Page 14 of Knot what I want for Christmas
I hiss at her, “Is this another one of your pranks? Are we gonna walk inside and everyone else is in baggy jeans and hoodies after all?”
“Hollie,” she says, “this is the only place there is to go out dancing unless you fancy driving through the night. Trust me, everyone is going to be dressed in their best glad rags. Anyway,” she says, shrugging, “since when do you care what people think?”
“Hello,” I say, “always. I’ve always cared what people think. You know that.”
“Well, you shouldn’t,” Annie says, leaning on the door and holding it open for me.
Warmth and even more noise blasts straight into my face and I see the bar is packed, absolutely packed. They’re three deeparound the bar itself, every table is occupied and there’s a dance floor too, already full, a band on a stage at the back, playing their hearts out.
“Okay,” I say to Annie, “I take it back.”
Because she’s right, everyone’s dressed up, most people in their cowboy boots that they’ve definitely been shining, nearly every girl dressed either in a skirt, a dress, or jeans so tight they look like they could rip with any sudden movements, Men in shirts, hair gleaming with styling product. The aroma is overpowering, especially to an omega like me – a thick cloud of perfume, aftershave, hairspray and beer. For a moment it has my head spinning.
Annie grips my arm that bit tighter and leads me through the crowds of people. Several I notice looking our way. Several sweeping their gazes up and down our bodies.
“Jeez,” I lean forward and hiss in Annie’s ear. “Are you sure this outfit’s okay? I feel like everyone’s looking at me.”
“Because you’re a newbie,” she says. “Everyone knows everyone around here, and anyone new stands out like a sore thumb.”
“Great,” I say, “terrific.”
“Stop moaning,” she says. “Let’s get some tequila.”
Annie’s only a couple of inches taller than me, and is way more upbeat than her brother, yet she still seems to conduct his air of dominance. In fact, at times she can be downright scary. She has no problem pushing her way through the crowds hovering by the bar, several giant-looking cowboys stepping right out of her way and letting her pass through, until finally we reach the bar itself.
It takes Annie no time to be served and I gather that’s because one of the barmen serving tonight has an almighty big crush on my best friend. In fact, his whole face lights up like theChristmas trees I’ve seen outside when he spies her, bypassing all the other clients waiting to come serve us first.
“Hollie,” my friend shouts, because it’s hell of a noisy in this place, “This is Travis. Travis, Hollie.”
We shake hands over the bar and then Annie’s telling him to line up four shots of tequila – two each.
Travis winks at Annie and then gets to work and I shout right back in her ear, “Got anything to tell me about this ‘Dude’?”
Annie pinches me. “Let’s just say my sex drought has well and truly ended.”
I look the man over. He’s wearing a denim shirt, the sleeves rolled up, his forearms strong and covered in inks. Dark stubble covers his chin and his eyes are dark too. Just my friend’s type. I can see why she wanted to come here and why she wanted to dress up.
Travis lines up four shot glasses in front of us, drizzling the tequila along the row and, and then slamming a little pot of salt and two slices of lime down in front of us too.
“Thank you, Travis,” Annie says with a flirtatious smile.
“My pleasure, sweetheart,” he chimes right back, the two of them eye fucking each other.
I cough loudly, snapping Annie out of it before she’s tempted to leap over the bar and climb the barman.
“Ready?” Annie ask. Pouring some of the salt onto her hand and then some onto mine.
I peer at the tequila. Me and Annie used to go out drinking a lot back in our college days. But since she left town, and my mom got sick, I’ve spent more time on my sofa in front of the TV than I have down at any bars. My tolerance for alcohol must definitely have taken a nosedive. Still, there’s no way I’m backing out now, and I think with all the eyes of the townsfolk on me tonight, I’m going to need a bit of Dutch courage.
“Ready,” I say, dragging my tongue along the salt. My friend does the same.
Then, I pick up my shot glass as Annie picks up hers. We tap them together and then Annie’s counting down. “Three, two, one.”
I tip my head back, throwing the drink into my mouth and swallowing it straight away. It’s about a million times stronger than I’m expecting and immediately I’m coughing and spluttering, my eyes watering.
“Lime!” Annie shouts.
I pick it up and shove it in my mouth, sucking furiously. I can already feel the mascara I carefully applied onto my eyelashes swimming down my face.
