Episode 7&8 "This is going to be fun to watch." Charity smiled.
"Situation understood." I winked at the two of them
and without another word I stood, pushing my chair
in behind me and headed over to the bar. From
behind I couldn't help but agree with Charity. He was
indeed a bit of a hottie. He was sitting at a bar stool
with his head hung low over his own personal group
of empty vodka shot glasses. It looked like he was
really having a bad day. For a moment I felt guilty
about causing a scene and involving him. But once
you take up a dare its Girl Law that you have to
complete it. And no way was I going to break Girl
Law. He probably wouldn't even remember this
tomorrow.
So I tapped him roughly on the shoulder and waited
for him to turn around. With a little delay he finally
looked over his shoulder and eyed me questioningly.
For the second time that night I almost had a change
of heart, yes, his shirt was wrinkled beyond
compare a yes, his eyes didn't seem to be completely
focused, but there really was no denying it. The man
was hot. Not just a cutie but an A-class hottie. With
ruffled dark brown hair, grey eyes and cheekbones I
could cut myself on I was left speechless for a
moment. But I quickly pulled myself together.
"Who the hell do you are mister?" I asked viciously.
He blinked and glanced behind him, as if I might be
talking to someone else. He pointed to himself and
made a cute drunk face of surprise that made me
wish I had a camera. But I didn't crack a smile.
"Yeah you." I continued, glaring at him. "Who the hell
do you think you are? You think I'm just another
push-over? We dated for a year. I thought that would
mean something to you! And then you just blow me
off without even a break-up text? You get your friends
to say you don't feel like seeing me anymore?"
"Uh, miss?" his cute drunk-face had been replaced
with confused drunk-face. "I think you have the
wrong g-"
"Excuse me? EXCUSE ME?" I shouted, glaring at him
so hard it made my face hurt. "Now you're
pretending you don't KNOW me? What the HELL?!
After EVERYTHING we've been through. After
everything I did for you? I was in love with you!
Completely."
My shouting had drawn a bit of attention from the
other bar's occupants. Good, I thought to myself. Beca
wanted it to be loud.
"But-"
"You had me wrapped around you're little finger." I
spat. "I would have done ANYTHING you said. But not
any friggin more. GOT IT? I am SO over you. You
jackass."
And in a fit of dramatic-ness I slapped him, hard
across the face. That drew more than a bit of
attention to our little fight. A quick glance around told
me that most of the tables around us were staring.
Most of them were looking at Mr Hottie like he was
something they'd scraped off their shoe. A few even
called things like 'You tell him girl' and 'Jerk!'
Someone even had their iPhone out to video the
scene. I risked a look at Charity and becaa. Charity looked
like she was about to explode from giggles and even
Beca was hiding a small smile. Just to finish off I
turned back to my mystery man who was clutching
his face. It looked like my slap had imparted some
sobriety back to him. Thinking back on it that had
probably been too far. He was looking less drunk and
more mad by the second.
Opps. Time to wrap this up.
"I am done with you." I glared. "Someday you'll
realise how amazing we could have been together,
but by then I'll be long gone. So enjoy your newfound
single status, enjoy your vodka and enjoy a life free
of the best thing that ever happened to you. Have a
nice life."
This time I turned by back, flipped my hair over my
shoulder and went to strut back to my table with
Charity and becaa. A few people nodded encouragingly
to me and yelled things like 'Better off without him
girl' and I smiled at them. But before I could take a
step away a hand grabbed my wrist from behind and
pulled me back. My Mr Hottie was on his feet and
glaring at me with one eyebrow raised as if to say
'what the hell?' He pulled on my wrist so that I came
closer.
"Just what are you doing?" he hissed. "I don't even
know you."
"I-"
"And don't start with any more of that bull." He
whispered. "I think I would remember dating
someone like you. What's your game?"
I glanced back over my shoulder at Charity and beca
who looked a little anxious. Beca hurriedly gestured
for me to hurry back to them. Charity made a fist and
mimed punching an imaginary foe. I looked back at
Mr Hottie and shrugged helplessly. His brow
furrowed as he glanced at me and then my friends
and then back at me. His frown deepened.
