Chapter 31

Ruby’s POV

“Do you smell his scent?” I asked Manon about the loud music as she led us to a free table, her eyes scanning the crowd and her nose sniffing the air.

“No, but we’ll linger for a while. He might come,” she said, holding out hope. She forced a smile, and I squeezed her hand encouragingly.

She signaled to a waiter who was eager to attend to us. I ordered a mocktail since I was off alcoholic drinks, but Manon wasn’t having any of that. She ordered four shots instead. We were vibing at our table, rejecting all the men who wanted to dance with us. Our drinks arrived, and we downed them.

Beth turned up wearing a short black dress and heels. She spotted us instantly, and I waved. She appeared somewhat depressed but managed to smile. What happened? Instead of coming over directly, she went to the bar and returned with six shots.

I hugged Beth. “You good?” I asked, and she only nodded.

“I want to drink and dance. I want to let loose,” she