The Line Between(14)

“Hey, Bobby.” Jade spoke his name with familiarity, and returned the burly guy’s smile, causing his cheeks to redden. She had that affect on many a man, proving that no one was immune to her charm.

“Nice to see you again, Jade,” replied Bobby. “You enjoy your break?”

“It was great, but I missed this place.” She winked, and I thought Bobby was going to pass out.

“We missed you too,” he replied. “You girls celebrating something tonight? You look smokin’.”

“Actually,” Jade pulled me closer. “We are celebrating my friend’s birthday. Bobby, this is Kennedy. Kennedy, this is Bobby.”

I gave him an awkward wave, and smiled politely.

“Happy Birthday.” He said.

“Thank you.”

“You girls have fun, and be safe.”

We all nodded as he lifted the velvet rope, yelling at someone just inside the door to wave our cover charge. Jade kissed Bobby’s cheek as thanks, and led us inside.

The dark entrance gave way to a large room filled with students. The strobe lights flashed wildly, coating the room in luminescence. It reminded me of lightning during a summer storm.

There was a bar along the west and north walls, with a sizable dance floor in the center of it all. The DJ was situated to our right, overlooking the dance floor, while the impressive VIP section sat to our left.

Jade surveyed the room with confidence, and then walked towards the VIP section where she greeted another bouncer manning a rope.

“Well what do we have here,” the tall, lanky guy said. He wasn’t as big as Bobby, but through his suit it was clear he was still well built. He had sandy blond hair, and could’ve easily passed for a surfer. His mouth tipped into a leer, admiring Jade’s outfit. Her silver dress had a plunging neckline, and reached mid-thigh. Her blue Steve Madden heels made her legs seem longer, but not as tall as the guy currently hugging her to his body.

“Tony,” Jade greeted. They exchanged pleasantries, and then he allowed us into the VIP section. His eyes followed me, and it gave me chills of the worst kind. He made me feel naked, and I didn’t like it.

“Ignore Tony,” Jade murmured. “He’s harmless, and no man here will be able to ignore you tonight.”

I self-consciously fingered my curls, feeling slightly out of my element. Jade and Ashley had no problem fitting in, though. Ashley was dressed in tight black pleather leggings, with a sparkly gold top that hung loosely around her waist. Her dark hair was straightened, and held back with a black headband. The large gold hoops hanging from her ears caught the light, and shimmered, while the black spiked Louboutin’s donning her feet completed her rocker chic look. She looked incredible.

“Jade’s right,” added Ashley. “You look sexy as hell, Kennedy, and if I was a guy I’d be sporting a semi right now.”

Ashley’s comment caused me to giggle, and had somehow broken through my nervous haze. Both her and Jade had spent over an hour helping me get ready, and when they were done, the girl in the mirror was unrecognizable to me. My blonde hair hung in loose curls, reaching just below my shoulders, and I’d borrowed a pair of Jade’s nude Steve Madden platform heels. My eyes weren’t as dark as Ashley’s, but she’d somehow managed to still make my irises pop, making my green eyes, brighter.

I had a faint rose blush on my cheeks, and a nude gloss on my lips. Aside from my nude clutch, the only other accessory I had was the silver heart-shaped pendant hanging around my neck.

I’d thought twice about wearing it, worried that I’d lose it, but then I realized that having it with me was important. It made me feel like the two people who were safely nestled inside were here with me, and I took comfort in that. I hadn’t been able to wear it until now, the memories it came with still too raw and painful to think about. But tonight was the perfect occasion, and I chose to treat my birthday as the proverbial turning of a new leaf.

“Promise me one thing,” said Jade. She took my hands in hers, and leveled her gaze.

“Okaaaay,” I replied, drawing the word out.

“Forget about everything, and have some fun tonight. You deserve it.”

She didn’t have to explain what she meant by everything. I already knew. I’d been carrying the weight of circumstances beyond my control and their consequences for over a year, and I wanted to forget the cloud that had been hanging over my head since then.

“I’ll try,” I replied. “I’m sure you have something up your sleeve though, which should take care of that.”

Jade’s mouth formed a wicked smirk, and I was almost too afraid to know what she had planned.