Riker ended up pulling up in the café from where they had first met, shutting off the SUV.
He tossed a crushed can at Nick's head, startling him awake. After he stepped out, Skylar moved to open her door, and was startled when the door was shut on her.
Turning around, she saw that Riker was already out of his seat, his door closed, and he opened Skylar's door.
"Has anyone ever opened the door for you?" he asked her, and she shook her head, confused about why he would do such a thing.
Skylar missed the shared look that Nick and Riker had, heading over to open the door to the café. Her body was slowly remembering that she was sore, a faint wince on her face.
Once inside, she took a deep breath, the sweet aroma of coffee and sugars hitting her nose. The perfect spot to read and drink coffee.
Except she couldn't quite do that. She was with guests.
And why? She wasn't sure what either of them wanted, nor why she had agreed to go out with them. As she went up to the counter, she placed in her order, and waited for Nick, and Riker to order theirs.
"Come on, it's my treat." She told them both, Riker giving her an amused smile, but it was Nick who looked surprised.
As they placed their orders in, and Skylar paid, she took a seat across from them, Nick plopping down first, and then Riker sliding in next.
"You know you don't have to be here, right?" Riker told Nick.
"It's my job to protect the most valuable asset." He replied, grinning wildly at Skylar. He looked like a wolf baring his teeth at her.
"Your kind of killing the date though." Riker shot back, and Skylar straightened.
"This is a date?!" she exclaimed.
"Why else would I have invited you out?" Riker asked, Nick staring at him with wide eyes.
"I don't know, I thought you wanted to be friends or something and we were hanging out." Skylar sputtered out.
"This is going to be trouble." Nick said, but he got up, snatching up the SUV keys. "Let me know when my coffee is ready, I'm going to wait outside."
Internally, Skylar was begging Nick to not leave. But he did, and then it was just Riker and her.
Together.
On this date.
"So, Skylar, want to ditch my babysitter?" Riker asked, head cocked to the side as he stared intently at her.
Skylar didn't know what to say but she did feel the blush cover her face. She didn't know why, but Riker was getting to her, and she didn't know if that was good or bad.
"Won't Nick get mad?" she asked, and he chuckled.
"At me? Of course. But not at you. I won't let him get mad at you." Riker replied, and for a moment, there's something dark that gleams in his eyes, before it disappears.
"I think we should stay and-"
"Come on Sky, don't be a boring old square." He teases.
"But…"
"You've never wanted to do something that had nothing to do with what you were told?" he asked her, giving her that famous smile that looked nothing but trouble. "I thought you were more fun…"
Sky was feeling uneasy but at the same time, the possibility of doing something she wasn't supposed to do intrigued her.
"If we do end up leaving, where do we go from here?"
He leaned back in his seat as he began to ponder, Sky sneaking a look out the window to check on Nick. Nick was still in the driver's side, scrolling through his phone.
Some bodyguard he had turned out to be.
Without another word, he pulls up Sky by her wrist and briskly walk towards the back entrance of the coffee shop.
And then they bolt from there, not even grabbing the coffee they had patiently waited for.
Skylar doesn't know where this guy is taking her. She just goes along with him, Riker typing on his phone before another vehicle pulls up with a different driver.
Not even looking, he opens the back door for Skylar to get in, and then slides in next to her. He tells the driver some instructions, and the driver shakes his head in disapproval, but listens to him anyway, Riker putting his car window down, and throwing his phone out the window.
"What was that for?" Skylar asked, shocked.
"Nick tracks me down with that, and I want more time alone with you on our date." he grins, and Skylar is once again having second thoughts in having agreed to all this. "Oh, and the doors have their child safety lock set on, so you can't leave even if you wanted to. Which I don't want you to."
Skylar should have stayed back in the cafe after all.
"So...where are we going now?" she asks.
"Dancing." Riker replied, giving her another grin, especially when he sees the panic in her eyes.