"Are you on a dare?" he hissed.
Okay…so apparently vodka didn't dull this fella's
sharpness. He'd taken all of two seconds to put it
together.
I shrugged again and tried at a smile. He surveyed
me in a speculating manner and let go of my wrist.
"Two can play at that game." He whispered with a
mischievous smile.
Wait…what?
"You're right!" he yelled suddenly. I almost jumped,
and a quick glance around told me that we had once
again captured everyone's attention.
"Um…I am?"
"You are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
He said sincerely. Without warning he grabbed my
hands again. Cupping them to his chest he pulled me
towards him. "I took you for granted because I was
just too scared to admit how deeply I was falling for
you."
"You were?"
He nodded, "This last week I've been doing a lot of
soul searching and I've come to realise that I don't
want to spend the rest of my life without you."
"You don't?"
"No." he said gently. He smiled and stroked a lock of
hair back behind my ear. "I love you so much and I
think we can still be amazing together…if you'll give
me a second chance."
Was it just me or did I hear swooning? My former
victim reached into his pocket and dug around for
something while I cast desperate 'help me' looks back
at Charity and beca. They both looked as if they'd
swallowed their tongues. I turned back to my mister
mysterious who had found what he was looking for in
his pants' pocket. When I saw what he was holding
towards me I almost swallowed my tongue myself.
A ring. A very pretty ring, but very clearly an
engagement ring. Say what?
I leaned close to him and hissed, "What do you think
you're doing?"
"You tell me." He grinned sardonically, hitting me
with a wave of de alcohol. "You're the one that
loves to prank people. Let's see how you like it."
"That is not the same." I whispered. "I didn't-"
"She said YES!" he cried suddenly, angling away from
me.
"What?" I gasped. "I-"
He pulled me flush against him to prevent further
argument. All around us people broke out in
applause and cat calls. The barman behind us asked
if we'd like a bottle of champagne to celebrate. I
barely registered my mystery man accepting and
paying for the bottle. I was in shock. I even allowed
him to slide the ring onto my finger. I was that
surprised. My only reaction was a small wince as the
small ring pinched around me finger. How the heck
did this happen? I'd started out trying to prank him
and now I was engaged to him.
My mum would kill me if she knew.
"Uh…excuse us." I heard Charity say from behind me.
"But I think there's been a mistake."
"Ah," Mr Mystery smiled, holding a bottle of
champagne in one hand and two glasses in the other.
"You must be my fiancé's friends. Lovely to meet you.
I'm Ciyke Winters, but my friend's call me ciyke."
Then he bestowed Charity and becaa with what could
only be described as a dashing smile.
One glance over my shoulder told me that both of my
would-be rescuers were stunned by his charming
introduction. Beca's eyebrows had practically hit the
ozone layer and I could see the thought bubble
forming over Charity's head:
Ciyke passed me the champagne and held a hand out
to shake each of their hands in turn. They did so with
what could only be called a simper. That's when I
knew that they'd be no help getting me out of this
situation. They were as stumped as I was by ciyke's
roguish charm. Surveying him again I had to admit
he had the looks for it. Just because he happened to
be completely hammered didn't mean that he had
lost an iota of attractiveness. It made me wonder
what he was like when he was sober. If he could be
this devious even with copious amounts of vodka in
his system then it made me wonder how devious he
was without vodka involved. Hmmm, I wonder if he's
a politician?
I didn't get a chance to ask him as he pulled
me up onto a bar stool next to him and proceeded to
pour me a glass of champagne. I had rather hoped
that things might quieten down after his big
announcement but unfortunately things just seemed
to be getting crazier. The music pouring out of the
bar's speaker system changed mid song to
something vaguely familiar. It was only once the
music started that I realised what it was: ' I think I
want to marry you' by Asa. The bartender
winked at us and I groaned. Without warning I
grabbed the glass Ciyke had offered me and chugged it
back in one sitting.
