With a yawn, Maddie pushes her long honey brown hair back over her shoulder as she looks at the club across the street. It's still early so the line is fairly short to get inside. The outside is rather simple, all in brick with a set of double doors stained a warm cherry red. A big, burly guy with close cropped black hair and a sparkling jet black earring in each ear is standing outside with his beefy arms crossed in front of him looking intimidating. The name of the club, Vanity, is written in fancy script in the same cherry red as the doors on a large black block off to the side and on the pocket of the bouncer's tight black button-down shirt. This is where Maddie's friends said to meet because the live band that plays here is great and the lead singer is supposedly "delicious" (according to them).
Sighing as she thinks about all the studying she could be doing right now, Maddie crosses the street and falls into line at the end. More people line up behind her, chattering with each other excitedly as the line moves steadily forward. When it's Maddie's turn, the bouncer looks her over, making her fidget a little. He holds out a large hand. "ID please, Miss."
Reaching into the back pocket of her jean skirt, Maddie pulls out her driver's license and hands it to him quite used to people thinking she's younger. Everywhere she goes, she's always getting carded. The curse of being twenty-four and looking like she's seventeen. The bouncer looks at the card and then back at her. He flips it over and checks the marks and the sides until he is satisfied before handing it back to her. He smiles a little as he opens one of the doors and lets her into the club.
Inside, the club is a lot more impressive and Maddie realizes it was appropriately named. The hall leading to the club is draped in heavy red fabric with beautifully cut mirrors placed all around so a visitor will be able to see themselves from head to toe and front to back. Maddie looks into a full length mirror and straightens her simple fitted white blouse and tucked a long stray strand of hair behind her ear.
After the gauntlet of mirrors, the hallway opens into a very large room with a sunken dance floor in the center and a raised stage in the far corner. Small tables are scattered around the outskirts with comfortable looking chairs and loveseats. A long polished wood bar ran the length of the room next to entrance. Row upon row of shiny bottles line the shelves behind the bar in a variety of colors. The walls are artfully covered in bits of the red fabric and mirrors again with glittering twinkle lights.
A few people are already sitting around the room with drink in their hands, including Maddie's friends who have taken up seats near the stage. On the stage, which is completely done in black, is a couple people checking on the band's equipment. Maddie's friends have spotted her and are waving happily as she walks their way.
"Would you like to order a drink?" A passing waitress dressed neatly in black slacks and a black button down shirt with the club's logo on it steps up next to Maddie with a smile.
"Can I have a cranberry juice, please?" Maddie pauses long enough to answer and point toward her friends. "I'll be sitting over there."
"No problem." The friendly waitress walks over to the bar.
Maddie joins her three friends and gives each a hug. Jane, Maria, and Trey hug her back and sit back in their seats with wide smiles.
"About time you joined one of our outings, Mads." Jane, the more outspoken of their group, shakes a long painted fingernail at Maddie. Her short black hair is spiked and tipped in purple, which matches her short purple dress and strappy black sandals.
"Hey, she's been busy." Maria is quick to defend her friend. "There is a reason why Maddie is on the Dean's list and you barely made it into grad school." Maria is short, curvy, and feisty. Tonight she's in tight black jeans, a silky green button down shirt and high heels. Her curly brown locks are tied up in a high ponytail.
"Whatever." Shrugging her shoulders, Jane just laughs. "I bet I've had more fun though."
"No doubt about that." The only guy in the group, Trey, speaks up and puts his arm around Maddie. "Our girl here is way too serious. She is in dire need of a night out." Trey is looking quite handsome in dark blue jeans and a gray pullover which accents his tall, lean frame and dark good looks.
"I've heard this all before you guys… several times." Maddie holds up her hands in surrender. "Behold! I have finally listened, so no more complaining."
The waitress delivers Maddie's drink with a cute, flowered umbrella in it with two cherries stuck to the end. Maddie hands her the money plus a bit of a tip and the waitress asks the others if they need anything. They all shake their heads so she heads off to another table.
Looking around, Maddie notices that a lot more people have come into the club. Over by the stage, she sees a guy as he walks through the stage door. Something seems familiar about the back of him, something about his posture, something about the way he walks. It's niggling at the back of her memory but Maddie can't quite place him. Shaking it off as her mind playing tricks, she turns back to her friends. "So the band is hot here?"
"So HOT!" All three agree without any hesitation.
Maddie looks at Trey with a raised eyebrow. "You too, Trey? Since when did you swing that way?"
"I don't." Trey confirms quickly with a laugh. "But, if I had that inclination at all, that lead singer would definitely put me over the edge. I just really like the band. The ladies here are the ones drooling over him."
Before Maddie can ask anything else, even the name of the band, the lights around the club dim and the stage is lit up. The crowd that has filled up the building clap and whistle excitedly as the band takes the stage. The guy Maddie had seen earlier walks up to the mic wearing ripped blue jeans and a fitted black button down shirt that shows off his fit form. He swipes his dark blonde bangs back from his face showing off a familiar set of eyes and a familiar impish grin that looks really sexy now. He turns to say something to his bandmates and the name of the band, 'Sweet Thang', gleams in silver on the back of his shirt.
Maddie's eyes widen and she says one name in a startled voice. "Zack…"