Page 2 of Hot Set

Meaning I wasnotgoing to put it on my to-do list, but I knew from experience that arguing with Mom was a lost cause. She did have a valid point, though. I admittedly hadn’t been out any, and it wouldn’t hurt to be a little more sociable; to go out some, maybe even have some fun. I had been away from Bluehaven long enough that I could start over, begin anew. I could be a new and improved Alex. That might be nice, especially if I was going to be staying a while.

“And,” I said, “I’m going out tonight, actually.”

“Areyou?” Mom asked.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

I didn’t know exactlywhereyet, but I would figure that out.

Because I’d left shortly after turning eighteen, I had never experienced Bluehaven’s nightlife, and the potentially different atmosphere stirred up all the excitement in me that college oncehad. The enjoyment of college was that it was new and exciting. I had gone to the University of Southern Mississippi with every intention of becoming a new, cooler, more outgoing person, which fell flat. I hadn’t fitted in with those Southerners any more than I’d fitted in with the folks in Bluehaven. Part of me knew that reinventing myself was potentially a crash-and-burn, doomed to failure, but another part of me thought the whole concept seemed so…well…doable. It was as if there was another, more social and outgoing Alexander Addams buried inside me somewhere, and I just had to let him out. Somehow.

I wandered into a bar and glanced around. Although it was completely irrational, I couldn’t help but feel as though everyone was staring at out-of-place me. The bar was large and crowded. A live band blasted on stage, filling the bar with rock from the 80s. It was dark and smelled of bourbon, which is, I guess, better than smelling like a Men’s Room. After all, itisa bar. I headed toward the polished bar, where a crowd had gathered.

I now was here. This was something before which I had never done. I was on my way to becoming more assertive and outgoing. Yessir! Good for me. I bounced my leg and waited for the bartender to come my way.Now what?

My eyes darted to a group of women dressed in short, sequined dresses and astronomically high heels. I wondered if I could possibly gather the courage to approach them, or even one. I had never asked a woman out, even though there had been no shortage of attractive women on campus. God, wasn’t I pathetic? I sighed and leaned against the bar. This was absolutely dreadful. Why did I have to be so awkward? No one else was this awkward. Not that I knew of anyway.

I took a deep breath.

“Drink?” the bartender asked.

“Uh, sure,” I replied. “I’ll have a hard cider.”

I didn’t have any particular aversion to alcohol, but beer tasted like bread soaked in urine. Admittedly, I had never tasted urine, but I just imagined that’s what urine would taste like, if I had to taste it..

The bartender nodded and went further down the bar, presumably to grab my drink. I glanced back toward the women again and hoped they wouldn’t notice me looking at them. Was everyone this awkward with women? Had I just imagined that other menweren’tstrange when they were around women?

After the bartender brought my cider, I took a massive gulp of it, taking in the taste of apples and the faint afterburn of alcohol. I shifted awkwardly and wondered if I looked as out of place as I thought I did. Rationally, I knew people weren’t looking at me. I wasn’tthatimportant, and I didn’t look especially distinct or anything. I was utterly average, sonobodywas looking at me. I sighed and took another swig of cider. More outgoing. I needed to be more outgoing. I was here, and the whole thing would be a waste of time if I just stood around by the bar and didn’t talk to anyone.

Another swig of cider. I was getting absolutely nowhere.

I glanced at the women nestled together at the opposite end of the bar. They had split up, and two remained. A brunette and a woman with short, vibrant green hair. Just talk to one! It wasn’t really all that hard, right? Surely, all I had to do was go up and introduce myself.

“Hey! I haven’t seen you here before!” a man’s smooth baritone exclaimed.

I slowly turned around, unsure if I had been addressed or not. The man who had spoken stood beside me, and when I looked at him, he smiled brightly. He was a decent looking guy, one who probably had women swooning all over him. His hair was blond and spiked up in a trendy sort of way, and even in the dim lighting of the bar, I could tell that his eyes were a pale, icy blue.He’d worn a tight, black shirt and a black wool coat. This man wasmadeof money; that was apparent just looking at him.

“Um…” I trailed off.

“Brandon,” he said helpfully. “And you are…?”

I awkwardly glanced back toward the two women down the bar. “I’m Alex,” I replied.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Brandon said.

There was something in Brandon’s gaze, an intense sort of interest that I didn’t quite pick up on..

“You, too,” I replied.

Brandon tilted his head a bit, like he was trying to piece something together. “So, what brings you to Bluehaven?” he asked.

I felt heat rise to my face. “It’s an embarrassing story,” I said.

“Oh?”

“I—uh—I’m originally from Bluehaven,” I said, “But I’ve had to move back. My after-college plans didn’t go as planned.”

Brandon laughed. “I know something about that,” he said.

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