‘Emma!’ A familiar voice shouted my name. ‘Girl, I never see you out. I am so stoked you’re here!’
‘Charlie, how are you? What’s been happening?’ I said with less than half of the enthusiasm he had to see me.
‘Oh, so good and so much. But what about yourself? I heard a lot has changed for you recently, but I never see you around,’ he said. I never really stayed friends with Charlie after high school, there was just the odd chat when I would run into him in the supermarket, or wave to him along the running track.
I knew he was alluding to my break-up. I had been in a long-term relationship for four years up until a couple of months ago. The whole town had previously deemed my ex and I married and was already picking names for our unborn kids. I had retreated since this moment. I couldn’t be bothered having awkward conversations with all the town gossips.
‘Yeah, I’m good though,’ I said to Charlie. ‘I’m really great actually.’ A smile spread across my face. Charlie’s eyebrows drew closer, staring at me intensely, he seemed shocked by my answer. I think he was trying to scope out if I was putting on a brave face or being serious. I was used to this reaction, it seemed so foreign to people in this small town that a young woman could be happy being single and not stiving for babies and marriage. This very reason was probably why I had such a lack of female friends.
‘Oh, that’s really good to hear, Em. Hey, er, Jack put you on his list so you can shoot upstairs straight to VIP if you like. Just walk on up to the decks and let yourself in the side rope, the boy’s upstairs will let you into the next room from there,’ said Charlie.
‘Thanks so much,’ I said, proceeding to walk up the stairs. I hadn’t been to this place in maybe six years, and when I had previously shown my face in DKX, I don’t believe it had ever been a sober one. I walked up the stairs trying to remember where the stage was so I could sneak my way right into VIP, hoping to avoid being seen by anyone else. As I hit the top of the stairs a strobe light flashed green, exposing the edge of the stage, and I caught a glimmer of the side rope. I strutted my flat strappy shoes straight through the club, not taking my eye off the flashing rope. As I unclipped the rope and stepped behind the stage, another bouncer opened a door for me and let me step through the doorway to a hidden room behind the stage.
‘Emmmmmmaaaaaaaaaa!’ Jack came running at me with a big hug. ‘I am so glad you could make it.’ I threw my arms around him, and he pulled away, taking my hand and dragging me towards the small crowd. ‘Come on over, you have to meet everyone.’
To my right there was a small cluster of six people sitting smiling, laughing, dancing, and pouring vodka sodas. ‘Guys, this is my boss — Emma.’ Jack yelled across the room as we approached them.
‘Hey, Emma!’ A beautiful girl with long, red hair and tight, black leather pants walked up to me with a smile and embraced me in a tight hug. ‘I’m Casey, and this is Leigh and Kelly.’ Two other girls stood up out of their seats, throwing their arms around me, as tight as Casey did. They looked so stunning in matching tight, black bodycon dresses.
‘So lovely to meet you,’ I said.
‘Are you playing tonight?’ Asked Casey.
‘Oh no, I’m just here to support Jack, Are you?’
‘No, I’m just dating Torey,’ she said. Casey pointed to one of the three guys that were sitting opposite us chatting amongst themselves. ‘Torey runs the events in this place; I just tag along. Leigh and Kelly are supporting tonight though.’
‘All right, girls, you’re on.’ Torey called out, standing up quickly and shuffled Leigh and Kelly back towards the door.
‘Yeah, girls, you got this!’ Jack jumped up and followed the girls out the door.
‘Yew! I’m coming to dance!’ Casey jumped up; I’d never seen someone move so quickly in heels as high as hers. ‘Do you wanna come, hun?’ said Casey, looking back at me.
I wasn’t quite ready to jump straight on the dancefloor. I think that exact thought became quickly apparent as Casey started to poor a drink of Vodka Soda and passed me the cup.
‘Enjoy, come and join me soon,’ said Casey.
I thanked her as she ran out the door to join the other girls on stage. I took a sip from the cup she had poured me and took a seat amongst the now many empty chairs that sat backstage.
‘If I tell you my name, are you going to remember it?’ A voice echoed from across the room. A pair of sky-blue eyes spoke to me, smiling across the scattered chairs.
I looked back at him; his eyes were hard to connect with. They sparkled blue, blue-eyed boy blue, the kind that twinkles, makes your heart skip a beat. It was a dangerous blue, the kind all girls know what boys born with this hue are capable of. The dimple on his right cheek peeked through his skin as he smirked, awaiting my answer.
I looked back at the mysteriously good-looking man, puzzled.
‘Why do you think I won’t remember it?’ I said.
The stranger jumped up from his seat. Standing tall in his pumped Nikes, he wore ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket over a black V-neck t-shirt. A backward cap covered his mid-length, dark brown hair that seeped out underneath it. His outfit was a dead giveaway to who he was; I knew then and there that he was the main act that everyone behind the door was screaming for. He walked towards me and took a seat on the empty chair next to me.
‘I saw it in your eyes when you got introduced to the girls. You do the slight look away; I saw a twitch in your concentration. It’s when someone introduces themselves to you, and your brain just goes completely blank when they say their name,’ he said.
I narrowed my eyebrows and my jaw dropped slightly open, breaking out into laughter.
‘That’s the story of my life. It’s to my detriment! It’s probably one of my worst qualities. Every single time it makes my following meeting with someone so awkward. Trying to figure out their name.’ I laughed.
‘I do the same. I think there should be a Shazam but for people,’ he said, his dimple still exposed.
‘You’re very observant,’ I said.
