Crash (A Billionaire Contract Romance)

Darts

Looking around I notice the small stage in the center of the room with a band setting up while a crowd is already forming around them. Pool tables and dartboards are off to the sides of the stage tucked away from the crowd from the band but full of players and their friends.

I watch as a group of guys finishes their game of darts, the three guys on the winning team all shout and slap hands and backs. The other team turns and walks for the bar. A group of girls walks in through the doors calling all the guys attention from the winning team. They walk over to them so I jump out of my seat and tap Tara's shoulder, pointing to the dartboard she nods with excitement.

Digging through my purse for quarters I find what I need before grabbing the darts and selecting the game we want to play while Tara grabs us another round from the bar. I shouldn’t drink more, but I’m feeling more light than I have in a very long time, I’m not ready for it to end.

Tara hands me a new beer with a glazed smile focused on someone behind me. Taking a long gulp of my almost empty beer, I smile big before placing both bottles on a small circular table next to us. Stepping back behind the line on the wooden floor, I pull my arm back staring at the 20 I throw the dart watching as it lands in the triple 16. "YES!" I squeal.

Tara smiles shaking her head while saying "Your good Aria but so am I." She winks as she steps up to the line throwing her dart with ease landing it dead center. Looks like this is going to be a challenge. We take turns tossing the darts constantly one-upping each other. Neither of us getting farther away than a couple of points.

When it's all up to my last shot I sip the rest of my beer. Stepping back up to the line trying to steady my eyes long enough to take my shot through my beer goggles I’m rocking. Tara isn't paying any attention to me now that a hot guy from across the club has taken my seat next to her. She's laughing and grabbing his arm in full-out flirt mode. She's had more to drink than me, so she has to be really feeling it.

I give up trying to see the board straight and let my dart fly. It hits the nine! "f**k yeah!" I shout dancing over to Tara and her man candy. "I just won!"

She pulls her eyes away from her guy and looks to the dartboard frowning and sticking her tongue out when she sees the proof. "Boooo I thought I was going to win for sure. I'll go buy the drinks." She climbs down from the barstool she's sitting in heading towards the bar.

“Get me a water please!” I shout after her.

Drumming my fingers on the table I look to where the band is playing. The crowd has been rowdy the music good enough to fill the club. They’re holding their drinks in one hand while they dance, grind, and jump around the dance floor.

That looks fun. I want to have fun.

Pushing away from the table I go to the dance floor, willingly shoving myself into the crowd as I attempt to make my way to the front. Reasoning with myself that I’ve managed to keep the panic away all night, I can do this too.

If I didn't have alcohol running through my bloodstream I probably wouldn’t have this, but I do and I want to dance. Badly.

At least to draw out this wonderful reprieve from the bad memories and my dreadful existence until recently.

A pair of hands settle on my waist making my eyes pop open, my back goes ramrod straight. Looking behind me I find an attractive enough guy and I’m in a crowd. Nothing bad can happen here.

Shutting my eyes I lean my back into him, letting him pull me further into him as we start to rick to the beat of the music. His hands slide down my arms, weaving around to my waist and back up again as we rock, shift, and push into one another.

I’m doing fine until his hands travel up and down my sides, his fingers graze across the sides of my breast sending chills through my body. Brian’s face pops in my head faster than I can blink, bringing back all the heartache I felt that day. I focus on this stranger's hands blocking out all of the unwanted thoughts, trying hard to concentrate on the here and now. Dancing with a man shouldn’t be a problem. I can handle one dance.

Like the rest of the night, I just need to prove to myself that I can.

Tara and her man-candy walk up next to us she hands me a shot, I surprise myself by accepting. All three of us clink glasses, throw our heads back, the amber liquid burns all the way to my stomach, helping to solidify my confidence, quiet my memories. Man candy hands me a corona that I follow the shot with. I can feel it settling in my stomach, my buzz increasing. The guy I was dancing with pulls me back to him, I lean back, trying to get comfortable.

Which is weird, we haven’t said a word to each other but were rubbing one another intimately. Another thing I’ve never done, not with someone I don’t know.

Tara and her man start dancing next to us. We stay this way for a few songs before my corona is gone. I pull away from my guy still unsure of his name, leaving him behind while I head to the bar. I shove my way through the crowd, standing on the metal bar that runs alongside the bottom. Leaning my top half onto the sticky bar top I extended my arm with cash in hand, trying to grab the bartender’s attention. When he finally reaches me I hand him a ten and order two more coronas thinking about how much I enjoyed the last one and water.

I know I need to slow it down. I will. I just want to have a little more fun.

I notice the guy I was dancing with made his way to the bar and is now talking to a pretty girl with too much make-up and a lot more revealing clothes than me. I shrug not concerned I'll dance alone. I hand Tara her bottle "I think you needed this!" She shouts over the music and crowd.

"Me too I'm having a lot of fun!" I’m surprised at the truth in that statement. I haven’t been out with a girlfriend in a really long time. The music is great and the drinks are going down like water. I feel so free and alive. This is the first time I've been able to push the hurt and betrayal aside and live like there's no tomorrow. I’m shocked I was able to dance with a guy, walk-in this bar. It’s proof that I don’t need to let Brian win.

