Rosé POV
I threw my head back as I took a shot of tequila... my third one of the night, actually. After the second shot, I couldn't tell if I'd gotten used to the burn or I was too numb to feel it. The answer to that question didn't matter. The only thing I cared about was my fourth shot and I signalled to the bartender for another. He didn't look too worried. He was probably used to people like me—depressed and just trying to get drunk out of my mind. I was already feeling tipsy so maybe a fourth will definitely get me there a bit faster.
I took my fourth. Then a fifth. And probably a sixth but I'd lost count by then as I began stacking my shot glasses into a pyramid. I barely had enough stability in my hand to place a glass on the very top and I giggled at myself for it. God, I must've looked like a complete idiot.
I shook my head out of it a little and focused harder to finish my pyramid. It was difficult, but I did it! And also found a hand holding my wrist as I let go of the glass. I turned my head around, and over my shoulder was a stranger. His face was close to mine. A little too close because I couldn't tell if he was cute or not so I rotated my chair to face him and pushed him away gently.
He let out a soft laugh and held my hand against his chest. He was wearing a silky black shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal his chest. I kind of regret drinking so much now because my eyesight was a little blurred and I couldn't put together what he really looked like. I was sure he was hot from the sturdy muscles that flexed under my fingertips.
There was something sparkling around his neck. It must've been a chain. I smiled and ran my fingers along the cold metal.
"You've had way too much to drink, beautiful," he said in a raspy voice, though I couldn't quite tell since I was beginning to feel light headed from all those shots. I might've let myself have a tad too much to drink this time. "Did you come here with a friend? A boyfriend?"
I shook my head for both of his questions. Suddenly his hand was cradling my cheek. As his thumb brushed against my cheekbone, I blushed from the gentle touch.
"Are you feeling alright? Your eyes aren't in focus."
I gulped, feeling my throat run dry from his touch and the fact that I couldn't register what he looked like. "I'm... fine," I managed to say. I pushed his hand away from my cheek. He was getting touchy and I didn't feel like having company. "You can just... go... away. Bye."
Even with my blurry ass vision, I saw that he smiled and moved the bar stool beside me to sit down.
"If it's fine with you, I'd like to stay and chat. You're much to gorgeous to leave alone at a bar. And I'm loving that accent you have..." he said and turned to order a drink.
Accent... my Australian accent? Ugh, whatever. Everyone compliments me on that anyway. It wasn't a big deal.
"I don't want to drink with you," I mumbled and slipped out of my chair. As I stood upright, I lost balance from a horrible light headed feeling and stumbled into him. He held me steady by the waist with my face against his chest now. "Hmph... Let me go!" I complained and tried to leave but he didn't let me.
"I don't think I should, babe."
"I'm not your..." I paused to take a breathe and to lift my head off his chest, then finished with, "babe," using my fingers to do a quotation. "You are not my babe. I am not a boyfriend." Jeez, I drank wayyy to much this time.
"You are not making sense," he said slowly and chuckled softly. "How about I help you call someone? Where's your phone?"
I rolled my eyes, "I'm not letting you rob me that easily... I might be dumb but I'm not rich... I mean drunk... I mean dumb."
At that point, I didn't even know what was going on with myself. My brain sent words for my mouth to say but my mouth decided not to say them in the right order. And I didn't even know what my body was doing because the next thing I knew, my arms were around this guy's neck and I was just hugging him. I remembered him smelling very nice. Just like a YSL cologne I've smelt before. Just like... my ex...
He got up from the seat and walked me somewhere not far from the bar.
"Where're we going?" I mumbled, still clinging onto him like my life depended on it.
I felt the back of my leg hit something and he tipped forward, falling onto me as I sat into a couch. Somehow his hand ended up between my legs and when I let go of his neck to realize it, I slapped him across the face.
"I told you I'm not dumb!" I said and pointed a finger at him. Suddenly, I felt a little more sober and my vision was clearer.
"I know, I know! I'm sorry about that. I wasn't trying anything. I wanted to bring you to the couch, that's all," he explained with his hands in slight surrender to my pointed finger and angry face. "Do you have a friend you could call to come get you? Or should I get you a cab?"
"I can't take a cab," I replied stubbornly and crossed my arms. "I'm not allowed to." I'd be too dangerous to make that mistake again.
He sat down on the chair next to mine, "Right.. So calling a friend is the only option. Can I get your phone?"
"Are you not going to ask why?" I asked him. Most people ask me why I wasn't allowed to take cabs. There's a viable reason for this rule.
"Why what?" He tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows slightly. I admired the light brown colour of his eyes in the dim lighting of the bar. They looked almost hazel. And his nose made an attractive arch above his notably plump and pink lips that curled into a smirk the longer I stared. "I see you've regained the ability to focus those beautiful eyes of yours. Am I much to admire?"
I looked away almost immediately after being caught. I guess his raspy voice had me off guard. I didn't know what to reply with so I stayed quiet from the overthinking that was going on in my head.
A waitress came over and handed him a drink. He smiled at her and even watched her walk away. I'd complain that all men were like that but I caught myself watching her too and mentally compared myself. Did other people watch me like that as well?
"You know... you remind me of someone," he said.
We made eye contact again and he made sure to distract me with a subtle lip bit. "Who's this someone?" I asked, pretending to care for his answer. He must've seen me on a magazine or a storefront... I was the muse of Saint Laurent and a model for Tiffany and Co. so my picture could be seen around town on things like billboards and such.
