can leave—”

I straightened, hardening my defenses as I focused on Chloe’s Noise. It helped, but not nearly as much as usual. I recognized it, but the other emotions made it impossible to pick out what she was feeling.

“I’m fine. Just needed a moment to orient myself. It has been a long time since I’ve been in an environment like this. People are... energetic.”

Alexis snorted. “That’s one way of putting it.” Releasing Chloe, she moved around to my other arm and slid under it. Her lips brushed against my ear as she spoke. “Just let me know if it becomes too much.”

My senses stabilized as we made our way across the floor. I was surprised when Victoria led us to the VIP area. The bouncer took a glance at Victoria, then unclipped the velvet rope and waved us in.

“How did you get a private booth?” I asked over the noise of the club.

Victoria gave me an amused look. “Not telling. It’s a secret.”

Alexis laughed and tugged on my hand. We slid into the U-shaped booth, Alexis and Chloe on either side of me. The noise here wasn’t much better than the main area, but I was adjusting. If I focused on Alexis and Chloe, the Noise was... tolerable.

“So what now?” I asked.

“Now we drink!” Alexis said with a laugh.

“But we aren’t old enough for—”

“But I am!” she announced proudly. “I’ll buy you drinks, don’t worry.” She patted my cheek affectionately.

I turned to Chloe. “Drinking? You are going to drink?” I found it hard to believe. I knew she didn’t have many problems drinking when Natalie brought something over, but she never indulged heavily.

She gave me an odd look. “Of course I’m drinking. It’s a party after all!”

“Right?” Alexis called out, laughing. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

I looked from Chloe, to Alexis, then back to Chloe. “Fine. Just a few.”

Both cheered. Across from me, Natalie had a mischievous smirk on her face.

Hmm. I think I fell into a trap.