They stepped into a nearby local club with the determination to dance all their worries away. The bass was thumping and the environment had a delicate fusion of light and darkness. Strangers and familiar faces were scattered all over the place. While Layla was nodding her head and dancing along in place to the beat of the music in the background, the woman who offered to join her didn't show much enthusiasm. Michelle was still preoccupied with her phone. It took one message for her to break the news to her best friend that she had to leave.
"Lay! I got a text from the husband! I'm sorry, I have to go!" Michelle tried to shout over the loudness of the music.
"Know? Have to know what?" Layla shouted back.
Michelle thought this conversation was nowhere near progression. She encoded a message on her iPhone and showed it to her best friend once she finished. Layla was expectedly dismayed. She pouted her lips and looked at Michelle with sad puppy eyes. The other half of Lay-Cool simply mouthed the words "I'm sorry" and they went for a quick hug before Michelle ultimately exited through the crowd.
Layla thought that this wasn't the plan at all. She felt very alone that night. She proceeded to the quieter portion of the place which was the bar. She thought that if she couldn't dance away her troubles with someone, she might as well drink it away. She observed the crowd like a lost freshman amidst a sea of various college students. The reality of being a part of Lay-Cool was starting to sink in for her. Being Lay-Cool meant making a few enemies and right now, she didn't want to have to deal with the girls that she has humiliated along with Michelle on the show.
She took a seat by the bar and couldn't even bother saying anything else. She put her elbows on the table and her hands to her face and simply looked down. Fortunately for her, a petite Gin & Tonic came her way, courtesy of the thoughtful female bartender behind the counter.
"You look like you needed it," the bartender said as she stuffed a rag into an empty glass to clean it up.
Layla smiled and slightly raised her glass. She felt like she was a part of an American sitcom. She took a sip and returned to sulking. She felt a dark, towering figure approach the seat next to her, not bothering to actually sit down, but she erased the thought of the person being him. But she felt a bit curious to have a look at what they looked like.
She took a glance at the person's profile which caused her pupils to dilate. It was Wade Barrett, casually commanding the bartender to mix up a drink for him. Hoping to avoid any eye contact, she quickly turned away and looked down on her drink. While Wade was waiting for his order, he looked both ways and found a familiar face seated right next to him. He amusingly waved his hand in front of her face.
Wade chuckled and struck up a conversation with her, "Well, look what we have here! Miss I-Entered-The-Wrong-Locker-Room!"
Layla cringed at being reminded of what happened. She responded simply by taking a sip from her Gin & Tonic.
"Come on now, Miss Layla, I'm only pissing around! You know that!"
She still couldn't muster up the strength to look up to him. All she could remember was Michelle's somewhat convincing words over dinner.
"You seem gutted over something," said Wade. "Would you like me to give you an Orgasm?"
Silence followed. But it was a different type of silence. Layla couldn't help but be amused by the punch line. She genuinely chuckled and Wade figured he pulled the right strings. He laughed along with her, thinking he succeeded in brushing away her bad vibes that night.
Perhaps Michelle was exaggerating things.