The anecdote is hurt, its pain, its raw dog hitting rock bottom to the point you feel you’re too ugly to be loved, too nasty to be touched, and not deserving enough to die.
Chapter 1
The club was dimly lit and you could feel the vibe. The harsh lyrics were perfect for the way Natalie was feeling, rough and vulgar. She decided to keep the good feeling going and ordered two shots of Ciroc, higher priced vodka, and a cranberry flavored energy drink to chase them with. The bartender wasn’t able to set the shots down before Natalie reached out for them, grabbed them out of her hand in midair, and threw one back. The next shot wasn’t far behind. She set the shot glasses, stained with her ruby red lipstick, on the bar. With a smile and warmth crusading through her body, she dialed back a bit and asked for a salted caramel martini.
“Sorry we’re out of Caramel vodka, want anything else?” the bartender asked.
She brushed a few stray hairs out from in front of her glassy eyes and stammered,
“Ummm Yea… do me a…. Ummm…” she squinted while reading the drink meny propped up in front of her before replying, “What do you suggest?”
“I got you,” the bartender replied, winking. “Trust me.”
She told her the name of the drink but Natalie barely heard her. Along with the loud music blaring from every direction there was a better distraction around. The sight before her made her hearing sense take backseat as her sense of sight took over.
“I’m going to order me a drink, you drinking with me?” The distraction said.
He possessed a voice that ran deep and sat in your soul after he left. Very Dennis Haybert-ish leaving Natalie to believe she would be in good hands, at least parts of her would be. She enjoyed the bass in his voice more than the words. Finally she jumped in to end the one way conversation.
“I’m just waiting on my friend,” Natalie said while regaining her cool wishing, just a little, that she would have specified that she was waiting on a female friend.
“I’ll buy youa drink but I ain’t buying a drink for you and all your lonely ass friends.” He smiled a perfect smile.
“Who says my friends are lonely?” she played along.
“I’m kiddin’… mostly.”, he leaned in and said into her ear. . “What’s your name?” he asked, while still standing.
“Natalie. My friends call me Nat. Might I ask yours.” She tilted her head to the side and seductively stared into his eyes, awaiting his response.
“Nope,” he smirked and turned away from her waving the bartender over and winking at Natalie. She watched as his long black eyelashes seemed to be moving in slow motion. He handed a twenty-dollar bill over to the bartender and walked away, his grin big as the room they were in, his dimples deep enough to stretch out and bathe in.
The smooth chocolate fella’s scent followed slowly behind enjoying the pleasure of teasing her. She crossed her legs and watched him until he was out of sight. On cue, the bartender was back. In her hands she carried not one, but two drinks. It was a good thing too, alcohol made Natalie bold.
“Mmm! Smells gooooood! What is this?” Natalie asked, bringing the glass to her nose.
“It’s the chocolate covered pretzel.” Said the bartender. She spoke loudly trying to be heard over the music accustomed to repeating herself to the crowd she serviced.
“Oh ok. Thanks,” she grabbed for the drink and enjoyed a sip, sucking the course salt off the rim of the glass. “But I think I’ll only need one of em.”
“The guy you were speaking to bought you two of them. He also left his number for me to give to you.”
Natalie raised her eyebrows in surprise and then laughed.
“No,” Natalie said laughing and shaking her head. She was beginning to feel a bit wavy. “That’s okay but I’ll take the drinks, Bottoms up right?” she laughed some more.
“She will take his number!” Jade rejoined Natalie and gave her the eye. If Natalie noticed she didn’t let on. After the bartender scribbled the gentleman’s number down she handed over the paper and pocketed the twenty.
The girls tried to stay together as they navigated the sea of drunk dancers. It was hard to have a conversation because of the loud music but of course they tried anyway. Jade told Natalie that she doesn’t think the nameless guy who bought the drinks looked that great but then again guys who wore dreads weren’t really her thing. That was however Natalie’s weakness. She assumed he was younger, twenty-five maybe and he probably wasn’t worth much time. One priceless gift he possessed was the ability to provide a pleasant distraction. Right now, however, the dance that was raging inside of Natalie was enough. Dwight was farthest from her mind. A few other men attempted to talk to her as well. But the vast majority of the guys flocked to Jade. They had no idea what they were getting into. After a drink or two on their dime Jade was quick to evoke disappointment. Natalie worried sometimes when this took place. Angry drunken men were not the easiest to diffuse. Jade, on the other hand, had always been fearless.
