It was amazing how quickly my confidence plummeted as night fell. One muggy summer breeze on exposed skin was all it took for the old Maylene to bound and gag her new self and lock her in a mental trunk. One look in the sideview mirror was all I needed to know that I would never, ever be the kind of woman who could do this.
"Everybody gets nervous the first time, May-May," Precious said calmly as she wove through evening traffic at breakneck speed. "You look like a goddess in that outfit, so all you have to do is act like one to get through the night!"
I gripped the seat as we swung around a curb at 20 above the speed limit, wishing for the first time in my life that I'd see the blue and red flashing in the mirror. Then again, considering the cleavage-bearing cocktail dress Precious was wearing, she'd probably be able to flirt her way out of a ticket if she was pulled over. Not that she would get pulled over. Precious was the patron goddess of getting away with everything.
"You doing okay back there, Hare-Bear?" she sang as a red light whizzed by.
Harry nodded stiffly, looking like he'd long since given up on getting Precious to drive like a responsible adult. His club outfit was quite nice (and I suspected far tighter than he'd prefer), and the thought of men dressed similarly was all that kept me going.
Really, this wouldn't be so bad. I'd stick close to Precious and Harry, sip a few mimosas, take in a few gorgeous guys, then get home before anyone could recognize me. Put that way, the loud music shaking the ground as we neared the club didn't seem so intimidating. Even the garish neon lights seemed warm as Precious slowed the car to a speed sane people usually drove at.
"Club Michelle," I noted as I gazed up at the sign. "Odd name."
"Maybe, but this is the spot me to meet hunks!" Precious sang as we neared the valet. "This is where I met Harry, so you might just get lucky tonight!"
If this dress holds out, I thought as I squirmed in the seat. It had made an ominous noise in the seams when I'd squeezed into it, and was growing more paranoid by the minute. I could take showing off, but a wardrobe malfunction...
"Earth to May-May! Come on, or the valet is taking you for a ride!"
I snapped out of my thoughts to find Precious and Harry already outside the car, handing the keys to a kid with a bad mullet. I stepped out as gracefully as my heels would allow, and the kid gave his buddy a thumbs-up when he thought I wasn't looking.
"Drive safe, okay? This car is my baby," Precious said to the kid before roping an arm around Harry's. "And this is my man for this evening."
Harry bowed his head to hide the blush rising up his face, and I felt a renewed sense of confidence. If Precious could snag a guy like Harry, I could too.
"So... what do we do?" I asked.
"Just follow my lead, girl, I'll take care of everything."
I'd never been inside a place that was so bright, so full of energy, so overwhelmingly loud as the Club Michelle. Lasers danced through artificial fog coating the dance floor, and I meekly hugged the wall as I shadowed Precious. I both admired and hated the way she strutted like a queen through the club, as if she was its sole owner and proprietor. There had to have been a time when she was nervous. Probably.
But if there was such a time, she certainly knew the routine well. First came a drink to settle my nerves, followed by a quick survey of the guys. It was a mixed lot, in more ways than one, but there were a couple of standouts here and there. What wasn't used to was the way the guys kept staring at me. I did my best to appear confident and cool, but inside I was ready to rush into the bathroom and lock myself in.
"See any you like, May-May?" Precious asked as she slurped her margarita.
"A couple," I noted, tilting my head to get a better view of a gorgeous blonde. "But how do I know they're any good? I'm looking for a man, not a boy."
Precious shrugged with a "get lucky I guess" and slurped her drink some more. I leaned against the counter with a huff and ordered another drink, feeling a new emotion eclipsing my nerves – despair.
Really, who was I fooling? Did I seriously think a tight dress and a night on the town was going to get me a real man who treated me right and put me first? Most of the guys here only had one thing on their mind, and it wasn't commitment. Precious meant well, but now I realized she had no larger plan than taking me here.
And as the evening wore on, my despair soured into frustration. Plenty of guys came up to me, not bothering to hide their intentions as they made passes at me. More than, once, Harry had to step in to ask one to leave me alone, and two hours in was all I could take. I sat down on a stool and ordered another drink, which arrived just as a new trio sat down next to us talking loudly.
"I'm telling you, there's no point in comin' here, Greg. None of these girls are what he needs. They're just looking for guys with cash to freeload off of for a while."
I gave a casual glance at the woman next to us ash she spoke these words, and my eyebrows shot up. Her dark skin contrasted wonderfully with her loose, honey dress, but what was more important was the white guy she was holding hands with. His tousled brown hair fell over his eyes, which roamed to me, then to Precious and Harry. He took a big swig of his drink, then whispered in what I assumed was his girlfriend's ear.
"Yeah, I think they are," she whispered back. "You wanna check?"
Greg gave a nod and stood up, making a beeline for me. I put on my best disinterested face and took a big sip of my drink to broadcast that I was closed for business for the night, but Greg wasn't the kind of man to take a hint.
"Weird question, but do you like white guys?"
