“Laaaaiiinnneyyyyy!”

Wincing, I sink further into the couch cushion as my name is drawn out in an obnoxious whine. My eyes flutter shut and I says silently congratulate myself for not picking up the phone.

“Lainey Bainey Fainey, pick up your phone! You’re just sitting there when you could be out with us having fun!” Drunken laughter filters from the answering machine. “We just did like ten shots of tequila. Shit, I can’t even see straight.”

Eyes on the ceiling, I look over the stucco pattern and sigh.

“Get your ass off of the couch and come down here! Are you still pissed about before? I-” I can hear a commotion on the other end of the line followed by more laughter. “Shit, Trace, get the hell off me! You idiot.”

I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips. I can just imagine the scene that’s taking place on the other end of the line. There’s more laughter and then his voice comes back on.

“Seriously, Lainey, come meet us. We need to get you drunk! Gimme a call!”

A sigh escapes me as the message ends and I lifts my head from the back cushion of the couch. A glance at the clock tells me it’s just past ten, still early enough in the night to go out. Question is, can I deal with a night of Justin Timberlake? More specifically, drunk Justin Timberlake?

Pushing myself off the couch, I go over to the answering machine and listen to the message one more time. It really does sound like they’re having a fun time and it’s hard not to be drawn into the celebrity world that is calling. Decision made, I pick up my phone and dial a number.

“Laina! Baby, you’re coming, right?”

I pull the phone away from my ear at Trace’s loud voice. “Yeah. Where are you guys?”

“Sky Bar. Get yo ass over here!”

I pull off my pajama pants and kick them away from me. Grabbing a pair of jeans, I shimmy them on. “Janice there?”

“She’s always here. You gonna wear something sexy?”

Trace is so gone. He could barely form that ridiculous sentence. “Get a grip, Trace.”

“Hey, hurry up and get here. I’ll buy you a drink.”

The line goes dead and I drop the phone onto my bed and go over to the closet. I don’t know why I even bother to survey the contents considering all I have hanging there are my work clothes. Quickly growing irritated with it all, I grab my favorite tank top and pull it on. My bright blue bra is completely visible through the top but I could hardly care less at this point. Maybe tonight will be the night I start a new fashion trend.

I stuff a couple bills into my pocket and then leave my small apartment, locking the three deadbolts behind me. There’s a cab hanging around outside and I hop inside and tell the driver my destination.

A huge line of people is awaiting entrance into the club and I frown. There is no way I’m waiting in that line. One text and two minutes later and Trace stumbles out the door. A stupid grin covers his face when he spots me.

“Laina!” He manages to get over to me without falling on his face and gives me a sloppy hug. “C’mon!”

The bouncer lets us in with no problem, which makes me smile. Celebrity connections make everything so much easier.

“Nice bra,” Trace comments, snapping the strap of my bra that’s slid a bit down my shoulder.

I tuck the strap back under my tank top. “Thanks. I’m pretty fond of it. Do you like my fashion statement?”

He gives me a once over and rolls his eyes. “Thought I said to wear something sexy.”

I give him an innocent look. “This isn’t sexy?”

“You’re joking right? Your jeans are falling apart, you wear that top all the time, and you’re wearing damn flip flops.”

Grinning, I loop my arm with his. “You like it.”

He doesn’t comment and instead pulls me towards the VIP section of the club. When I go through the curtain separating the VIP from the rest of the club, I’m immediately met with a loud whoop.

“Laina!”

My eyes bulge a bit when two arms grab me around the waist and yank me up in the air. “Petey, you’re breaking my ribs.”

I’m dropped back to the ground and I focus my eyes on Pete’s smiling face. “Thought you were working the night shift,” I say.

“Called in sick. Is that wrong?”

I laugh and pat his stubbled cheek. “It’s typical, that’s what it is.”

He shrugs and smiles. “How’s the man?”

“Still around,” I reply. I open my mouth to say more but before I can get a word out, Trace is dragging me to a table. He pushes me down to sit and slams a shot down on the table.

“You’re about ten drinks behind the rest of us. Start drinking.”

Knowing he won’t leave me alone until I do the shot, I quickly throw it back, wincing only slightly as the liquid burns down my throat. I think I’m finally building up a tolerance to the tequila that they all insist on drinking whenever we go out.

I’m on number three from the shots simply appearing in front of me when a body slips into the chair beside me and I feel hot breath on my ear.

“You came.”

I turn my head to see Justin’s face inches away from mine. “You convinced me to not spend the night watching TV.”

