Winter in California is a joke. It never gets too cold, like how New York in the winter. Snow everywhere with people ice skating and all bundled up. In New York, you can tell its winter, but here not so much. Sure from time to time they got snow, but not every year. Chris had gotten use to the weather, since he has lived in California his whole life. He doesn't overdress like some of the people in L.A. do. He usually wears a sweater or jacket rarely both. Sometimes during December, January or February, the temperature will go down into the 30s, but doesn't stay long enough to affect him. Most of the day the climate is in the low 60s to 50s. The only difference now is Chris living in LA and not Clovis.
Chris was on his way to on his friend Abby's twenty-first birthday party at a club that they had picked out of hat. Luckily for her, Chris turned twenty-one in May and now they both could drink. As Chris presses the button to cross the crosswalk and people start to gather to his sides and behind him. He listened to one guy say "I dare you to touch his butt." Chris glances to the left where the voice came from. Five guys stood around, a group of three followed by a group of two. The group of three had two tall handsome men who must be like twins and a smaller guy with a nice butt. (Not that Chris stared or anything.) The other group had a short, curly haired man and a taller, lanky guy with dark hair who is clearly about to be drunk if he has one more drink and bingo he found the darer. Chris and the almost drunk guy meet eyes, he winks at him and Chris turns around causally acting like he didn't see. The same guy speaks again "Are you going to do it?" followed by "Dude you're such a pussy… I will." Chris feels a smack on his ass. He turns and it was the curly haired man. Chris stood stunned not just because he was so sure they were talking about the guy next to the twins, but because it was the still sober guy. The curly haired man looks at him with wide eyes and starts to say something but is interrupted by the sound allowing everyone to cross. Chris walks away trying to get away.
"Sorry!" he hears the man yell.
He finally gets in the club and begins to search for Abby and all their friends. A group of women shout his name and he turns finding them at a table near the bar. He finds Abby making a "reel the fish" dance motion so he shimmies his way to her. A few of the guys that knew Chris greeted him as well as the girls. Chris gives Abby a hug and says happy birthday. She thanks him then introduces him to everyone he doesn't know or has meet once or twice. Their friend Mike and Josh walks up to them with trays filled with shots, salt, and lime slices for everyone. "Drink up bitches' things are going to get crazy! Wooo!" Mike promises handing everyone a shot. Chris takes of his leather jacket, revealing his stripped button down shirt. Once everyone has one in hand, he counts them down then yells "Drink!" They all do. Abby coughs as well as two other people, but Chris doesn't. Mike laughs "Do it like Chris noobs." A couple of the people giggle while others ask for another round. They take five more but Chris is done after the first; he predicted he would most likely end up being the one to drive people home even though he took a cab.
"Let's go dance. I love dancing, Chris I … Chris I should go pro." Abby mumbles swaying around. Chris helps her to her feet.
"You okay?" Chris gives her a smile. She smiles back nodding yes.
"Let's go dance!" She grabs Chris' arm leading him to the dance floor. They start dancing to a Rihanna song all their friends joining them and continue to dance through about 5 or 6 more song. "I feel sick!" Abby shouts. She stops dancing and wraps her arms around her friend CeCe who takes her to the bathroom.
"Could you grab her some water or something?" Cece asks Chris. He agrees and makes his way to the bar through the crowd of people. He pushes a couple of people the way clearing the way. He glimpses over his shoulder, someone crashes into him spilling what smelled like scotch.
"You got to be fucking kidding me?" Chris expresses with a slightly annoyed sigh.
"Shit, man I didn't see you there. My bad." Chris meets eyes with the guy speaking.
"Really?" Chris shakes his head when he realizes it was the curly haired man from the cross walk that smacked his ass.
"Uh-oh shit. Sorry! Let me help you." They both walk to the bar. When they arrive, the curly hair man grabs napkins and starts to pat his chest and upper abs where he had spilled his drink on him. Chris gives him a confused look. "Shit, sorry. We don't know each other well enough for me to be touching your body right?" Chris shakes his head no grabbing napkins cleaning himself off. "I tapped you butt might as well." The curly haired man gives a nervous chuckle.
"What?" Chris questions the curly haired man's logic.
"I … I was kidding. I didn't mean to tap…"
"You mean smack" Chris interrupts him.
"I didn't mean to smack your butt. I was trying to stop my friends hand and things didn't work out how I planned." The curly haired man seemed to speaking the truth. Chris supposes that he had tortured him enough and just lets it go.
"It's cool. Don't even worry about.." Chris give him a friendly half smile and the curly haired man mirrors him. "I'm Chris." He puts the napkins down and extends a hand to him.
"Darren." "Well, Darren at least you're not completely drunk like your friend." Chris point to the guy who with him at the cross walk and gives him a small laugh.
"Yeah well he lost his job and got dumped. What's wrong with a little amnesia to forget?" Darren gave him a completely serious look.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Chris smile fades.
"I'm totally messing with you." Darren laughs. "That's payback for making he feel like earlier." He bumps Chris' shoulder with his own.
"Well played young one." Chris starts to laugh. Josh shows up in front of Darren and him.
"Hey man, Abby ended up throwing up in the bathroom." "Oh yeah, water." Chris reminders himself.
"I'll be right there with water for her."
"Cool I'll go see if they need anything else." Josh leave.
"Your girlfriend I suppose?" Darren smirks.
"No," Chris laughs "just a friend." Chris turns to the bar to grab the bartender's attention, but is unsuccessful.
"Here, I got this." Darren pulls out a fifty and the guy comes running.
"Give me a water and," scans Chris up and down. "and a Long Island Ice Tea." The guy rushes to mix the drink.
"Oh we have a heavy spender on our hands." They both laugh as the drinks arrive.
"Here you go sir." The bartender says.
"Thanks, keep the change." Chris rolls his eyes at him as Darren hands him both drinks.
"Both?" "Yeah, least I could do after spilling mine on you and spanking that booty." Darren laughs. "The drinks are kicking in." He laugh.
"I can tell." Chris laughs too. "Well, I better go."
"Yeah you should." Darren smiles. Chris starts to walk away, but Darren grabs his arm stopping him. Chris turns facing him "Save me a dance?"
"What?" It was hard to hear over the music.
"Enjoy your day!" Darren yells backing out of what he had said originally.
"You too!" Chris yells back.