Alexei And Grace

06 | Private Quarters

"Yeah," I hiccuped, then covered my mouth with embarrassment. "Good idea...find somewhere else..."

I climbed down from the bar stool shakily and looked around the spinning room. Where on earth had Lena gone? She was missing out on all the fun. Though it wasn't so much fun when the floor kept trying to throw me around. I mean, sure I was a little drunk...but not that drunk!

Suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea, I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing but that only made it worse. Darkness spun around me endlessly, the floor continuing its rage until I was forced to open my eyes just in time to put my hands out and stop myself from crashing into a wall. Apparently I'd crossed the room, making it all the way to the next ramp up. I stared out through the concrete balcony and realised just how high up I was - way too high up to look down. I ducked away and crouched against the solid wall, gladly reminding myself that I wasn't going to fall. When had I climbed up so many levels?

I rubbed my eyes with my hands balled into fists, hoping I could force them into seeing straight. It didn't matter that my makeup was now probably smudged all over my face, I didn't care. I'd fit in with the grungy indie crew, maybe, or maybe everyone else would be too drunk to notice. Good job I was sober enough to think these things through?

The floor gave another buck shoving my back into the concrete, narrowly missing a collision with my head. All around me feet danced way too close, bodies too close, everything spinning...

I needed to get somewhere quiet. Desperately.

Up the ramp I noticed that there was a corrugated metal wall with a door cut into the side. It wasn't open like the rest of the levels, and a burly looking bouncer stood right next to it looking out across the party with mean eyes. I bet that door leads to the roof! It must be a private, VIP area! I bet it's quieter there! If I didn't escape all this noise and all these people soon I was fairly sure I was going to hurl.

Shakily, I got to my feet and, pushing the concrete wall for support, I made my way up the ramp. It was slow progress since the floor was so eager for me to not be on it anymore, and the bouncer watched me the whole time with those terrifying eyes of his.

When I was about two meters away, I came to a wobbly stand still. "Sir!" I announced. "Would you kindly let me through that door?"

"No."

I was stumped. "Um, what?"

"No." Was that an accent I detected? His voice was thick and deep, he could easily have been speaking in another language.

His declination, of course, fell on deaf ears. "But look!" I thrust my wrist out in front of his face. "I have a wristband!" He glared at my arm like he might break it in half, but I wasn't about to give up just yet. "You must let me through."

"Really?" His eyes widened and I thought yes! This is working! "Well, in that case...no."

"Why not?" I whined, half way to stomping my foot like a toddler. Didn't this man realise there were four of him staring back at me?

"Private quarters." He shrugged.

"So?"

The bouncer's eyes stayed focused out on the crowd, not even glancing in my direction for a second. "So you are not permitted past this point," he explained very slowly, practically enunciating each syllable as though I was a little kid.

"How do you know if I'm on the guest list when you haven't even asked my name?" I challenged, folding my arms victoriously.

"There is no guest list."