Who Knows?

"He's not my boyfriend."

We arrive at the bar around 10pm. Tess says it's a great place to pre-game some more before we go to the club. Cheaper as well, since the drinks in the club are horrendously priced. After one and a half hours of nursing cocktails and playing pool at the bar, we make our way to the club.

There's a small line outside of the door and we go to stand in it and wait. After 5 minutes in line, the bouncer checks our IDs and lets us pass through the entrance of the club. The bass massages my whole body the second we step inside. The DJane is playing some bass-heavy R n' B song and I sway my body to the beat right away. Tess takes my hand and starts pulling me through the crowd toward the dance floor. The air is heavy and thick with smoke and perfume and the lights are flickering in many colors, creating shapes on the walls of the club and on the skin of the party-goers. The both of us have a good level of drunkenness going on and we start shaking our bodies and hair to the music as soon as our feet touch the dance floor. Ear-to-ear smiles are plastered onto our shiny faces and I am so happy we decided to go out tonight.

We dance for a good hour before I signal Tess that I desperately need to pee. We squish through the sweaty crowd, stepping over broken glass and sticky puddles. Delightful, I know, but all part of the experience.

After a lovely chat with a bunch of girls in the bathroom and a glass of water at the bar, we head back to the dance floor. Slow Motion by Trey Songz is playing and Tess and I smirk at each other. We get close together and start grinding our bodies against the other's thigh. Our hips going in slow circular motions and we can't help but laugh out loud at our ritual whenever that song comes on at a club or party. Frat boys go crazy for this performance, let me tell you.

I push my hand through my hair and throw my head back, slowly lowering my body to the floor before swinging back up to a stand. Before I can register what's happening, I feel a body pressing into me from behind. Hands circle my waist and move down to grip my hips. I have no idea who's behind me but I am feeling the moment, I am drunk and I just want to dance. So I continue dancing, grinding against the man behind me. He smells my hair and whispers something in my ear that I cannot make out. When the song comes to an end, I look around for Tess but can't see her anywhere. I decide to find out who I have been dancing with and spin around to face the mystery man.

He is kind of short, only taller than me by a few inches, and has black and slightly curly hair. His eyes are dark but kind and his skin is a very pretty olive color. I smile at him politely and he pulls me into him before whisper-shouting into my ear.

"You are very pretty, what's your name?"

"Thank you. I am Romy." I tell him.

"My name's Eric." His hands are still on my waist. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Sure." I nod at him and we walk up to the bar. He asks me what I want and I tell him vodka with Red Bull. He orders water for himself.

"You don't drink?" I question.

"I had enough for today." He answers and I nod in understanding.

"Let's sit and talk." His hand lands on the small of my back and he leads me to an empty table. I sip my drink and wait for him to start the conversation. I briefly wonder where Tess is but knowing her outgoing nature she's probably made a ton  of new friends and is having a dance battle in the middle of the crowd.

After a bit of small talk, Eric's face grows serious. He furrows his brows and it reminds me of the way Eli furrows his brows when he is upset or thinking hard about something. Shit, Eli! I haven't even thought about him. Is this okay what I am doing? I mean, yeah, sure it is. Right? I haven't really done anything. And I don't intend to do anything with Eric besides dancing and talking.