Someone Out There Loves You

‘Do I really have to?’

My voice came out as a childish whine while I bounced impatiently on my chair.

‘Yes Chloe, it’s been two years already. You need to get laid and God damn it I am not letting you go another night without getting some dick.’

Macy, my best friend, was crude as ever as she put the finishing touch to my makeup.

‘Why do you care so much about my sex life?’ I asked in annoyance, while Andrea sat on my bed with her glass of wine as she watched the scene play out in amusement.

‘Why, because I’m sick of feeling guilty every time I get some and I can’t tell my best friend about it unless I want to rub it in her face.’

I sighed dramatically.

‘Guys just aren’t interested Macy. Dressing me up like some kind of Barbie isn’t going to get me laid, or at least not by any guy I would actually want to have sex with.’

‘Don’t be so fussy Chloe. Just get a guy, any guy, and have some fun. You’re so sexually frustrated you can’t even watch a sex scene on the TV anymore without squirming in your seat!’

I blushed furiously.

‘That’s not true!.’

‘Yes it is’ Andrea cut in. ‘I saw you the other night. You need to get laid honey, pronto.’

‘I’m not into one night stands, you know that!’ I whined again, sounding more stroppy by the minute.

‘Let tonight be the exception then! You need to get fucked, and I’m gonna make you do it.’ Macy ordered as she finally put the brush down and let me inspect my reflection in the mirror.

‘How, are you gonna stand there and watch while I screw some random guy? I’m not really into that sort of thing, but whatever floats your boat.’

Macy lightly slapped the back of my head, her voice squeaking out an offended ‘Hey!’ before giggling along with me and Andrea.

‘I have my ways, Chloe.’

‘And I have my dignity and self respect.’ I argued.

Macy rolled her eyes, before dragging me off the chair and inspecting her work.

‘Damn you’re looking fine girl, if I don’t say so myself’ Macy gloated, proud of her finished work.

I had to admit, I was impeccably dressed in a perfect fitting electric blue dress that emphasised my impressive cleavage while subtly smoothing out my generous curves. My auburn hair was wavy and loose, and my make-up highlighted my big brown eyes and dark eyelashes. For the first time in a long time I felt slightly okay with the woman that stared back at me in the mirror. My last boyfriend had completely shattered my confidence when he told me he no longer loved me because, I quote, ‘You made me believe you were fat with the way you go on about your weight all the time.’ We had been together for over four years and now, two years after he had left me, at the age of twenty six my ‘friends’ had decided it was their duty to take me out and make sure I ended my two year dry spell. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly delighted with their plan; in fact I had been downright pissed off when they told me they were taking me out against my will. After the heartbreak I suffered I was determined never to put myself into the same situation ever again. I still hated the male of the species; they were all liars and cowards at the end of the day. I was adamant that I would never again let myself fall prey to their cunning and hurtful games.

‘You’re definitely getting laid, that dress is amazing on you. If I wasn’t into guys I would do you myself.’ Macy said with pride.

‘Thank you for your ever so insightful compliments’ I muttered, taking a large gulp of alcohol. I would need it if I was going to go through with the girls’ plans for the night.

We decided to go to the trendy nightclub in the middle of the city. It was usually packed full of rich snobs who had more money than sense. The price to get in alone was scandalous, but luckily for me I had just gotten a promotion at work and I was now an office manager. It was good pay for the work I did, and I knew I was lucky to have the job. I was secured for life at the age of twenty six. My friends were all in similar positions, with good jobs and great pay. So we did what every girl in our situation would do: we shopped all day and got drunk at night during the weekend. We were young with no responsibilities. This had been a tradition for the last three years until Macy snatched up a boyfriend. With me being the only one without a boyfriend, it meant that they were feeling guilty about my lack of a love life. So, they were taking it upon themselves to fix it. The girls were moving in with their boyfriends in two weeks when the lease in our shared apartment was up and they wanted me to meet someone who would fill the void they would leave. I couldn’t convince them that I was fine with the idea of living on my own. With my new salary I could afford a nice apartment by myself and I was looking forward to it. I had spent so long convincing myself that I would be happier alone that I really believed it. To me, the idea of having a boyfriend who demanded my time and attention, a person who I had to explain myself to and take into consideration if I made any plans, sounded like hell to me. I wanted to be free to do what I wanted, when I wanted, however I wanted. I was glad that I was the kind of girl that didn’t get attention when I went out. Guys never noticed me so I avoided any entanglements and so far it was working out for me. No more heartbreaks and no more compromising.

‘That’s enough complaining from you! Finish your drink and we’ll be on our way.’

