The next morning Pete wakes me up with a kiss before leaving to meet up with his study group, I lounge around and try to focus on a research paper. After re-reading the same page for the third time I let out a sigh… It's so much harder to focus without the added edge of cocaine. This is stupid! I managed to get through high school with a 4.0 with out the stuff to help me. College is a lot harder, but still I used to be able to stay focused with out it. I need to at least prove to myself that I can still manage without it. Maybe tonight when I go out with Jo I'll treat myself to a little. It's now my forth day without, I can survive another 12 hours. I grab a V8 and a Red Bull to compensate (like it really compares).
I actually do find my groove and in little over an hour, I have not only the outline completed by also a rough draft of my introduction. Pete comes home and brings some early lunch. We eat together before he ducks into the den. I get a text from Jo asking if I'm still game for the night and I find that I'm looking forward to it, it'll be fun to have a girls night.
She comes by around 9 that night, dressed in tight red leather pants and a long sleeved top that hung over one shoulder to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if she "accidentally" flashed a boob sometime in the night. Large earring and lots of make-up are the finishing touches to her evening look.
She takes in my jeans, tunic top and leather jacket and scoffs.
"What? I'm wearing heels," I said in my defense, "And I put mascara on."
She leans in close and squints her eyes, "Oh yeah, I think I can tell." I roll my eyes. She puts her hands on her hips, "At least take out the damn braid, Kat! Honestly you'll be paying for your own drinks all night dressed like that."
"I'm planning on buying my own drinks… and yours, so shut it. I'm not going to whore myself out for free drinks."
She reaches over and yanks out my hair tie and tosses it on the table.
"I'm so freakin' sick of that stupid braid of yours. If you try to wear it out next time we go out I swear I'll cut your hair off."
"I want her to wear her hair down more often too, Jo… But if you come near her head with scissors, I'll have to intervene," Pete says, he's leaning against the door frame of the den.
"Honestly how can you stand that this," She motions up me, "Is what she considers going-out wear."
"You should've seen her last night," Pete says with a mischievous grin.
"Ohh, sounds positively X rated," Jo says nudging me suggestively, "I forgot to ask you how your V-Day was… Can you believe that brainless here completely forgot about the holiday." She directed that last part to Pete.
He didn't answer just gave me a smirk and a lustful glance as we both think back to last night.
"OK, enough lovey dovey crap, let's go get hammered," Jo says and grabs my arm.
Pete kisses me good bye and tells me to call him for a ride home.
"You could just give us a ride there lover boy… You can even join us, no one's making you stay behind," Jo says.
Pete agrees to drop us off at Jo's bar of choice, but says he won't stay.
"All work and no play," Jo says in a sing songy voice. Pete chooses to ignore her.
After waiting in line and paying the cover and showing ids (Jo can use her real license now, lucky), we finally get into the bar with hip hop music blaring. We push our way up to the bar and Jo orders us two shots and two drinks, then motions for me to pay the man, I roll my eyes at her subtlety.
We both down our shots and I hear a guy cheering us on, "I'll get you ladies another!" Jo quickly agrees adding, "Only if you'll join us, handsome."
We take two more shots with that guy and three of his friends, before I pull Jo away on the pretense of going to the bathroom. Instead we take to the dance floor. I will be the first to admit wholeheartedly that I am not a dancer, my sense of rhythm is quite pathetic really, but when surrounded by drunk people who are too drunk to tell, it can be fun.
After dancing for a while, we find two empty seats and fall into them and order another round of drinks from a passing waitress.
Jo checks her phone, "Finn's just down the block, wants us to head over."
We agree to go after the next drink. I sign the tab and leave a 50% tip.
"Let's go powder our noses before heading out," Jo says after finishing her drink. I'm rather shocked that I hadn't even given blow a thought so far tonight. I join her in the bathroom but then at the last minute decide not to partake. "Not right now," I tell her. She gives me a side glance then quickly snorts the line she had drawn up for me. We make our way down the block where we have to pay another cover, but at least there's no line.
We spot Finn at a table near the back.
"Who's that sex-on-a-stick with him?" Jo asks as we near.
Jo, always so prim and proper.
We join Finn's table, as we sit I look around at the group sitting with us. I fight an eye roll as I see Gale and Glimmer, then I freeze as I notice the blonde guy from my flight from New York. He's smiling at me, "Well, hello again."
Jo looks at me and raises her eyebrows, "What to introduce me to your friend, Kat?"
The guy smiles at Jo, "Marv Quaid."
"Yeah, Marv told me that you guys were on the same flight from New York," Finn says.
I quickly think back to that plane ride, he kept talking to me, and asked me a few questions, but I don't ever remember telling him my name… I'm certain that I didn't know his name.
