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Chapter 13
When we pulled up in front of the club, I was relieved to see that it
wasn’t "The Stardust." This was a club called "Smash" and it was smaller
and on the opposite end of town. I took a deep breath and jumped out of the
Durango after Brian. He immediately put his arm protectively around my shoulders
and steered me towards the door. In the two days that I’d known Brian
he had become my friend and my protector.
AJ and Deb were waiting at the door for us. Kevin and Howie had gone inside
to get a table. Once again, AJ’s arm was around Deb. Something was
definitely going on between those two. I looked up at Brian and he just stared
back at me. The emotions I was feeling were reflected in his expression.
We had all gotten to know each other a lot better during dinner. Unfortunately,
the more Brian got to know Deb, the more he liked her. The same is true for
my feelings about AJ. This was beginning to be too much to handle.
Our thoughts were broken by an enthusiastic, "Hey guys!" and a giggle from
Deb. "Oh G-d," I thought, "she’s getting giggly and hyper and we’re
not even in the club yet! That’s not a good sign." Stacie answered for
the four of us who had just gotten there.
"Hey Deb! Hey AJ!" Since when was she bubbly? Stacie’s always grouchy
and, if by pure accident, she wasn’t and was in a good mood, she was
never bubbly. I gave her a questioning look and she just shrugged.
"Follow the leaders!" Deb called, dragging AJ though the door of the club.
Stacie and Nick went in next, followed by Brian and I. Within seconds we
reached the table where Kevin and Howie were seated.
After we had all greeted each other, AJ asked, "OK, who wants a drink?" AJ
looked like he was ready to start bouncing off the walls he had so much energy.
"I don’t think you need a drink!" I laughed.
"Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. He’s the most fun when he’s
drunk," Kevin whispered to me. I laughed again.
At this point we began going around the table telling AJ what we wanted.
Apparently Stacie and Deb hadn’t learned their lesson because they both
ordered beers. Howie and Kevin opted for margaritas, while Nick, Brian, and
AJ said that they would all get beers as well. I went last and once again
asked for a berry wine cooler. What can I say? I’m not a big drinker.
I never liked the taste of beer and hard liquors much.
"OK, now who wants to come with me to help me carry this stuff?" AJ questioned.
Brian, Nick, and Deb all voulenteered. The four of them left leaving Stacie,
Kevin, Howie, and myself standing around the table. Kevin suggested that
we sat down to wait for them. On cue, we all sat down in the nearest chair,
except for Stacie who made a point of walking all the way around the table
to plop herself down next to Kevin.
I began talking to Kevin and Howie. I noticed Stacie staring at Kevin. Did
she like him? "We’re a really pathetic group," I said silently. "Deb
and AJ like each other, but I like AJ and Brian likes Deb. Now I’m beginning
to think that Stacie likes Kevin when Nick likes her!" Kevin hadn’t
noticed Stacie’s stares because he was facing Howie and I, and I think
Howie was just plain oblivious.
Suddenly, the song "Blue" began blasting from the speakers. This was one
of Stacie’s favorite songs. She immediately jumped up and asked "Kevin,
you wanna dance?" and then proceeded to drag him onto the dance floor without
waiting for a reply. As he was being dragged away Kevin looked at me pleadingly.
I just shrugged and gave him a cheesy grin.
Howie and I continued talking. I glanced occasionally at the dance floor
to watch Stacie and Kevin. About 5 minutes later AJ, Nick, Brian, and Deb
returned with the drinks. I signaled to Kevin, who was more than willing
to stop dancing that the drinks were here. Kevin the proceeded to drag Stacie
off the dance floor and back to the table.
When they reached the table they joined in our "game of musical chairs."
Everyone was moving around the table trying to sit by the people they wanted
to. The seating arrangement ended up as follows: Kevin was at the head of
the table, to his left was Stacie, to her left was Nick, and to Nick’s
left was AJ. On the other side of the table, to Kevin’s right, was Howie,
then Brian, then me, and last Deb (of course across from AJ).
After we had all settled down and taken a few sips of our drinks the separate
conversations began. Stacie, of course, chattered non stop to Kevin and Nick.
I conversed with Brian and Howie. That left AJ and Deb in their own little
world at the end of the table, which wasn’t such a good idea because
they both consumed quite a few more drinks than the rest of us.
Deb and AJ had been playing footsie under the table for about a half hour
when suddenly Deb began giggling uncontrollably. She was rocking back and
forth in her chair so hard she slid off her seat to the floor under the table!
AJ stood up and then crouched down to make sure Deb was OK. No one else noticed
because they were involved in their own conversations. Actually, I was still
talking to Brian and Howie and had watched this scene out of the corner of
my eye.
When neither of them reappeared after about 5 minutes, I unconspicuously
pushed my chair out and peered under the table. To my surprise I found them
in the middle of a kiss! (one of what must have been many in those five minutes)
I scooted my chair closer to Brian’s and whispered, "Those two work
fast." He gave me a confused look. I let my eyes flick to Deb and AJ under
the table. He followed the motion and then looked up at me, clearly startled.
(at Deb’s behavior, not AJ’s, no definitely not AJ’s)
I winked at Brian and, interrupting Howie, said loud enough for the others
at the table to hear, "I don’t know where Deb and AJ went. Maybe we
should check under the table." Curiousity made everyone stop and look under
the table. After everyone had seen the two busy people, I decided that it
was time to interrupt them.
I winked once again at everyone, then leaned over and knocked on the table,
right above their heads, and loudly said, "Are you planning on coming up
for air anytime soon?" I had clearly caught them by surprise because they
both jumped, although AJ hit his head making the table shake. This knocked
over some of the empty glasses and a bowl of peanuts that had been sitting
on the table, sending peanuts flying everywhere. Everyone was laughing, including
me, but just my luck I had been leaning over at just the right angle for
a peanut to fly down my shirt.
I sat up straight and began squirming in my seat and playing with the bottom
of my shirt trying to get the peanut out. "Damn!" I thought. "I can’t
get this out without drawing attention to myself." By this point both Deb
and AJ had resurfaced, and Deb noticed me squirming.
"What’s the matter? Make a deposit in the First National Bank?" Deb
asked.
"Yeah," I replied, "When AJ hit his head he sent some peanuts flying." Both
Stacie and Deb nodded and the three of us got up and left for the bathroom.
I was obviously going to get the peanut out of my shirt, while Deb was probably
going so she could tell us about AJ, and Stacie needed to be filled in on
everything, because she had been in her own little fantasy world with Kevin
and Nick. Anyway, we left five very confused guys at the table, not knowing
what had gone on except that we had caught Deb and AJ off their guard.
Fifteen minutes later we returned to the table to find the guys all huddled
at one end of the table, probably having a conversation similar to the one
we had just finished. I was tempted to laugh. Maybe guys and girls weren’t
so different after all.
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