Never Be the Same Read online

  Chapter One

  I sat on the swing that was hanging on the back porch, looking out over the ocean. My fingers twirled the cool metal band of my engagement ring around and around. Sure, Gavin was a great guy and we had been together since high school…but I didn’t feel it anymore. I didn’t feel that pull to him, that spark when we kissed, I didn’t feel connected to him anymore. We’d been engaged for years, since we graduated college and established ourselves in our careers. I couldn’t bring myself to even look at wedding ideas because I knew that in the end, I couldn’t see myself marrying Gavin.

  That was why I came on this girls’ trip to California with my best friends. I needed time to step away from the comfort of the motions that I had come to know so well with Gavin and our life together. That’s what my life had consisted of for so long…the motions that we had developed. Even our sex life felt like we were just put on autopilot most times. I had to fake it nine times out of ten because the romance was gone.

  “You ready to head out, Briella?” Ashley asked from the doorway.

  I looked over at her, “Yeah, I just need to run upstairs quick. Then we can head out.”

  I got up and squeezed past her before walking to the staircase. The house that we rented on the beach here was beautiful and we were lucky enough to pool our resources so that we could afford to have our own rooms. I didn’t make much on a surgical assistant’s income, but I still loved what I did. Every day I got to aid in saving people’s lives, that was important enough for me.

  Getting up to my bedroom, I slipped on my heels that I chose to wear with my black V-neck lace dress. I took one last look at myself in the mirror. My dark brown hair fell in its natural curls down my back, my makeup was natural but still highlighted my ocean blue eyes, and I was feeling pretty confident. The shining of my ring was the only thing that I didn’t feel confident about.

  I dragged it off my finger, putting it on the nightstand. Tonight, I wasn’t going to be Briella who was unhappily engaged. Tonight, I was going to be Briella, a girl who was just out to have fun with her friends and not think about any relationship, or boys, in general. Hearing my friends excitedly chatter downstairs, I grabbed my black clutch that held my belongings and made my way back downstairs.

  “So, what is this big club that we are going to?” I asked once I made it to the foyer where all my friends were in their best clubbing outfits.

  “It’s a newer one that just opened a few months ago. Club Roma. From what I read online, it is supposed to be one of the best clubs in Los Angeles,” Melanie smiled as she tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder.

  I nodded, “Sounds like we are going to have fun tonight, ladies.”

  Following Ashley, Melanie, and Jasmine out of the house, we got into our rented SUV. Ashley put the club address into the GPS and pulled out of the long driveway. We were staying in a house in Malibu which meant we had to deal with traffic both going into and out of the city. We didn’t mind though, we were originally from Chicago, so traffic was nothing new to us. Besides, driving along the coast in Malibu was one of those things that you just couldn’t tear your eyes away from.

  “So, I see you decided not to wear your ring,” Ashley said softly as Melanie and Jasmine talked in the backseat, pointing out different things to one another.

  Ashley was one of the only people that I had really confided in that I was considering breaking off my engagement with Gavin. My parents believed that he was one of those people who was a safe bet for a good future. He was an investment banker and was slowly climbing the corporate ladder at his office. I didn’t want a safe bet for a good future…I wanted to be madly in love. I wanted to be happy.

  “Yeah, I’ve been going out with it for years and I just wanted a change. It’s not like I’m going to pick up guys anyways. You all are way prettier than I am, and you are all dressed to the nines. If I would have packed any clubbing clothes, Gavin would have gotten on my case even more about this trip,” I rolled my eyes, remembering the argument that we got into when I told him I was taking this girl only trip for a week without him.

  “Bri, you need to stop putting yourself down like that. The only reason no guy has ever pursued you when we have gone out was because you either wore your ring or you had Gavin holding onto you possessively. He would have torn out any guys’ eyes for just looking at you too long.”

  She did have a point. Gavin had become possessive over me the longer we stayed together. I thought it was completely normal until he almost got into a fight with a guy who was talking to me for too long at an art showing. The guy just happened to be one of my friends’ boyfriends from work. Gavin didn’t even bother asking me about it or asking me which friend’s boyfriend it was. In reality, it was my friend Lance’s boyfriend.

  “I know. For once, I am looking forward to just going out and dancing my ass off without someone like him holding me back,” I confided.

  We wove our way through the city, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for what felt like hours. Finally, we made it to the overflow parking of Club Roma because there was no way in hell that we would find a parking space in the lot right next door. Ashley turned off the car and we all climbed out. The walk was quick and because it was ladies night, we got to practically walk right in.

  The bass thumped as we walked through the doors and down the long hallway. It dumped us into a large room where the mood lights were obviously set to party rave than the laid-back vibes I was used to from the clubs we went to in Chicago. The dance floor was packed and the two bars on either side of the building seemed just as crowded. Above us there was a second floor with a glass half wall. From the velvet ropes at the bottom of the staircase and the security, it seemed to be the VIP section. Too bad we couldn’t swing that option because it looked a hell of a lot cozier up there than it did down here.

