I glanced around the room, the pulsing lights and steady beat of music doing little to distract me. It had been over thirty minutes since Stella disappeared into the crowd, and still—no sign of her. No sign of Michael either. My skin prickled with unease, the memory of our earlier eye contact still fresh in my mind.
I took a long sip of my Coke, now flat and warm, and set the glass down with a sigh. The urge to pee was becoming impossible to ignore. I stood, smoothed down my dress, and made my way toward the bathroom, dodging laughing couples and stumbling dancers.
I stepped out of the bathroom, still adjusting the hem of my dress, when I nearly collided with someone in the hallway. I blinked up—and froze.
"Brian?" I said, brows lifting. “what are you doing here?"
He rubbed the back of