I look at him square in the eye, "I don't remember exchanging names."
"Sure we did, you told me your name and I complimented it, then you completely ignored me," He says, giving a good natured shrug.
"That's our Kat," Jo says, then looks at him, "What's that your drinking?"
I tune out his and Jo's flirtatious conversation. I know I had done a bunch of coke before I left the hotel, but I don't think that would make me forget, especially when I remember taking care not to give him my name. I actually remember feeling a slight relief that he never asked me.
"Pete not with you tonight," Finn asked.
"Nope, Jo was able to drag me out but couldn't convince him to join us," I tell him.
"Oh," Glimmer says from across the table, "Staying home on a Saturday night, that'd suck."
Thank you for that wonderful insight, ditz.
She then lets out a giggle, "If I ever stay home on a Saturday night before I'm 50, someone slap me."
Jo and I share a glance, I can tell my thought of "How about I just slap you now?" Is similar to what Jo's thinking. But instead of voicing my thoughts, I choose to say, "Well, he's taking a full course load plus being pre-Med. He has more important things to think about that drinking amongst strangers."
It's actually (surprisingly) Jo that covers up my blatant rudeness and says, "Don't mind Katniss, she'd stay home every night if I wasn't there to drag her out." She gives me a nudge then continues, "But with a guy like Pete I'd be happy to stay holed away with him too, so can't blame her too much."
"Yeah, yeah," Gale says, "We all know what you think about Pete, Jo… You looked really nice last night, Kat." Glimmer scoffs at the compliment directed at me. Don't worry bitch, I'm not going to steal your boyfriend, or whatever he is to her.
I mumble a "Thanks." As the conversation moves away from me I take out my phone to text Pete.
That guy from the plane is here. Friends with Finn, I guess.
I don't mention him knowing my name, it's possible, I guess, that I told him and don't remember… Not likely, but possible. How else would he known it? I don't want to freak Pete out, even though I'm slightly freaked out.
Random…Let me know if you want me to pick you up or join you.
He texts back.
Yeah, really random and strange. I think Jo's catching his eye.
"Don't need to even guess who you're texting," Jo says and peers over my shoulder, I slip the phone back into my purse as she starts to imitate me, "Oh, Pete I miss your hot bod. Please come pick me up so we can have hot sex in your roomy back seat."
"Yeah, sure Jo, that's what I said… Oh how well you know me," I say sarcastically and roll my eyes. I look around the room, hoping Jo decides to talk about something else. I see Annie, the stylist from Nordstrom. She's with two other girlfriends, I think about going over to say hi, but that just feels so awkward, she probably helps several people a day, I'm just a customer in the large department store. But then she sees me, she gives me a smile and starts making her way over to me.
"Hey," She says still smiling, "How was your Valentine's Day?"
"Good, the dress was just amazing, I never would have tried it on by myself." I notice that her appearance is far from unnoticed by the rest of the table, Jo looks curious, while Finn's mouth is slightly agape.
"This is Annie, she helped me pick out a dress for Valentine's Day. She's a stylist at Nordstrom."
She gave a friendly wave to the table, her eyes lingering on Finn.
"This is Finn, Jo, Gale, Glimmer," Still feel like gagging whenever I hear or say her name, "And Marv." I finish with, wishing he'd leave.
A few more basic pleasantries are exchanged before she returns to her friends.
"Finn, you're drooling," I joke. Since I've known Finn, I've seen him with a number of different girls at parties, none of those girls sit and hang out with his close friends (that I know about anyway), I don't think I've ever actually seen him with the same girl twice. Such a man-whore.
Finn seems distracted for the next half hour, until he finally gets up with out a word and we all see him heading in Annie's direction.
"What's the bet she'll go home with him?" Jo jokes. We observe their conversation for a moment before turning our attention back to our own drinks.
"I'm going to the ladies room, Katniss?" Jo says. I know she's "discretely" asking if I want some coke. Oh it'd be so easy to agree and get away from the table that's sure to be awkward with just Gale, Glimmer and Marv left to keep me company.
"I'm good." I know if I start now, I'll keep going, and that makes for a much longer night than I had planned.
Some rap song comes on and a few people cheer and stand to dance.
"Come on, Gale," Glimmer says and pulls his arm, "Let's dance. I love this song."
He reluctantly gets up. Shit, now it's just the prick Marv and I.
"I was hoping we'd run in to each other again," He says to me leaning across the table, "Do you want to head outside for a smoke?"
"No thanks."
I reach to pick up my phone to appear interested in something else, maybe he'll go outside by himself, or at least not talk to me. I snap to attention when he sits next to me on the bench Jo and I had been sitting on. When I go to stand up to put some distance between us he surprises me by grabbing my arm and pulling me back.
