Excerpt of Soul Solution by Katherine McIntyre

The whole date thing had been a bad idea.

She rounded a corner, stepping onto the street where the
club was located. The Hive stood out even from a couple
of blocks away. Its glass-and-steel exterior was slick,
and lights flashed on different floors, granting glimpses
of the chaos inside. Like other top-notch places, this
one didn’t advertise—no sign out front since the building
was imposing enough. A strain of music filtered from it,
but the noise was muted—she’d bet the inside was the
opposite.

She wrinkled her nose as she got closer. Great. A line.
My perfect Saturday night—waiting in a line to get into a
loud room with blinding lights, blaring music, and sweaty
guys. No thanks.

One glance at the people waiting to get inside and she
wanted to turn around. Caked on makeup, glittery dresses,
and overly gelled hair dominated the crowd, all part of a
scene in which she didn’t fit. A slight breeze carried
the cloud of perfume teeming around the line her way.
She fought not to gag.

Strands of her auburn-dyed hair kept slipping from her
bun and trailing along her shoulders. Why did I even
bother doing my hair? Once I get inside, the sheer heat
from the place will frizz it out. Mina sighed, trying to
calm her frazzled nerves. This is why I don’t date.

Up ahead, the bouncers were either admitting people or
turning them away at the door. She joined the end of the
line, checking her phone while she waited. He was already
inside. Joy. Too late to suggest a detour to a coffee
shop instead.

A man tall enough to stand out approached the entrance.
With hoops in his eyebrows, ears, and, chances were,
elsewhere, too, he didn’t mesh with the rest of the
crowd. Nor was he wearing a polo or suit, the type of
club attire the rest of these guys wore. Instead, his
sleeveless, fitted hoodie made an impression of its own
as did his tailored black pants, which were accented by
his leather stompers. Even in a sack, the man would’ve
looked good. When the guy opened the club door, the
bouncers didn’t even give him a second glance. Seems they
know their regulars.

She hoped her date stacked up. The line moved forward a
couple of paces, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
This was going to be a long night.