Chapter 10
Harlow
“Comeon,Harlow!This is tradition.”
I scowled at Lily as she tugged on my hand, dragging me closer to the entrance of the bar.
I have no idea how or why I agreed to this.
After I had left work, I dumped my stuff at home and found myself at the cemetery. And somehow Lily had found me again. She had taken one look at my face and immediately knew something was up. And I had just lost it.
All I remember was ending up with black and red hair in my mouth as she hugged me on the ground. Our limbs were tangled as she muttered encouraging words such as “fuck those assholes“ and “I hope they get rear-ended with a pineapple.”
When I had finally finished crying, she brushed my wet cheeks and told me to grow some fem-balls and get dressed because we were going to get wrecked.
Many arguments later, I had somehow ended up in a short fitting dress, the black material firm against my chest and waist, but flaring out around my stomach and hips to hide my bumps. Lily had even found my stash of shoes in the bottom of the cupboard, flinging a pair of lace ankle heels at my face, nearly maiming me permanently.
Now here we were at Pump – a hot little bar on the East side of town. I tugged at my dress nervously as we stood in line, the bouncer frowning at me before Lily threw him a wink. Her pale tits were popping out the top of her short pink dress, and her blue eyes shadowed by smoky makeup. She was hot, and she knew it. And clearly using it to her advantage. The distraction worked, and we were let in. I glanced at her with admiration and exasperation.
“What?” she breathed, a smile on her lips. “I do what I have to. So what if that makes me a basic bitch.”
I shook my head, a laugh escaping my lips. “I wish I had your confidence.”
Lily pulled me to an empty table, her shiny purse making a clanging noise as she dropped it on it. “You could if you just believed in yourself. You don’t have to listen to these asshats.”
My eyes nervously darted around. A few people had been watching but many were too consumed with their friends and alcoholic hazes to have realized I was there. I liked to think that maybe the makeup I had on also created some illusion too. Perhaps I could pretend to be someone else for the night.
The lights were a low blue, and little pop up tables filled the room, surrounding the bar which was centered in the middle. I looked at the patrons lining up, and the bottles of alcohol at the bar.
“I’m feeling vodka,” I said, and jumped when Lily clapped her hands together.
“Me too. I’ll go get them. Watch my purse, will you?” she requested, taking her bank card out and shoving it down her chest.
Lily disappeared into the crowd and I tapped my fingers nervously on the table, feeling vulnerable.
This was a shit idea.
Music pumped through the speakers, my heart pounding in rhythm with the beat. The atmosphere was buzzed, and as more people piled into the bar, I started to feel like I was suffocating.
The sound of glass hitting the table brought me back down to Earth as I looked at Lily with wide eyes.
“Stop that,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
“Stop what?” I asked, genuinely concerned.
She pushed a glass towards me, the pink liquid looking damn inviting. “Overthinking shit. Just chill out for one night.”
My fingers wrapped around the glass as I lifted it to my lips, taking a little sip. “I’m trying. But my whole life is crashing down. What am I going to do now? That job was the only thing holding it all together. No one else will hire me. I’m going to be homeless, Lily. Homeless and eventually die of starvation when my body eventually eats itself from hunger.”
Lily rolled her eyes, taking a generous sip of her own drink. “You’ll figure it out. I’ll make some enquiries. But just don’t think about it right now. Just let me get you drunk and we will deal with it tomorrow.”
I shook my head, squeezing my eyes as I took another sip.
How could I possibly think about anything else other than the fact I officially have nothing left? I needed that job, more than anything. Even losing dad’s company, it won’t be enough to save me. It will just cover the gambling debts but I’ll have nothing to put away or live off. And with my reputation, no one will consider hiring me.
I am officially ruined.
“Hey, baby,” a deep voice rumbled. I opened my eyes to find a tall, dark handsome man eyeing off Lily hungrily, “Can I buy you a drink?”
Lily’s amused eyes flickered to me as she turned her lips up in a smile. “Only if you buy my babe here one too.”
The man looked at me, his eyes doing the up-down stare as they rolled over my body. I wrapped my arm around my stomach protectively, cursing Lily.
“Sure...” he said and I detected a hint of a slur.
Excellent. This man was already too deep to realize who I was and Lily threw me a wink before looking at him with a flirty smile. “Two raspberry vodkas, please. And get something for yourself,” she grinned, batting her eyelashes.
My mouth dropped as he turned and stalked off towards the bar. “Lily... what the fuck?”
She berated me with a flick of her hand. “Oh stop. It’s free drinks. They are so pricey here so might as well lap it up. Come on, men have been sexualizing us for centuries. Don’t hate the game, hate the player. And become the coach and show them how it’s done.”
I blinked, chugging the rest of my drink. “Who the fuck even are you?”
Lily laughed, following suit with her own vodka. “I’m a fucking mad dog.”
Seven vodkas later and I was blissfully numb, laughing and holding onto Lily as we stumbled out of the bar and into a taxi. The fresh air tickled my skin but I couldn’t feel the cold, the alcohol keeping us warm.
Lily and I blurted out our addresses to the driver, snapping selfies of us together on our phones.
I had missed this. Having friends, doing normal things like having drinks and making memories. For once it didn’t feel like I was just surviving – I was finally living.
As the yellow taxi pulled up in front of my city apartment doors first, I pouted at Lily, giving her a tight hug.
“Thank you so much for tonight. I love you, mad dog.”
“Give them Hell, wildcat.”