I wasn't going to survive this evening without alcohol.
Things started happening very quickly after that. I
started chugging back glass after glass of champagne
while trying to ignore Jon's repeated romantic
attempts to learn my name. The crowd that had
cheered for my 'engagement' were quick to hit the
dance floor and began what looked surprisingly like a
mosh pit. Not that there was a dance floor but
apparently these people were taking matters into
their own hands. Becaa and Charity were standing next
to me but no sooner had I registered their worried
expressions than they were pulled away into the
crowd to dance. I chugged back another glass of
champagne and glanced back as they tried to get to
of it and get back to me. Unsuccessfully of course.
Why did everyone in this bar have to be a crazy
romantic?
"Oh come on," Ciyke teased me from the seat next to
me. "Won't you tell me what your name is?" he
placed his hand over mine. "We are engaged after
all."
I studiously ignored him and concentrated on my
champagne. But it was getting harder and harder to
ignore a man that was so devilishly good looking. I
had been a while since I'd had any kind of attractive
male interested in me remotely…I'd only had a few
boyfriends over the years and none of them had ever
been very serious. Boys just didn't go for me. Still,
my dating life was better than Charity.
Bleakly I realised that my mind was wandering. I
looked back at Ciyke who was eying me with a
contemplating look that I didn't trust one bit.
"What is it?" I asked. "Do I have something on my
face?"
Ignoring my question he smiled at me again, "Its
Sandra isn't it?"
"What?"
"You're name." He explained. "It's sandra isn't it?
That would explain why you don't want me to know."
"It's not sandra!"
"Grift?"
"No." I sighed.
"Clarence?"
"Nope."
"Are you sure?"
"No." I said through gritted teeth. "Wait, I mean yes,
no, urgh. I mean that yes I am sure. It's not
Clarence."
There was a moment of silence.
"Mike?"
I let out a strangled moan of frustration and downed
the rest of my glass of champagne before downing
Ciyke's too. It was like if I drank enough of the
wonderfully bubbly liquid I could suppress my
irritation over ciyke
"Will you tell me if I ask nicely?" he asked after
watching in amusement as I guzzled the drinks.
"Will you shut up if I tell you?"
"…Probably."
Since otherwise I'd probably go crazy I put on my
best smile. "Yes then."
"Okay then what's your name, pretty please?"
"It's flora Jackson." I said with forced pleasantness.
"Pretty name." he said.
"Nuh uh!" I warned. "You said you wouldn't say
anything!"
He mimed zipping his mouth closed, locking it and
throwing away the key. Once he'd stopped being so
annoying I let out the pent-up frustration and allowed
myself to ogle him. He really was drop-dead
gorgeous. But after a moment I had to squint at Jon.
For some reason there seemed to be two of him.
"Did you get a twin?" I asked in confusion.
He looked at me in equal confusion. "I think you've
had too much to drink." He told me and holding onto
my elbow he tried to steer me out of my seat. For a
second both of us stumbled. "Then again, maybe I'm
not the best one to comment on that."
"You could be right." I slurred, as the room spun. I
reached for my clutch bag and tried not to be
deterred when I managed to miss it the first few
times. "I think I need t-to get home."
"Right-y-o." he smiled. "Where do you live?"
"As if I'd tell yooou." I took a step forward and
tripped, finding myself somehow with my head
buried in Jon's chest. "Oppsy. How did t-that
happen?"
He steadied me, "Yep, you've definitely had too
much to drink."
I laughed because somehow what he'd just said was
hilarious. "Like you can talk." I said, tapping him on
the nose.
"Okay, time to get you outta here." He said. "Do you
know where you're friends went?"
"Nope." I giggled. "This is all your fault."
He smiled down at me. "Looks like you're crashing at
my place then, my dear flora."
"I don't know if that's a good idea." I murmured
sleepily against his chest. "When I'm sooober I'd
probably kick your ass for that."
"Don't have much of a choice."
I smiled to myself.
But the rest of the night was a bit of a blank…