Carmela + Amos

Chapter 16 - Amos

"It's crowded," Yvette shouted, but she might as well have been whispering.

"What?" Amos leaned in.

"It's crowded."

Amos shook his head, still not understanding, so this time he watched her mouth as she repeated herself. Right as he was about to respond, a couple bumped into them mid-dramatic spin. It caused Yvette to stumble forward and slam into Amos, so he caught her by the waist, and their eyes locked as she mouthed an apology.

"It's ok," he shouted. "I have a feeling it'll happen a lot tonight."

"Yeah..." she forced a laugh and smoothed down her dress. "This isn't my scene." 

"Mine either. Too loud and crowded."

"Exactly, but Cass insisted I come."

"Me too. She can be a bit bossy, huh? But she's perfect for my brother. She keeps him in check."

Glancing over at the VIP section, Carlos waved his arms about, his words vacuumed by the music, but knowing his brother, he was probably saying to get their asses over there. 

"Guess we better keep moving," Yvette shouted over the music.

"Guess so."

Offering his elbow again, the two of them navigated through the crowd and past a velvet rope, where their entourage was getting comfortable. Carlos wasted no time flagging a cocktail waitress to get the bottle service going. Within minutes the waitress in a tiny black dress arrived with a tray full of shots. At first, Amos refused, but Carlos shoved the drink into his hands.

"Chug it!"

"I don't know if it's a good idea to mix tequila with champagne."

"Oh my god, Amos. Did Lorena suck out your soul? Live a little!"

"I don't want a hangover. I've got guitar lessons lined up tomorrow."

"Who cares! Fuck it. Live in the moment. Now drink it." 

Staring at the clear liquid in the shot glass as it glinted under strobe light, Amos exhaled, pressed the drink to his lips, and down his throat it went.

"Eso! There you go. Now have another." 

"Nah, man. I think I'm good."

"Dude, have another!" Carlos shoved one more into his hand. "On the count of three."

The burning liquid caused Amos to tug at his collar and clear his throat. "Satisfied?"

"No way. I'll be satisfied when I see you take Yvette onto the dancefloor and show her how the Castillos get down!" 

"Then I'll definitely need another because you're the one who inherited dad's rhythm when it comes to salsa dancing. So, if I'm going to embarrass myself, I might as well have a good buzz." 

"Hell yeah! Let's get you a cold beer."

As his brother whirled around to search for the cocktail waitress, the booze began taking effect as a shiver of tingles coursed through Amos's limbs. A few feet over, Cassandra gave Yvette the same treatment as she topped off her champagne glass. The poor girl held her hand up, signaling to stop, but his brother's partner in crime kept pouring. Clearly, the two lovebirds were on a mission to get them drunk. 

With each song that played, time seemed to tick quickly while everyone drank, laughed, and danced. Yet, Amos and Yvette remained seated for five songs while trying their best to chat over the booming music. After a while, it became pointless, so instead, they simply smiled at one another while taking sips of their drinks.