The Jungle Club was one of the hottest night-spots on the ship; not because it was particularly fancy or exclusive but simply because the music was good and the drinks were reasonable. By the time they got there the place was already buzzing. The bars were crowded and the dance floor was starting to fill up. Alex had to shout into Lister's ear to make himself heard over the music, "You want to get a drink?" Lister nodded, then turned to the others and mimed drinking movements to get the point across. They all gravitated over to the nearest bar.
Lister felt oddly nervous about tonight. He really wanted the others to get to know Alex, and like him; but he had a feeling that although the others were making an effort, that Rimmer might be a little harder to win over. He'd been polite, but icy all evening. Cat was easy enough to please; Alex was well-dressed and that was all he asked. Kriss and Kryten were both fairly eager to make friends so that they could all spend more time together, and Lister had a suspicion that even if Kriss had been unsure, that Alex would have managed to charm her – they seemed to be getting on very well.
In fact they seemed to be having a fairly animated chat, albeit in the 'yelling-at- each-other-over-the-music' kind of way. They laughed at something and Lister suddenly felt weirdly uncomfortable with their chumminess. He stepped in between them, "What are you guys drinking?"
He had rather hoped that after a few drinks Rimmer might lighten up a bit, but he seemed determined to be grumpy. He stood slightly away from the rest of the group with a glass of white wine and made no effort to join in the conversation at all. Lister was about to go over and say something to him, when Alex grabbed his arm and pulled him out onto the dance-floor, gesturing to the others to come with them. Lister rolled his eyes, but went with him, smiling. He should have known Alex would want to dance. Despite his protests, he had a sneaking suspicion that the N-Sync CD he'd found in his quarters was actually his. He did love his cheesy music.
As if by magic, the crowded dance floor opened up to make room for them. The sight of Kryten tap-dancing tended to make people move themselves slightly further away; and if that didn't do it, then the Cat's extravagant kicks did. They made such an odd group, Lister really found it impossible not to laugh when he thought about how strange they must look. But then, he found he didn't actually care. He was having a great time. "I thought you didn't like retro music!" Alex shouted into his ear with a knowing grin. "I'll tell everyone I was drunk!" Lister shouted back cheekily. They laughed happily and Alex caught his hand and twirled him, much to Kristine's amusement.
As Lister turned, he caught sight of Rimmer standing just off the dance floor, watching him and Alex with his arms folded and a very sour expression on his face. Lister smiled and waved for him to come over and join them. Rimmer shot him a look of pure disdain and walked off. Lister watched him go, feeling more than a little hurt. He felt Alex gently tug his hand and turned to see him looking at him sympathetically. He'd seen it too. "Don't worry about it, Dave," he shouted into his ear, "The guy's an asshole. Forget him." Lister smiled weakly and allowed Alex to draw him back into dancing. If Rimmer wanted to be moody, he could. He wasn't going to let it spoil their fun.