Her Tender Tyrant by Elizabeth Lennox Page B

off.
    She’d curled her hair, applied more makeup than normal, including a red lipstick to match her sweater, and she had given herself a stern lecture to meet other eligible men, to push one specific enormous brute out of her mind and focus on having fun. She was ready!
    The doorbell rang right on time and Juliette stuffed money, license and credit cards into one pocket, keys and phone into another.
    The doorbell rang and Juliette was relieved that Marcus had already left for the night. She had no idea where he’d gone, but it meant no inquisition as to where she might be going. “I’m ready!” she called in greeting as her friends, Mindy and Josie, both looked at her with a surprised look.
    “You look hot!” Josie said, engulfing Juliette into a bear hug. “And obviously ready to party!”
    The girls all dove into Mindy’s car and Juliette pushed Marcus out of her mind. She shouldn’t be wondering where he was. She didn’t care if he might be out with another woman. He was an independent agent and probably had a string of mistresses tucked away all over the world.
    Ugh! Why did the thought of him being with another woman make her want to throw up? This was crazy! The man went out of his way to pick fights with her. She should be immune to those incredible abs or his sexy half-smile.
    “You’re pondering,” Mindy called to the back seat. “No pondering tonight.”
    Josie turned around with a gamin grin on her face. “Unless it is some hot, studly man you are willing to share?”
    Juliette rolled her eyes but leaned forward, trying to get her good mood back. “You’re both right. Tonight is all about forgetting our troubles and having a good time. So where are we heading?”
    The three of them grabbed a burger at the local diner that was filled with families. Juliette didn’t know many of them, but they all seemed very friendly. As the three of them devoured their cheeseburgers, Juliette wondered what it would be like to live in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. It might be nice to know people in one’s community, to have that kind of support network. She looked around at the other families. When one group got up they generally stopped to talk with at least one other table.
    “Hey!” Josie called back, snapping her fingers in front of Juliette’s eyes again. “You’re pondering. What did we tell you about that?”
    Juliette laughed and swallowed the rest of her soda. “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”
    With that, they drove about ten miles to Charlottesville where it was a bit more populated. There were several dance clubs that would have been fun but they chose one that they’d been to a few times before. Walking in, they were some of the first few patrons there, but the three ladies didn’t care.
    “Tequila!” Josie called out to the bartender.
    Juliette cringed, not one to enjoy tequila shots very much. But she did it, squeezing the lime with her teeth after downing the potent liquor. “Okay, beers for the next round,” Mindy called, raising her hand for the bartender.
    Because the night was young, they were able to get their drinks quickly and find a table by the dance floor. But they didn’t stay there long. The three of them laughed and chatted while sipping their beer, but by the time they were finished, they headed out onto the dance floor. At first, it was just the three of them, laughing and dancing any way they wanted. But as the night wore on, more people came onto the floor and they continued to have a blast. Josie and Mindy both did extra tequila shots but Juliette refused, not wanting to get completely drunk. She preferred to just dance in order to relax. And with these three ladies, they danced to every song. Sometimes they were joined by men who grabbed their hands and swung them around, other times they danced in a circle together, laughing at their silly moves, grooving to the beat and just enjoying the freedom of being out on the town without any serious