Page 16 of Your Rhythm
“YOUSSEF! YOUSSEF! YOUSSEF!”
A few people around us pick it up, and in the next instant it’s the only word coming out of anyone’s mouths. The music gets more and more shrill until there’s a split second of silence before Youssef drops the beat, and everyone loses their shit. Arms start flailing around me, and think someone spills half their drink down my back, but I can’t even bring myself to care because the only things in the world right now are the pulsing lights and the mind-numbing bass that seems to seep through me like a slowly spreading high.
JP’s face swims into focus beside mine, his teeth stained blue by the strobe lights. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and turns us towards Ace and Cole, still standing to the side on a small platform a foot above the crowd. They hold their beers up in our direction and we wave back. Just as I’m turning away to face Youssef’s booth again, my eyes catch on someone standing alone a few feet to the right.
She’s hidden by the semi-darkness and rows of writhing bodies that keep blocking her from my view, but I recognize Kay Fischer when I see her.
From the way she’s staring straight in my direction, I’m pretty sure she’s seen me too.
“I’M GOING!” I shout to JP, even though he’s probably not paying attention anyways.
Getting out of the crowd is just as hard as getting in, and I’m panting by the time I reach Kay. She greets me with a wry half smile and says something I can’t make out.
“WHAT?”
I watch her lips move but still can’t tell what she’s saying.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”
“I SAID,” she yells, standing on her toes to get closer to my ear, “ARE YOU HAVING FUN?”
“OH! YEAH! ARE YOU?”
She gives me a look that questions my sanity and then motions for me to follow her down to the far end of the room.
“Better?” she asks.
My ears are still ringing but it seems like we might be able to have a somewhat normal conversation now.
“I was in the neighbourhood, and since you weren’t answering your texts I figured I would try stopping by.”
“Right. Sorry. Got kind of carried away.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
I expect her to be pissed off but she looks amused.
“How long were you standing there?”
Her half smile turns into a full one. “Long enough.”
“Like my dance moves?”
“I don’t know if I’d consider that dancing, but it was...entertaining.” She clears her throat. “Anyways, I’m sorry to interrupt your night, but my article’s already late. Do you mind if we just go over the quotes really fast?”
“We can go somewhere else,” I offer. “Somewhere that doesn’t have a raging techno party going on in the background might be better for an interview. There’s a Thai place right across the street.”
“Here’s fine.”
I wasn’t suggesting a date, but somehow it still feels like I’m being shot down.
“I’ll just read you what I remember you saying, and you can correct me if it’s wrong,” she continues.
“Okay, but you’re going to have to come a little closer. I still can’t hear you very well.”
I can hear her perfectly fine, but if we’re not getting any more time together tonight, I’m making the most of this moment.
Taking a step nearer, she pulls her phone out. She reads a few sentences off the screen, stopping in between to ask me if I want to change anything. I tell her everything sounds fine, only somewhat listening to what she says as I let my gaze drift to the tattoo I noticed last night.
