Without You

Chapter 2

September 2007

We pull into the parking lot of Step just as the last few parking spots are filling up. It's a busy Saturday night as always, sometimes it seems to take all night to just get to the front door. As we stand in line to get our I. D's checked at the door there are three women behind me smoking cigarettes and betting on who will be able to get a guy's number tonight. Their conversation is making me somewhat envious. Not because of how they are dressed, I like not having to pull my dress back down my thighs every time I take a step. Jeans and t-shirt? I'm good. Jeans and heels with a nice shirt? I'm good. I may wear a dress on occasion but nothing like these women. I'm envious of these women because they seem genuinely happy to be coming to a place like this. Unlike me who wishes I could duck out of this line and run back to the car. 

After the doorman checks our I. D's, Kylie sees us walking through the door and flags us down right away.

"Hey, I thought you guys would never get here!" She's within a foot of all three of us but is having to yell over the pulsating dubstep song playing.

Sara yells to Kylie, "Yeah, well if Em didn't take so long to get ready we would have been here an hour ago." Her remark makes all of them look at me and I give them a slight smile. I scoff and then stick my tongue out at them.

Sara and I have known Kylie since we were in high school but Sara was always a closer friend to her than I was. Nonetheless, I do consider her a close friend.

It's starting to feel a bit awkward that we are still standing by the front door so just as I'm about to start pushing through the sea of people Kylie notices Robby standing next to me.

"Robby! I didn't know you were coming!" She flashes him her flirty smile and lightly touches her fingers on his arm. "I'm glad you did though."

That's not the reaction I was expecting. I never thought she liked him but this is just strange. Surprisingly, her intimate gesture doesn't faze me. I could care less.

I interrupt Kylie's conversation with Robby, "Oh hey, where is Brody by the way?"

Brody works the bar at Step on the weekends but he is also Kylie's boyfriend. Her face flattens, "He's not working tonight so he's saved a spot in the back for us. He brought one of his friend's cousin or nephew." She shakes her head, "I can't really remember but he isn't from here. He's apparently from Dallas." Wow, I thought this was supposed to be a girl's night. I guess not. Nephew? My mind starts to wander. Why would anyone leave Dallas to move to a place like this?

We start to work our way through to the back as people's elbows and shoulders hit me left and right. At this rate, I'll probably have some bruises tomorrow. As we step up onto the platform where the booth runs along the wall, the crowd finally opens up, leaving some breathing room. The one booth runs along the entire length of the club with tables mounted in front every few feet, barstools sit on the opposite side. When I spot where Brody is waiting for us at our table, I see him.

I don't know what his name is or even who he is but I completely forget where I am. He's wearing a work uniform; I figure this because his entire outfit is black. Black shoes, black pants and a black t-shirt that reads "Cheddar's" in big white letters. I hold back a giggle. His hair is black or maybe a deep brown, I can't tell under the dim lights of the bar. I can tell that he styled it to spike up a little in the front, but it looks a little worn like he just left work. His right arm is covered in tattoos from the base of his wrist until they disappear up into his shirt sleeve.

Actually, he's pretty gorgeous. I'm beginning to wonder what his eyes look like up close. I wish I could walk up to him and see exactly what colors they are made of but I decide that that would probably be weird. I wonder if they are light blue or maybe blue with a little....