Page 42 of Play Me

“Come on, screw this shit, let’s go have some fun, babe.” Sarah grabs my hand, forcing me to look away from the torturous scene playing out in front of me and drags me out to the dance floor.

I see Marius and Brad follow us and I turn and wait for them, pretending to look at my watch to get them to hurry up. Brad laughs and grabs my hand and the four of us push our way into the middle of the crowd.

Patrick booked an eighties cover band for after the Rock Chamber Boys set and the clubgoers are eating it up. It doesn’t take long for us to be completely lost in the nostalgic familiarity of the songs, singing along to Toni Basil’s “Oh Mickey!” and bumping and grinding next to strangers, laughing as we mix up the words.

I’m losing myself in the music and the fun that Brad, Marius, Sarah and I are having, and best of all, forgetting about the scenes of Hailey seducing Sebastian back at the booth. The crowd around us builds as people start to recognize them from their performance and hordes of women start to gather around Marius and Brad, who are lapping up the attention, but making sure Sarah and I are never too far away.

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, gently nudging me to the side, Sebastian and Hailey have joined us and the others are making room for them to join the dance circle. In the corner of my eye I can see Sarah glare at the two of them, and she turns to dance with a bachelorette party to the side of us. Hailey’s hand is gripping Sebastian’s shoulder, as if afraid to let him go. Even when he leans into whisper to me, “You having a good time?” I see her tugging on his shoulder and away from me.

The best way to not respond in a way that will cause me regret, I decide, is just to ignore them altogether. I turn my back to Sebastian in the guise of dancing with Marius. I lean over and make a joke about how the Rock Chamber Boys should do an ‘80s retrospective some time and he laughs, taking my hand and twirling me around. Mid twirl, I catch Sebastian’s eye for a moment, and he looks hurt, but only for a second before I notice his arms around Hailey’s waist and she’s dropping her head onto his shoulder.

I twirl back to face Marius and feel a body up against me.

Sebastian.

I close my eyes telling myself, it’s OK to enjoy his touch for just a moment. I’ve been so good for so long, despite craving him with every fiber of my being. I lean back and reach behind me to touch his arm.

It’s not him. It’s not Sebastian’s arm. It’s too rough.

I look up and Marius is standing in front of me, so I know it’s not him either. Two hot hands then grab me from behind around the hips and pull me back, banging hard against the stranger’s chest. I try to turn, but the hands are holding me tight and I can feel the body start to grind against me. I feel repulsed by this uninvited assault. I start to struggle, but the hands around my hips grip me harder, almost bruising me to keep me in place.

“Get off me!” I yell, and kick my heel up behind me, trying to aim for the grabber’s shins.

Marius comes forward, his face angry and he tries to reach for the person holding onto me. I shake my head at him, not wanting him to get involved; I can take care of this dickhead myself. He stands back but keeps watching close so I know I won’t get into too much trouble. I struggle harder, lifting my leg and stomp down hard on the guy’s foot. He roars and doesn’t let go but loosens his grip. I manage to shake him off and turn around. I see him for the first time, it’s a drunk guy that had been hanging around us since we’d gotten to the dance floor. His face is red and he lurches towards me again.

“I said, get the FUCK off me, ASSHOLE!” I scream in his face pushing him away. I turn back to Marius who’s now been joined by Brad but before any of us can react, he yanks me back by my hair, and lifts his other hand and slaps me hard across the face. The strike is so hard, it blinds me, and I’m flung to the side, twisting my wrists as I try to break my fall while crumpling to the floor.

“Fucking, cockteasing slut.” He slurs and I feel his rank breath on me as he reaches for me again, leaning over me as he wraps his hand in my hair, pulling me to my feet.

“Oh my god! Cadence!” I hear Sarah yell over the music and thumping in my head.

And then, I fall to the floor again as the guy is yanked away and forced to let me go.

“Brad! Marius! No!” I hear a voice, I think it’s Hailey’s but I’m not sure as I feel someone scoop me up.

This time it really is Sebastian.

Even in my haze I curse myself, how could I have not felt this difference?

“It’s OK, Mary...” Sebastian whispers to me and the use of my nickname causes the tears to instantly spring from my eyes. My head pounds so hard I can’t help but let it fall against his chest. I let out an involuntary sob as there’s a streak of pain across the side of my head.

“Shhh, baby girl, I’ve got you. You’re OK, I’ve got you. No one’s going to get to you now.” His voice soothes me, and I let myself grow limp in his arms. Even through the pain, I feel safe and warm.

“Sebastian,” I moan softly, wanting him to know I know it’s him.

“Shhh. I’m here. Don’t you worry about a thing,” he soothes me even as I feel his chest rise and fall, and his breath hiss from the effort of carrying me and pushing through the crowds to take me to safety. I don’t know how he does it, move all the people out the way, but he never stops, not for a moment. And in that moment I have no doubt that he would part the stars to make a path to safety for me if he had to.

“Over here, Sebastian,” I vaguely hear Sarah’s voice and I can just make out that we’re now leaving the club. The sounds are fading away, and I can hear his heart thump hard against my own pulsing temple. One beat for every two of his. That’s no surprise, he has twice as much heart as me. I try to smile up at him, but his face is serious, set on just getting me out of there.

“Open the door, Hank,” I feel Sebastian’s voice rumble through his torso. There’s the sound of the car door opening, and then he lays me gently down in the back seat. Taking his jacket off, he drapes it over me, and I feel his cool hand touch me gently on my burning cheek. “God, Mary...” he sighs.

I try to sit up, to see him more clearly...to thank him but he presses gently yet firmly on my shoulder, keeping me down. “Don’t sit up, just lay there, we got you.”

Someone slides in from the other door, it must be Sarah, then the doors slam shut and it’s quiet. I try to look around but I can’t see him.

Then, from the other side of the door, the voices are muted but I can just make out him saying, “Take them back to the hotel, Hank. Go in the back way and tell Mark not to let anyone but Dennis and the band onto our hotel room floor. ”

Hank mumbles something and as he gets in the car, Sebastian finishes with, “We’ll be back later. Don’t worry about us. Take care of them.”