“This club is crazy!” Shelly shouted at me above the music.
“Yeah!” I shouted back, dancing with everyone. Margaret had dragged us onto the dance floor, though I think Lily and Charles had left early.
Jack snuck up on Shelly and poked her sides, making her yelp and smack him.
“Don’t do that, Jack!” She scolded him, making him laugh.
“I can’t help it Lia; you look so cute,” was his reply.
“Aww,” Shelly melted, smiling at him.
“Get a room!” Margaret yelled at the couple, making both of them glare at her. Margaret grinned and danced away to where Velisa and Shelbie were dancing. While they were distracted, I took the opportunity to escape to the bar and get a drink.
“One Cosmo, please,” I ordered, collapsing into a seat.
“Enjoying the dancing?” Daniel asked from beside me.
“It’s not really my thing, but once and a while it’s nice to let loose,” I responded, tying up my hair in a ponytail while trying to catch my breath.
Daniel nodded.
“What about you, Danny boy? Why aren’t you dancing?” I questioned him.
“Nicknames now? I have to admit, I’m not too keen on that one,” Daniel winked.
“Fair enough,” I laughed. “Dancing?”
“I’m not a big dancer.”
“It’s not that hard,” I protested. “If I can do it, anyone can.”
Daniel hesitated. “Well, all right, I guess I can dance for one song.”
“Okay!” I cheered, sounding like Margaret for a minute. “Let me just finish my drink.”
We sat for a few minutes before I finished my Cosmo and pulled Daniel out onto the floor, much to his dismay. However, after a few songs, Daniel seemed to be getting the hang of it.
“This isn’t actually too bad,” he confessed.
Margaret made her way over to us. “You’re still dancing, Anaya? I’m surprised!”
“What, I can’t dance?” I said, pretending to be offended.
“Usually you’ve stopped dancing by now!”
“I figured I’d let loose for one night.”
“Yeah! Starting off the new year right!” Margaret cheered before dancing over to some random guy and grinding up against him.
“Does she know him?” Daniel questioned.
“No, she’s just having fun. I’ll keep an eye out for her, though,” I replied. Daniel shook his head in amusement.
“You guys are insane.”
Before I knew it, it was 11:55 pm, and the clock was starting to count down. Our friend group had migrated back together. Shelbie and Margaret were laughing and talking with Lily and Charles, who apparently hadn’t left like I thought previously. Maybe they snuck into a bathroom for a quicky or something. Knowing Lily… Anyways, Velisa and Dave were in their own world of just the two of them. Daniel and I were smiling and soaking it all in. Jack and Shelly stood near us, Jack nursing a beer.
“One minute!” The announcer shouted out, making the club cheer. I winced a bit at the noise.
“Happy New Year!” Shelly cheered.
“A bit early there, Shelly,” I noted.
“Spoilsport,” she grumbled. Jack rolled his eyes and smiled at his fiancé, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Ten!” The crowd cheered.
“Nine!” We joined in.
“Eight!” Dave smiled at Velisa, making her blush.
“Seven!” Charles wrapped his around Lily’s shoulders.
“Six!” Shelly looked up lovingly at Jack.
“Five!” Margaret started jumping up and down.
“Four!” Shelbie joined Margaret.
“Three!” Daniel gave me a look, making my heart leap in my chest.
“Two!” People started kissing around us.
“One!” Streamers fell through the air.
Dave gave Velisa a quick, cautious peck on the lips. Jack and Sheila were locked in an embrace. Lily and Charles stole away from the rest of us.
Daniel gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“Ewww!” Shelbie cried out. We all looked over and saw Margaret holding her in a death grip, giving her a slobbering kiss all over her face.
“Get off!” Shelbie said, pushing Margaret away but laughing at the same time. “What was that for?”
“I was feeling left out,” Margaret said cheekily. We rolled our eyes at her.
“Go find some guy to perv on,” Shelbie grumbled as she wiped off her cheek.
“Want to get out of here?” Jack asked Shelly, making us all cat call.
“Get in there, Jack!” Margaret cheered, making us all groan.
Jack grinned evilly and gave Sheila a passionate kiss.
“Get a room,” I joked at them, making Shelly blush a deep red.
“Gladly,” Jack winked, dragging Shelly out of the bar, though it looked like Shelly was just as eager. I smiled in amusement.
‘I am so making fun of her for that…’
The rest of us left soon after, with Velisa and Margaret leaving for home. Dave looked a bit downcast as he watched Velisa getting in the car before getting into his own.
“They would make a great couple,” Shelbie commented.
“Don’t you start, too! One Margaret is enough,” I groaned.
“What? I can be matchmaker every now and then,” Shelbie said, looking innocently at me.
“You know, Dave hasn’t dated in a while. What makes you think he’s going to?”
“Maybe he was just waiting for the right girl, and Velisa is that one!”
“Velisa has a kid and is a lot older.”
“Age doesn’t have a number, and doesn’t Dave have a nephew?”
I groaned. “Just don’t do too much, or you’ll shove them apart.”
“True love will always find a way. And is that permission to meddle?” Shelbie gasped.
I just gave her a look.
“Oh, don’t worry about me. You know I’m not going to actually do anything. Margaret, on the other hand…”
“Yes, I know,” I groaned. “I’m keeping my eye out. I think she’s focusing more on Lily and Charles at the moment. I think the two of them left together, so maybe that’ll distract Margaret for a bit.”
“Workplace romance?”
“I suppose so.”
Shelbie shrugged. “Whatever works for them, I guess. I’m heading out now. See you at work!”
“See you later!”
“Well, I guess I will see you around,” Daniel said to me.
“See you,” I said, looking up at him a bit shyly.
He smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek before getting into the car and driving away. Surprisingly, I was almost disappointed that it wasn’t on the lips.
‘What was that?’ I questioned myself as I got into my car. ‘I thought you didn’t like people without knowing them well.’
‘I have known Daniel for a while now, though.’
‘Is a few months enough to get to know someone and like them?’
Shelbie’s words echoed in my head: ‘True love will always find a way.’
‘It’s not true love. Definitely not love,’ I stubbornly argued to myself.
‘But it is attraction,’ something inside me pointed out.
‘I guess if I’m being honest with myself, I do like him a bit. Could I date him? Do I want to?’
The answer came easily: ‘Yes.’