-1Chapter Eight:
Even though they had all been to Pazo twice before, Daniel was always amazed when he got there. The bouncer smiled at them and they walked through. "Buttons" was blasting from the huge speakers and a DJ was situated to the right of the bar. The dance floor was in the middle of the first floor and the bar was at the far end, illuminated by cool blue lights. The second floor, more of a glorified balcony, wrapped around the perimeter of the club was where the tables were, and was open to the entire place. The walls were draped in little twinkling lights and the place seemed to sparkle. The vast dance floor was already filled with dancers, and Daniel felt a rush of excitement.
"Come on!" Emma shouted in his ear, and he grasped her hand and the three of them walked to the second floor and put their things on one of the tables right by the railing, and they leaned on it together and looked down at the dance floor where the lights were flashing technicolor, and began pointing out people they knew. Yates was by the bar with his wife, and some of his cast mates were dancing. He could see Katie Leung dancing enthusiastically with Tom, and Devon dancing with one of the rather pretty extras.
"Hey!" He heard an excited voice cry, and Emma's voice reply excitedly back. Daniel turned around to see Emma, Bonnie and Cassandra hugging. His heart skipped a beat as she looked up and smiled happily at him. He had been afraid she wouldn't be in a good mood but she looked like she was already having the time of her life. Both she and Bonnie looked phenomenal. Bonnie's copper hair was pin straight and she was wearing a spaghetti strapped black dress that flared out well above her knees, which showed off her slim hips since she usually wore baggier clothes. Cassandra looked electric in her short red strapless dress, that was satiny and clung to her curvy figure. Her ink black hair was down in waves about her slim tanned shoulders, and square diamonds sparkled at her ears. Her makeup was pretty understated except that her smoky eyes were encircled in kohl, her eyelashes thick and lush.
"Hey, you." She threw her arms around his shoulders and he gripped her waist, still slightly taken aback. "Told you I'd come."
"I- I hoped you would." Daniel grinned, and subtly tugged at his collar. It was going to be a long night.
Reaching the dance floor downstairs, Justin Timberlake came on, and they all began dancing. Daniel danced with Cassandra some of the time, relishing in the way the dress accentuated the swell of her breasts and her full hips, and bared her long curvy legs. She seemed to enjoy dancing with him too, locking her hands behind his neck and writhing and shimmying to the beat. Some of the time, he couldn't keep up and stood off to the side sucking down beers with Rupert, watching Cassandra, Emma and Bonnie dance with each other.
After awhile, Cassandra seemed to lose interest in the crowded dance floor. "Let's get some drinks!" Cassandra shouted to their little group, eliciting cheers from Bonnie and Emma (especially Emma). Down at the bar, Rupert and Daniel sipped at their bottled beers while Emma, Cass and Bonnie had gotten little pink mixed drinks and were downing them with astonishing speed. Cassandra and Bonnie were smoking cigarettes and dancing in between drinks.
"Someone drinks like a fish," Rupert teased, snatching Cassandra's drink from her and downing it himself and making a face. "Urgh, tastes like lighter fluid." Cassandra laughed, and leaned over the bar and whispered something to the bartender. Having a few drinks in his system, Daniel found himself looking at Cassandra's dress slide up her thighs slightly as she bent over the bar, showing her lush curves. Rupert choked on his beer, and elbowed Daniel laughing.
"You were-"
"-shut up, Rupe," Daniel laughed, punching him playfully in the shoulder. Cassandra righted herself, and stood between Rupert and Daniel.
"Okay, quit fighting you two. We're doing something else now," she said, with a wicked glint in her eye.
"Something else?" Rupert asked in confusion. Bonnie whispered something to Emma who shrieked with laughter.
"Shots," Cassandra said simply, looking very pleased with herself.
"I think that's more of Emma's department," Rupert said to Cassandra, grunting in pain as Emma whomped him upside the head.
"Oh, come on. I'm from America, we do it all the time!" Cassandra said, grinning at Rupert. "What do you say, Dan?"
Daniel was about to protest, knowing that getting thoroughly pissed tonight wasn't the best idea, but then again, if they couldn't tonight, then when could they? "Yeah, I'm in."
"Okay, we're doing body shots," Emma called, waving them up to the bar. Cassandra walked up to claim the collection of shots that the bartender arranged in front of Emma and Bonnie who were seated.
"Body, what?" Daniel asked, shocked, while Rupert sniggered. Bonnie and Emma shared an evil smirk, and turned back to the boys. Tom swaggered up to them, clutching a Rum and Coke and looking flushed.
"What are you lot doing?" He asked, as Emma hugged him hello.
"Body shots," Emma replied, sitting herself back down on the bar stool.
"Oh….God." Tom looked embarrassed, but slightly intrigued. Daniel shook his head. Tom knew what these body shots were? Sure he had an idea what they were, but he didn't want to be the one who didn't know what to do.
"You want in?" Cassandra asked, looking over her shoulder as she arranged the tequila, limes, and salt.
"Sure, I'm pissed enough I reckon," Tom laughed, and set his drink down, loosening his tie. Daniel had already shed his jacket in the heat, and Rupert had predictably removed his tie. Bonnie scooted over to allow Cassandra to share her seat, while Daniel stood behind her, Rupert stood between Emma and Bonnie, and Tom shared Emma's seat.
"What do I do?" Daniel asked in Cassandra's ear. He thought he felt her shiver, but she just winked at him.
