by Johanna Rae
“I don’t mind,” Jodie said with a casual shrug. Now all dressed up, the nerves started to kick in, she felt relief not to be going alone.
“Cool. Give me five minutes!” Jessie rushed off to the disarray that was her bedroom.
Jodie doubted her ability to get ready so fast, but somehow in that short time she’d thrown on a sparkly halter-top and a black miniskirt. Her chin length feathered haircut looked the same, but she’d applied mascara, lipstick and had put on a full set of jewelry. How anyone could do all that so fast seemed a mystery, but Jodie didn’t care, she just wanted to get there.
The line outside the club meandered its way down the street, almost to the end of the block. Though unavoidable with just two clubs in town, Jodie couldn’t ever remember having to queue outside Jive. It said something about the quality of the establishment. Jodie and Jessie headed for the end of the line, before realizing Ainsley hadn’t stopped walking, heading right for the entrance instead. They jogged to catch up and discovered Ains flirting with the bouncer. She even knew his name, Rufus something or other. Who in ‘this’ day and age names their kid Rufus?
At six feet seven and built like a refrigerator, Rufus was a solid block of muscle. With huge shoulders and upper body, he had a don’t-mess-with-me gaze to match. Thick questioning eyebrows framed his chestnut eyes, accentuated by his rich Maori skin tone and short black spiky hair. An elaborate cultural tattoo ran down one side of his neck, standing out despite the dim street lighting, and seemed to flow in a river of twists and koru spirals as it disappeared onto the shoulder beneath his shirt.
He looked rather intimidating before Ainsley reached him, but as soon as he saw her, he started grinning. He hugged her and kissed her cheek before waving them all in, much to the annoyance of the people standing at the front of the line.
Once they were in the door, Jodie gave Ainsley an expectant look. She grinned and shrugged, but Jodie had grown used to that kind of thing, Ainsley collected men like other people collected fridge magnets. Ains wasn’t cheap and trashy however, it had nothing to do with sex. The problem being that she couldn’t help but flirt and half the time didn’t even know when she did it. The other half of the time, like then, Jodie could have sworn she’d planned it to the last detail. She figured that she would quiz Ainsley about it later, but Jessie didn’t seem satisfied with a mere shrug.
“Are you like with him or something?” Jessie wanted to know.
“No,” Ainsley replied in a breezy tone. Eyeing the room, she paid little attention to what Jessie said, Jodie wondered if she might have been looking for Danny.
“So, you want to be with him?” Jessie pressed.
“Not just now,” Ains spotted someone and charged off in that direction.
Jodie began to rethink her wardrobe choice as she powered through the crowd. She must have been groped at least five times on the way through. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Arriving on the other side of the room at last, they found Ains talking to another guy, not Danny after all.
Amazing sea-green eyes peered out of an alluring, handsome Maori face, as Jodie looked upward to meet his gaze. The new guy stood only a few inches shorter than Rufus, with about half the bulk. He flashed a killer smile and shook his shaggy black hair out of his eyes.
At the nape of his neck, his skaters cut brushed the collar of the fitted staff t-shirt. Being a size too small, the black cotton had to work to contain him, but Jodie presumed it intentional given the body he flaunted. The tattooed band around his bicep, a lot more understated than the ink at Rufus’s neck, looked quite stylish. Small curls of waves wound their way around his arm in a continuous pattern, with a border above and below the feature design.
The handsome stranger surprised Jodie by introducing himself. Eddie claimed to be the DJ and club manager, and seemed as friendly with Ainsley as Rufus had been, further adding to the intrigue. While they were getting the introductions out of the way, two more guys noticed Ainsley and came over to greet them.
Also wearing the green lettered black staff shirts, Adam and Leon both had fair skin and blonde hair, one with dark eyes and one with blue. They would have seemed more attractive if they weren’t standing next to Eddie, they also appeared pleased to see Ainsley. Jodie wondered if she’d missed something.
