Flashes;

Chapter One

Chapter One

Elise tossed back her third shot of the hour, while scanning the busy dance floor with hopeful thoughts. She kept thinking that maybe, just maybe, her friends would show up at any minute with happy smiles and sincere apologizes about not getting there sooner. With every passing second, her hope started to decline as she thought about the tequila she had just swallowed.

Flagging the tan bartender down and waving her empty shot glass in the air, she watched as he reached for her favorite bottle and strutted in her direction. As he reached her, she placed her glass heavily on the counter and drummed her fingers on the dark granite surface impatiently.

"You're all set," his accented voice purred towards her before he settled on his elbows, eyeing her. "Are you one of the girls that came with the bride?"

Glancing around the club once again, she spotted one of the few women in pink who at the exact moment smiled and waved in her direction. Elise gave a smirk and waved back, before turning back to her glass and the man in all black still waiting for an answer.

The smooth glass touch her bottom lip as she mused her momentary friend, "Did the giant, pink 'I'm with the bride' pin give it away?"

He chuckled as she took her swig, all while she noticed how his eyes lingered over her pin and the strap that it was attached too. "Maybe."

Elise wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, knowing that it was not at all lady like, and not so lightly placed her glass back down while enjoying the warm simmer starting in her chest. "I could have sworn you were going to say something about being a great people reader."

"Ah," she heard his tongue click the roof of his mouth. "Well that I am."

"Oh?"

A quick review around them and the bartender crooned his index finger, drawing her ear closer to his lips. "I saw you at the door earlier, all alone, you are not really with those women," Elise backed away a slightly, startled. "You saw them get in because they were on the list and were also so drunk that you could slide on in without anyone questioning it."

She stood back up and straightened her back the best she could while staring down the bar native. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

Dark lashes covered his cheeks when his eyes closed and he chuckled lightly to himself. "Fine," with his hands up in defeat, he started to back into the shelf of liquor behind him. "Your secret is safe with me, pretty lady."

A shudder ran through her spine as she made a move to cut through the dance floor and to where her new "friends" were waving her over. Once last glance behind her and she saw that her shot glass was still waiting patiently in the exact spot she had put it down and the creepy bartender was no longer watching her.

"Hey E!" The bride to be slurred as she struggled to get up from the overly plush chair that could only be found in the VIP section of the club. "We were just getting ready to play my bridal games!"

She watched as all the other women in the group grew more excited while the woman in white rummaged for something in her clutch. Not that she cared too much, she didn't even know the bride's name or who her bridal party was. Elise had decided that she did not need these girls looking for her when their night got out of hand, so she just gave them her nickname that she had as a child.

"There are games for these kinds of things?" she spoke quietly to herself.

Apparently she was not quiet enough because the blonde giggling next to her, turned and stared at the party crasher with wide eyes. Elise held her breath in fear that she would be found as the intruder of the group, but the woman broke out in a crooked smile and clapped her hands over her shoulders.