"Honey, stop fussing so much," Heather said, pulling on Sam's wrist as they waited in line. "You look great."
The muffled sounds of driving subwoofers drifted through the brick walls of the building in front of them, and his heartbeat accelerated. "You know I don't like these kinds of things." He tugged on the sleeve cuffs of the button up gray shirt that stretched tight around his stomach and shoulders.
Heather smacked his arm, and the gold bands on her wrist jingled. "Stop worrying about yourself. For a grown man, you really are self-conscious."
"I'm more worried about you." Heather's amber eyes met Sam's. He stared her down.
"What?" She stepped back from Sam and performed a little twirl. The ruffled hem of her skirt flitted about her knees. Her dark bare arms, legs, and generous cleavage stood in stark contrast to her white dress. His eyes stayed glued to the soft contours of her breasts. "Don't you want to show me off? Or are you embarrassed that you have such a hot wife?"
Sam tore his eyes off his wife's tantalizing body, reminding himself he hated her choice of outfit for the occasion. Several pairs of visible eyes focused on Heather. "I'm sure you'll be the highlight for a lot of the guys."
"Oh, don't worry about them." Heather's index finger caught Sam's chin and titled his gaze back to her. "I don't care, and neither should you. I'm here for you. No one else." She winked, slipped her arm around Sam's, and pulled herself close to his side.
Hints of lavender wafted off Heather's curly black hair as it rubbed against Sam's cheek and parted over his shoulder. "That would be reassuring, Heather, if you weren't the one who dragged me here in the first place."
"C'mon, you can't not come to your ten-year alumni party." Heather squeezed Sam's arm. "And I'll be dragging you to mine next year."
"Great." Sam jerked until he became untangled.
"Yes, it will be great. You'll see." Excitement danced in Heather's eyes, and a smirk formed on her face before she turned away and entered the club.
The moment Sam passed though the slow revolving door, the loud dance music assaulted his ears. He grimaced. While he enjoyed the genre a little bit, it wasn't his go-to, and the shoddy speakers didn't help. He continued on despite his misgivings, trying to keep pace with Heather.
"So," Heather called over her shoulder while she approached the mass of people dancing, "wanna dance?"
Sam stared at the press of people five feet away from them and shook his head. "How about we get a drink first?"
With a spin, Heather pivoted on her heel and strut toward Sam. She placed her right hand on his chest and teased one of the taught buttons. "You know, the days of you getting me drunk to try and get into my pants are long gone."
"I know," Sam put his hands on Heather's hips and pulled her tight against him, "but you have to get me drunk to go out there."
"Challenge accepted." Heather stood on her tiptoes and placed a quick peck on Sam's lips.
Before Sam could kiss her back or stop her, Heather slipped away. She hip-checked him and grabbed his hand. A smile spread across his face as she forced him to grab her firm backside. Their hands dropped from one other's, and they returned to decent behavior as she led him to the bar.
Heather squeezed through the group hovering by the counter and flagged down the bartender. "One margarita, and a whiskey on the rocks please." The man's eyes lingered on her chest until he nodded.
Sam approached Heather from behind and leaned down to her ear. "I wish you hadn't worn that dress."
A sharp breath escaped Heather's nose. "Relax. Think of it this way: they get to look, but you're the only one who gets to touch."
"I guess that makes it better." Sam wrapped his arms around Heather's waist, hands over her stomach. "Still, do you have to tease them so much?"
"I can't help it that they find me sexy. I'm not trying to tease them." Heather's lips curled, and mischievousness played over the visible half of her face.
Sam nipped Heather's earlobe. "Sure you're not."
The bartender trudged back over, two glasses in hand. "Here's your drinks, miss." Sam nodded, but the man glared at him and muttered something under his breath.
"Nice guy," Sam said, backing away from the bar.
Heather followed him and handed off his whiskey. "Hey, they're free drinks. Let's go over where there's a few less people."
A table for two in the corner caught Sam's eye. He set his drink down, pulled out a seat for Heather, and slipped into one for himself. The whiskey called to him, so he lifted his glass and took a sip. A twinge of bitterness clung to his tongue.
Heather sat beside Sam. She sampled her own drink before sliding her chair closer. Her hand rested on his thigh, rubbing up and down at a slow pace. He glanced over at her, and she hid her smile behind the rim of her wide glass.
"Recognize anyone?" Heather asked.
Sam searched the nearby crowd. "Maybe a few of them vaguely." Not a single face conjured up a name. "I haven't seen most of them in about ten years."
A somber expression flickered across Heather's face. "Well, if you don't, we'll just have to enjoy ourselves. At least we tried."
Sam raised an eyebrow, but heather shook her head and squeezed his leg. He placed his hand on top of hers. She splayed her fingers, allowing theirs to intertwine. He knew she enjoyed these types of outings, but it seemed a stretch for her to be disappointed.
"Sammy!" A tall man emerged from the mass of faceless people. Colored lights glinted off his bald head and dark skin, and he wore a V-neck shirt and dress pants. "I thought it was you. Still hiding in the corner after all these years I see."
Revulsion flooded Sam, and he gripped Heather's hand tight. "Hello, Will."
A grin split Will's face. "Who's this lovely lady?"
"Heather," she said, extending her free hand. Will accepted her handshake as he approached the table. Too close for Sam's taste. "Sam's wife."
"I'm impressed, Sammy." Will's eyes scanned up and down Heather's body, and Sam's temper flared. "Didn't think ya had it in ya to land such a babe."
Sam glared at Will. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about Heather like that."
"Oh, sorry, man. Old habits and all." As hard as he tried to play it off, Will continued to glance over at Heather. "Mind if I join you two since you're here? I wanted to apologize."
"I don't think so."
"Honey, don't be rude," Heather said, extending her left hand out at Will. "He wants to make amends."
"Okay." Sam had no intentions of ever forgiving Will, but he'd humor Heather.
A smile slipped onto Will's face. "I know the drinks are free but let me get ya another one. What are you drinking?"