The Black Rose

Entry 24

Exiting the cab, my anxiety intensified. The throng of drunken people boisterously meandering in and around the club's entrance didn't help. The thick cloud of noxious perfumes and colognes made me want to barf. Keep calm.

"Alex."

A familiar abhorrent voice rose above the meandering crowd.

I looked ahead and spotted Damien through the sea of bodies. He wore a pair of fitted navy designer trousers and a baby blue designer button-down and overcoat with the top two buttons left undone.

He hurried over to me. "Are you okay? You look a little pale," he looked at me uneasily.

The ringing in my ears muffled his voice.

"I need a distraction," I heaved.

"A distraction? What game are you playing now? " He breathed exasperated.

I didn't answer, I just stumbled forward to the front of the line. Damien followed hurriedly, placing his arm around my waist. My skin crawled.

"Don't touch me," I seethed under my breath as we made our way to the bouncers who looked more like secret service agents.

"Name?" One said aloud robotically.

"Damien Wells," he spoke beside me.

I stared at the excessively-cologned bouncer and imagined him with his head decapitated, or a noose around his neck, or a knife in my hands, anything to numb the headache.

"You can pass," the unfriendly bouncer uttered.

Damien ushered me through the mass of testosterone-riddled bodies and into the club. The darkness of the club, neon strobes, and electronic dance music heightened the fogginess. I needed something to calm me, desperately. My hand reached into my clutch, fingering the vial.

I needed to pull myself together. Damien came to babysit, and thus far, it was warranted.

I scanned the club, my sharp eyes pinpointing...

"There," I muttered in Damien's ear, motioning to the back of the club in the largest VIP section.

"By us drinks and then come find me," I mouthed again in his ear. Damien appeared reluctant but obeyed.

As he made his way to the iced bar with massive glass sculptures, I sauntered towards the VIP section. Lucky for me, the bathrooms happened to be close. As I moved through the throngs of gyrating and dancing elite, eyeing along the way, my head pulsed from my racing heart. "Stay focused, Alex, " I muttered. My anxiety drowned by the electronic pulsations of the speakers and grinding bodies.

Making it to the corner of the dance floor, closest to the VIP section, I pulled my expensive faux fur jacket closer to my shoulders, hoping the pressure would help. I felt flushed, sweat began to push through my pores. I pulled out the vial and sprinkled another four pills in my hand and swallowed them. I had never taken this many pills in such a short span, but I had no other choice.

I glanced at the VIP lounge in an attempt to get a grip on reality. Zhang had four nicely dressed Asian men, as well as five insanely hot women in dresses that looked painted on. They were busy doing body shots off the women's stomachs until one looked in my direction. His eyes never looking away, he slapped Zhang on the arm until he too looked. Now they were both staring. I waved with an air of joviality, yet on the inside, I was screaming for relief.

"Two whiskeys," Damien barked loudly as he too found his way to the corner of the dance floor. I turned to Damien, kissing him seductively on the cheek, reaching succinctly into his coat pocket to grab his phone.