The music was still thumping, but a sudden prickle of anxiety hit me. The "one song" Ella promised had turned into five or six. I realized I hadn't heard my phone buzz in my pocket once, and that's when the memory flashed in my mind—I had left it on the side table while I was rushing to get ready.
I leaned toward Julian, shouting over the bass. "Julian! Do you have the time? I don't have my watch!"
Julian stopped moving and pulled his arm up, squinting at the face of his watch under the flashing purple strobe lights. He wiped a bit of condensation off the glass and looked at me, his expression shifting from playful to a bit wary.
"It's nine-twenty," he said, leaning in so I could hear him clearly.
