WEST COAST 18+

8.

WEST COAST

Daniela wiped the corner of her mouth with her fingers, catching the spill caused by another martini.

"You're swallowing that pretty fast," Shanti remarked, cocking her brow.

"I like the olives," making excuses cause she knew damn well she could've ordered a side of olives.

Britt says, "Well, that's your third, and those are strong, Ms. got work tomorrow."

"I'm not drunk. Little tipsy, but not drunk," Daniela clarifies.

Shanti eyes Britt, "We'll know when she's drunk. She'll start whispering in a random guy's ear and feeling on his dick." And seeing Daniela scrunch her nose, "What? You get drunk and wanna fuck."

Liquor lowered her inhibitions. "But y'all ain't gotta worry about that tonight," Daniela guarantees.

"Okay," Shanti pokes her lips out, sipping her shot before throwing it back.

There was a bunch of people heading back and forth at the club, no one paying any attention to the woman that was nearing after seeing a familiar face. She stopped in her tracks in amazement, tucking her clutch under her arm to call out:

"Daniela?" All eyes averted her way, the short-haired blonde creating a form of shock on Daniela's face.

Britt stared with her eyes bouncing between them, Shanti's sizing her up with a light snarled look.

"Kristen?" Daniela asks, standing up and opening her arms. "What are you doing here?"

Kristen smiled widely, squeezing Daniela in her embrace. Shanti rolled her eyes over to Britt, Britt shrugging as they rocked side to side.

Shanti asks Britt, "You know her?"

Britt kept her eyes on them. "No. Do you?" Shanti shaking her head and gazing back over to them.

Daniela was all smiley, facing her girls to introduce them, "Britt, Shanti, this is my friend, Kristen. Kristen, my girls."

Kristen took a step over, "Nice to meet you guys," extending her arm to shake hands with Britt first. Britt was more friendly, greeting her warmly since she didn't have a problem.

Shanti, on the other hand, nodded her head at her, letting out dully, "Shanti."

Kristen figured maybe she wasn't the type to just touch anyone, accepting the boundaries and sending a small smile instead. However, Daniela noticed Shanti's attitude and assumed she would like Kristen once getting to know her.

"You just got here?" Daniela asks Kristen, looking over her club fit.

Kristen was more on the slim side, so that would make her the only one out of the thick ladies at this table.

Kristen scratched her ear, answering, "Yeah. I was meeting this guy, and then I saw you."

Daniela smirks, "Ooh, a date, I presume?"

Kristen blushes, "It was one until I got the message he's not coming." She should've known once thirty minutes approached and he hadn't shown up.

"You really shouldn't consider a date to the club as a date," Britt mentions.

"I knew something was off about it, but I was trying to be open," she says, swallowing with regret.

Daniela offers, "Well, since your night isn't going good, how about you sit with us and we'll catch up?" Kristen gladly accepted the offer because she got all dressed up to be ditched.

Shanti murmured things under her breath. Something about Kristen was getting under Shanti's skin, and she couldn't put her finger on it.

Maybe she didn't like the idea of some old friend of hers reentering the picture, but she also had a vibe that something was off about this chick. It was in her aura—her energy, and Shanti always trusted her gut when it came to folks.