Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Zahra
The music drums loudly in my ears. The buzz from the alcohol gives me all the courage I need to dance freely. Not that I’ve ever needed it. My body is swaying with the beat.
The music is good tonight. The club was packed with people. My friends drug me out after work to let loose and just enjoy. Even now, one of them is right in front of me, swaying her hips wildly. Louisa. That girl can dance and she isn’t afraid to show it.
I down the rest of my drink in my right hand and use the other to tap Louisa on the shoulder. She turns toward me and I point at my empty cup. She nods and we both move away from the dance floor and to the bar. Fighting the sea of people as we go.
It’s packed in here tonight and we all know it is better to move in pairs than alone. So Louisa follows me and we both lean against the bar as we push forward into an empty spot. People touch us on either side as we crowd together.
Jostled by everyone as they come and go from the bar. We wait our turn. The bartenders move from one side to the other as they grab drinks for customers. Busy is an understatement as they rush around us.
“What can I get you ladies?” The man behind the counter asks us.
“A twisted peach and a twisted cherry,” I yell back so he can hear me.
He nods and moves away from the area. Louisa is staring around at the crowd as we wait.
It's impossible to talk in here with all the people around us and the loud music, so we don’t even bother.
The man hands us our drinks and I hand over the money.
We step back from the bar and brave the crowd after a few sips to push through to our friends’ table in the far corner.
Reaching it without spilling our drinks is a miracle. Gathering ourselves around the table, we join the two other women sitting around it with their drinks cradled close. Can never be too careful with your drink when in a packed club.
“Having fun ladies?” I call out over the noise so they can hear me.
Everyone nods as they take another sip of their drink. I take a deep breath and lean back in the booth, staring out at the writhing mass of people on the dance floor and surrounding it.
“I’m exhausted,” Rayne calls out.
“Me too,” Lillian replies.
“Same,” Louisa sighs.
“I’m okay. I think I will stay for a while if you ladies want to leave early. I’m not ready to head home yet.”
I offer them an out. No sense in them staying to babysit me. All three exchange looks and then Rayne and Lillian swallow down the rest of their drinks and then stand up from the booth.
“We will see you tomorrow at Stone?” Rayne calls out.
“Of course!” I reply easily.
Stone is the name we use for Stone Brew Coffee Shop. A place we like to meet up after clubbing to make sure everyone is good. If one of us doesn’t call or show, then we hunt them down. A safety measure.
Louisa stands up to follow them. She hesitates before looking at me.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. How can a woman get any dick with you beautiful bitches around?”
Louisa laughs and then nods. She gives me a look that tells me to behave and I smile and raise my glass.
“Don’t worry about me, beautiful. I will destroy them.”
“Oh, I know you will. That’s what concerns me.”
Louisa laughs as she leaves me in the booth alone. Alone is subjective. Currently, even surrounded by all of these people, it doesn’t seem like I’m not alone. My chest is heavy.
I have depression. Like severe depression.
My world has been better since starting meds, but fighting the demons that live inside of me isn’t always easy.
They do their best to try and drag me underneath the waves of shit that come and go.
I fight every single day to keep my head high enough that I don’t drown.
High enough that the world doesn’t blur around me.
My girls are one reason I have been able to keep moving. They make sure I get out of my shitty little apartment at least once a week and then we meet at the Stone the next day. This is supposed to help me and it does, to some extent. If I’m being honest, it doesn’t help as much as it should.
The demons still threaten to drag me under and all I can do is stay afloat, just barely.
I immerse myself in a dead-end job and live in the shittiest apartment that I can barely afford.
I don’t have any family. The moment I turned eighteen, my mom kicked me out of her place and told me good luck.
Father was never around. Siblings were already long gone and didn’t look back.
I take a sip of my fruity drink and let the alcohol fuel me with its liquid courage.
The music thrums through my body like a second part of my soul.
The club is packed to the max and people still are coming through the doors.
You can find so many different people in here.
From crazy bright neon colored clothes, to those that have paint on their skin and faces, and even those that are dressed scantily clad in nothing more than barely there clothes.
Men is suits, jeans and t-shirts, and even shorts and flip flops.
You never know who will walk through that front door.
So when a nearly seven-foot man with purple painted skin and silver hair walks through the door, I still notice him. I notice that he is gorgeous. Huge too. His broad chest stands out among the people surrounding him. Those closest turn his way and then back up to make room for him.
Even from my spot in this booth, I can see that he will be rather popular among the people here. The beauty and confidence this man exudes is something otherworldly. I can’t see him well enough to know much else about him.
So I sip my drink and just watch as he works his way through the crowd a few inches at a time.
He looks unsure of himself and being here.
Few seven foot men in here, I guess. Makes sense.
The purple paint on his skin isn’t odd, really.
Not in here. The wig and his skin fit in enough with the rest of the clubbers. At least most of them.
Wonder what he came here for? He seems to be lost. Maybe not usually a clubbing scene person.
I shrug and take another sip of the peach flavored drink.
I used to not be into the clubs either, until I realized it’s a great place to get drunk, grab a good fuck for the night, and then never see them again.
At least if I’m lucky, I don’t see them.
I wonder if this seven-foot behemoth would be up for a fun night? Hmm. Maybe I will find out. I sit back and watch the man make his way forward and I bide my time until he looks a little more comfortable with his surroundings before I approach him.
This should be a fun night.