The Game Changer by Marie Landry Read Free Book Online Page B

to the sunken dance floor.
    People—mostly women, with a few guys mixed in—filled the large space. It was a mass of swaying hips, moving arms, and grinding bodies.
    Olivia turned from the bar holding two pink-orange drinks in fancy glasses. “Sex on the Beach,” she said in Melody’s ear. It was their go-to drink; they had discovered it in college, and although they would drink pretty much anything, it was their favourite.
    Melody thanked Olivia as she accepted the glass. She had barely taken a sip when Olivia grabbed her arm and pulled her across the room toward the counter that ringed the dance floor. “We’ll just hang out for awhile,” Olivia said, raising her voice to be heard over the music and voices. “Get a few drinks into you before we dance.”
    Melody laughed. Olivia certainly knew her well. It wasn’t that she couldn’t or wouldn’t dance without having a few drinks first, but she was far less self-conscious once the liquor took effect and loosened her inhibitions. She tried never to get really drunk, because she didn’t enjoy that feeling of not knowing where she was or what she was doing. She could see a few girls below who were well on their way, even though it was still early.
    Melody knew it was too easy to do stupid things when you weren’t in your right mind. Not to mention the fact that there were plenty of guys who would take advantage of a girl who was out-of-her-mind intoxicated. Melody didn’t intend for either of those things to happen. Not tonight, anyway. She knew that if she ever did decide to get fall-down drunk, Olivia would be there to make sure she didn’t embarrass herself too badly, and to ensure that she got home safely.
    She sipped her sweet drink and watched the dancers on the floor below. Olivia finished her drink in record time, so Melody knew she was anxious to get on the dance floor. By the time Olivia got back from the bar with another round of drinks, Melody had finished her first, and she took several large gulps of the second, hoping for a quick buzz.
    “I love this song!” Olivia yelled a minute later when the tracks changed and an Usher song blasted over the speakers.
    Melody sighed, the sound lost in the deafening noise of the club. Picking up her drink, she took Olivia’s hand in her free hand and led her down the steps onto the dance floor. She found a spot for them off to the side, and when she turned around, Olivia’s beaming smile made it worth getting jostled.
    Melody glanced around as she started to move her hips in time to the music. Her movements were understated compared to most of the other dancers, but she knew she would loosen up after the first few songs. Olivia, on the other hand, got right into it, moving her whole body to the rhythm.
    As usual, Olivia drew attention immediately. Melody always took a perverse sort of pleasure in watching people’s reactions to her best friend, particularly other women. They were either jealous, and gave her nasty looks—usually while their boyfriends ogled her—or admired her, taking in her shoes, dress, killer body, and shiny shampoo-commercial-worthy hair. Men’s reactions were more straightforward and ran to appreciation and lust.
    For the most part, Olivia ignored them all and kept her attention on Melody. She had this way of making Melody feel like the most important person in the world. They both knew that people were staring and that guys wanted to approach, but at moments like this it was the two of them in their own little world, as it had been for the last two decades.
    When they had been dancing for almost half an hour, Melody realized she felt more comfortable than she usually did on a dance floor. She and Olivia both had a thin sheen of sweat covering their arms and faces, but she felt energized and refreshed. For once, she knew Olivia wasn’t the only one drawing attention, and it made her feel good.
    Out of the corner of her eye, Melody noticed a tall, good-looking guy approaching them.