Only One Night (Only One 3)

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Manning,” she says. “Thank you for the drink.” She turns now, and I watch her disappear in the crowd until I look over and see her hands up in the air as she dances with her friends. I watch for a couple of minutes and then turn to walk back into the room.

I open the door and walk over to my chair. “Who’s the chick?” Miller says, looking at me. I just stare at him. “The redhead.”

“What?” I pretend not to know what he’s talking about. I pick up my empty glass of water and hear Miller snicker beside me.

“Shit. Is the calm, cool captain shaky?” he says, and I glare at him.

He puts his hand to his mouth to hide his laughter. “I mean, she’s hot.” I grip the glass in my hand, and I swear if I hold it any tighter, it’s going to smash in my hand. Miller reaches over and grabs the glass out of my hand. “You need to simmer down there, buddy. I’m happily taken. Besides, Layla would skin my balls alive.”

“Okay, I’m done,” Ralph says, and then I look at him. The Hauer guys walk out of the room to check out the club. “What did I miss?”

“Captain Cool over here”—Miller points at me— “was chatting with a redhead, and she got under his skin.”

“She did not get under my skin,” I tell him off, shaking my head. “We met when we walked in together, and then I was getting water at the bar. I bought her a drink,” I say, my mouth getting dry, and I look for our fucking waitress.

“You bought her a drink,” Miller says in shock.

“That is like rule 101 in trying to pick a chick up,” he says, and I just look at him. “Ask Google,” he says and picks up his phone.

I snatch the phone from his hand and toss it back on the table. “Hey, don’t be mean to my phone because you are all sexually pent up over a chick.”

“You need to stop talking,” I say with my teeth clenched.

“Miller,” Ralph says warning him, trying not to laugh. Miller looks at me, leaning back in his chair.

“What’s her name?” he asks me, and I don’t want to tell him. I don’t want to tell them anything. It’s nothing.

“You did ask her for her name,” Ralph says, his eyes going big. “You don’t just buy a girl a drink without knowing her name.” He gets up now and looks down at me. “I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” I ask him.

“I’m going to go stand with the guys and see if I spot her,” he says, and Miller jumps up to follow him.

“I’ll point her out.”

“Stop!” I shout right before they walk out of the room. “Seriously. She has no idea who I am.”

Miller shakes his head. “No fucking way. Everyone knows who you are.”

“I know,” I say, getting up now. “The bartender called me Captain, and she didn’t even bat an eye.”

“Maybe she’s fucking with you,” Miller says, and I clench my fists now. I glare at him, and he puts up his hands. “Or not.”

“Let’s go get a drink at the bar,” Ralph says and pushes the glass door open. Our waitress finally appears out of nowhere.

“Can I get you guys something to drink?” she asks, and then I hear the DJ come out.

“We have a special crew tonight.” I look over to where I know she’s standing, and she is drinking a glass of wine. Her chest rises and falls, and her eyes meet mine. “Stephanie,” he says, and she puts her glass down, breaking the eye contact with me and claps her hands. “This one is for you, girls.” I wait for it, and he starts playing “Single Ladies.” The dance floor makes space for her party of girls. Her hands go into the air as she sings the words. My hands go into my pockets as everybody’s eyes go to them.

“That’s her.” I hear Miller beside me tell Ralph. Her hips sway to the music as the girls all sing the words. More people move in, and just like that, my view is obscured. The guys grab a drink from the waitress, and I look at her with a nod.

“You need to stop staring at her,” Ralph says from beside me, and I look at him. “It’s not just a stare. It’s a creepy stalker look you have on your face.”

I don’t know what he’s saying. Miller looks at Ralph. “Shall we take off?”

“Yeah,” he says, looking at me. “You leaving?”

“Soon.” They both share a look of shock. I’m usually the first one out of events. I dip in and dip out so fast that it’s like I was never there. “Don’t.”

The guys walk over to Andrew and shake their hands. Ralph walks over to me, slaps my shoulder, and then squeezes it. “Be careful.” I just nod at him.