City in the Middle

by Colleen Green

  “Are we playing for money?”

  My nether regions tingled at the thought of what I wanted instead. It wasn’t bills. “If I win, we can go back to my place.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Either way, I win. It will be your place or mine.”

  I had never been that forward before. I had never met someone and had a one-night stand on the same night. That would be the fun in having a fling. There would be no commitment and no chance he’d break my heart later. He had given me the green light, and I was willing to pursue him.

  We continued selling merchandise throughout the night, flirting with each other when we didn’t have customers.

  “What do you do at the dealership?” I asked Leo.

  “Sales.”

  The thought of the used-car-salesman stereotype made me cringe. Luckily, Leo didn’t notice the look on my face as he got up. I didn’t plan on falling in love with the guy, anyway. Even if he did swindle customers on the lot, it didn’t matter, because we weren’t going to date.

  “I’m going to go get another one.” He shook his empty beer bottle. “You ladies want anything?”

  “Looks like Cam already got ours,” the blonde sitting next to me said, gesturing at Cam, who came over and set a martini in front of her and a water in front of her brunette friend.

  I shook my glass at Leo, and he nodded. I bit my lower lip as I watched him walk away in jeans that fit snugly around his perfect butt.

  Could I be satisfied with a one-night stand? Once I had a taste of him, would I even want anyone else? Would I be able to not get attached? I planned on drinking heavily so I wouldn’t chicken out. I can do this. I just need some more alcohol to stay the course.

  I rolled my neck, trying to relax. The blond girl working at our table got what looked like a sugar packet out of her purse and put it in her martini. I found it odd that she would add sugar to a cocktail.

  She leaned back and shook her head toward her friend. “Water—what the hell, Marta?” she asked, raising her voice. “You’re not drinking.”

  Marta whispered something in her ear, and the blonde squealed in delight and hugged her friend.

  Cam sat where his brother had been.

  “There’s only one reason she wouldn’t be drinking, right? Pregnant?” I asked him.

  He agreed.

  “Why did she put sugar in that drink?” I asked him.

  “It’s not sugar.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows. “You mean it’s an artificial sweetener?”

  “Nope,” he said in a deadpan tone.

  I stopped asking questions. I was afraid of what the answer could be if I kept prying. Was it drugs? How often did Cam see this sort of thing to not be fazed by it?

  “I’ll have the new CD and a signed poster, babe,” a young man said to the blonde. I noticed as she gathered the merchandise that she was wearing an enormous engagement ring. What does her man do for a living?

  I sold two CDs and three T-shirts to some young people, but it wasn’t near enough to beat the blonde’s sales. It didn’t look good for me. I was going to lose the bet.

  I finished the last of my rum and Coke, which was mostly melted ice. Where is Leo? Celtic Crescendo had played three songs in the time he’d been gone, and I lost track of how many customers I had helped while he was away. I gave a man his change and wished Leo was sitting next to me. Should I excuse myself from the table and go look for him? The blonde was chatty, and I didn’t know if I could get her attention to tell her where I was going, since she kept talking to the lady buying a T-shirt.

  Finally, Leo came back with my rum and Coke, which I drank quickly, given my need for alcohol to give me courage. Cam got up, and Leo took his chair.

  The DJ announced that Fiona’s band would be taking a short break. He played one of the softer songs from their new album, making it easier for me to hear people talk.

  “I’m going to go talk to Fiona,” Cam said.

  Leo nodded and turned to me. “How are your sales going so far?” he asked, smiling.

  “I’ve sold fifteen.”

  “Looks like you’re way behind,” he said. He glanced at the line of young men forming around my competition with items to purchase.

  I saw Daisy, who was making her way over to us. “I’ll be back in a few.” I slid a paper over to him, on which I had been keeping track of our sales competition.

  I made my way through the crowd to her. “Daisy, I’m so glad you’re here.” I hugged her. “Let’s get some more drinks.”

  “I have to go to the bathroom first,” she said, taking my hand and leading the way.