I finished my wine in one large gulp, with Macy and Andrea quickly following my example. They grabbed their clutch bags, locked up the apartment and we hailed the first cab in sight that would take our half drunken asses to the most exclusive and prestigious club in the city. I actually felt bad for the driver who had to deal with our giggles and high pitched laughter. Nobody would have realised that from Monday to Friday we were professionals who were in charge of other people. Our behaviour suggested we were no older than a group of college girls who were out to get lucky. I made sure to give the driver a generous tip when we hobbled out of the cab. His face light up when he realised, showing me his toothy grin.

‘Have a good night girls!’ he called out after us.

We spotted the long line and groaned in unison at the thought of having to wait.

‘Oh, quit moaning. It’ll be worth the wait. Just try to act sober and we’ll get in.’ Andrea ordered.

She was the quiet one of the group, but by far the bossiest. It was how she got ahead in work, and now at the tender age of twenty eight she was on her way to being a junior partner in the law firm she had dedicated the last few years to. We begrudgingly stood in line for over half an hour, our bodies freezing in the cold November air. It was dry at least, but it isn’t much consolation when you're wearing a dress that barely covers your ass. I resented Macy for forcing me to wear the dress as I dreamed about how much warmer I would be in jeans, or even in tights. I wrapped my arms around myself as though it would bring me more heat, which of course it didn’t. It just made me appear grouchy and unapproachable to anybody who didn’t know me. I listened more than I talked while in line as my chattering teeth made it hard to understand what I was saying.

I was nearly delirious with joy when we finally made it to the top of the line. The bouncers eyed us with slow, careful gazes. They were trying to judge whether we were worthy enough for entry into their club. They took in our clothes, our jewellery, the way we stood and whether we looked like the type that would make fools of ourselves while on the premises.

‘Alright ladies, in you go.’ The bouncer to the right of the door spoke in a low, booming voice.

Once he spoke the words we were dismissed from his scrutiny, and we walked into the club with big smiles on our faces.

We did it. We successfully got into the club that most people couldn’t even afford to step inside. It seemed that all our years of hard work in college, and focusing on our careers when we left, was finally paying off. We went over to the desk and paid, where the girl behind the desk gave us a fake smile that hid her disdain. She obviously didn’t think we fit in, and maybe she was right. We could afford the price, but we came from a different world than the socialites and business men and woman who frequented the club. For us, this club would never be the norm. It was a once off luxury to celebrate the end of an era for us, and a means to an end for Macy and Andrea who hoped they could find someone desperate enough to screw me. She took our coats and gave us our stubs for collecting them at the end of the night. I put mine in my clutch bag straight away, afraid of losing the ticket if I wasn’t careful. We walked down the carpeted entrance, which screamed luxury and superficiality. Our high heels made us walk taller as we passed the opened doors to the place where the magic happened.

We stood still when we made it inside, our eyes taking in our surroundings. The floor was carpeted with a plush, electric blue carpet. The walls were silver and lined with mirrors that made sure you could see everything that was going on. The two, spiral staircases that stood on opposite ends of the main floor were silver metal and what looked like diamantés that made the light from the chandelier reflect off them elegantly. The main dance floor was like any other you’d find in a typical club, with its wooden floor that was accessible by going down three steps. It was encased by a silver rail, making it look exclusive. The rest of the place was covered in plush couches with mahogany tables. They were set up like booths, and lit up with candles in the table. The bar was the main attraction though. It screamed class and elegance, with the bar tenders dressed in tuxes and styled to perfection. The coloured bottles that contained alcohol of every kind imaginable were thrown about with practised precision as they made cocktails to order. The men behind the bar were all extremely good looking, clean shaven and full of charm guessing by the smiles they threw out to unsuspecting customers. The waitresses that walked around carrying trays of drinks were just as beautiful and well dressed in short black dresses, high heels and high ponytails. Make up seemed to be a must, but strictly minimal. I envied their natural beauty, wishing I could look so casually gorgeous without a pile of makeup.

‘C’mon girls, I say we should start with strawberry daiquiris’ Macy took charge, linking our arms and guiding us to the bar.

‘What can I get you ladies?’ the blond barman who came over to us spoke with a low, husky voice and flashed us a smile worthy of an A List actor. It was distracting, and I was thankful Macy seemed unaffected enough to order for us.

‘Three strawberry daiquiris’ please, and three tequila’s while you’re at it.’ She flashed him her own pretty smile.

‘Coming right up, ladies!’

‘Should we be starting shots so soon?’ I asked, past experience making me wary of doing too much too soon. It never ended well for me.

‘Chloe, darling, we’re making sure you get so drunk tonight that you stop thinking so much and just go with the flow, okay? You need to get laid, and getting drunk is the first step to achieving that goal!’

The barman put the shots in front of us, smirking at us in a way that let us know he had heard. I refused to look at him; my face would only turn a brighter shade of red. Instead I picked up the packet of salt in front of me, opening it with a vicious tug and poured it on the front of my hand. I clasped the slice of lemon with the same hand, careful not to spill the salt. With my free hand I grabbed the small glass containing the amber liquid, waiting for the others to do the same. When we were all ready we clinked our shot glasses together before licking the salt, downing the shot and biting into the lemon.

