Finding You (By You #3) (26 page)

"So how about it?" he asked.

She had to pick her jaw up off the table, but when she did, she fixed him with a timid look. Hopefully he didn't realize just how turned on he'd gotten her. There was no way she could keep her composure if he knew that.

"You never said what we were betting on," she said.

His devious grin spread even wider. Then, he let his eyes roam out over the crowds of people, taking in the massive warehouse laid out in front of them. He sunk back against the wall with a cool look on his face, eyeing Sarah from the corner of his eye. She wondered what could possibly be going through his mind right then. She tried to keep herself from thinking about what he'd whispered in her ear, but the alcohol making its way to her head wanted to think about nothing else. Did he think she could actually do
that
?

Finally, Jeremy pointed out into the crowd. She followed his finger to where he was pointing--the DJ booth at the head of the dance floor.

"The wager is, by the end of the night, you have to get his number."

She gave him a confused look.

"That's it? I just have to go get the DJ's number and you'll tell me whatever I want to know?" Jeremy didn't say anything, he just tilted his head in a nod. "That hardly seems fair to you. Maybe you didn't notice, but I can be quite the little charmer when I want to be." She batted her eyelashes at him and gave him her most innocent smile.

"Oh, there's no doubt that you're a charmer," he said. "But that's the bet. You get his number and you win. You don't, and I win."

Sarah's mouth quirked to the side as she considered it. A part of her didn't want to take the bet. Something felt wrong about trying to get another guy's number while she was dating someone. But then, it
was
Jeremy's idea in the first place. And she wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

"Fine, it's a deal," she said.

She shoved her hand out toward him and he shook it.

"Deal," he said.

Sarah didn't let go of his hand as she leaned in even closer to him.

"Now prepare to see your girl in action."

She tried to pull away, but his grip on her hand tightened.

"I at least need a kiss before my girlfriend runs off to hit on another man."

He gave her a cool-eyed smile like he would have any other time they kissed. But her stomach fluttered at the thought of it.

"Are you sure? I had a couple drinks, earlier. That won't bother you, will it?"

He hesitated for only the slightest second before he shook his head.

"It doesn't bother me at all."

He leaned in closer, his free hand brushing across her cheek as he pulled her mouth to his. Sarah could have lost herself in that kiss, right then. She could have sat in the corner and spent the rest of the night making out with him and been perfectly happy with it, even if it did mean her losing the bet.

But where was the fun in that? He'd challenged her to do something because he didn't think she'd be able to do it, and she had every intention of proving him wrong.

Sarah pushed her way through the dance floor until she finally stumbled upon both Tate and Reagan. Tate had somehow managed to find a few other guys that looked pretty excited to have him grinding up on them, and Reagan looked like a fish out of water as she tried to dance mostly to herself.

"Thank God you're here," she said, slipping away from the group of men as soon as she saw Sarah approach. "I don't think I'm cut out for this happy hardcore lifestyle, or whatever it is Tate keeps going on about."

Sarah let out a laugh. It came out louder than she'd expected, probably because of the alcohol buzzing in her head.

"Well, that's good, because I need your help."

"Uh oh, something wrong with your man-friend?"

Sarah's brow scrunched and she shook her head. "You know, I'm starting to wonder whether you or Billie is going to come up with the most creative name for him. Neither one of you can simply call him by his name."

Reagan nudged her on the arm. "Well yeah, there's no fun in that."

Sarah blew out a sigh and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Anyways, I agreed to a little bet with him."

Reagan clapped her hands and gave her a devious look.

"Now
this
sounds like a good time. What do you have to do?"

"I have to get a guy's number."

The devious look in Reagan's eye went away as her back arched up.

"He bet you that you couldn't get another guy's number? That's wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin."

Sarah let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, it's not a big deal. But it gets even more interesting than that..." She pointed at the end of the dance floor, straight at the DJ booth. "I have to get
his
number."

When Reagan saw whom she was pointing at, she gave Sarah a confused look.

"Him? You have to get the DJ's number?"