  We went to the ladies’ room, and Daisy went into a stall. There were only two, and luckily the other was open, because I had to pee a river. After I locked the stall door, I heard two ladies talking.

  One said, “It’s better than you thought, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, I need more!”

  I flushed the toilet and opened the door to see Daisy leaving. The girl at the sink handed the other some money. She took the wad and shoved it in her pocket. She rooted around in her purse then pulled out a few packets, which looked like the kind I saw earlier when the blonde dumped something into her martini, and the woman took them from her. Their actions seemed to confirm my suspicions about the sugar-like substance being drugs.

  I stood, frozen. The girl who bought them looked directly at me. “What are you looking at?”

  “Nothing,” I mumbled. I washed my hands, avoiding eye contact. On my way out, I ran smack into Daisy and Cam.

  “Hey, girl,” Daisy said. “Did you see what those ladies had in the bathroom? If you want to try it, I can get you some.”

  “No. You don’t sell it, do you?” I asked Daisy, afraid she’d say yes.

  “No, but I know some people who do.”

  I didn’t ask who she knew that sold drugs. Is it her friend Mercedes or their boss, the owner of the fashion boutique? Is that why Darlene thought her working there was not a good idea? Does Darlene know about the powder? She never said her sister was involved with drugs. I had a ton of questions to ask, but a crowded bar was not the place to have that conversation. It would have to wait. Then again, do I really want to know the answers? Darlene did ask me to keep an eye on Daisy, though, which would require getting the answers.

  After making our way around the crowd, Daisy and I got our drinks. Mine was a double rum and Coke, nice and strong. It would help me to relax when I was with Leo at the end of the night.

  The band started the next set with a fast-paced song. The crowd faced them and sang along. Daisy and I stood in the back. For a few minutes, I was a part of the group, enjoying the music and my break from helping the customers.

  After a few minutes, Daisy and I went back to the merchandise table, and I stumbled to my chair. It was clear, based on the small number of CDs and T-shirts remaining in front of the blonde, that I had lost the bet. Leo slid the score sheet over. Next to my name was the number 15, and the blonde had 25. I took the pen, wrote I accept defeat, and slid the piece of paper toward Leo.

  After reading it, he flashed a grin. I held back but kissed his lips softly, only giving him a taste of what was to come. As I slowly pulled away, I looked into his eyes and felt the warmth of passion radiating from them. The alcohol was lowering my inhibitions by the minute.

  Daisy cleared her throat. I looked her way. “I’m going outside to wait for Darlene,” she said. “I got a text from her. She’ll be here soon.” She smiled and left.

  Marta returned to the table and put the camera away. By listening to the conversation of the girls next to me, I learned the blonde’s name. It was Adrianna, who dumped white powder into a new drink and guzzled it. She had to have had more to drink than I had, and that was saying something.

  Mercedes, Daisy’s coworker and friend, came up to the table. “Hey, girl,” she said then kissed Adrianna on the cheek.

  While leaning down, she slipped something into Adrianna’s hand. Adrianna put more
packets into her purse then put something into Mercedes’s hand. Mercedes kissed Marta on the cheek and then sat next to her. They chatted for several minutes.

  Adrianna jumped up and slammed her drink down. My heart stopped for a beat when she pointed her finger in Marta’s face and yelled, “What did you say about my man?” Her eyes blazed with anger.

  Mercedes shoved Adrianna back in her chair. She fell hard. “Calm down, she didn’t say anything about your man.”

  Adrianna bolted upright and got in Mercedes’s face. “Don’t cover for that whore!” she said, shoving Mercedes out of her way.

  Marta stood. “What is your fuc—”

  Adrianna threw her drink in Marta’s face.

  One of the guys from the car-dealership group rushed over and stood between the women. “Babe, what the fuck? You’re causing a scene.” I assumed he was Adrianna’s fiancé.

  “She just admitted it, right in front of me. How could you sleep with her and get her pregnant?” Adrianna poked him square in the chest with her finger.

  “I didn’t say that,” Marta protested, getting between them.