They made their way to the bar where three bartenders fought to keep up with the demand. Two women worked one end of the bar and Danny the other. Ains hadn’t been joking about his skills; he really could put on a show. Bottles spun as they flew through the air, as did the cocktail shaker. Watching the spinning items, Jodie wondered how many bottles of liquor he’d broken before he became that accomplished. She happened to glance to her left and noticed that Jessie was enthralled. Great, isn’t she supposed to have a boyfriend?
Pleased to see them, Danny greeted them with a gorgeous smile. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Oh, uh...”
“Jodie will have a Strawberry Daiquiri and I’ll have an orange juice,” Ainsley said, ignoring Jodie’s stammering and taking charge. “What do you want Jessie?”
“Um...” She said, still staring at Danny.
On one hand, Jodie felt glad someone else couldn’t hold it together around the guy. On the other hand, she felt jealous. How crazy is that? How could she be jealous over a guy she had met just once and had never had any claim over?
“Give her sex on the beach.” Ainsley decided.
“What?” Jessie gaped at him.
“Relax honey, it’s a drink,” Danny laughed.
He called her honey. Is this a habit of his, or am I not special after all? She took her strawberry daiquiri, which she had never tasted before, and looked for somewhere to sit. Ainsley turned her right back around and sat her at the bar right in front of Danny. Jodie began to protest, and then decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The next thing she knew Ainsley and Jessie had disappeared.
DANNY SMILED IN JODIE’S direction every few minutes, but he didn’t get to have a conversation with so many customers lined up. He felt most frustrated by this, still getting his head around the fact that she had actually come. When he had gone to the house, he’d expected something significant to happen. He’d been certain Jodie would figure out his identity, and had been disappointed when it hadn’t happened.
I’m such an idiot. Did I really think sparks would fly just because we were both human at the same time? He knew that he felt as much for her in human form as he had when a leopard. He could sense her attraction to him too. Now more certain than ever that they were an Eros pairing, Danny had to figure out what he would do about it.
The smell of wildflower shampoo mixed with her particular variety of perfume told Danny that Jodie had entered the bar. Because of her short height, he hadn’t seen her right away, but he knew her scent well now. He’d been in the middle of serving a customer when Jodie emerged from the crowd and appeared at the bar with Ainsley and the redhead. The poor customer in front of him had repeated her order three times before Danny even noticed she had spoken.
Red is most definitely her color... The delicate filmy cloth draped gently over her curves, showing just enough cleavage to capture his attention, fitting snug across the breasts and down to her ribcage. The asymmetrical hem revealed rather a lot of her left leg And hell, those legs... Danny thought to himself as he struggled not to stare.
She turned to talk to the redhead, granting him another impressive view. The dress had no back to it, tantalizing him with an abundance of her pale creamy skin. A gold chain ran from the halter neck to the waist, holding it all together and sparkling as the light caught it.
Everything about her screamed perfection, Danny was smitten and she had no idea who he was. Even if she figured it out and learned of his ability to shape shift, she would still know so little. Though his leopard might be frightening to some, it would only be the tip of the iceberg. His human self could be every bit as terrifying.
When Jodie ordered a third daiquiri, Danny slipped her
a note with the change, asking her to meet him by the staff door. A few of the women near the bar sported dirty looks, probably assuming he’d given her a phone number. It always amused Danny how women behaved around him. He knew people thought him good looking and knew they saw him as harmless if for no other reason than his being attractive. He didn’t just accept this, sometimes he counted on it. Better they think that, than know some of the things he had done.
Danny watched Jodie fight her way through the crowd and smiled to himself. She became quite flustered by the time she reached the far side of the room and seemed relieved to escape through the security door to the private courtyard. He took off his apron and exited the bar. When he stepped outside, Jodie had just taken a seat at the table with Eddie, Ainsley and the redhead.
“Hi,” Danny greeted, sitting down beside Jodie.
“Oh!” She said, sounding as though she had just remembered something important.
