He smiled. “Do you want to come?”
“Sure. But the same rule applies. You can’t get too beat up or it’ll bring back memories of the first night we met.”
“Okay.”
“You say that now, but the way you talked about Johnny Reese, you might not be able to guarantee it.”
“No guarantees,” he conceded. “What did you and Lily talk about when you were in the bathroom?”
“Mainly we talked about you.”
“Okay.”
“No follow-up questions?”
“No.”
“How can you not be interested in what we said?”
“Because that was between you and Lily. It’s not my business. And besides, it couldn’t have been too bad, or you wouldn’t still be holding my hand.”
“So what kind of club are we going to?”
“All I know is that it plays eighties music. That’s one of Lily’s quirks. Evan told me that listening to Madonna was the way she rebelled when she was a teenager.”
“Huh. Not much of a rebellion…”
“Not to you or me. But to Lily’s parents? I’m sure they wrung their hands for years. They don’t like me much.”
“Maybe you should invite them to a fight,” she said. “That’ll probably change their minds.” She heard him laugh as he opened her door, the sound continuing as he rounded the car to the driver’s side.
Despite the blaring sound of REO Speedwagon, the scene at the club wasn’t at all what she expected. Instead of divorced women and balding men in their forties trying to relive their youth, the club was populated primarily by students from the university; Maria half expected to spot Serena with her friends. Groups of college girls were dancing in clusters, singing or lip-syncing to the music.
Colin leaned closer to her ear. “What do you think?”
“I feel old,” she admitted. “But I like the music.”
Evan pointed toward the bar, and Colin nodded before reaching for her hand, maneuvering her around tables and groups of people to the thronged bar area. When they were finally able to get the bartender’s attention, Colin ordered water – no surprise there – Evan ordered a beer, and both Maria and Lily ordered sea breezes. Halfway through their drinks, a song by Madonna started to play and a delighted Lily clapped before leading Evan to the floor. Suddenly thinking, Oh, what the hell?, Maria grabbed Colin’s hand and they followed.
The evening sped by as they danced to sets of three or four songs in a row, stopping only for the occasional break. Maria ordered a second sea breeze, and though she hadn’t finished the first, she felt giddy and flushed. For the first time in a week, she’d actually been able to enjoy herself.
At half past eleven, they were able to commandeer a small table for the first time. They were taking a break and debating how much longer to stay when a young cocktail waitress appeared holding a tray of drinks. She placed another sea breeze in front of Maria.
Maria waved it off. “I didn’t order this.”
“Your friend ordered it,” the waitress explained, straining to be heard above the music.
Maria shot Colin a quizzical look. “You ordered another drink?”
When he shook his head, she turned to Evan, who seemed as surprised as Colin. Lily also appeared confused.
“Who ordered it?” Maria asked.
“Your friend from the bar,” the waitress said, turning her head in that direction. “The one in the baseball cap.” She leaned in. “He told me to tell you that he was upset that you didn’t like the roses he sent you.”
Maria gasped; a split second later, she saw a sudden movement as Colin jumped up from the table, causing his chair to tip over. In the moments that followed, Maria was only able to register a series of images, like snapshots caught in a strobe light:
Colin taking two steps toward the waitress, his jaw beginning to clench… closing in so quickly that she dropped the tray of cocktails…
Evan and Lily getting up from the table, their drinks sloshing over them…
Bar patrons turning their way at the commotion…
Colin demanding that the cocktail waitress tell him exactly who it was at the bar, ferociously angry, repeating the question…
The waitress backing away, terrified…
Bouncers beginning to move toward them…
Evan taking a step toward Colin, his hands raised…
Maria was frozen, rooted to her seat, the waitress’s words ringing in her ear. Baseball cap… He was upset you didn’t like the roses…
He was here. He’d followed her. He’d been following her all along…
It was hard for her to breathe, a waterfall of images, the world collapsing inward.
Bouncers pushing through the crowd, moving with frightening speed…
Colin shouting, demanding to know more about the man who’d ordered the drink…
The waitress backing away, beginning to cry…
Bystanders beginning to surround them…
Evan pushing forward and grabbing Colin’s arm…
Lily moving toward Maria…
Maria felt someone place both hands on her shoulders and begin helping her from her seat. She didn’t have the energy to resist, and all at once, she realized that Lily had been the one to whisk her to her feet. She could hear Colin shouting, even as Evan continued to tug hard at Colin’s arm, the waitress crying out in terror, strangers circling, with bouncers close behind.
Stranger in blue shirt: “What the hell’s going on?”
Colin, to the waitress: “What did he look like?”