Chapter 2
1172 Words
As she took a sip of her fifth glass of whiskey, its warmth slid down her throat, momentarily soothing her troubled mind. The clubhouse was filled with the gentle hum of conversation and the soft sound of music playing in the background. She noticed a few people seated at the counter, some engrossed in their own worlds, and others exchanging casual glances.
As she gazed out of the window watching the rain fall, lost in her thoughts, a soft voice interrupted her reverie, "Mind if I join you?" Turning her head, she found a strange man standing beside her, a warm smile plastered on his lips. He was tall with wavy dark hair and a pair of captivating eyes that seemed to sparkle with a light of their own.
Vanessa hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to entertain a stranger. But something about his playful demeanor put her at ease. "Sure, why not?" she replied, trying to sound more composed than she felt. The copious amounts of alcohol flowing through her veins was also to blame for her reduced inhibitions.
He gracefully settled onto the barstool beside her, and the bartender approached him, asking, "What can I get you, sir?"
"I'll have what she's having," he said, gesturing toward her whiskey.
The bartender nodded and poured another glass of whiskey for the stranger. He grabbed the glass with thanks and as he raised his glass in a silent toast, their eyes met, and she couldn't help but smile back.
"I hope you don't think of it as creepy but I was watching you from over there and it seemed like you could use some company," he said.
She chuckled lightly, appreciating the gesture. "It's not creepy and is it that obvious?"
He grinned. "Only to someone who knows what it's like to sit alone at a bar, trying to drown their sorrows."
Curiosity got the better of her and she set her glass down. "And do you often find yourself in situations that require alcohol to drown out?”
His eyes glinted mischievously. "More often than I'd like to admit.”
Vanessa was more than intrigued and she was eager to hear more about the mysterious stranger in a creaseless blue suit.
“Do tell.”
“Oh, that would be boring for the both of us.”
He took a gulp of his drink and Vanessa found herself fixated on the way his throat worked.
“Well, I've got all night.”
Vanessa shrugged as she watched as the twinkle in the man's eyes turned into an interested sparkle.
Soon they were knocking back drinks and laughing like they were two old friends who had just reconnected.
Somehow the alcohol made the last two hours of Vanessa's life more bearable.
“He was a piece of s**t anyway,” Vanessa slurred as she sipped her seventh glass. “The only thing I regret is not setting fire to that cheap ass condo that he calls an apartment. I'm just glad I never have to have to have s*x with him again. Slow and steady does not finish the race, if you know what I mean.”
The man beside her laughed and Vanessa followed him.
“Bar's closing,” the bartender interrupted their laughing to inform them.
At that Vanessa looked around and found that they were the only ones left in the clubhouse.
“Now what?” she asked the man, not feeling like going back to sulking in her apartment.
“We could go back to my apartment and continue the conversation there. I live right around the block from here,” he offered tugging on the collar of his shirt.
Vanessa did not stop to consider the implications of following a stranger to his house in the middle of the night. She jumped right at his offer.
“Sure. I've got nothing doing tonight.”
“Awesome,” his smile was blinding as he ran his hand through his hair.
Vanessa was captivated by that action and her unfocused eyes drifted to his plump pink lips. She wanted to bad to put her own lips to his and see how they tasted.
“Ok, let's go.”
While she was in her dream land he had settled both their tabs and had even fetched Vanessa's jacket from where she had spread it out to drip.
He helped her into her jacket and the two left the bar.
The rain had subsided by that time and the only thing that reminded was the chill in the air and the wet street as they walked through it.
“So what do you do when you're not providing company to drunken women who haven't had their lives together?”
He chuckled and scrathed the side of his face. “Let's just say I'm a consultant for a company.”
She nodded, that tracked with the suit he had on.
“What about you?”
“I'm an actress, I actually just got cast in a really big movie, so there's that.”
“Wow,” his eyes widened. “That's amazing. You should be celebrating.”
“I know, right? But with everything that has happened today I haven't found the time.”
“That's perfectly fine. I think I have some cake in my fridge and wine, if you want. We could celebrate there.”
Vanessa was touched by this man's kindness. Her own mother had not bothered to ask her if they producers had gotten back to her about her audition.
She immediately pudhed back thoughts of her mother.
“Yeah, I would really like that,” she told him with a genuine smile.
He was not lying when he said he lived close by. After about five minutes of walking he lead Vanessa to an unassuming gray house.
“Make yourself at home,” he told her after unlocking the door and letting her in.
Vanessa perused the interior of the house as he went into the kitchen.
The house had simple furniture, a white rug and decorated in calming hues of blue and white.
“Here we go,” he came out holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a plate containing two pieces of cake in the other.
“I know it's not much,” he explained as he set the items down on the glass-topped coffee table. “But it's what I can do in the short amount of time.”
“Thank you,” Vanessa told him as he came back with two wine glasses. “This means more than you know.”
He smiles and poured wine for both of them.
“To more successes,” he toasted and they clinked glasses.
Once the cake was finished and the wine drank they leaned back on the couch.
“Now what?” he asked as their eyes connected.
Vanessa's gaze fell to his lips again and she did what he had been wanting to do all night. She kissed him.
- Writer
