“My my, quite the waltz you two are doing,” Sophia teased, nudging Juniper with her elbow.
As Daniel reached them, he immediately stepped closer to Juniper than strictly necessary, his presence solid and reassuring. She could feel the heat radiating from him, smell his cologne mixed with the energy of the dance. His hand brushed her lower back as he guided them onward, and she tried to ignore how natural it began to feel.
They wove through the maze of bodies toward the back, the crowd growing denser, more electric, until the main floor gave way to an elevated platform wrapped in chains of light.
They found Tilly holding court in the VIP section, her presence as unmistakable as a sunset. She unfolded from her throne of speakers, impossibly tall, holographic fabric turning her movements into liquid light. Her hair defied gravity in geometric spirals of electric blue and violent pink, each layer catching the strobes until she wore a crown of frozen lightning.