Chapter Six Continued...

We talk to the handsome foreigners. They buy us another round of drinks and begin hinting they have to leave. The louder more extroverted of the two, Ari's guy, eventually ask us to join them back at their hotel for a party.

Ari shoots them down politely. I'm relieved. If she had wanted to go, I don't know if I would've followed her. It's all in good fun flirting and getting free drinks but going back to their room was another thing altogether. After Ari's rejection, they linger, perhaps in hopes of changing our minds, but eventually wander off.

Ari grabs my arm and leads me towards the outside balcony. There is a separate bar outside and a dance floor with a live DJ. Ari drags me on to it. I don't object. I love dancing. We sway together and dance, creating our own pocket of space on the dance floor.

She is a natural dancer. She is fluid, graceful, sensual, and in sync with the pulsing beat. She gyrates her hips in rhythm with the music. Her arms rise and twirl in the air. I move my body with hers, mimicking her movements, and matching her pace.

Ari smiles slyly then turns and presses her back against mine. Then she starts to drop low, seductively dropping her body lower to the floor. I follow her down, accepting her unspoken challenge. We are both practically on the ground and can't get lower.

Our overly suggestive dancing is completely ridiculous and doesn't match the atmosphere, the music, or the setting. We are both aware of this and start giggling. I'm vaguely aware there are other people around us, watching us, but I can't seem to care. We're laughing so hard we both nearly lose our footing in our stilettos.

We pull each other close for balance and rise back up in time with the music. One of her hands is resting on my shoulders and the other is intertwined in mine. It's the perfect position for a twirl.

Years of dancing kick in and I can't resist. I raise her arm in between us and instead of spinning her out, I spin her in towards me. She turns and I pull her waist in close. Her body softly collides into me, and into my waiting arms.

She's momentarily stunned, she hadn't been expecting it. Our faces are only a few inches apart.

I watch up close as her expression turns from shock to joy. A giant smile starts at her lips and spreads to her eyes. It brightens her entire face. This moment of pure surprise and exuberances, it only ever happens once.

I smile back, pleased with my dramatics. I drop my arms from her waist and pull away from her. I'm still feeling silly, so I start my own over the top dance. Ari doesn't laugh but sternly stares into my eyes. She starts to make random shapes with her hands that frame her face. She is voguing. I smile at her goofiness and join in.

Then she looks past me. I turn and see she is looking at a guy who appears to have only moments ago had stepped off the front cover of a GQ magazine. His dark gaze is smoldering. It's fire, heat, and passion, and she returns his gaze with a fiery stare of her own. I suddenly feel out of place. He brushes past me and starts dancing behind Ari.

Feeling too much the third wheel, I take a step back and accidentally bump into a hard chest. I swivel around to apologize and find a guy dancing behind me. He gives me a heart melting smile.

Is everyone in this club insanely attractive? Or have I had too much to drink? I decide not to let this concern me and I dance with him.

We move with the music and I feel myself losing track of time and track of myself. All I know is I feel exultant, the fresh air feels amazing on my skin, and the man I'm dancing with smells delicious. I look up at the stars and the full moon as I dance. A warm breeze sweeps through the night and blows through my hair.

Ari is in front of me, facing away from me. The man she is dancing with is holding her, and their bodies are pressed intimately close together. He leans in to speak in her ear and she pulls away.

The music is too loud to hear but Ari says something to him. Then she stalks off the dance floor. Concerned at her abruptness I turn to follow her. The guy I'm dancing with speaks and reaches for my arm. I brush him off and I head towards my friend.

She is at the bar ordering water when I reach her.

I shout over the music. "He seemed into you. And he was hot."

She nods her head. Then the bartender sets two glasses of water in front of her. She takes one and slides the other to me.

The GQ model walks up behind us. He is tall, black, and handsome. And I'm very drunk and very happy. I can't help but greet him with exuberance.

"Hey, you!" I shout over the music and beam at him. "I remember you from the dance floor." It's true I had just seen him dancing on the dance floor with Ari. Did I mention how attractive he is?

He smiles at me and greets me with an equal amount of enthusiasms. "Hey, long time no see!"

GQ model squeezes between us and motions towards the bartender.

"Three Washington Apples!" He shouts then motions towards the three of us.