A pause in conversation followed as everyone waited for her to say something more, but she appeared to have lost her train of thought, staring in his direction with her mouth agape. Danny had been quite surprised at the difference in Jodie, now that they’d met. He couldn’t tell if the change had happened because he was human, or because other people were present. Either way, he struggled to instigate conversation with her. Why is she so nervous? He tried to smile at her, but this seemed to make things worse.
“It’s busy tonight,” Ainsley said.
“Indeed,” agreed Danny, captivated by Jodie’s long eyelashes.
“I’m going to head up to the box in about fifteen,” Eddie told him. “I think we need to get the party started early tonight.”
Danny nodded, drumming his fingers on the hard wooden surface of the table. “Not a stupid idea. More dancing means more drinks, and there’s a hell of a crowd out there,” he stopped and turned to Jodie. “Do you dance Jodie?”
“Uh, um... well maybe a little,” she stammered as she tried to force a smile.
Danny smiled back and Eddie noticed.
“Ohhh,” grinned Eddie, his sea-green eyes dancing with mischief. “So this is she.”
Danny grinned back and noticed with intrigue that Jodie seemed to be embarrassed. In fact, she looked uncomfortable. What was that about?
“Are you all right Jodie?” Danny asked.
“Uh... yeah,” She managed.
Danny looked up as Jenna, one of the other bartenders, came out with a tray of drinks. Jenna wore her staff shirtsleeves rolled up to the shoulders because she liked to show off the ink at her biceps. Her wide set blue eyes and wild mane of strawberry blonde locks turned heads, as did her shapely figure. Just as Danny’s looks drew the women into the club, Jenna’s drew the guys. She didn’t have a classic beauty like Jodie, but she oozed sex appeal and the rest she made up for with hunk.
“A daiquiri for you baby-girl,” Jenna smiled as she sat the cocktail glass in front of Jodie. “An OJ for you cutie, aaand sex on the beach for Red,” she continued as she planted glasses in front of Ains and the redhead. She hadn’t brought anything for Danny or Eddie but neither minded.
“Thanks Jenna,” Danny grinned at her.
“Ten four, stud-mun,” she winked and saluted him as she collected up the tray and strode back into the club, hips swinging.
Ainsley and Eddie had already started making eyes at each other so Danny took the moment to focus his attention on Jodie. “Thanks for coming,” he said, as he fought the urge to touch her. The little hairs on your arms are standing on end. Can’t you feel it? Are you blind to the connection between us?
“No problem,” she attempted a casual smile.
“Are you guys like together?” The redhead moaned.
Jodie looked at the woman as if she’d sprouted a second head, “don’t you have a boyfriend?”
Her tone sounded less than friendly, which amused Danny, though he said nothing. The redhead did not like him speaking to her in such a manner and excused herself before hurrying back into the building.
“So do you like our little club?” Eddie asked Jodie.
“Well, I’ve been here a couple of times before,” Jodie said. “It’s nice.”
“Nice?” Eddie arched an eyebrow.
Jodie deposited her half-consumed daiquiri back onto the table and spun around to address Danny. “I want to know how you know me, and I want to know why I don’t remember anything about it.”
Danny and Eddie exchanged a ‘look’. Jodie frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, and Eddie sighed as he leaned back in his chair. His shaggy black hair fell into his face and he shook it out of his eyes.
“I hope you know what you’re doing bro,” he said, rubbing his chin, deep in thought.
“Now isn’t the time, and this isn’t the place,” Danny threw back. Though he held Eddie’s gaze, the words had been directed at Jodie. She gave them both a curious look, having not missed the underlying tone of the conversation.
Just then, the club door opened and Leon’s face appeared. He uttered one word. “Pigs.” Then he shoved the redhead through and slammed the door again.
“Crap,” muttered Danny.
“See, this is exactly what I’m talking about,” said Eddie as he shook his head.
“You have to leave right now.” Danny ordered.
“Are you talking to me?” Jodie asked in disbelief.
“Yes, all three of you, leave now. Don’t go back in the club; go down the alley to the street. Get to your car as fast as you can and go home.”
“Are we in danger?” Ainsley asked, wide eyed and frightened.
