Absolutely Famous by Heather C. Leigh

sometimes.
    “Let’s dance, Sydney!” Leah yells over the thumping bass of the music.
    “Okay.” I relent and slide out of the booth we’re sharing with Adam and Ryker.
    She’s been bugging me to dance with her for the last h our, ever since we set foot in the exclusive Low Rent nightclub in the trendy West End, near Piccadilly Circus. It’s packed, even here in the VIP area of the club. I even found that sometimes it helps to have a recognizable face. We were able to skip waiting in the enormous line outside, simply by being us. The bouncer even knew who I was and called me by my name though I have no doubt it was Ryker and Adam who got us in so easily.
    We step down the few stairs from the VIP lounge to the main dance floor and manage to carve out a tiny spot of our own. We get jostled around some, but that’s what happens in crowded clubs. It’s no different than in New York when we would dance all night and pick up guys.
    After a few songs, I start to notice that I’m being bumped more than normal. I’m so jetlagged that I haven’t had any alcohol for fear of falling asleep at the table, so my senses are better than they usually are at a club. I peek over my shoulder and see a decent looking guy dancing to my left. I shrug and look at Leah, she’s got her hands over her head and her eyes closed, moving to the rhythmic beats.
    Someone bumps me hard and I slam into a man dancing next to me.
    What the fuck?
    The man I landed on gives me a lewd look and keeps his hands on me too long. Now I know I’m being deliberately knocked into. ‘Decent-looking guy’ on my left has hip-checked me into his friend’s slimy arms. I hadn’t noticed this guy before, but now that I’m paying attention, I can see that they’re together and that they’re doing this to me on purpose.
    I move to tell Leah that I’m going back to sit down with Adam and Ryker when I feel a hand on my inner thigh that moves up under the short Versace dress I raided from her closet.
    “Hey luv, don’t go yet. We’re just getting cozy here,” he says from behind me where he’s pressing up against me.
    Choking down the bile I feel rising up in my throat I bring my arm forward, then drop my elbow back into his gut as hard as I possibly can. He lets go of me immediately and doubles over in pain, trying to catch his breath.
    “You fucking twat!” he coughs out.
    His friend moves toward me, a hostile look on his ‘decent-looking’ face, and grabs my wrist in his very non-decent hand.
    “What’s your problem?” he sneers, “We’re just having a bit of fun, gorgeous.”
    His breath reeks of liquor and he’s trying to force me closer to him. I am so sick of standing around being a victim. To hell with this shit! I bring my knee up and connect with his balls, causing him to release my arm and drop to the floor, writhing in pain.
    “What the he ll, Sydney?” Leah stands next to me, gawking at the two men gasping for air on the dance floor. She shoves me toward the VIP area and into the booth, her eyes darting around like we’re about to be arrested or something. Maybe some of Angry Drew has finally rubbed off on me.
    Adam notices the scowl on my face and the shock on Leah’s as we slide int o the seats. “What’s going on?”
    “Sydney just took down two guys on the dance floor, that’s what’s going on,” Leah huffs.
    “You did what?” Ryker asks in disbelief.
    Embarra ssed, I tell them what happened. “These two guys kept jostling me into each other so they could cop a feel. Then one of them put his hand up my skirt, so I elbowed him in his diaphragm.” The men’s faces are ones of pure astonishment. “Then his friend manhandled me so I kneed him in the nuts,” I say unemotionally, sipping my juice.
    “Wow,” says Ryker. “I wish that I had seen that. That’s freakin’ awesome!” He holds his fist out to me.
    Embarassed, I lightly tap my fist to his then we all burst out laughing.
    “Don’t mess with Syd, she’ll