Ryland finally got to a spot at the bar where he could order from a bartender. He quickly got the girls a couple of shots of reposado tequila and some fancier sounding concoctions that they had picked out from the cocktail list—for himself a properly-made whiskey sour.

They grabbed a high top near the dance floor thanks to someone leaving where they were able to stow their stuff in plain sight.

The band was a hip-hop quartet that funked up the air with heavy bass notes and musical bombast. As the singer crooned into an R&B tub-thumper that had everyone in the crowd feeling pretty damn marvelous, Shay grabbed Sadie's...