43. Clubbing
forty-three
Clubbing
“ M y girlfriend, Jess,” Brad says to introduce me when we meet his friends outside the club. Four very large college football players greet me. One of them, a tall blond with a broad chest nods his approval, “Very nice to meet you Jess. I’m Rob.”
“Are you sure we can get in?” I whisper to Brad as I watch the bouncer checking IDs at the door.
Another one of the guys, tall and dark with a long ponytail, overhears me. He laughs and fingers the strap of my tank top. “Don’t worry about it babe, we’ll take care of you.”
His touch and the way he says it makes my skin crawl, but I force a smile back at him. “How can I feel anything but safe with guys like you?” I’m not sure if he catches the irony in my voice.
We haven’t even reached the front of the line when the bouncer waves us in without asking for money or IDs.
I glance at the growing line behind us and freeze.
Laini is standing near the back. She's dressed in white again, this time it’s a skin-tight mini dress that sparkles even in the dim light.
The guy she's with has his back turned, but I’d recognize Jacob anywhere.
For a second I consider leaving, but the guys surge toward the door and Brad has his arm around my waist.
When we’re inside Rob leans close to my ear. “Told you we’d get in. Do you trust us now?”
The answer is, no, I don’t trust any of them, but I don’t tell him that. We walk to the back of the club, past the crowded dance floor and to an empty table.
“You want something to drink?” One of the guys says. I shake my head.
“Jess is a bit paranoid when it comes to someone bringing her a drink,” Brad says. They all laugh. I stare at him. I can’t believe he said that. It feels like he's taunting me, like he wants me to bring up what happened so he can deny it all over again.
Rob puts his arm around me. “Smart girl. Come with me and you can get it yourself.”
“I don’t...I’ve never,” I start to stammer. Brad is looking at me like I’m being an idiot. Finally I dip my chin and try to smile in a way that I hope is flirtatious. “Someone has to be the designated driver.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Rob says. “We got a hotel for the night. Just a couple of blocks away. We’ll keep you safe.” He reaches for my hand, “I’ll pick out something to get you started.”
“Jess is with me,” Brad says. He grabs my hand and pulls me away from Rob. "If she wants something to drink. I'll get it for her."
Rob laughs. “If we’re going to be teammates you’re going to have to learn to share, bro.”
Another one of the guys puts one hand on each of their shoulders. “Knock it off boys, there are plenty of girls to go around here.” They laugh and he and the other guys head into the crowd.
I hang back, my heart is pounding in time with the too-loud music. I don’t know what part of this I thought I wanted, the drinking, the crowd, Brad. Suddenly, I’d give anything to be back at home, in my sweats and sloppy ponytail, reading or doing homework–anything but this.
“What the hell was that?” Brad hisses.
“What was what?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t have brought you if I’d known you were going to be like this.”
“Like what?”
“Acting like you’re too good to be here and then flirting with Rob behind my back. You know this is important to me. I need to get in good with these guys and I can't–”
He’s still going off, but I’ve stopped listening. Across the room Jacob and Laini are dancing, slow and close–so close my stomach twists in jealous revulsion.
“I brought you kids something to drink.” Rob is carrying three drinks.
He hands Brad a beer. The one he hands me looks like pink lemonade, but I'm sure that's not what it is. “We’ll take it slow, okay little girl? Something light to help you loosen up so you can have fun.” He hoists his glass and clinks it against Brad's and then mine. "To taking one for the team."
My eyes still on Jacob and Laini, I down the drink in a couple of gulps. It’s fruity and sparkly but with a punch at the end. Rob laughs. “See, she does know how to have fun. Do you like to dance, Jess?” He indicates the crowd of bodies smashed together on the dance floor.
“I–” I start.
Brad wraps his arm around my waist and rests his chin on my head. “Jess is an incredible dancer.”
“Let me guess, cheerleader?” one of the other guys says.
I’m embarrassed by the attention. “No, I teach Zumba sometimes when the regular instructor can’t be there, but I’m not–”
“What’s a ‘Zumba?’” The second guy asks.
“I know Zumba,” the guy with the long ponytail says. “It’s kind of a dance, workout thing. I've seen girls doing it at the gym. Lots of hip action, very sexy.” He demonstrates a couple of hip swivels.
