Struck By You
Streets were filled with people on that late Saturday night and the line for the club was wrapped around the corner of Edge Street. Allen, Neil, and Rod stood in line for what seemed like a half hour, but in actuality it was only ten minutes. Allen wore a simple black dress shirt with white slacks and black dress shoes, Rod wore a blue polo shirt with khakis and brown dress shoes, and Neil was dressed in his usual black t-shirt with camo cargo pants and combat boots.
"We're at a club," Allen complained about Neil's attire, "You could have at least worn something more appropriate."
"I didn't want to come to this crappy joint in the first place." Neil sneered.
"Geez, dude, lighten up!" Rod smacked Neil's back and grinned, "We're going to be dancing with all of the ladies tonight!"
"You're so childish." Allen closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses along his face.
They were screened for anything metal and had their ids checked before they were allowed to enter the club. Once inside, the bass pulsed through the walls, and they were not even close to the dance floor.
"This is huge!" Rod amazed and the long hallway leading to the inner part of the club.
"What a waste of space." Neil grumbled.
"Keep your negativity to yourself." Allen huffed.
The music was electronica and the floor was filled with people grinding, jumping, and having a good time. Rod immediately was lost in the crowd and Neil and Allen headed for the bar.
"Two beers," Neil flashed a ten dollar bill at the bartender who nodded at them.
"You're going to drink all night, aren't you?" Allen sighed.
"Want one?" Neil never looked at him for a second and sat on the bar stool closest to him.
"I'll pass." Allen shook his head, "You really should lay off the alcohol a bit."
"Shut it." Neil growled and paid for his two beers.
"You've been drinking heavily since Felicity dumped you." Allen concerned for his friend, "Why don't you go find a girl tonight."
"And do what?" Neil faced Allen and snapped, "What would a girl want to do with me?!" He took a swig of his beer and lowered his voice, "You heard what Felicity said about me."
"Who didn't," Allen rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Well, I am going to see who Rod picked up on floor." Allen left without Neil saying another word.
Neil grumbled, "Why can't they leave me and my damn business alone." He took another swig. The beer was cool and hoppy in the front of his mouth, but as the beer slid down his throat, the warm and bubbling feeling calmed his nerves. He took another swig.
"Dude, get your ass out there!" Rod smacked Neil's back again and took a swig out of Neil's second beer.
"I swear to God," Neil threatened, "If you hit me one more time…"
"Chill Neil," Rod took another swig and grimaced, "Damn, what is this shit?"
"If you don't like it, then don't drink it." Neil ran his hand along the neck of the bottle.
"Woah…" Rod gaped and stared at the general area of where they entered the club.
Neil followed Rod's eyes and saw two girls that he recognized from their small town outside of the city. It was Tina and Rio. Tina, a brunette, was Rod's girlfriend; she wore a strapless teal mini dress with a heart shaped bodice and ruffled skirt with a golden sequenced belt. Rio was the new single farmer in their town. She was taller than Tina's five-five figure and had long blonde hair. Rio wore a short pale pink halter mini dress. The straps were sequined and the sequins continued down the dress as a belt.
Neil glared at Rod, "Why did you tell them!?"
"What!?" Rod defended, "I didn't say anything!"
"I can't imagine that she goes clubbing." Neil returned to his drink.
"Dude! She has too!" Rod laughed at Neil's ignorance, "Especially with a killer body like that!"
"Watch your mouth." Neil laughed light heartedly and took a sip of his beer. The bottom of his beer bottle clinked against the table topand Neil waved the bartender.
"Excuse me for a minute," Rod patted Neil's shoulder and slinked his way over to the girls.
Neil shook his head and chuckled before he took another swig. Neil hated clubs, hated dancing, and hated anything that had to relate to the subject. He was a socially awkward type of a person and sometimes his appearance frightened people.
"Not with Felicity though," He gritted his teeth, "Not with that damn bitch." Their break up was a bit abrupt and harsh. Felicity broke up with him because he was too dedicated to his work and she hated cows because they produced milk, which she also despises dearly. "It's not my fault that a man's got to earn his pay."
"Have the girl's arrived yet?" Allen returned to the bar.
"So you're the culprit." Neil accused him.