"I don't know." He leaned forward in his seat and narrowed his eyes at me. "You remind me of my future wife, I guess."
Was it a thing for bad pick up lines to sober someone up as fast as a nap? My mind was feeling a lot less cloudy already and that prepared me to break his heart without mumbling.
"I am not looking for anything. If what's running through your head is how you'll get me into to bed, it's not going to happen. I am not interested."
I crossed my arms and leaned back onto the couch. I just got out of a long relationship with my ex husband, hence a bar scene like this, but I wasn't ready to move on yet. Not yet.
"Got it. You're not interested. I won't bother you about that again but I'll still help you find a way home. Do you have a friend you can call or not because there are quite a few men in here who've been staring since I came up to you."
He gestured in a direction with his eyes as he took a sip of his drink and I saw the men he was referring to. They were smirking creepily at me and one of them even winked.
"If there's no sex for me then there's no sex for them as well right? It's only fair," he said and it managed to make me smile. "Ah, looks like there's another one after you. He's approaching too."
I turned around to see my ex husband walking towards me. Out of all places, he finds me in a bar like this... when I turned back, the stranger was gone. It was probably for the best my ex didn't see me with another man so soon. He'd probably get even more angry with me...
"What are you doing at a bar, Rosé? Don't you have other priorities than to party? Maybe like signing the divorce papers?"
I took a deep breath and stood up. I stumbled a bit and he reached out but stopped before touching me. I cleared my throat, "I've signed them. My secretary will get them to you as soon as he can."
"How much have you had to drink? He reek of tequila," he commented. "Do your friends know you're here alone? I can call someone for you."
His words weren't even that insulting yet my heart began to ache as my veins pulsed and my body quivered. The care he was showing made me uncomfortable and I swallowed the lump in throat as my mind began to fog once more. I told myself I would stop crying over him and as I was successful in avoiding tears, I couldn't avoid the pain that came with the thought of him. He still had a hold over me.
"Excuse me." The stranger from before was back but he was wearing a cap that covered his pretty eyes. Where'd he get the hat from? He looked my ex up and down quickly and held out his hand for me, "Sorry the bathroom took so long. Let's go."
"Who's this?" my ex asked. He had a look of hurt on his face.
"Mind your business... ex husband," he replied for me and I held his hand shyly.
"I'm not her ex... yet," my ex mumbled.
"How's your head feeling?" the stranger asked me, ignoring my ex as held my cheek with his hand. The same kind of gentleness from before made me smile and the feelings of heartache slowly faded.
"Better," I said and looked up at his hazel brown eyes. I couldn't help but lean into the warmth of his hand.
"Who the hell is this, Rosé?" There was clearly a weakened sound in his voice and hurt was written all over his face.
The stranger only smiled slightly in his response, his eyes never leaving mine, and he took me away from my ex who stood dumbfounded. I had no clue where he was taking me but I was glad to leave. If I'd stayed any longer, I would've began to guilt trip myself about my divorce. When we got outside, he let go of my hand.
"Why'd you leave?" I asked, from when he disappeared earlier but came back. I knew he heard me because we were making eye contact but he chose to ignore the question.
He took the hat off and threw it to the side, fluffing up his hair to its original state. "Did you find a friend to call yet?"
"Ah..." I took out my phone and saw that it was already 2 in the morning. My friends are definitely asleep by now... "I'll just call one of them. They won't mind."
"You sure?"
I hesitated to nod, "Mhm." I didn't usually stay this late but I probably had a little to much fun with my tequila pyramid.
"Right this way, sir," a driver behind us announced and gestured to the Rolls Royce on the side of the road.
"Thank you," the stranger said and the driver left us. He turned to me and took my hand again, taking me to the car. "Tell my driver your address and he'll take you there. Get home safe."
"But..." I looked at the car then back at him, "I shouldn't. I could just call my friend."
"Okay," he said like he didn't believe me and crossed his arms. He stood tall and firm in front of me. "Call a friend then."
Even drunk, I felt my own attitude come off in an annoyed expression. "Fine..." I glared at him as I took my phone out. Right when I was about to dial, someone came up to us.
"Rosé? What are you doing here so late?" I looked over to see my friend, Tony, now next to me. I knew it was him by the outfit he always wore. He stared at the stranger before me and seemed to change his attitude to a colder one. "Hey... I'm Tony. And you are?"
"Get her home safe, Tony," the stranger replied and patted Tony's shoulder, then he smirked at me and said, "See you next time, beautiful," before walking around me to get into his car.
The Rolls Royce drove off in with a hum and Tony stood in my view of it. His attitude changed once more and he was back to normal with a caring look on his face. "Let me take you home. You're lucky I just finished karaoke with my coworkers or I never would've found you here. How drunk are you?" It was pretty obvious he came from a work gathering. All he ever wore was a white dress shirt and trousers.
Tony held my face with his hand and had a look of worry. I smiled to reassure him and moved his hand away.
"Not that much," I lied. "Thank you for finding me, Tony. I owe you one."
"We'll talk favours when you're sober, Rosie."
Tony smiled back and took my hand, walking me in the opposite direction that the stranger took off in. I found myself looking back, even though the Rolls Royce was long gone. It was the first time in a while since anyone's showed me that much interest without it being creepy. I wondered if I'd ever see him again.
You Were My
Everything