  The four of us made our way through the crowd and to the bar. Only one of us could squeeze into the small opening at the bar and so Jasmine forced herself through and ordered us some starter drinks. With a strawberry martini in hand, we found a high-top table that was recently vacated and took the opportunity to have our drinks before going to dance. The DJ was playing a lot of club remixes of popular songs which I found myself singing along to and dancing a little at the table. A large stage where the DJ was set up also told us that sometimes they had live bands play their club.

  When Ashley offered up heading onto the dance floor when our drinks were empty, I excitedly cheered. Going out with Gavin and my friends for years, I was rarely allowed to dance. Gavin didn’t want other guys watching me as I moved to the music. This was about letting loose and relaxing, something I needed after one of the patients in my surgical ward didn’t make it through their surgery last week. That was one of the hard things about being a surgical assistant, you tended to bond with the patients before they went in and prayed to God that they made it through. When you lost one, it was hard on everybody.

  We linked hands and sought out an open space on the dance floor. A new song picked up just as we found enough space for all of us to dance. Closing my eyes, I relinquished myself to the rhythm. While I didn’t have the greatest moves when it came to dancing, I could keep a beat thanks to the several years of music classes I had taken from elementary school through high school. I swayed my hips to the music and happily let go. After several songs passed, the DJ quieted down the music and the crowd went quiet. I opened my eyes and looked towards the stage where a tall, sandy blonde, muscular man stood up on stage with a microphone in hand. He was dressed like most men in the club who wore nice clothes, but he was in a full-on suit. Someone of obvious importance, as he brought the microphone up to his lips.

  “Welcome to ladies night at Club Roma!” He called out.

  Ev
eryone cheered before quieting back down.

  “I’d like to personally thank each and every one of you for our very first of many ladies nights here at Club Roma. My partners and I look forward to hearing your feedback. As we do every night, you can tweet or post your pictures on Instagram with the hashtag Club Roma and we will project your pictures up on the screens around the bars. Enjoy your night everyone!” He held up his beer bottle before handing the microphone back to the DJ and disappearing off the stage.

  “Let’s take a picture!” Jasmine called over the music.

  She brought out her phone and we all posed as she snapped a picture. I watched over her shoulder as she posted the picture on Instagram with the hashtag that one of the owners had told us about. Within minutes, our picture was blown up on a screen near us and I almost couldn’t believe it. I had seen this type of stuff at concerts before, but never at a club. Technology fascinated me…probably because I was the least likely of everyone to understand any of it.

  “That’s so cool!” Melanie smiled and took a picture of us up on the wall before it faded to the next picture.

  We continued to dance, taking pictures here and there but choosing not to send them up onto the screen. We were documenting our time together since this girl only night was going to be a rare occasion once we got back to our real world. Sweat felt like it poured off my body as I moved to the music, the crowd of people making it difficult to cool down. After a few more songs, I asked if we all wanted to get drinks again. Everyone in my group looked as hot and sweaty as I did, and I led us through the crowd and back to the bar.

  With another martini in each of our hands, we slowly welcomed the liquid into our systems. A security guard, donning all black with an ear piece, walked by us before doing a double take. He looked at us and said something into the small headset he was wearing before approaching us. I didn’t think we were doing anything wrong…were we about to get kicked out?

  “Ladies, you’ve been invited up to our VIP lounge. If you’d please follow me,” he said in a deep voice that felt like it rattled my bones.

  “Uh, how exactly did we get invited up to that?” I asked hesitantly.

  My friends, on the other hand, were more than happy to follow the guy. I sighed and followed him to the bottom of the staircase where the velvet rope kept those who were not invited from going up.

  “Every night, people get randomly chosen to visit the VIP lounge and you just so happened to be some of those people,” the security guard said before unlatching the rope and stepping aside, “Enjoy, ladies.”

  Holding onto the railing, I ascended the staircase behind my friends. When it came to wearing high heels, I was not the most coordinated. So, I was happy that I could hold onto something as we went up. What greeted us was something I was not expecting. Large sleek leather couches were scattered around the room, a long bar along one wall that was way less crowded than the two downstairs, and not as many people as I thought would be up here.

  Several groups of girls were happily chattering amongst each other and a few guys were scattered around. I recognized the man who was up onstage earlier sitting on one couch while talking to another male whose back was to me. His brown shaggy hair shined even though the lights were low, from what I could tell he was wearing a suit as well and his arm was resting along the back of the couch he sat on with a glass tumbler filled with an amber liquid. An obviously beautiful girl walked up to where the two men sat and began to flirt as though her life depended on it. The mystery man shook his head and his friend laughed as the girl turned back to her group of friends, dejected.

  Guys who thought they had power like that pissed me off. They probably called for all these girls to come up here so that they could get their pick of the litter. Objectifying us as though we were pieces of meat to be had rather than actual human beings. Melanie, Jasmine, and Ashley took a seat on one of the many couches, still nursing their martinis. Mine had been chugged when they decided to follow the security guard with no questions asked. I told them I was going to get another drink before walking over to the bar and taking a seat on a cool metal barstool. I asked for a glass of water, needing to hydrate from all that dancing. When the bartender placed a tall glass in front of me, I brought the straw to my lips and took a long drink.

