Unlocked: A Druid's Turn

Chapter 2

“You’ll wanna watch out for the drool there, pal," Brian said, laughing at him. I've heard they don't like that.” 

“Bugger off.” Eoin hid behind a deep sip from his beer. He'd never talked with Brian about his crush on Aisling, but he knew it wasn't a secret. He just hoped Aisling didn't know. 

“Come on, let’s go, before she decides we need feathers too. We'll find her later in a room that doesn't require costumes.” Brian led the way around the floor, through the crowd, and back into the hallway. Eoin took one last look into the room, but all he could see were streamers and Bellinis. 

By the time he pulled his eyes away, Brian was already across the hall, standing among the stars. The Milky Way room was truly spectacular. It was pitch black except for the stars that speckled the walls and ceiling. Even the floor was full of stars. Eoin felt a bit dizzy walking toward Brian as he realized that the whole room was rotating, just enough to be perceptible. Some of the stars twinkled in the sky, and every now and then one shot across the room in a really splendid display. A sparkly band of dust marked the Milky Way, rotating with the stars from the top, far-left corner of the room to the bottom right where guests entered. Knowing Aisling, this positioning was astrologically accurate. 

“Wow,” Eoin said once in earshot of Brian. 

“Yeah. Your girl does not mess around.”

“She's not my girl,” Eoin whispered. And she's not likely to ever be, he thought. Eoin had a long way to go up the corporate ladder before he could afford a girl like Aisling. Just look at this place. 

“There's a bloody 3-D space travel experience over there.” 

Eoin followed Brian's line of vision and saw what looked like a huge photo booth in the back right corner of the room. Partygoers were lined up outside waiting for their turn. The booth itself was rocking back and forth as the people inside went on a tour of the galaxy and beyond. 

“Not sure that's such a great idea with the amount of drink flowing here tonight,” Brian added. He had a point. Eoin felt slightly sick just watching the thing move. 

On the left-hand side of the room, Eoin noticed a general glow coming from the drinks table against the wall. “Are the drinks...glowing?” he asked. 

Sure enough, as they made their way over they could see light coming from inside the glasses. The long table was full of them. 

“It's the ice cubes,” Brian observed. 

“I'm not sure I want to drink that,” Eoin said. It looked awfully cool, but also a touch radioactive.

“The ice cubes are synthetic with an internal glowing mechanism. They are perfectly safe,” the bar tender corrected after overhearing them, but Eoin was content to stick with beer.

“Check it out, the table top is all ice. That's what is keeping the drinks cold. Unreal!” Brian picked up a glass and swirled the "ice cubes" around in the liquid. Eoin shook his head.

“Double-fisting after the day we've had? You truly are an inspiration Brian.” Brian raised his glass to toast his own tolerance and took a sip. 

“Hmm. Vodka, soda, and something that tastes like flowers.” Brian shrugged, finished the rest, and replaced the empty glass on the table. 

The music matched the atmosphere here. Mellow, ethereal, very new age. It wasn't too loud and kind of blended into the background, allowing the guests to chat or just enjoy the scenery. The lads spotted some friends waiting in line for the space ride and were about to head that way when Aisling appeared next to Eoin.