  Adrianna narrowed her eyes, staring at Marta. She swung her hand toward Marta’s face. Right before her hand made contact, her fiancé grabbed her wrist. Marta’s face flooded with relief as she backed away. He threw Adrianna over his shoulders. She thrashed about, pounding her fists on his back and screaming at the top of her lungs. Mercedes and Marta went in the opposite direction, toward the bathroom.

  “Maybe someone should follow Adrianna. Her boyfriend has his hands full,” I suggested to Cam, who had come over after Adrianna screamed.

  Cam shook his head and sat down. I shoved halfway past Leo when he grabbed my waist and forced me to sit on his lap. “Listen, hon,” he said, wrapping his muscular arms around my waist as his manhood hardened against my butt cheeks, “these girls aren’t sweet and subtle like you.” I felt his hot breath on my neck as his lips grazed my ear. He brushed my hair back. “Stay with me.”

  “Only if Cam checks on them.”

  “Would you, brother?”

  Cam said, “Yeah, I guess. But you owe me.” He got up and left.

  Watching Cam leave, I spotted Daisy and Darlene heading to the bar.

  “I’ll be back in a few,” I said to Leo before I got up from his warm lap.

  Excited to see Darlene again, I couldn’t maneuver through the crowd fast enough, and the multiple rum and Cokes in my system made it difficult. Along the way, I stepped on a person’s feet and bumped into someone else. I kept my head down, apologized to my victims, and moved on. When I reached the bar, Daisy was paying for some beers. She handed one to Darlene.

  I leaned on Daisy for support. “Hey.”

  “She’s pretty hammered,” Daisy said to her sister as I plopped down on a stool.

  “Damn! The one night I get out of the house, and she’s not going to remember it.” Darlene rolled her eyes.

  The rest of the evening became a blur. The time I spent with Darlene flew by. Daisy said she was leaving with Mercedes and that they would take the train back to the city. I switched to drinking water, but the alcohol had already kicked in. At best, I could hope the water would prevent my head from exploding the next day.

  Dan announced that the band would be hanging out and signing autographs. He encouraged the crowd to stick around. The DJ played one of their songs as they started to leave the stage. Cam rushed to Fiona’s side and swung her around in his arms.

  I sipped water, sitting on the barstool. I would be going back to Leo’s place, since I lost the bet. I couldn’t wait to get into Leo’s bed and fall into his arms.

  I got up and stumbled, stepping on Darlene’s foot. “Sorry,” I slurred.

  “You didn’t drive here, right?” Darlene asked, steadying me.

  “Nope, I’ll show you who I’m going home with.” I took her hand and led her to Leo.

  “You ready to go?” I said to Leo, not sure that I wouldn’t pass out before our fun began.

  Darlene said, “Ah, I think I’d better take her home.”

  I saw Fiona and Cam heading our way. There was an empty table in between them and me. Cam leaned against it and pulled Fiona into his arms, kissing her. I needed to tell Fiona I was going home with Leo. I took two steps in their direction before the room started to spin and my stomach convulsed. I gripped my abdomen and held onto the edge of the table. I felt Leo and Darlene put their arms around my shoulders. They led me to a chair, and I sat down.

  “See if you can get her some coffee from the bar,” Darlene said to Leo. “I’ll stay with her.” Leo followed her instructions. She stood by me. “I’ll take you home or your roommate can, but you’re not going to some man’s place like this.”

  I didn’t have the strength to argue. She was probably right. I had crossed the line from drinking enough for one-night-stand courage into the realm of the wasted.

  Fiona and Cam came over. “I’ll see that she gets home,” Fiona said.

  “Thanks,” Darlene said, rubbing my back. She leaned down and said, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  I was aware that I was making a fool of myself in front of Leo, but I was also too drunk to stop it. I held my head up with my hands and leaned my elbows on the table, trying to make the world stop spinning.

  Leo came over with a cup of coffee. “This should help.” He put it in front of me.

  I was so close to being with him under the covers. After tonight, I doubt that it will ever happen. I’m making an awful first impression.

  Cam said, “I’m leaving with the boys, babe.”

  Fiona kissed him.