"You'll see." The bartender handed her a die, which she placed by the glasses.
"Okay," Emma said, getting all of their attention. "There are six of us, so we're all going to pick a number between one and six, and then take turns rolling a dice to see who we do the body shot with."
Tom was up first, rolling a five, which was Rupert's number. "HELL no!" He shouted, waving his hands in front of his face. Emma rolled her eyes.
"Roll again, idiot!" Tom rolled again, and got a six; Bonnie. Bonnie grinned and winked at Cass, and saw Cassandra lean over the bar and press something to the side of Bonnie's neck. Daniel gulped, knocking back the rest of his beer, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. Bonnie swung the stool around so that Tom could reach her, and placed a lime wedge in her mouth. Tom turned to her with a shot glass of Tequila in his hand. Leaning close to Bonnie, he licked the salt from her neck, threw back the shot, and before he could pucker up his face from the taste, he took the lime from Bonnie's mouth. Daniel's mouth dropped open, and Bonnie wiped away at her neck with a napkin to get rid of the excess salt, and laughed at the expression on Daniel's face. Grabbing the dice, she rolled, and got Rupert. Cassandra wet Rupert's neck with a damp napkin and rolled the salt in a neat line on the side of his neck and handed him the lime which he placed between his teeth. Rupert made a muffled noise as Bonnie pinned him against the bar, their hair color scarily similar. She placed her hands on his shoulders and quickly tasted the salt before taking the tequila in one gulp and then taking the lime from him, their lips briefly touching causing Cassandra and Emma to peal with giggles and Bonnie to pinch Cassandra playfully. Rupert rolled, got Emma, and the game continued with Tom and Emma, Tom and Bonnie again, and sometimes got interesting when Bonnie rolled and got Cassandra and Emma got Bonnie. Daniel had gotten Emma twice so far, and Cassandra had gotten Tom, Emma, and Bonnie, surprising Daniel with the ease in which she and Bonnie both sucked on the same little wedge of lime. Tom and Rupert catcalled and whooped mercilessly, both of them as drunk as the girls.
Finally, Daniel rolled for Cassandra. She smiled innocently at him, and handed him a shot glass, before getting herself set up with salt and a lime. The alcohol buzzed inside his body, causing all sorts of images to dance inside his head. He stumbled forward slightly, steadying himself on the edge of Bonnie's seat. Cassandra looked at him with the lime between her teeth, her blazing eyes boring into his own, slightly blurred from the alcohol. She shifted her legs and Daniel's eyes darted from her cleavage to the curve of her neck to her slender waist. He felt the boundaries and familiarity of their friendship start to fade away as they entered what must be a new territory. It frightened and excited him. His rational side was telling him she wasn't over her boyfriend, but his impulsive (and slightly drunk) side was unforgivably craving her and detecting all of her teasing and flirtations from this night.
"Oh, go on Dan!" Emma called, waving her arms to the Black Eyed Peas song that was now reverberating through the club.
Daniel closed his eyes and licked away the salt as hurriedly as he could, ignoring Rupert and Tom's raucous laughter, knocking back the tequila and then facing her. Her bottom lip stuck out slightly, pink and slightly moist, and Daniel felt something coil in the pit of his stomach. Gently taking the lime with his teeth, he went to pull away when he felt her index finger touch his wrist and her bottom lip rubbed at his. Feeling a small spark, he inhaled sharply, nearly spitting out the lime. He looked at the rest of them, expecting knowing looks and laughter, but they were all preoccupied and the only one that noticed his red tinged cheeks, was Cassandra. She jumped down off the seat, and Daniel caught her as she pitched forward.
"Oh geez, sorry Dan," she laughed, steadying herself and stacking up all the empty shot glasses. Tom had disappeared and Bonnie was smoking another cigarette, talking in a loud slurred voice with Rupert and Emma.
"Are you okay?" Cassandra asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Daniel shook his head, as all the people on the dance floor seemed to blur together for a moment.
"Drunk," he admitted, as Cassandra smiled lopsidedly at him. "It's rather hot in here."
"Yeah it is," she agreed, pulling her hair away from her neck for a moment, and fanning herself. "Should we go out?"
"What?" Daniel asked quickly, looking at her closely.
Cassandra laughed nervously. "Outside. You said it's hot. We could go outside for some fresh air." Feeling that funny sensation in his stomach, he found himself nodding, even though he vaguely recalled that he should probably let someone know that he was leaving.
"Come on, I know a way out," Daniel held tight to her hand, as she lead the way. Snaking through the dance floor, past Emma having chugging contests with Rupert, past Tom and Bonnie kissing by the stairwell, past Robbie Coltrane laughing heartily, they found themselves in a dark hall.
"Where are we?" Daniel attempted to whisper, but in his intoxication ended up saying it loud enough for it to echo in the hall.
"This leads to the back door. You don't want to walk out right where the street is, do you?" Cassandra's drunk whisper was much more successful than his. Daniel shook his head, and they burst out the back door, giggling and sighing as the cold air whipped around them. Cassandra spun around and pulled him to the sidewalk. "Where to, Radcliffe?" She looked at him, little drops of rain sparkling in her hair. She looked so alluring in that moment, and Daniel knew what he should say, and what he wanted to say. She brushed a lock of his dark hair away from his eyes and his self control caved in, and he found himself saying, "how about my suite?".