“Nice,” Rob hoists his glass in a toast to his friend. “What about it, Jess? Let’s see if you have moves to get our heart rates up.”
I pull back, “I don’t think–”
"Jess," Brad's expression is tight, "you should dance."
I look back at the crowded dance floor. "I'm not sure--"
“Another round of liquid courage for the lady,” Rob snaps his fingers toward the bar and the guy with the ponytail and Latin hips gets me another drink, this one is dark and reddish.
Not as sweet as the first one. More of a kick.
My head already feels strange, my face flushes and my blood goes warm as I finish the second drink.
The music changes to a song I’ve used in my class before. Rob pulls me toward the dance floor. "You got this."
I start to move a little, copying moves from class, swinging my hips to the beat.
"Like this?" Ponytail Guys asks.
"Kind of," I demonstrate again. The other guys join us and suddenly I'm giving a full-on Zumba lesson.
The guys are laughing and I'm having fun. I’m dancing in the middle of their circle.
A few songs in, I stop being embarrassed by the attention.
I feel free, sexy–wanted. I stop caring and drink whatever is handed to me.
My head is so full of fog and music that I forget about Jacob. To hell with him. To hell with the future and grades and money and college. Nothing matters but tonight.
The music changes and Brad pulls me close. I lean into him for support. It’s getting harder to stay up on my high-heeled boots. We kiss on the dance floor. His lips brush across my neck, my collar bone, and then in the middle of my chest where Jacob's locket once hung.
The song changes and I’m dancing with Rob.
The guy with the ponytail cuts in. He's a great dancer.
At least it feels that way. We do a couple of Samba steps.
He spins me around and I stumble on my high-heeled boots.
A hand catches me just before I hit the floor.
I look up to give a gracious smile to my rescuer.
“Jess?” Jacob looks shocked, horrified, angry, and something else that my muddled brain can't process.
“Hey Jacob,” I laugh. “Wanna dance?”
He's still holding me up. “What are you doing here?”
I regain my balance and shake my hips to demonstrate my moves, “Dancing.”
Jacob leans forward. “And drinking. How many have you had?”
"Just a couple." I try to laugh it off, but shame churns with the alcohol in my stomach. I can’t meet his eyes.
“How did you even get in here?”
Brad jerks me back, so fast that I almost fall again. He's not as gentle as Jacob when he steadies me. “She came with me.”
Jacob looks from Brad to me. Disgust curls the corner of his mouth. “She's not leaving with you. C'mon Jess, I'm taking you home. Now.”
Laini appears at his side, her face wrinkles into an angry smirk. “No, you’re not. We just started having fun. You promised me tonight.” She nods at the circle of guys I’m with. “Your little friend has all the heroes she needs.”
Jacob ignores her and puts his hand on my wrist. “You're coming with me.”
I jerk away. “No!” My voice must be loud, people around us turn to stare. I don't care who hears me anymore. "Go away Jacob. I’m having fun. I don't need your help."
Jacob leans toward me, his voice low, “Please Jess. Let me call you a cab or something. I don’t trust these guys.”
“Is this guy harassing you, Jess?” Rob steps in front of me like he’s going to protect me from Jacob. The other guys fill in beside him. They make an intimidating row–a defensive line of college football players.
Brad, made braver by other guys, or the alcohol, or both, gets in Jacob’s face. “Time for you to step off, GI Joe.”
“C’mon Jake,” Laini is dragging on his arm. “She’s not your problem. You promised me we’d do something fun tonight.”
“I’d be happy to show you something fun tonight,” Ponytail Guy says. Laini gives him a death glare.
Jacob stands his ground. His face is a mask of calm, but I know him enough to recognize the fury behind it. He keeps his voice low. “You’re both underage. If I called the cops...”
“She’d go to jail too,” Brad sneers.
Rob pulls him back. “Look, we don’t want any trouble. Jess obviously wants to stay with us. You're with a lovely woman who just wants to have a good time. Why don’t I buy everyone a round of drinks and–”
Jacob's voice is low and icy, “I’d rather she go to jail than stay with you."
Brad shoves Rob aside and lurches toward Jacob. I scream. Brad makes it one step before his face meets Jacob’s fist.
Then his face meets the floor.