“WOW, YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL.” Mary-Katherine smiled when I stepped out of my Uber. I tipped the driver and turned towards her.
“This dress is way too tight.” I tugged at the hem.
“It fits you perfectly. See, all that yoga and salad-eating paid off. You’re a skinny bitch now.” She laughed and waved to a group of people that waved back.
“I haven’t lost any weight, I just couldn’t fit into your skinny jeans when you made me try them on while I was on my period...” My words trailed off as we got to the group and introductions were made.
The club was just like college, but worse because we were part of the old crowd—the same crowd Mary-Katherine used to make fun of when we were in college. We gathered around a table and ordered drinks. I ordered a martini, thinking I could just hold it and sip it all night, but by the time the waitress brought it to the table, I had lost my stool to one of Mary-Katherine’s work friends. I just stood on the outer perimeter of the circle and smiled when someone looked at me, or nodded like I agreed with whatever the group said. I started to wonder why Mary-Katherine even asked me to come to the club if she was just going to ignore me.
“Here you are, ma’am.” The waiter handed me a shot glass that smelled like tequila. I watched everyone chug theirs and I took a light sip—yep, it was tequila.
I had too many nights purging Quetzalcoatl from my stomach and flushing him down the ceramic to ever dance with that ancient Aztecan again. I took a step towards the table to my left when the patrons walked away, and put the shot glass in the middle of their empty beer bottles. With one quick step to my right, I was back in the perimeter of the group that had become my permanent home until I could make an excuse to leave. The dress seemed to move up my hips on its own, or rub against my ribs in a way that I was sure would leave a mark, so I had to keep adjusting it. The battle never seemed to be won. The next thing I knew, a voice broke me from the war with my attire and startled me.
Chapter 3: Max
“Me?” She looked at me with a bit of confusion.
“Yes, I think you’re beautiful.” Behind my back I gave a signal to Steve and the volume of the music started to get louder.
“You what?” My words were drowned out before she could hear the last word.
“I said, I think you’re beautiful.” I leaned closer to her, my lips nearly against her ear so she could hear my words.
“I’m sorry.” She blushed and stared at me, her eyes blinking. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Tell me you already know it. Tell me that guys say that to you all the time.” I let my lips drag against her earlobe.
“Guys don’t say that...” She tugged at her dress.
“They should. That dress looks really uncomfortable.” I could see redness in her cheeks and they were already starting to glow with faint radiating blush.
“I borrowed it from my friend.” She pointed towards the table. “She’s over there.”
“You can return it when you pick it up off the floor tomorrow morning.” I put my hand on her arm and let my finger slide down the sensitive skin near her wrist.
“Uh... Um...” She took a step back and tried to say something, but the music drowned her out.
“I can’t hear you.” I mouthed and motioned for her to say it in my ear.
“I said I’m not that kind of girl.” She spoke directly into my ear and I ran my fingers along her arm again.
“Why don’t we just go somewhere quieter and talk then? I really do think you’re beautiful, but it is too loud to talk in here.” I reached for her hand and started walking towards the door.
She was mine.
The music was so loud that it was probably hard for her to even think, much less figure out what I was saying. I flashed a thumbs-up to Steve as I walked towards the door and he started lowering the volume before customers started to complain. He knew my tricks because he had seen them repeated so many times. I could feel Abby’s hand sweating as we walked through the crowd and outside the club. The evening air felt nice after being trapped in a room filled with sweating college students. The second we were outside the club, she pulled her hand away and shook her head.
“I need to get back to my friends. That sip of tequila must have really done me in, because I don’t know you.” She moved her hand in a half-circle wave. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Wait, don’t go.” I stepped forward and took her by the hand, preparing to ooze charisma filled with all the manners I could muster—it was a wonderful mask to wear when I met the kind of good girls I liked best. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m obviously not very good at talking to women in clubs. That’s my fault. I just wanted to get your attention.”
“You seem nice.” Her lips twisted into nervous uncertainty and she looked down at the ground.
Here comes the fucking but.
“But, I’m not really interested in going home with someone I just met and I’m not sure the kind of guy that would want that sort of thing is really my type.” Her smile twisted to one of pity, like she felt sorry for me.
“I came on too strong.” I nodded. “I get that. I’m not upset with you for being concerned. I don’t get out much. I’m just a guy that saw a beautiful girl and got a little ahead of myself. You don’t sound like much of a drinker. Would you like to get coffee instead? There’s a nice little coffee shop right over there. You can see it from here. They’re open all night and we can just talk until your friends are done.” I gave her my best I love you smile, buried behind a remorseful stare.