I Write Romances, Not Live Them

Chapter 12

After stepping into the club area, I felt as if I was in a laser light show, the walls constantly flashing with neon pinks, greens, blues, and oranges. The faint vibrating of the bass wasn't faint anymore, it pounded the building like a hammers driving thousands of nails. The stench was like a wall that you slammed into, alcohol and sweat. I made a mental note to steer clear of the bathrooms later on, I didn't even want to picture what they might be like. While I grimaced as I watched the swaying and dancing of all the bodies, Bria and Sophie were excited. Their eyes were alive and I saw them take off into the crowd of people to dance to the song that was playing, I recognized it as something by Usher, a huge hit a few years back.

“Wait where are you going?” I called, taking big strides to grab Bria by the arm and pull her back. Sophie escaped me, I lost her in the mix of the dark room.

“Dancing!” Bria yelled so I could hear over the music, even with the volume I could hear the joy in her voice, the way it seemed so obvious that was what she was doing. “Come with!” She urged.

I shook my head fervently, “I'd rather not.”

Bria giggled and I already felt a tinge of worry. She was already bubbly, as if the alcohol in the room had dissolved into the air and she was breathing it in. Or maybe she was just that happy to be there. “Then go get a drink or something! Just have fun, Addy!”

Just as she was about to dive back into the crowd, I pulled her back again. “You know I don't like to drink!” She rolled her eyes at me. “And I don't even have any money!” Bria had insisted we didn't bring anything with us (excepting our driver's licenses) no phones, no purses, nothing we can loose. She didn't even wear jewelery.

Bria giggled again, looking at me from head to toe. She smiled knowingly, getting closer to me so she was talking in my ear, “Girl, in that dress, you don't need money.” I was so perplexed by her words I didn't see her disappear into the mass of dancing bodies, and I felt suddenly alone.

Just standing apart from everyone was uncomfortable, there were clusters of people standing and talking, sitting down on tall tables and chairs, and the dancers. The largest crowd was by the bar, go figure. I started to move over there, unable to think of anything else to occupy my time. Maybe later I would dance, just maybe.

It was claustrophobic by the bar, the people lingering by talking only made it worse. I squeezed through and waited until the near front before I realized I neither had money nor any idea what I should ask for. The bar tender just stared at me and waited for an answer, there was a line and he was quite obviously not willing to be patient.

I just started out with the truth, “I don't have any money!” I shouted again, thinking about how he could stand this every night.

He was unsympathetic, not that I was expecting him to take me under his wing like the bar tenders in the movies, show me world and give me life changing advice was not under his job description, anyway. “That's too bad.” He started to move away to help someone else beside me, and I began to turn away.

“I'll buy her a drink.” the voice beside me said to the bartender. I looked over only to be met by what I assumed was supposed to be an alluring smirk, but he just looked creepy, his forehead might as well have been covered in big letters spelling 'drunk'. Oh, so that's what Bria meant. I tried to smile politely and chastely. The bartender sighed, he'd seen the scenario a million times over.

“What drink?”

Again, I didn't know what to say, but the stranger beside me ordered for me. “Sex On The Beach.”

Oh God, I think I just barfed in my mouth. I knew it was a drink, but still.

The bartender sighed dramatically again, I could already see it was a habit for him. “Coming right up.”