"Look," He explained himself, "Yuri has been telling me how much Rio talks about you, and I think that you should at least give her a chance." Allen pushed his hand through his hair and glanced over to where Rod and the girls stood and Neil's eyes followed, "She's cute." He nodded at Rio, "She'd be a good fit for you too."
"Dude," Neil angered, "Let me get over Felicity first."
"It's been six months Neil," Allen sighed and sat on the bar stool beside him, "And she's gotten over you."
"Don't remind me." Neil finished his second bottle. Or was it his third?
"Now, you're looking desperate." Allen disapproved of Neil's drinking habit, "You're going to get drunk faster than a jack rabbit on a hot griddle in the middle of summer."
Neil spit out some beer, "Who the hell says that?"
"I do." Allen unamused, "Now, I am going to greet our guests." He left Neil alone to his drink and thoughts.
"Hey!" Neil shouted at the bartender, "I'll take another!" Neil pulled out another ten and placed it down on the table. He fidgeted with his collar while he waited for his beer, "Why is it so damn hot in here?" A sweat drop dripped from his brow to his chin.
The bartender brought over another beer and took Neil's money. Neil slowed down on his drinks. "Maybe I am desperate." He stared blankly at the bottle and then glanced at Allen, Rod, and the girls. They conversed about something hilarious because Neil noticed Rio laughing at one of Rod's shitty jokes.
"Can't keep his damn mouth shut can he?" Neil grumbled and took a swig of beer. He was annoyed at his friends and he was even more annoyed at the blonde that, from what Neil interpreted from Allen, took interest in him.
Rio moved into town two years prior and since her arrival the town has boomed like it did in its former glory days. Neil met Rio in her first spring and was ordered by Dunhill to bring her a cow. He remembered how she smiled and was overjoyed because of the generous gift. Rio was a regular customer to his shop and when he was not busy, she would converse with some small talk. Neil enjoyed their trips together to the Animal Sanctuary. Rio always took her cow, Bumble, and they would laugh about the things that Bumble would do.
Neil recalled a more recent conversation they had about Bumble and Rio's newer chick, Peeps.
"Peeps will follow Bumble all day long like a lost chick!" Rio laughed.
Neil chuckled, "Maybe Peeps thinks that Bumble is its mother."
"Probably, but what makes it even cuter is that Bumble doesn't mind Peeps following her all day long." She smiled sweetly and stared out at the sunset in the horizon. She laid her head against his shoulder, "Thanks for listening to me jabber every day."
"Who else would do it?" Neil stammered and his cheeks turned pink.
Rio giggled, "True! I do talk a lot!"
"You do." Neil answered but then quickly added, "But that's not a bad thing! I mean it could be, but I don't mind!" He stumbled over that sentence which caused Rio's giggles to turn into pure laughter.
"I understand Neil!" She stopped laughing and added, "Thanks…"
"Earth to Neil!" Rod knocked his fist on Neil's head like a doorknob, "Is anyone home?"
"Quit it!" Neil snapped and pushed Rod's arm away.
"I have been calling your name for the past minute!" Rod snapped and then calmed down, "Anyway, come on, Rio wants to dance with you."
"Don't wanna…" Neil took a swig. How many bottles has he had now? Five? Why could he not feel the effects of the alcohol? Has he really drunk that much in the past few months to not get intoxicated so easily?
"Dude, you're starting to slur." Rod scrunched his face and stifled a laugh.
"Shut it…"
"Look," Rod pulled the bottle out of his hands and ordered him water, "Clear your head a bit, and go dance with her."
"You know water doesn't help the drunkenness." Neil obediently drank the water that the bartender slid in front of him.
"You know that I don't care?" Rod answered honestly, "You're sweating like a sick dog. Drink some water before you pass out from dehydration."
"Whatever." Neil rolled his eyes.
"Look at her." Rod nodded at Rio across the room. Allen stayed with Rio and Tina and without Neil noticing, Yuri showed up in black denim straight legs and a golden sleeveless top.
"And…?" Neil could not figure out why he had to look at the girls. They were just girls from their town, big deal.
"Rio keeps glancing over at you." Rod smirked, "She won't even go on the dance floor without you."
