Chapter 4 - The Reels

Vee

It was already 8 p.m.

I glanced at Chloe’s message again: “We’ll meet at The Tavern. Come see us soon.”

We were supposed to head there together, but Liam was such a detail-oriented person that our discussion dragged on longer than expected. Afterward, I had to stop by my dorm to drop off my things—no way was I going to a club with a backpack slung over my shoulder. Besides, I needed to change. Who knew, maybe I’d meet someone interesting there.

Still, I doubted anyone could be more captivating than Tyler.

I don’t get him. I really thought we had a moment that night at Laura’s Kitchen. It felt different, almost… special. But today in class he was back to being stern and impossible again.

Maybe there was nothing between us after all. I mean, he’s still my professor, and I’m just a student. It’s not like anything could really happen. Maybe I just overthought everything, maybe I made it bigger in my head than it actually was.

Still… I can’t stop thinking about him. For some reason, he’s always there, stuck in my head no matter what I do.

Like now. The guy sitting at the bar—he looked just like him. Wait… it was him.

I approached cautiously, not wanting to embarrass myself by mistaking a stranger for Tyler. But no—it was really him.

“Tyler.” I slid onto the stool beside him.

“Sinclair.” His voice was calm, not as cold as before.

“You know,” I said with a nervous smile, “since I get to call you Tyler, maybe you could call me Vee. Just outside of class, I mean—casually. If you want to.”

“Vee.”

The way he said my name sent my heart racing.

“Why shorten such a beautiful name like Victoria to Vee?” he asked.

“Because… Victoria sounds so regal, so proper. And I’m not someone like that—i thought. Vee feels more like me. And honestly, I love it—everyone calls me that.”

He studied me for a moment, then asked, “So, what are you doing here?”

“I’m supposed to meet my friends. This is The Tavern, right?”

Tyler sighed. “This is The Tavern Bar—simple, rustic, traditional. I think they meant The Tavern Club, two blocks away. The one with the loud music and drunk people dancing.”

“What? No way.” I checked my phone. This time, Chloe had added the location. And yep—I was at the wrong place.

“Oh my God, you’re right. I’m so sorry, I have to go. But… it was really nice running into you, Tyler. We should hang out sometime.”

Did I just ask him out without even thinking?

 ~~~

Ten minutes later, I finally arrived at the right place.

The club pulsed with flashing lights and pounding bass.

Chloe waved wildly as soon as she spotted me.

“You’re so late! Even Liam’s already here.”

“Wait, Liam?” My mind raced. The Liam Carter from directing class this afternoon?

Chloe grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a booth where three people were seated. One of them—sure enough—was Liam. Beside him sat a dark-haired guy with a broad smile, and a girl with short, wavy brown hair that suited her perfectly.

“Everyone, this is Vee,” Chloe announced. “Vee, meet Liam, Ethan, and Sophie.”

“Hello again, my director,” Liam greeted me first with a teasing smile.

“Hello, hello! Come sit next to me,” Sophie chimed in, sliding over to make room.

“So this is the famous Vee,” Ethan said, shaking my hand with exaggerated formality. His theatrical gesture made everyone burst out laughing.

The music thumped through the floor, vibrating in my chest as I slid into the booth beside Sophie. The air smelled of perfume, sweat, and neon lights. Glasses clinked, people shouted over the beat, and somewhere in the chaos, I felt the night beginning to pull me in.

Sophie leaned close to be heard. “So, Vee—what’s your poison tonight? Tequila? Rum? Or something softer?”

“Surprise me,” I grinned.

Within minutes, Chloe returned with a tray of shots, Ethan balancing an extra drink in each hand like a showman. “To new friends,” he declared, raising his glass.

“To new friends!” we echoed, the liquid burning down my throat, leaving warmth in its wake.

Conversation flowed easily. Liam teased me about my “serious director face” in class, Sophie told outrageous stories that had us doubled over in laughter, and Ethan—ever the performer—kept raising imaginary toasts to anything and everything: the music, the lights, even Sophie’s shoes.

After a while, Chloe tugged my arm. “Come on, dance with me!”

The dance floor was alive, a sea of bodies moving in sync with the beat. The strobe lights cut through the haze, turning everything into snapshots—smiles, flashes of eyes, hands raised high. Chloe spun me around, laughing, and I let myself get swept up in the rhythm.

Ethan and Sophie joined us soon after, Ethan’s wild moves making Sophie laugh so hard she nearly spilled her drink. Even Liam, reserved as he was, finally gave in, swaying to the music with a shy smile that made him suddenly seem less like “class Liam” and more like just another twenty-something lost in the night.

The night was all dancing, drinks, and way too much laughing. But between the flashing lights, I noticed something the others didn’t.

Sophie and Liam.

It wasn’t super obvious—just the way she leaned closer when he talked, or how his serious face actually softened when she laughed. And every time Ethan cracked a dumb joke, Sophie would laugh… then sneak a look at Liam to see if he thought it was funny too. Cute.

He wasn’t exactly bold, but he mirrored her—leaning in, smiling when she did, even sipping his drink right after her like some accidental choreography.

Chloe was too busy dancing on the booth, Ethan was toasting with strangers… nobody else saw it. But I did.

And honestly? Watching them was better than the DJ.

By the time we stumbled back to the booth, breathless and glowing, Chloe collapsed dramatically against the seat. “Best night ever,” she announced.

And as I looked around at their smiling faces—Ethan’s grin still mischievous, Sophie fixing her hair between laughs, Liam sipping his drink quietly—I realized Chloe was right. Tonight wasn’t just another night out. It was the beginning of something.

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