  “Should I be offended that you aren’t drinking in my club?” A smooth but deep voice asked from beside me.

  I looked up to see the same shaggy brown hair of the mystery man who rejected the girl from before. His chocolate brown eyes were enchanting, and his chiseled jaw was lined with a day or two of stubble. His full lips opened into a wide smirk which showed off his perfect, white teeth. The navy blue of his suit complimented his red tie and stark white button up shirt underneath. He took a seat on the stool next to me and I could feel myself blush under his stare. Why would I feel this way about him looking at me when I just watched him reject someone a million times prettier?

  “Well, I’m happy to report that I drank two martinis while I was downstairs. Now, I am just trying to keep from dehydration from dancing,” I said matter-of-factly as I took another sip of water.

  He playfully wiped his brow to wipe pretend sweat away, “Had me worried that we didn’t have good enough booze around here.”

  I giggled before I stopped myself, forcing myself to take another drink.

  “Do your friends make it a habit to let you wander off to the bar by yourself?” He asked putting his hand atop the bar, his long, thick fingers wrapped around the same glass I saw before.

  “Why? Should I be scared of wandering up to an empty bar in a pretty vacant VIP lounge?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Usually girls are all about sticking together when unfamiliar men are around,” he chuckled.

  “Only if said unfamiliar men are being a little too hands on, in my opinion.”

  He released his glass and held out his hand to me, “Well, let’s make ourselves familiar. Jameson Barnes, co-owner of this establishment.”

  I put my hand in his, a warm, fuzzy feeling erupting in the pit of my stomach, “Briella Roberts. Not co-owner of this establishment.”

  We shook for what seemed like too long before we let our hands part. His eyes shined as they watched me, “So, Briella, since you are not a co-owner of this club…what is it that you do?”

  “I’m a surgical assistant back in Chicago,” I replied before taking another drink of water. I definitely needed something to cool me down from his stare now more than anything.

  “I’ve never heard of that job title before,” Jameson said before emptying his drink and holding the glass out for the bartender to refill.

  “It’s not usually the one that’s talked about when it comes to surgeries,” I pointed out.

  He nodded slowly before bringing his glass back up to his lips, “And why is that?”

  I pursed my lips at the sight of his lips pressing up against the glass, silently wishing I could feel them on my skin. What in the world are you thinking, Briella? You’re engaged.

  Shrugging my shoulder, I tore my eyes away from his lips, “While I do assist in some surgeries with doing the prep of getting the patient set for the surgeon, I do inventory and bookings and normal receptionist type work most of the time. It’s nothing spectacular.”

  “Sounds pretty spectacular to me. Saving lives, no matter how you do it, is important.”

  Took the words right out of my mouth.

  “I feel like it is important. I’m one of the last people that the patient sees before the anesthetic kicks in. It’s part of my job to help them feel comfortable and relaxed…to help them feel safe.”

  Jameson went to speak but a red-headed girl in a skin-tight dress threw her arms around him and squealed, “Jamie, come dance with me!”

  I chuckled at how drunk she was and picked up my glass from the bar, “Duty calls.”

  Leaving Jameson with the girl trying to climb on his lap, I walked back over to my friends who were now watching me. I sat down beside
Ashley as Melanie and Jasmine leaned closer from their seats across from us.

  “So, who was that?” Jasmine wiggled her eyebrows.

  “That’s Jameson, one of the owners of the club. Wanted to make sure that the alcohol was up to snuff,” I smiled innocently before taking a large gulp of water.

  My body felt like it was on fire after sitting so close to him, after watching him watch me. Just a look from a guy had never made me feel that way. Not even when I met Gavin and we started dating. Sure, I felt the ‘oh this guy is cute, and he likes me’ tingles, but it never got to the point where I felt hot and desired under his gaze.

  “You sure there was nothing between you two? He can’t take his eyes off of you,” Melanie responded, discretely nodding in his direction.

  I looked over my shoulder to where Jameson, a few other guys, and a group of girls were dancing to whatever song the DJ was playing. The red-head was grinding her backside against his front, but his eyes were set on me. His lips turned up into a smile as he lifted his drink up to me. Lifting my glass up to him, I turned back to my friends.

  “We just talked about my job, I’m positive there was nothing more,” I said as best I could with my heart pounding in my chest.

  The night continued, no other sit-down conversations with Jameson happening no matter how many times I had gone to the bar. After a few more drinks and relaxing up in the VIP lounge, it was getting late and I could feel myself starting to drain of energy. Normally, if I was out with Gavin, we would have already gone home and been in bed. He was not much of a party person which meant that I couldn’t be that type of person. Melanie and Jasmine were in the bathroom, making one last run before we were going to head out while Ashley was chatting with some of the other women who had somehow joined our little group. I got up and went back to the bar, asking for just one more glass of water.

  “You ladies heading out?” Jameson’s deep voice floated around me as he took a spot next to me once more.

  I looked over at him, a smug smile on his face, “Yeah, it is getting late for us normal folk.”