Page 53 of The Significance of Moving On

“It’s not just us.” Kelsey then waves to our friends who have slowed their dancing to watch us conversing with the handsome “stranger”.

He lifts his chin at our friends with a dangerous, dangerous smirk on his lips. “Then I suggest we take what the night is offering.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Slowly, my eyes blink open, foggy with a pounding head attached. Kelsey sleeps with her leg slung over my torso and Pam and Ann are sprawled out over the floor. The couch is unfamiliar, as is the room. Carefully I slide out from under Kels making sure not to wake her.

There’s a half—okay three quarters—naked man standing in the open kitchen, a man that I’ve never seen before, at least I don’t remember seeing before, no matter, he stands sipping a cup of coffee leaning against the counter. His hands grip the white mug protectively.

“Glad one of you is up,” he whispers. Thank god he whispers because I couldn’t handle anything louder.

“Is this your place?” I ask, pinching the bridge of my nose.

He nods.

“How—how did we get here?”

“You don’t remember?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“You came with a group of people—listen, I have to get to work. When your friends get up, make sure to lock the door when you leave, okay?”

“Where’s Daniel?”

“Who the fuck is Daniel?”

Oh.Shit.

We all seem to be fully clothed. Everything in the right spots. Yet Daniel is nowhere in sight and apparently not known in these parts. What did we get ourselves into last night? I feel my pulse pounding in my neck and forget about my heartbeat, it feels like it’s about to rip a hole in my chest. Casey can never know about this one. What did we do, what did we do, what did we do?Just calm down Chantal. You’ve survived more than this.Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

“Help yourself to coffee,” the man whose apartment this is calls from the bedroom. I’d forgotten he was even here.

After about five minutes he steps back out into the living room in a sharp pair of black slacks, white button down and a small black apron slung over his shoulder, obviously a waiter at one of the more upscale eateries downtown.

“Remember to lock up,” he says and that’s it. That’s it. After checking the bedroom and bathroom, well I have no doubt we’re completely alone in a strange apartment.

“Come on. Everybody up.”

They don’t respond. I clap my hands loudly making sure to stop by each girl’s ear. My head throbs more with each clap, but we have to get out of here. Ann stirs, Pamela stirs, groggy and irritable they both launch broken expletives at me and the morning, but Kelsey still won’t get up.

“Kels.” I shake her. “Kelsey.” Still she doesn’t respond. “Pam, does her breathing look normal?”

“What?” Pam stretches as she stares down at Kelsey. “Oh, god. Does she look pale to you?”

Shit.She does. She looks pale and her breathing is shallow. “Kelsey. Kelsey wake up now.”

“Why won’t she respond?” Ann moves to Kelsey’s feet shaking her vigorously. Still nothing.

“My phone. We need a phone,” I snap while trying to choke back the panic in my voice. Panic won’t help Kels.Breathe. Just breathe.

“I don’t know where it is.”

“Ann, find a fucking phonenow.” Okay okay okay, I’m losing the panic battle. “Call 911. One of you—Kelsey. Kelsey wake up.Oh god.”

I shake her shoulder and she’s limp, absolutely limp. This cannot happen. Tom, now Kelsey.No.No. I need those images out of my head.No. I won’t let it happen.

“They want to know is she breathing?” Ann’s panic becomes this palpable entity in the room. There’s no time for relay. I swipe the phone from her hand.

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