The bar counter had a mirror sheen to it, making me grimace when I saw the face I pulled while drinking the vile liquid. My stomach churned, hating me for forcing it to digest tequila. The daiquiris’ were put in front of us by the time we recovered and I wasted no time taking my first sip to get rid of the bad taste left behind from the shot.

‘Let’s get one of the booths; my feet will kill me if I stand for too long!’ Andrea gestured to one of the two free booths directly opposite us, which had a direct view of the dance floor and the bar.

We raced over as fast as our high heels would let us, ensuring that nobody would take the seats from us. We sat down, enjoying the feeling of resting our feet. High heels were a necessity considering my barely five foot frame, but they were a killer. We sat and drank for an hour, each of us drinking another two cocktails and a shot. We weren’t drunk yet, but we were certainly on the way to destination drunksville.

‘So, do you see any guys you like?’ Andrea interrupted Macy’s rant about a slutty girl from work, earning a huff from Macy.

I scanned the room quickly, without really looking. I had no intention of meeting anyone tonight but I needed to at least pretend to be on the lookout to avoid a lecture on how I needed to ‘loosen up’.

‘Nope’ I drawled out, emphasising the ‘p’ sound with a pop.

Macy and Andrea started scouting too. I was sure they realised my lack of interest while looking so they were taking it upon themselves to find a suitable candidate. It seemed like they had given up when I saw Andrea’s eyes light up.

‘Well well,’ she muttered, before whispering to Macy. I saw Macy’s eyes widen at Andrea’s words in either shock or giddiness, I couldn’t decide which. All I knew was that either way, it wasn’t good. I decided to follow where Andrea’s eyes had landed but not seeing anyone who I would go for.

‘I’ll be right back’ Andrea stood and, quickly fixing her dress. I watched her go, but I was surprised to see she didn’t go over to anyone. I saw how her gaze lingered on a raven haired man, who gave her a knowing smirk but she didn’t approach him. She continued to walk on. After that I stopped watching, guessing that I was over reacting.

Upon her return I realised I shouldn’t have been so easily misled. She came back to the table with the raven haired man in tow. I couldn’t deny that she had picked someone who was my type. His raven hair was slightly long, going just past his ears. His skin was deliciously pale, and in the soft light of the club it appeared blemish free. His lips were thin but perfectly shaped, with a cute cupid’s bow that begged to be kissed. His smile was boyish and charming, and if I had been standing I’m sure my knees would have gotten weak. His eyes were a hazel colour, big, wide and enthusiastic. His grey shirt was opened at the top, showing his neck. The black jeans he wore were tight, and showed off the fact that he had amazing legs. It was also with mortification that I realised if I looked hard enough I could see his ‘package’. Upon the realisation I immediately turned red, and avoided looking anywhere but at his face.

‘Girls, I’d like you to meet Gerard. He’s a …friend of Claire, my boss. Gerard, I’d like to meet Macy, and my friend I was telling you about, Chloe.’

‘Hi Chloe, It’s nice to meet you’ he grinned, giving me a megawatt smile.

‘Hi’ I gave him a small wave, thankful for the alcohol in my system that gave the courage to speak.

‘Gerard, why don’t you take a seat beside Chloe’ Andrea suggested with a devious smile, earning a panicked glare from me.

Before I could protest he slid into the booth beside me, trapping me on the inside. My heart was thumping widely and my brain was on overload as I tried to calm myself down. It didn’t help that I could smell him, which sent my senses into overdrive. If there was one thing that turned me on more than anything, it was a man who smelled good. And boy, did he smell divine.

‘I’m sorry about her’ I immediately apologised, feeling ashamed that he had been dragged over to me ‘ I don’t know what she said to get you over here, but whatever it was I’m sure it iasn’t true.’

‘I don’t know about that. She told me she wanted me to meet her friends, one of whom is a very pretty redhead. She introduces me to a very pretty redhead. So far she’s true to her word.’

I was hoping the blue light that engulfed the room would hide the blush that had crept onto my cheeks. He was staring at me with a knowing look and I was sure he could see how flustered his words had made me. My skin was starting to heat up, and it was nothing to do with the temperature of the club.

‘So, why don’t you tell me a bit more about yourself Chloe?’ He asked, taking a sip of beer. I could see the way his Adam’s apple moved as he gulped the liquid down. I swallowed hard, trying not to let him know just how much he affected me with that one simple action.

The gleeful look in my friends’ eyes told me the horrible truth. In spite of all my protests about not wanting to meet anybody for a relationship or casual sex, I may have just met the person who might be the exception to my rule.

Notes

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