Sarah nodded. "I mean, it's not going to be easy, I'm sure, but it's doable, right?"

Reagan held the confused look for about a second longer before she nearly doubled over in a fit of laugher.

"Now I understand," Reagan said, through gasped laughs.

"You understand what? What's so funny?"

"He made that bet because there's no way you're going to get the DJs number. It's impossible, it's just not going to happen."

Sarah drew in on herself, frowning at her friend.

"What makes you so sure I can't do it? I'm not
completely
unattractive or anything."

Reagan waved a hand at her, shaking her head, still laughing.

"No, it's not that--you're very pretty--it's just that...do you know who that guy is?"

"No, who is it?"

Reagan gave her a sympathetic look, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"That's
DJ Titan
. Tate was just talking about how he's only one of the biggest DJ's in the world, right now."

Sarah frowned, giving her a confused look, and then she remembered something Tate had said earlier that day, back when they were in her dorm room. He had said that Rave Fest always got a surprise celebrity DJ to play, but no one would find out who it was until the party started. Sarah had completely forgotten about it until just then.

Her shoulders slumped and she held a hand to her forehead. What had she gotten herself into? She let out a groan as she looked up at the man in the booth. And why was she only just noticing the huge security guards on either side of the booth--or the metal railway that separated him from the dance floor? She'd thought Jeremy was crazy to give her such a bet, and now she realized that she was the crazy one for accepting it.

"You might as well march back over to your
manfriend
and tell him that you already lost the bet."

Sarah shook her head, still staring at the guy in the booth.

"I can't do that. I'm no quitter."

Reagan shook her head, disbelievingly.

"Well, I don't know how much help I'll be...but I'll do what I can."

Sarah gave her a weak, half smile. She was going to need all the help she could get.

Jeremy watched as Sarah disappeared into the crowd on the dance floor. She looked determined as she set off to win their bet, and he was still surprised she'd even agreed to it. Did she really think she had a shot at getting
DJ Titan's
number? He must have women throwing themselves at him 24/7.

But still, he supposed even famous DJs were still human, and he was suddenly nervous that Sarah might actually be able to pull it off. It would be just like him to take a girl he was falling in love with and send her running into the arms of another man.

Falling in love?

Jeremy shook himself, trying to force the thought out of his head. They'd only been dating for a few short weeks. He wasn't ready to start admitting that he was in
love
with her. Something like that was supposed to take longer, wasn't it? It was supposed to happen over time as you built a life together.

He licked his lips. He could taste the alcohol she'd had when he kissed her. He could still taste it. How long had it been?

Jeremy was so lost in thought that he almost didn't notice the huge man that had stepped in front of him. His eyes panned up to see the big-toothed grin of probably the best friend that he had--Oz. Billie was standing behind him, her back turned to them as she faced the dance floor, her body moving in rhythm with the music.

"You made it," Jeremy said, leaping to his feet. He and Oz clapped hands together.

"I don't think Billie would have let us miss it," he said, his voice booming over the loud music.

"I'm glad you did. I'm getting tired of holding this wall up all by myself."

Billie rounded on them and gave Jeremy a dismissive, sideways look before setting her eyes on Oz. She had changed from the white dress she'd worn to dinner into something a little more...appropriate. She had a tight, white tank top on that revealed more cleavage than Jeremy had ever seen on her, and her white-washed jean shorts looked like she'd actually taken scissors to them to cut them shorter. Both of her wrists were lined with glowing bracelets, and she had more of the same wrapped around her neck. If Oz hadn't been there with her, Jeremy wasn't sure he would have recognized her, at all.

"I'm going to dance. You coming with?" she said, her tone blunt and to the point, like always.

She definitely had a way about her. He had to admit that, while she came across as abrasive and rude, it was nice knowing exactly where you stood with her. If she didn't like you, she would let you know it. In a weird way, that was more comforting than those girls that just put on a smile whenever he was around. Dani's friends used to do that, even when he knew damn well that they didn't like him. Becca used to be one of the worst ones.