“Good.” He nods towards the full shot glasses in front of me. “You can’t handle all that.”

“I know. I’m just humoring Trace.”

“Come dance with me.”

I have to steady him when he stands and bumps into the table. He’s just as far gone as Trace is. “What about-”

“Bathroom,” he says, cutting me off. “We got time.”

Before I can protest any further, his hand is gripping my arm and he’s pulling me out of VIP to the dance floor. He’s way too touchy when he’s drunk and I spend most of our time out there pushing his hands away. Who knows who’s in this club and I don’t need any stories about me in the tabloids.

I can feel eyes on me and when I look over Justin’s shoulder towards VIP, a heavy feeling settles in my stomach.

“I need to go outside,” I say into Justin’s ear and pull away from him. I push my way through the crowd and towards a back door. The fresh air filling my lungs is a complete relief. I really don’t like the stuffy atmosphere of clubs. It makes me feel like I’m suffocating.

“Hey! Alaina!”

“It’s Laina,” I say automatically as I turn to the voice. When I see Janice standing there my mood drops.

“Thought you weren’t coming tonight,” she says, walking over to me with her arms crossed over her chest.

I push away from the wall I’m leaning against. “I wasn’t going to. Justin called and convinced me.”

A sour look comes over her otherwise beautiful face. “Uh huh. And what about Wes?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “What about him?”

“Does he know you’re here?”

“Why would that even matter to you?”

She glares at me. “You know why, Alaina.”

I grit my teeth together. “It’s Laina,” I bite out.

She doesn’t respond but instead runs her eyes over me. “Did you just roll out of bed to come here? What the hell are you wearing?”

It’s one thing when Trace rags on my outfit. It’s another thing when Janice Cooper does. “I really don’t care what you think about my outfit, Janice.”

She begins to walk towards me and I don’t move from my spot. This girl does not intimidate me.

“I honestly don’t even know how you managed to land a guy like you did,” Janice says. “Must be like a pity thing.”

This is why I don’t typically hang out with girls. They’re catty. Not that I would put all girls in the same boat as Janice, but a lot of girls in this city aren’t far behind her.

“Do you really have nothing better to do than stand out here and insult me?” I ask. I try and move to the side to go around her but she steps in front of me. Now she’s just pissing me off.

“Stay away from him, Laina,” she hisses at me. “You don’t want to mess with me.”

This girl has GOT to be joking. “Get out of my way, Janice. before I move you out of my way.”

She doesn’t move and smirks at me. “You are SUCH white trash.”

My hand is flying before I can think to stop myself and makes a loud smack on her cheek. A shocked cry exits her mouth and she lunges forward, her hands reaching for my hair. I give her a shove before she can get to me but that doesn’t stop her from flying at me again. Before she gets near me, there’s the sound of a guy yelling and then suddenly we’re pulled apart.

Pete’s arm is around my chest, holding me against him but I still struggle to get to Janice who is being pulled away by Justin.

“Let me go, Pete!” I say loudly, yanking my body in the opposite direction of his. He barely budges.

“Calm it down, Laina,” he says and I take a few deep breaths, figuring I should listen. I don’t need to be arrested for assault.

I relax against him. “I’m fine,” I say and his arm loosens around me. Running my hands through my head, I let out a breath of air, feeling myself calm down a bit.

Janice, on the other hand, is anything but calm. Justin’s holding her shoulders but she’s still trying to get to me.

“Let go, Justin!” she yells, making a lunge for me. She doesn’t get far.

“Stop it, Jan,” Justin says, trying to keep a grip on her.

“That BITCH slapped me in the face!” Janice says, her voice as loud as I’ve ever heard it. “That stupid, white trash BITCH!”

“Janice!” Justin reprimands. “What the hell is the matter with you two?”

“Why’d you invite her, Justin?” Janice says, her anger turned towards him. I raise my eyebrows as I watch his expression turn confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“You called and told her to come! You knew she’d come and do this!”

“Do what? Hit you?”

“No! She’d come and do THIS. She’s trying to break us up! She wants you, Justin!”

His eyes shut tiredly as if he’s heard this a million times before. That actually wouldn’t surprise me. “Jan…”

“No!” She slaps his hands away and for a second I think she’s going to charge me but instead she just points an angry finger at Justin. “This is why you don’t stay friends with your BITCH of an ex girlfriend, Justin!” she screams at him and then stalks back towards the club. He only waits a minute before calling her name and running after her.

Damn. I really should have just stayed home in my pajamas.