"Sucks to be her then," He shrugged rudely.
"What the hell, dude?" Rod smacked the back of his head, "Are you seriously just going to leave a gorgeous girl like her stand there all night without a single dance?!"
"Yup." He popped the 'p'.
"Go and ask her to dance Neil!" Rod kept pushing him.
"No."
"Go!"
"No."
"Neil, go and ask her!"
"No Rod!" Neil lost his last nerve. Maybe the water was helping him clear his senses. "What do you think that a girl like her would dance with a guy like me?!"
"Ah…" Rod smirked, "So you're scared she'll refuse."
"No Rod," Neil rolled his eyes towards Rio, "That's not it."
"Then what's holding you back, man?" Rod inquired.
Neil shrugged and took a large gulp of water. He squeezed the bottle nervously and awkwardly shifted his body on the stool. He thought about how silky her hair looked and how delicate her skin must have felt against the fabric of that dress. He also imagined her floral wildflower scent and her beady blue eyes fluttering his way. Neil shook off the thoughts and ordered another beer.
"Come on!" Rod groaned, "I thought you were done!"
Neil smirked and shrugged, "I'm just getting started." Another swig of the bottle and he started his seventh beer.
"Why haven't they stopped you yet?" Rod complained, "You've had way too many tonight."
"She would never go for a guy like me…" Neil admitted with defeat and ran his finger along the rim of the bottle.
"What?" Rod asked confused, but then realized what he said, "Neil, just go walk over there and ask her to dance."
"She'll walk right past me!" He answered nervously and then sighed again, "I'm invisible to her…"
"Why so emotional all of a sudden?" Rod laughed, "You're worse than a moody bitch."
"I've had seven beers in me," Neil chuckled at himself, "Cut me some slack here."
Rod laughed at his friend, "She's head over heels for you, man." He nodded at her, "She's even looking this way."
Neil glanced once and thought nothing of it, but when he looked again, he saw that she was indeed looking his way.
"God…" Once he made eye contact with her, he quickly turned away and chugged his beer, "Can we leave?"
"What!?" Rod appalled, "What the hell dude! You are acting like a complete shithead!"
"I can't do this…" He wrapped his hands nervously around his bottle and stared at it. He could feel her eyes glued on him and it made him even more nervous.
"Hey," A seductive purr touched Neil's ear.
Neil jumped and and turned his head to see Rio hovering over his shoulder.
"H..h.." He coughed, "Hey." The greeting was weak, but it was the best greeting he could give in the given situation.
Rio smiled and grabbed his beer from his hands. Without taking an eye off of him, she took a sip of his drink.
Neil felt his heart race as he heard her say, "Nice drink you've got." She gently returned the bottle to the table and gave Neil a dazzlingly smile, "Come and dance with me Neil."
"I.. uh…" Neil was at a loss of words. Never has he ever been put in a situation like this, not even with Felicity. She hated clubs.
"Come on Neil." She grabbed his hand and sent an electric shock throughout his whole body, "I've been waiting all night." Rio begged Neil. Neil's insides flipped when she pouted her lips and asked in a sing-song voice, "Please Neil."
"Damn…" He chuckled and allowed Rio to drag him to the dance floor.
Rod's mouth dropped and Tina wrapped her arm around his waist, "Hey sweetie, what's with that look?"
"Can you seduce me like that one time?" Rod answered honestly.
Allen and Yuri joined them and they all laughed together. "I'm glad that everything worked out for the two of them." Tina smiled and watched the two of them dance to a slower song.
"Yeah," Allen agreed and pulled Yuri closer to him, "She struck him hard."
"So hard it left him paralyzed." Yuri added.
"Now, come on!" Rod piped up, "Let's go out there and dance!" He dragged Tina out close to Neil and Rio and Allen and Yuri followed close behind them.
This story was written to "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven. The song that Rio and Neil are dancing to is "Everytime We Touch (Yanou's Candlelight Mix)". Please review! Some people reviewed that they did not like how unrealistic the last one-shot was, so I tried my hardest to make this one more realistic and fun. I hope that you all enjoyed the story!
Also, if you have a song request for me to write a one-shot too, let me know by sending me a PM! Thank you!