I can't describe how good it really feels to not have to worry about going home to listen to someone tell me how disappointed they are that I let myself get this drunk. Or why I wore a shirt that shows off my bra. I would at least end the night with a few black and blue marks if this were a year ago.

I sip on my corona as I make my way up to the stage swaying with the music and the crowd, who are all about as drunk as me. I can't focus on certain things without it being blurry so I look in the general area of the stage. Girls dressed in next to nothing fill up the front two rows closer to the stage drooling over the lead singer's abs. I can't tell if he has a six-pack or an eight-pack with my beer goggles on but I know he's definitely drool-worthy. So, I squeeze in next to a tall Burnett with her girls on full display in only a low-cut crop top. She glances at me out of the corner of her eyes but keeps her main focus on the hot piece of meat standing center stage who's now staring right at me?

I'm not sure if I'm seeing things or if he really is looking at me but by the obvious death glares, I'm getting from the girls around me I'm assuming he is. Usually, the attention would make me uncomfortable but tonight it feels like it's giving me power making me feel special. He slowly struts over to the edge of the stage well keeping his eyes locked on mine and his voice steady. He stays there right in front of me well he finishes his song. All the girls around me are moving in closer, trying to pull his attention away from me and onto them.

Other than the music beating through the speakers all I can hear is girls screaming Aaron as their lives depend on it, so I'm assuming that's his name.

As soon as he finishes the song he's singing he bends down and leans in next to my ear, he catches me off guard making me stumble backward a bit, only there isn't much room to move so I only fall against bodies.

His voice comes out low and sexy his breath sends shivers through my body as he says "meet me out back in fifteen." He doesn't wait for a response just stands back up and starts his next song. My stomach twists with nerves and excitement as I look at him and think about the invitation he just extended.

Why out of all these girls with bigger t**s and more skin showing does he want me to meet him outback? I'm not stupid I know he's only looking for a hookup, and a girl has needs but no matter how drunk I am there’s no way I can ever let anyone touch me like that again. I’m broken, beyond repair.

Deciding I’ve had enough death glares, I squeeze back through the crowd, looking for one of my coworkers, thinking it’s time to go. I did what I came here for, I made huge steps in the right direction today. I even managed to enjoy myself.

"Aria!!!! Where have you been girl?" Tara slurs from behind me. When I turn, I can see the effect the alcohol has had on her, she's leaning heavily into man candy and her eyes look glassy and far away. She has her purse and a sweater slung over her right shoulder. Man candy has his arm wrapped around her waist but isn't paying us any attention while he scans the crowd. I can tell he's had quite a few drinks as well.

"I was watching the band play!”

"Ohh, they are HOTTTTT” She slurs, glancing towards the stage.

"I think I’m going to head out, I just need to say bye to Jamie!"

“I’m so happy you came, we gotta do this again soon Girly!” She squeals and throws her arms around me with a little too much force making me stumble backward into a corner of a table sending a sharp pain through my back, the cold drinks on the table spill onto the three girls sitting there. The one is the girl I stood next to earlier with her boobs hanging out. She shoots me a nasty look standing from the table and wiping the little liquid that managed to get on her off.

"YOU b***h" She spits out, her face contorted with anger. Her two friends look the same with angry expressions. "Watch where the f**k you’re going stupid w***e!" I don't need their drama and I don't want to start a fight so I hold my tongue turning to leave but Tara has other plans.

"It was my fault so no need to be a cunt. But I guess it's just a reflex at this point. Good for nothing whores don’t generally garner a lot of respect do they?" She asks looking her up and down. I'm surprised she doesn't slur or stumble but stands tall and looks down at the other three girls with an air of dignity and strength around her.

Tara is fierce and I love it.

"Oh, honey it's okay to be jealous, there are just some people that have to be ugly so we can shine." I can see the anger on Tara's face as she curls her lips up in a snarl and steps forward but I step in front of her garbing her arm. I push her back trying to separate them before a fight breaks out and I have to help, I wouldn't let her go up against three girls well I stand back and watch. She's solid and stubborn, not wanting to budge but I really don't want to fight and she's had a little more to drink than I have. I push a little harder making her stumble backward into man candy who seems eager to have her back in his arms and ready to go.

"Hey, will you help me get her outside and I'll call an Uber?" I shout over the music to man candy. He nods pulling Tara even closer and leading her farther into the crowd towards the door well she struggles to gain her balance and get out of his tight grip.

"Let me go! I'm going to stab that sluts’ fake t**s and watch them deflate!" I chuckle as I picture it all too clearly, loving the thought but knowing it’s a good thing to get her away from them. When we reach the door opening it to the outside world I pull in a big breathe of fresh air and wipe some sweat off my forehead. My ears are ringing from the loud music, feeling deaf for a second. Looking back I make sure they aren't following us relieved when I don't see them.

Man candy holds on to a furious Tara as I call an Uber and make arrangements for all of us to get home safely. When the Uber pulls up we all get in and I only feel a slight stab of regret as I think about the s*x god that could be banging me up against an outside wall right about now, wishing that could ever be a possibility.

My own hands and plastic toys are going to have to be good enough.