Oz flashed her one of his big smiles. His teeth glowed with all of the black lights shining everywhere.

"I think I will sit here for a while. Jeremy looks like he could use some company."

She shrugged her shoulders, dismissively.

"Suit yourself," she said, and disappeared into the mess of people on the dance floor without another word.

Oz slumped into the chair Sarah had just been in and let out a loud laugh..

"She is one of a kind, is she not?"

Jeremy chuckled and bobbed his head.

"You can say that again."

They watched the dancers around them for a while, neither of them saying anything. Jeremy had never gotten used to the fast, pop-lock type of dancing the raver kids were into. It was like they were trying to do some cross between the robot dance from the 80's and a tribal fire dancer routine with their glow sticks spinning in their hands. There was really no point in trying to figure them out--they were what they were, and that was fine by him.

"Jeremy, I hope you don't mind my saying so, but I'm surprised to find you here."

He glanced over at Oz and noticed the big man had been watching him. Jeremy tried to keep a cool face, but he already knew where this was going. That throbbing at the back of his conscience burst to the forefront of his mind--the exact spot he'd been trying to keep it out of all night.

"What do you mean?" he asked, innocently.

Oz's eyes narrowed and he sat up in his chair, leaning closer. He waved a hand at the dance floor, and then over toward the bar.

"I know we weren't the closest of friends there at the end, but I had thought you put all of this behind you."

Jeremy didn't have to ask what
end
he was talking about.

He shrugged a shoulder.

"It's nothing I can't handle."

The big man bobbed his head, giving him a solemn look.

"But, why make yourself
handle it
? Surely, Sarah wouldn't be bothered if you stayed at the dorms."

Jeremy's heart slammed in his chest as he shot Oz a sharp look. The big man's eyes went wide and he leaned back in his chair.

"I see," he said, gravely.

Oz looked out over the crowd of dancers as he tapped a finger to his lips, idly. Jeremy's pulse was suddenly racing so fast that it felt like he'd just run a five-minute mile. It wasn't like he could be upset with his friend for bringing it up, he would just rather forget about the subject, entirely. But that little voice in the back of his head reminded him that he couldn't.

This is something you'll never be able to leave behind.

"So she doesn't know, yet?" he said.

Jeremy's head slumped. His lips pinched together as his face scrunched up in anger. Not anger directed at his friend, but anger directed at himself.

He shook his head.

Oz was silent for a while again as tapped his finger on a little spot on the table. It waggled back and forth slowly, like he was rubbing at one spot in particular.

"It is none of my business, so I will only say this once, and then leave it alone..." Jeremy looked up at him, meeting his stare. "Sarah is a good girl. And she loves you." His voice was soft and his head shook back and forth so slightly that it was almost unnoticeable. "Don't let this come between you. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

Jeremy felt like a ton of bricks was suddenly resting itself on his chest and shoulders. He didn't say anything for a long time--what was he supposed to say? He wasn't sure why Oz thought Sarah was in love with him--really, they
barely
knew each other--but he'd been right about everything else.

"I'll tell her tonight," he said.

And this time he meant it. Oz was right, he couldn't keep dragging it out. It was only going to make it worse in the end--for both of them.

It was then that Jeremy knew this would be his last night with Sarah. As scanned over the crowd of dancers he hoped to catch a glimpse of her, a little peek at the girl that had a way of lighting up his life. A small part of him hoped she'd stay away, though, just for a while longer. Stay away so she would still be his.

Just for a while longer.

"It's not going to work," Reagan said, giving her a leery eye.

Sarah stared between her friend and the huge bouncer to the right of the DJ booth. People were dancing all around them, bumping into them and trying to grind up on them. Combined with the alcohol that was quickly settling its way into her feet, Sarah was having a hard time staying upright. But her entire focus was on the task at hand. She was going to win this bet one way or another, if for no other reason than to see the look on Jeremy's face when she did. She giggled as she thought about it. He could be so cute when he got flustered.