Closer than Ever

Chapter 50 - Clubbing

Bennie and Tam finally give up on prying my boyfriend's name out of me, and I get to hear about their lives. Tamika has some mid-level management job at a local hospital now, which she describes as, "Stressful, but at least it's also boring!" I frown and make sympathetic noises at her.

Bennie gives her a sanctimonious look and says, "See, you should have stayed in music like us. Here I am, a minor local radio celebrity, and she is banging the biggest band in the world!" I hiss and scowl at her, and she laughs like a hyena.

The two of them gossip for a while about LA celebrities, a topic I didn't particularly pay attention to even when I lived in the area, and I tune out for a few minutes.

"Dammit, you're over there daydreaming about your handsome man, aren't you!?" Tam demands, shaking her fork in my direction.

I take a bite of gnocchi and nod. Once I've swallowed my bite, I sigh "Yeah," and grin at her. I lick my lips a little for effect.

Bennie studies my face. "Now, I think we all know that Asian men are, you know," and she holds out her pinky finger. "So, does he have some special techniques or something that make you look that way?"

I smile over at her. "Bennie, my child. You can't always believe the stereotypes."

Tam raises her eyebrows at me. "Oh, so he's packin'?" she says.

I chuckle and just nod.

"OK, I'm interested. Tell me more."

"Let's see, he's also sweet, funny, considerate, insanely talented. What can I say? He's pretty much perfect." I laugh. "And none of that will help you figure out who it is, because half of the agency's employees fit that description, and the other half fit it except that they are women." I shrug.

"Plus, he's world famous and a millionaire, right?" Bennie says. "So that narrows it down a little bit."

"Your words, not mine," I remind her. "How are your brothers doing these days, Bennie?"

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Bennie actually knows the doorman at the club, so I don't have any trouble getting in. 'You're here, you might as well make the most of it!' I tell myself, and try to stop wondering if Tae is back at my place already waiting for me.

The DJ is spinning a great mix of music in all kinds of different languages, which I really appreciate. Bennie and Tam drag me to the bar and order drinks, but I get a club soda. Bennie calls me "Tia Aburrida" (boring auntie), so I give her an air kiss, put my earplugs in, and dance away. The three of us dance in a little circle for a while, but then the girls turn out into the crowd, and start looking for prospects.

I close my eyes and just let the beat carry me away, vibing in my own little world. My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and I see that Tamika took a video of me dancing and sent it to me. I look up and find her in the crowd and laugh, wrinkling my nose at her, then forward it to Tae and put my phone back.

Bennie is already grinding on some little muscular guy with a funny mustache, and Tam is twerking like crazy. I crack up, then close my eyes and dissociate again. My phone buzzes once more.

'You're so beautiful. I love you.'

I smile, my heart jumping in my chest. 'I love you, too, sweet man. 🥰'

A funky remix of Madonna and Justin Timberlake's Four Minutes starts to play, and I groove with my eyes open for a change, watching the light show behind the DJ table. Suddenly I feel someone grab my ass. I whip around, and some dickhead who looks like a frat bro is standing there grinning at me. I grab his wrist and bend it hard, and he looks at me in surprise. "Touch me again, and I'll break your fucking arm off. Clear?" I yell, giving him my most serious psycho eyes and tossing his arm away hard.