Before the DJ could shout last call they began searching for an exit. Stumbling by the door, Natalie handed Jade her small purse and began the unsnapping and unzipping process of removing her heels. Jade stood by tapping the purse against her leg.
“Red bottoms,” came a smooth baritone voice from the club, “Or should I call you Nat? You said that’s what your friend’s call you? I can be your friend if need be, pretty lady.”
He stood at least a foot over Natalie as he entered her space.
“I can at least be your friend for the night…” He said.
Natalie looked at Jade as if second guessing taking the guy’s phone number, she was not impressed. Handsome? Yes. Tactful? Not quite. Still, he seemed to be a bit entertaining so the goal was being met.
“You sir can call me Natalie, Mr. no name! Or should I just call you Mr. dimples?” she drunkenly replied.
He chuckled, quite intoxicated himself.
“You can call me Travis shorty. Come over here and talk to me,” he said, already in route to one of the tables stationed outside the nightclub. “the night don’t have to end just because the music did… come talk to me.”
Heels in hand she sloppily walked over, ignoring Jade’s face of disgust and the fact that she already dug her car key out of her purse. They still had a couple blocks before they would reach the parking lot where Jade’s vehicle was parked.
Cars whirled by them as Natalie and Travis continued their back and forth banter, name calling and discussing what they usually do after a night out. Natalie let him know she was not usually a part of the night scene. She looked around to make sure that Jade was out of earshot before telling Travis that she wasn’t exactly single. She was just not being understood and want quite understanding of her boyfriend and their situation at the time. She called Dwight her boyfriend for lack of a better term, she did not tell Travis this. He informed her that he wasn’t exactly a seasoned vet of this area but had relocated just recently and was checking out Cleveland’s nightlife. So far he had not been disappointed.
“Come hang out at my place and I’ll drop you off to your car or house or whatever later.” He grinned as if it was required to finish the sentence, as if it were punctuation.
“Dude I live an hour west of here!” she replied.
“So.”
“What you mean so?”, Natalie laughed before adding “and what would Jade do?”
“Yea, she don’t look like she would want to be a part of this.” He joked some more.
He told her that he has a townhome he is renting. It is in Willoughby hills, about twenty minutes in the opposite direction. He promised that if she decided to come over she could go home whenever she was ready, the time meant nothing to him.
“Mmmhmm and what would your girlfriend think of that?” Jade interjected, obviously not as far removed as Natalie originally thought.
“She would probably be a little pissed but you let me handle that,” he winked at her.
Her eyes grew wide and her face must have drastically changed because that dimple came out to greet her as he laughed away at her. Her face softened, still not sure if he was serious or not but beginning to shake from the wind-chill effect. In Cleveland, it could be fifty degrees and still feel like it was negative fifty. The alcohol was beginning to wear off so it was important that they make it to the car.
“Have a good night.” Natalie teased, that same sloppy smile planted on her face. She got up to leave and yelled behind her, “Don’t get in no trouble.”
“I’m gone call it a night shorty.” Travis said.
“Natalie…” she abruptly, but playfully, corrected him as she turned to look at him. Jade continued to walk.
Natalie, he mouthed. “Gimme your number because I think your friend is going to go without you if you talk to me much longer.”
Natalie dug in her purse but couldn’t find a pen. She scribbled it on an old Walmart receipt with her eyeliner. Travis was going in to kiss Natalie on her check and caught her lips instead. Though very awkward and unsolicited Natalie let it happen and didn’t speak on it just nervously smiled and walked away.
“That was gross! You don’t know him. He could have just given you Mono!” Jade continued her rant all the way to the car. Natalie didn’t even realize Jade was close enough to see what had happened. Furthermore she did not know why she let it happen but it made her smile as she thought about it. Dropping her off, Jade handed her some Advil and instructed her to take them now with a cup of coffee before lying down.
“Oh and your nasty ass can’t drink after me anymore,” Jade yelled before rolling up her window and driving off. She made sure to keep watch in her rearview mirror to make sure Natalie did make it inside.
Natalie waived her off and stumbled up her stairs, through her door and off to dreamland.
D's Quest for Extraordinary Pebbles 