"I don't-"
"Relax. It's a fun club, the lights will be off, and the alcohol will be free-for you, only though." Riker replies, and Skylar can feel the knots in her stomach tighten.
She hadn't drunk alcohol socially since the failed New Year's party at the office when she had one too many and ended up having a dance off with a statue. Yep, the video still existed too, to her mortification.
"Aw, whatcha thinking ladybug? Afraid I won't be able to protect you?" he asks, as he cupped her face, and traced the bottom of her lip. Something in his eyes gleamed-desire? Insanity? -and for a moment, Skylar was still, her heart racing in her throat. "That's something you don't need to worry about at all."
"Why do you keep calling me that?" Skylar asked instead, and Riker let's her go then, smiling to her.
"You used to like ladybugs." is all that he offers, as he lapses into silence, looking out the window with a blank expression.
With a confused look, Skylar looks out her own window, book clasped in both of her hands.
Yeah, she really should have stayed back at the cafe.
From the time on her phone, Skylar is able to guess that it takes only about forty minutes to get to the club that Riker was talking about. It's in a strange part of Houston, obscured by tall buildings. The club has no name on it, but it does have the classic LED lights strewn up on the outside of the building to indicate that it is indeed opened, and there are of course lots of booze around.
The vehicle barely stops before Riker is out, slamming the door behind him as he rushes to Skylar's side, tossing the book she had in the back part of the car, and pulling her out with ease. Skylar stiffens, but he sets her down, and guides her out.
The driver says something that Skylar doesn't understand, but Riker listens intently, before giving a stiff nod, and heading towards the entrance of the club.
"What club is this?" Skylar asks.
"An exclusive one." Riker replies, opening the door.
Music blares out, and it's so loud that Skylar can't tell if it's good or not. Riker motions for her to step in, and she does, neon lights attacking her eyes as she struggles to adjust to the darkness. There are people dancing, and raving to the music, clinging to each other.
Skylar looks around, and sees the bar placed into the furthest of corners, groaning inwardly. They're going to have to go past the crowd of people, and some of them are throwing glitter at one another.
"Go to the bar and wait for me there. I have to take care of something first. Use my name as the tab." Riker says, and before Skylar can object to what he says, he disappears.
Skylar listens to what he says, walking towards the bar as she feels the flutter of glitter landing in her hair. That was going to be a bitch to get out of, but she trudged on, sitting on the bar stool.
The bartender, a pretty brunette with big hazel eyes smiled at her, and yelled over the music, asking Skylar what she wanted to drink.
Skylar opened the tab using Riker's name, and ordered a vodka with cranberry, the bartender adding lots of cherries to it, and then sliding the glass cup to her.
Skylar took a swig of it, the taste of liquid cotton candy going over her tongue and calming her senses. It was one of her favorite drinks and the bartender had made it especially sweet.
She ordered herself another one, telling herself that she would stop when Riker would return.
After all, how long would this task go on anyway?
Three vodkas with cranberry, and two JELLO shots later, Skylar was starting to think that Riker had ditched her. And also, the world needed to stop spinning, she barely had enough balance as it was.
Her favorite bartender, Mandy, slid her another glass, and Skylar downed it in one swig. She realized too late that it was water, and Mandy was now trying to sober up.
"No, I deserve to be tipsy, I'm pretty sure my date ditched me." Skylar slurred, trying not to wobble too much on the stool.
"Aw, that's too bad, you're really cute!" a voice says behind her, and when Skylar turns, she sees a random man with lots of piercings on his face staring at her with a leery expression.
Skylar sits back on her stool, and motions for Mandy to make her another drink. Mandy does and within seconds, another glass is in front of Skylar.
Again, it's water, and Skylar chugs it down, standing up on unsteady feet.
"I'm off to the restroom." she tells earrings-face guy, and his expression changes, eyes glaring at her.
But Skylar pays him no mind, and stumbles in the direction of what she thinks is the restroom.