I look around him and over at Ari. She hasn't said a word.

"Hey." GQ model glances at Ari then at me. "If one of you kisses me, you can both have a free shot." He smiles a devilish grin.

Before you judge me, I know I have a boyfriend, but I'm drunk. Also, he's smokin' and it seems like a good deal; at least in the moment.

"Deal!" I say.

"Nice!" He says excitedly then turns towards me. My eyes trail down to his full lips.

Ari abruptly stands from her stool.

She shoves at his chest and shouts. "Fuck off, now!"

For the first time, I notice she is the middle of one of her mood swings.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He smiles and puts his hands out in defense. "I was only joking."

"No, you weren't," Ari says then throw daggers at him with her eyes.

The bartender arrives with three pink shots than he leaves them on the counter along with the bill. GQ model looks at Ari's glaring face and his smile falters. He sneers and transforms his good-looks into something more menacing. Then he grabs a shot and downs it.

He speaks to me but doesn't take his eyes off Ari.

"Keep the shots. Your friends a bitch." Then he throws some cash on the bar and walks away before either us can say anything.

I look down at the shots. Not sure what do with them now. It didn't seem right to drink them.

"Go ahead, drink them." Ari's face is emotionless.

She is looking at me but it's off. Like she is staring through me instead of at me.

"What was that about?" I ask. I'd seen her mood shift twice tonight, but I don't understand why it was directed at an insanely hot guy who'd bought us free drinks.

Ari sighs and says. "I'm not going to kiss some random guy for a free drink, and you shouldn't either."

There is no judgment in her eyes, but I still feel a little ashamed.

"You are worth more than that." She says. Then she finishes the rest of her water and stares at the empty glass. Then she says so softly I almost miss it.

"I'm worth more."

Then she walks away stumbling as she retreats. She's wasted, even more, intoxicated than I am.

Ari is an anomaly that never fails to surprise me.

Drunk or not, I'd been willing to kiss a guy for a cheap drink. A small harmless action that in the moment, I hadn't seen a fault in. A simple kiss for a free drink? Why not? It had seemed right up Ari's alley. Carefree, fun, flirtatious, and playful. If I'm honest with myself perhaps it was the real reason, I would've kissed him.

To impress Ari, to show her I could be cool like her. But I was wrong. Wrong about Ari's character. Where I would have given in, given away just a small bit of my own integrity for a good time; Ari would not. Not even a little bit. Drunk she'd had more class and self-worth then I did.

I get up and follow her; leaving the shots untouched.

Outside of the club, the night air is warm. Ari is walking swiftly and with purpose as if she's on a mission. I'm having a hard time keeping up even though she can barely walk in a straight line.

"Ari! Stop!" I shout but I don't know if she hears me or knows I'm following her.

She abruptly stops on the sidewalk and I sigh in relief. She puts her purse down. Then clumsily bends down to unbuckles her stilettos and kicks them off. I reach her just as she takes off at a full sprint.

I groan. You've got to be kidding me.

Ari is running barefoot in one of the classiest neighborhoods. If I was sober, I might've let her go. But sober, I am not.

I kick off my heels, grab both of our shoes and her purse, and run after her. I am a decent runner, but Ari is a track star. I'm only able to keep her in my line of sight because she is far drunker than I am.

I'm also the right kind of drunk. I don't notice my aching muscles or the jagged objects I'm stepping on such as rocks and glass. I come close to catching up to her when she suddenly darts off the sidewalk and into the street.

I'm not sure what gets into me. I take that back it's the alcohol. Without hesitation, I chase after her across the eight-lane boulevard. Fortunately for us, there aren't many cars out on the road. Unfortunately for us, it's a road and there still are cars.

The vehicles honk and swerve to avoid our dark figures running across each lane. Beams from the car's headlights blind me as I run past. All I see is darkness, blinding lights in front of me and whizzing past me. For a split second, the insanity of my actions sinks in and I'm filled with terror. This wasn't Frogger, there were no extra lives.

A driver in front of me honks and slams on the brakes. The tires screech on the asphalt and my nostrils are filled with the sharp scent of burnt rubber. My heart leaps in my chest and I stare in horror as the car hurtles towards Ari. I sprint towards her and the car, too afraid to stop.

I finally catch up.

As always thanks for reading, Lovelies...

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