As soon as Nia stepped out of the elevator, the cool night air was like a balm on her skin. Her thoughts were still tangled with Zack's heated gaze and the tension that had hummed between them, but the moment she saw Jess and Melody waving her over, she forced herself to focus on the present.
"Finally!" Jess called, beaming, her bright blue dress catching the light from the streetlamps. "We've been waiting forever."
Melody, ever stylish in her slinky red dress and sleek blonde bob cut hair, chimed in, "Girl, we've got a taxi, and we've got drinks waiting. Let's go!"
Nia forced a smile and made her way over, slipping into the taxi as Jess and Melody followed. Once they were settled and the taxi pulled away, Jess shot her a curious look.
"You okay?" she asked, studying Nia's expression. "You look… I don't know, like you've been through something. What's up?"
