Heart Of Gold

Making A Move

"Do you like my hair this way?" 

Gail tilted her head at her reflection and turned to Rose. "I can't decide."

"It looks nice," Rose answered carefully, "but I feel like you'll have more fun with it down."

"You're right." Gail pulled the elastic from her hair and let it fall down her shoulders.

Rose moved to stand beside Gail in front of her bedroom mirror. The edges of her lips turned up in a crooked grin and she winked at her reflection. "We look good! Look at you, those pants are amazing."

Gail had on hot pink jeans with a skimpy black tank top. With her wavy hair and curves, Rose couldn't help but feel momentarily envious of her friend's figure.

Looking back at her own reflection, those feelings vanished. 

Her blue eyes popped against the white crop top she was wearing. The high-waisted leather pants she'd bought a while back and stuffed in the back of her closet fit perfectly.

Gail put her hands on Rose's shoulders. "Let's make a promise. Tonight, we will not be thinking about Danny. Not even for a minute."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Rose laughed. "Tonight is for us." Rose took a swig of the bottle of bourbon on the nightstand. "Who knows, maybe we'll meet a tall dark stranger."

"In this town? Not likely," Gail laughed.

Outside, the evening air seemed to tremor. Caught between coolness and a warm breeze that seemed to be fighting its way into being, Rose couldn't shake the anticipating coursing through her as they wandered up towards the town's main road. 

Before long they could see the neon bar sign.

Dusty's was dark, with stage lights beaming up at the local cover band. They weren't very good but could at least keep the beat going and with a few drinks in her system, Rose doubted she would notice anymore.

Their friends were waiting at a booth near the dance floor and Rose hurried over to see them. 

Beth, whose white-blonde hair nearly glowed in the dim lighting, pulled Rose down to sit beside her. Gail plopped down beside Cara and Ashley and waved at the bartender to bring them drinks. They were there often enough that he knew what to bring over and came by carrying five bottles of Kokanee and an equal number of tequila shots. 

After downing the shots and beer, they got up to dance.

Rose loved dancing. The rhythm and the excitement of being part of the pulsing crowd always made her laugh and she let her mind go blank. She lost track of how long they were on the dance floor but eventually thirst brought them back to their table for more drinks and a brief rest. Rose wasn't paying attention to the crowd around their table until two strangers appeared beside them.

With a beat-up varsity jacket and a lumberjack coat, the two boys looked normal enough. Rose figured they probably weren't creeps and returned their friendly smiles.

"This might be a weird question," the one in the varsity jacket started, "but we've been waiting for a table to open up for an hour now and I don't think anyone's moving. Would you mind if we joined you for a drink?"

Rose glanced at her friends and eyed the stranger. 

He's got balls, she thought. Why not?

She edged inwards from the edge of the booth bench, patting the space beside her. Gail did the same across from her and let the boy in the lumberjack coat sit down next to her.