He doesn't release his grip or loosen it, he squeezes my arm even tighter then leans in close, "Alright listen, bitch. We have some business to discuss. Let's step outside for a smoke." I can smell the alcohol on his breath as he breaths on me.
What. The. Fuck!
"Let the fuck go of me. We have no business together at all," I say firmly, "Anything you want to say you can say here."
"Your Uncle stole money from my Father, you are going to pay it back."
"I never knew anything about my Uncle's business, I don't owe you shit."
He squeezes my arm even harder and gives me arm a twist. I steel my expression so I don't wince.
"You inherited his business when you inherited his money. He refused to pay and look what happened to him. Don't think you'll be any luckier."
My mind blanks and all I can think is, "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit."
It's the pain in my arm that brings me back to my senses to take in the situation, I need someone else here with me, where is Jo. I need help, can't anyone see him twisting my arm. My eyes frantically land on the dance floor and meet Gale's gaze. I must have looked positively frantic because it's not a second after I catch his eye that he's striding over.
"Just remember that, bitch," He hisses in my ear, right as Gale comes up to the table. Though Marv releases my arm, Gale picks him up by his collar and throws him away from me, "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Get back to your girlfriend, Shimmer, and mind your own fucking business."
He punches him in the jaw, then the two of them are suddenly having an all out brawl right in front of me, seriously right-in-front of me. The table crashes to the floor and I get kicked by someone as they tumble over. I scoot away as the bouncer comes walking over and pulls Gale off Marv.
I'm left in a daze and I hear people talking about the police being called. Jo comes up behind me, "What the fuck?!"
I open my mouth to say something but I can't. Has this seriously just happened? I vaguely hear Glimmer bitching about something before leaving. Gale and Marv are escorted outside to wait for the police. Jo pulls me along to follow.
"What happened?"
"He-he threatened to kill me," I say aloud. Seriously? Did this just happen?. I look at Jo, "Uncle owed his Dad money but refused to pay… He told me I wouldn't be any luckier than Uncle was… I-I can't deal with this. Call Pete." I don't think I could figure out how to work my phone right now.
The police start talking to Gale and Marv. I step closer as I hear Gale telling his side of the story.
"Was this man attacking you, miss?" One of the officers asked me when Gale finished.
"He was grabbing my arm," I say, it sounds pathetic when I say it like that. I take off my jacket, not even feeling the cold biting my exposed arms. Around my bicep the area he had grabbed was a deep red, I could practically see each individual finger mark left on my arm.
"He said I'd end up the same as my Uncle unless I paid him money," I say, still in a daze. I know that these police have no idea what's been going on in New York, so I add, "My Uncle was murdered last week in New York City."
"You stupid fucking bitch," Marv starts screaming, in a rage now, "You better fucking watch your step."
One of the police officers quickly puts him in the back of the squad car.
"You will have to come into the station to give a statement," I'm told.
I turn to Jo, she must have seen the frantic question in my eyes because she says, "Pete is on his way."
"Can my boyfriend drive me? He's on his way."
Gale has to be brought into the station to.
I turn to him, "Thank you." A simple thank you is not enough for what he did, but it's all I can think to say. The way he rushed over to help, how can I begin to thank him.
Pete pulls up to the curb and hops out and rushes over. He looks into my eyes and cradles my head in his hand, "What happened?"
"The guy from the plane… Marv," I start, but the officer interrupts me.
"We need her to come to the station with us to get a statement and ask some questions."
"I'll drive her."
A sudden thought hits me, "Call Detective Stratler of the NYPD. He's working on my Uncle's case." I have his card at home in my other purse.
"Well get in contact with them, miss."
I try to fill Pete in as we drive to the station, "He knew my name," I shake my head, I should've been on my guard more, I knew I didn't tell him, "Finn said he mentioned meeting me on the plane before I got there, but I never told him my name. Everyone left the table and it was just him and I, he sat next to me and grabbed me…said my Uncle owed his Dad money, that he had stolen it from him. Said that it was my problem now that I inherited his money. Said if I refused to pay like my Uncle did, then I would end up the same way… Gale saw him grabbing my arm and came and pulled him off me."
Pete parks in front of the police station, he looks at me, "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Katniss."
"H-how could you have known this would happen," I tell him, then I break down and burst into tears. How could this have happened? He reaches over and hugs me, the middle console stopping him from getting as close as I would like him. He quickly gets out of the car and opens my door and holds me. My whole body is shaking and he holds me tighter. I wrap my arms around his neck, I'm so thankful that he's here with me. I'm not alone.