  Cam left, heading in the direction of where Adrianna had been carried off by her fiancé. I wondered if her fiancé was one of the boys he was heading out with.

  After I managed to take a few sips of coffee, Fiona and Leo helped me down the stairs. Once I was outside, a wave of exhaustion hit, and all I wanted to do was sit. I leaned against a convertible BMW.

  “We should take a rain check on that bet. I can take you home. All you have to do is get in.” Leo motioned to the car I was bracing myself against to stand.

  I nodded. At least he was being a gentleman. I probably would have blacked out on him if we tried to have sex.

  He unlocked it with a key fob. I got a whiff of his aftershave as he got closer and started to open the door. It was too much for my sensitive stomach. The putrid vomit traveled up my throat, and I spewed chunks all over the leather interior of his car.

  Fiona pulled my hair back. “I’d better take her home.”

  Once I got all the vomit out, I wiped my mouth. I turned around and leaned on her, trying to steady myself because the world was still whirling.

  She rubbed my back. “Come on, sweetie, let’s go.” She took my hand and we walked toward her car.

  “I’ll walk with you,” Leo said as he caught up to us, which was easy since I was moving at a sloth’s pace.

  Fiona dropped her keys and let go of my hand. I leaned against Leo, waiting for her to pick them up. A tremendous boom shook the ground. I heard screams. Pieces of glass sprayed out in front of me as tiny pricks rained down my back. What the hell? Leo’s eyes were as big as saucers. He looked at the blood on his shirt. All the color drained from his face.

  Chapter 8

  Istarted to turn around to see what happened.

  Fiona gripped my shoulders, stopping me. “Not a good idea!”

  Her custom-made outfit had been splattered with what appeared to be blood. She squatted and threw up to the right of my feet. People came out of the bar gasping for air. I heard sirens in the distance. They grew louder as Fiona finished hurling.

  Fiona slowly got up and said, “We need to go.” Blood from tiny cuts trickled down her face. “You can’t see this, Amber. It’s too much.” Her voice quavered, and her eyes glazed over then welled up. She blinked, releasing a tear. Seeing her absorb the shock from witnessing whatever caused that horrible sound was difficult. I began to
weep, unable to bear seeing her in disarray. “Please, let’s go to my car and leave,” she said. “Right now!”

  I nodded. Turning, I faced away from Leo’s car. She sighed, and the panic in her eyes faded.

  I wanted no part of whatever had happened behind us. Deep down in the center of my gut, I had an awful feeling I knew what it was, from the sounds, blood, and shattered glass everywhere. I was almost certain that a mangled body was on top of Leo’s car.

  I didn’t see the corpse. The sound of the unfortunate soul crashing into the car was enough to give me nightmares, and to add a visual on top of that would be unbearable.

  Leo faced his car with his mouth wide open. He was frozen like a statue. Fiona placed her arm around me, helping me balance.

  “Leo.” Fiona shook him with her free hand.

  He blinked slowly and focused on me.

  “I need you to walk w-w-with us to F-F-Fiona’s car.” I slurred my words, which didn’t help me get Leo out of shock and understanding what I was asking him to do.

  He tilted his head and tightened his eyebrows. “Walk where? What?” He started to move past me, toward his car. “Marta, fuck! Oh God!”

  Fiona grabbed his arm and pulled him back to us. I never turned around to see Marta. I didn’t need or want to. I knew Marta was dead.

  “I don’t want Amber to see this.” Fiona made eye contact with him as he ran his shaking hand through his hair. “I’m sorry you did. But we need to leave now. I can take you home.”

  He nodded, and we walked away from his car. Fiona guided us through the crowd forming in front of us. The sirens grew louder, and I could see flashing red-and-blue lights from the cops headed our way. The last thing we needed was to answer questions when they arrived. We could barely absorb what had happened. I was too drunk, Leo was in shock, and Fiona was trying to hold the group’s sanity together.

  Once we reached Fiona’s car, I knew none of us were in any condition to drive. Even though Fiona had offered to take Leo home, I didn’t want her behind the wheel after what she had witnessed. Now what do we do?