I spat out my drink all over the counter, coughing as Precious attacked the new puddle with napkins. I managed an "excuse me?" before a deep male voice on the other side of Greg and his girlfriend spoke up.
"Greg? What are you saying to them?"
"I was just asking," Greg continued as if he hadn't heard. "If you're interested in white guys, because my friend over here would really like a black-"
There was a flash of deep blue as a large man leapt from his seat to pull Greg away from me. "Greg! How many times do I have to tell you not to... bother..."
His gaze locked with mine as my body shook. It was Mr. Blue Eyes from the mall, and he looked amazing. His deep blue club outfit struck a delightful contrast to his tanned skin and slick black hair, and the way his muscles tested the limits of his clothes certainly didn't hurt either. Even better, he gave my outfit a good long look before looking away with a deep-calming breath. A strike if I'd ever seen one.
"O-oh... hi. You're... you're that girl from the mall," he stuttered.
"The one with the big butt!" Precious leaned in to remind him. I tossed a soggy napkin at her with a warning look, but it seemed she was content to leave things at that, especially since Blue Eyes was doing his best not to look. He was stuck in limbo between desire and propriety, face growing redder by the minute. Greg nodded as if he'd accomplished some Herculean task and slapped Blue Eyes on the back.
"There you go, buddy, broke the ice for you!"
Blye Eyes shot him a glare, but said nothing further as Greg pulled his eager girlfriend to the dancefloor. Precious poked my booty and gave a "well, what are you waiting for?" look, and I shakily took to my feet.
"Um... yeah, I remember you from the food court. What did you get?"
I heard Precious slap a hand over her face, but I ignored it. Stupid small talk or not, I was talking to a handsome stud who couldn't get two words out from embarrassment. If that wasn't a winner, I didn't know what was.
"J-just a low-cal meal... gotta stay in shape," he mumbled with a smile.
I smiled back as I adjusted my hair. Blue Eyes looked like he could bench press cars, so I guessed he had some sort of complex... one I was all too happy to help him work through. It suddenly occurred to me how excited I was about all this, and how long it had been since I'd last felt this way about meeting a man.
"You in shape, boy," I said, jumping as I corrected myself. "I mean man! I mean... S-sorry, I've... I've been out of the game for a while."
Blue Eyes gave a nervous laugh before finally giving in and checking me out again. I crossed one arm across my stomach to show I wasn't easy, but let the other run down my hips to show my interest. Blue Eyes seemed to get the hint as he drew closer to fill my world with subtle but nostalgic cologne.
"W-would it be alright if... I asked you to dance?" he said.
Surprising even myself, I splayed my fingertips across my chin and put on a pouty look. "I'm very sorry, but I'm a proper woman. I don't make a habit of dancing with men who haven't even given me the pleasure of their name."
"It's William... But you can call me Will if you want."
Mr. Blue Eyes' nerves were already starting to disappear. He was holding himself more confidently now, holding his head high to tower over me. But no matter how much I wanted to swoon, I had to stay strong and aloof, if only for one night. I wouldn't give Precious the satisfaction of playing matchmaker all at once. I extended my free hand upwards, letting it hover just shy of Will's rugged chin.
"Maylene," I said as breathily as I could.
"My lady," William said, bending over to kiss my hand. I was just able to keep a squeal of delight from bursting from my lips, but even Will couldn't have missed the look of rapture that stole over my face. But it seemed I'd found a winner, as he neglected to comment on it, instead offering his own hand lower to the ground.
"To the dancefloor?" he asked.
This time I couldn't stop a smile as I let Will lead me to the dancefloor. As if on cue, the music slowed to a softer number, and my heart hammered with anticipation. This was all happening so fast, way too fast for the old Maylene to handle. And yet, it felt right. As if I'd been preparing for this moment for a long time. Maybe it was just the mimosas keeping me going at that point, but I felt like I couldn't turn back.
"You mind if I ask you a question, Will?" I said as we took our positions. He nodded, and I worked up my courage. "Is what your friend said true? About you... uh..."
"Looking to date a black woman?" he replied.
I nodded, and his earlier nervousness returned. "I mean, i-it's not like I haven't tried other women don't get me wrong. I'm not some... guy who's obsessed or anything either, I just... Greg and Serena just seemed so happy so I..."
"Thought you'd give it a try?" I finished.
The next thing I knew, Will's arm was around my waist and my hands were around the back of his neck as we stared into each other's eyes. No more words were needed, we let the shared rhythm of our bodies confirm our stories were the same as the music carried us away. It wasn't some magical moment like I'd been searching for, but it was a profound sense of understanding that would grow over time.
Will spun me around, and saw Precious flash me a thumbs up and a smug look form the bar. On any other day, I might've given her a look, but tonight, I waved back with a mouthed 'thank you' for my best friend's hard work. Even broken clocks were right twice a day, and Precious had come through for me. Will and I would have our own days together, but this night belonged to her.