Closest To My Heart

Chapter Nine

Maggie took a cautious step back, intimidated by the crowd, the two brooding giants standing guard at the door, and the pounding bass that vibrated through the pavement beneath her feet.

"I'm not so sure that this is what I need," she hedged, but Sean and Tag both pulled her forward.

The three of them flashed their IDs and Tag paid the cover charges, telling Sean that he was on his own for drinks, and just like that, they were inside. Maggie stood still while her eyes adjusted to the dark and then looked around in amazement—or maybe it was fear. The thumping bass was even louder now, and she could feel her eardrums throbbing in protest. The room was divided in two by a long half-wall, the near side crammed with high round tables and swivel chairs, and the far side just a sea of bodies writhing to the beat of the music amidst the dizzying glow of flashing lights. The deejay booth was a raised, glassed-in citadel at one end of the dance floor, and a long, teakwood bar stood sentry at the other end. The low lighting kept all but the closest patrons' faces obscured in shadow, and the place reeked of booze and pheromones and utter, reckless abandon. A tall, reedy blond edged past in an outfit that showed more skin than it covered, and standing there in her jeans and sage green cardigan set, Maggie suddenly felt overdressed—literally and figuratively.

A double-tap on her shoulder nearly startled her out of her skin, and she whipped her head around to find Tag standing beside her.

"This way," he said, having to shout to be heard over the din of the club.

Maggie started in the direction he'd indicated and Tag fell in behind her, gently guiding her along with his hand on the small of her back. When they reached an empty table in the far corner, he pulled out a chair and waited for her to sit, then took the chair directly across from her. A moment later, Sean caught up to them, grinning from ear to ear as he leaned in to tell Tag something. Then he circled around to Maggie's side and kissed her on the cheek.

"Have fun, Sis," he said, pressing two twenty dollar bills into her hand. "Don't do anything I would do!"

With that, he scampered away and disappeared into the crowd. Maggie watched him go, and then turned back to Tag in confusion.

"Where's he going?" she yelled across the table.

His lips moved as he started to respond, but she couldn't hear a word he was saying.

"What?" She leaned as far as she could over the round, varnished table, one hand cupped to her ear.

Tag rose from his seat and slid into the chair beside her, leaning in close as he repeated his response. His breath was warm against her ear when he spoke, and a tingle rushed down the length of her spine.

"Some new girl from the paper is here. He's hoping to hook up with her tonight."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Charming," she declared dryly, casting an apprehensive glance around the room. "So what do we do now?"

As if on cue, a leggy brunette in a black micro-mini and low-cut white blouse appeared beside their table, an empty tray tucked beneath one arm. She leaned over to set two cardboard coasters before them, nearly spilling her cleavage onto the table as well.

"What can I get for you?" she asked with a smile, her gaze focused solely on Tag.

She's flirting with him! Maggie thought, appalled at the woman's nerve. I mean, not that Tag and I are together or anything, but she has no way of knowing that. And yet she's flirting with him, right in front of me!

Something a bit too close to jealousy flamed beneath her skin, and Maggie squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. She had no business being jealous, and she couldn't care less what Tag Vitale did, with the waitress or any other woman, for that matter! To his credit, Tag didn't appear to notice the woman's brazen attempts, and Maggie was more gratified by that than she wanted to admit. She took a deep breath and exhaled, her shaking hands folded in her lap as she did her best to appear casual. Tag rattled off his drink order, which sounded like a foreign language to Maggie, and then turned to face her.