“Only if you hang around babe,” Eddie assured her. “Look, take my car, its right at the end of the alley.” He handed Ainsley a set of keys and began ushering all three women toward the gate at the end of the courtyard.
JODIE WONDERED IF EDDIE had ever seen Ainsley drive as they ran down the alley and hoped that his car hadn’t been expensive. Though Danny had distracted Jodie, she hadn’t missed the fact that Ainsley had practically been sitting in Eddie’s lap. How long have they been seeing each other?
Eddie’s name turned out to be short for Eruera according to the personalized plates, and his car a pimped out SUV. Repainted iridescent green, the fancy rims and tinted windows made it the most conspicuous vehicle Jodie had ever seen.
The turbo exhaust roared as Ainsley started the engine. Neither of the other two women had even gotten into the vehicle yet. Jodie threw herself into the backseat and reached for a safety belt. Jessie attempted to do the same but her heel caught in the hem of her skirt and she fell back out of the car. Jodie reached down and grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet. As soon as she’d climbed in, Ains put her foot down and they sped off.
Jodie turned to Jessie. “Are you okay?” “My leg is ruined.” She sniffed.
Alarmed at such a revelation, Jodie leaned over to inspect the damage and saw that the side of her knee and part of her shin were grazed. It did look pretty nasty, but Jodie wouldn’t have described it as ruined, or worthy of the hysterics she witnessed.
Before Jodie could sit back up, they were both catapulted sideways as Ainsley thundered over the top of a trac island. Barely allowing them time to catch their breath, she sideswiped the curb on the other side in her attempt to correct the mis-maneuver.
“Omigod, sorry!” She called from the front seat. ”Is everyone okay back there?”
Of course all of this happened just as they were passing the front of the club. They couldn’t have made a bigger scene if they’d tried. Rufus still stood at the door, with a queue waiting to get in, just as there had been earlier. Everyone stared at the cruiser as they sped past Jodie hoped there weren’t any extra police out in front of the club that might decide to follow them. The street seemed undisturbed, everything looked so normal. Had there actually been a situation? What was going on?
Ainsley drove straight to Jodie’s house. Since Luke and Zach were still awake, they saw the borrowed vehicle and both came barreling
out of the house.
“What the hell are you doing in Eddie Pirini’s car?” Luke demanded, having expected Eddie to be in the vehicle.
“Can we not talk about this now?” Jodie moaned.
“Did something happen?” Zach returned her question with another, not at all satisfied with her dismissal.
“No.” Ains and Jodie said at the same moment that Jessie declared the opposite.
“Ains and Eddie are seeing each other.” Jodie offered, hoping Ainsley wouldn’t be annoyed. She started walking toward the house, forcing the others to follow.
“And why did you drive in here like a bat out of hell? What were you running from?” Luke continued to bombard them with questions. Eyes afire and lips pressed together, his whole body remained rigid, suggesting that he struggled to control of his anger.
“Well, like, we were at the Furnace and the Pigs came. But it’s ok because Eddie totally snuck us out the back way.” Jessie answered with a flippant wave, as though it would explain everything.
Both Luke and Zach paled. Oh shit. Jodie thought as the little light bulb clicked on in her head and she dared to look at her brother. “The pigs aren’t the police, are they?”
Zach looked at Jessie and Jodie shook her head. He thought for a moment. “No, pig is not a code word for the police. It’s the code word for er, an organization.”
“Oh you mean like a gang.” Jessie babbled.
“Yes.” Luke replied, tone icy, still glaring at Jodie.
Jodie headed for the kitchen and started making coffee. Behind her, Zach introduced himself to Jessie and conversation seemed strained at best. For the next half hour, Luke said very little and Jessie gazed at Zach as she had been with every other guy that evening. Jodie didn’t have the energy to do anything about any of it so she didn’t bother.
Zach and Jodie grabbed two extra camp beds from the garage, squeezing them into the living room between the couches. The privacy of her bedroom came as a relief to Jodie; she had so much going through her mind.