The Complete Rockstar Series

I laugh along with the other girls who’ve joined us for a girls’ night out at the Red Door Pub. It’s a noisy, entertaining place just around the corner from the hospital.

“Ellie, how did you know that Simon Cowell was offered millions for a Viagra commercial?” my coworker Chelsea asks. “It’s so bloody random.”

Shrugging, I take another sip of my beer. “I just do. I don’t know how I know it, it’s just one of those things you read and it sticks with you.” Actually, Agnes, an older coworker of ours, is obsessed with tabloids and spouts out random snippets to you whenever she gets a chance.

“Whatever,” Gemma chuckles, “you have a scary memory then.”

We clink our glasses together and giggle like schoolgirls. It’s been almost a year since I broke things off with James, and I’m finally feeling like a regular person. I hadn’t realized how controlling and isolating James was until I got out on my own and found that he had been the center of my entire universe. I had no life of my own to fall back on, no confidence that I could take care of myself. Now I have friends. Real friends that I can count on and ring up whenever I feel like a chat. I date, although not very much, but still, at least I’m out there trying.

Tonight is trivia night with some of the girls from the hospital. We try to go at least once a month, sometimes more if we can. It’s difficult to manage, because Gemma is newly married and Chelsea has a two-year old at home.

“Ladies! I’m baaaack! Now the fun can begin!” sings Paige as she plops down next to me on the dark red booth, sloshing her fruity Cosmo all over my arm.

“Paige, you cow!” I laugh. “Strawberry whatever-that-is won’t come out of this blouse!”

Paige is our token wild child. She’s the one you call for a great time, and she never disappoints. Tonight, she’s been chatting up every fit guy in the bar, getting free drinks sent over for the lot of us more than once. You’d never know she was a sensitive, caring pediatric nurse by the way she acts when we’re out.

“C’mon El, cruise the pub with me! There’s loads of hot guys here tonight,” Paige whines. “I need my wing-woman!”

“No!” I joke, gently pushing her back so she won’t spill on me again. “I want to win this. We’re in the lead.” I show her our trivia scorecard. “See, only one more round to go.”

“Tosh! You’re such a party pooper, Ellie.” Paige scrunches up her adorable nose and pouts her lips at me. Her straight black hair sleeked back into a high ponytail and her slightly tilted dark eyes hint at her Asian heritage, but this girl is all Brit when it comes to personality.

“After the game, I promise.” I smile and bat my eyelashes playfully.

She brightens up immediately. “Yay!” Paige claps her hands and beams, “Ellie’s gonna chat up some guys with me!”

“Oh lord,” says Gemma, “you realize you’ve created a monster.”

“Me? It’s her mum and dad that’s created her. I just… feed it once in a while,” I tell my friends who immediately crack up. We’re all laughing when the quizmaster announces the beginning of round four.

“Okay ladies, get ready,” I say seriously, pretending to crack my knuckles. “I want to win that prize.”

“Oh come off it El, it’s a sodding six-pack of beer!” says Chelsea who is rolling her eyes at me but grinning widely, her curly blonde hair falling out of it’s clip and into her face.

“Still, it’s the glory, not the beer that is the true prize at trivia night,” I explain to another round of eye rolls.

“Ladies and gentlemen, final round. First question…”

We go back and forth, debating different answers to the nine questions posed so far in the final round. By the time we get to the last question, our team is neck and neck with a group of guys a few tables over.

“You’re not going to win, ladies!” one of the more attractive guys calls over to us.

“Shut it hot stuff!” Paige shouts, embarrassing us all with her very loud flirting.

“Jeez Paige, take out an ad why don’t you,” hisses Gemma. “You’re totally legless right now!”

Chelsea and I giggle into our hands so we won’t encourage Paige’s bad behavior.

“Alright! Final question for showbiz night at the Red Door!” the quizmaster announces. “It’s a tough one…. Okay, here it is. What secondary school in London was attended by two members of the band, Sphere of Irony?”

Time seems to stop as all of the blood in my body rushes to my feet, leaving me suddenly dizzy, with only the whooshing sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Drinking beer all night had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now? I feel queasy and lightheaded enough to

faint despite my racing pulse.

Am I going to pass out? Cry? Scream? All of the above?

“El? Are you alright?” Chelsea asks, probably having noticed my gaping mouth and blanched face. “You don’t look well.”