The music was blaring through the entrance of the club as Kelsey took her first step on to the sidewalk. She had just gotten out of a black SUV, courtesy of One Direction's management. She would have gone with Niall, but seeing as he and the rest of the boys had an appearance to make, it would have been too much of a hassle.
As she continued to walk, she could feel the base of the music through her black lace pumps. Kelsey made her way towards a velvet rope sealing off a long line of people. Behind the rope was a scary, big, dark skinned man. He was wearing all black with a silver chain around his neck. Kelsey walked up to him, slightly intimidated by the look he was giving her.
"Hi, I-I'm on the, the list," She said, pointing to the clipboard in his hand. He gave her a doubtful look, eying her suspiciously.
"Name?" His deep voice was louder than the song currently playing inside of the club.
"Kelsey McDougall." He gave her another look before checking his clipboard yet again. He's not going to let me in - I look too young, I'm not pretty enough, this dress makes me look fat, oh god what if there's something in my teeth? …. Does my breath smell? Kelsey breathed into her hand and smelt her breath; minty fresh.
"Did you hear me? I don't have time for this." He said, already checking another persons I.D.
"Huh?"
"I said go in," He tsked.
Dirt and glitter cover the floor. We're pretty and sick, we're young and we're bored.
The music's bass vibrated through the club, making Kelsey tingle from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She passed bodies of people who looked to be having the time of their lives, and people looking as if they were at their lowest point. This was just her scene; night life. Back in L.A, Kelsey had been to many underground clubs having only to give her best smile and add a wink or two. London was different though, she felt it in the air as she first walked into the club. Instantly, she knew that tonight would be a night to remember. Kelsey's subtle blonde curls bounced with each step she took, looking for the private booth in the back. Considering the club was so dimly lit, it took a bit of time before she saw streaks of a strobe light hit a head of bleached blonde hair. His hair was up tonight, in his usual fohawk style. From what she could see, he was dressed in a navy blue rounded t-shirt,a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and bright white Supras. Such a Niall outfit.
Kelsey wandered farther into the club in her tight fitting black dress and held on to her nude black lace clutch. As she made her way towards the private booths, she couldn't help but rethink her outfit. Was her dress too short? Could her ass be sticking out slightly, without her knowing? What about her shoes, were they too fancy for downtown London? In her opinion, the most important thought of them all was: what would Niall think? Would he think she was trashy fro wearing a short dress? What if she was taller than him in her heels... good Lord, Justin always hated that... She hadn't even realized when she almost walked into the security guard standing in front of the boy's booth. He stared at her for a moment, and Kelsey was frightened by his tall, rugged appearance, not to mention how built his body form was. He continued to stare at her until he let out a little laugh.
"Are you Kelsey?" He asked, smiling. She did not expect him to be so nice to her- she figured he would think she was a fan trying to get closer to one of the boys. She also did not expect him to have a strong Irish accent.
"Yeah, that's me." She said giving a faint nod and smile.
He laughed a little again, before lifting a little red rope in front of the small space. "Why didn't you say so, am I supposed to assume what girl Niall finally-"
"Sorry! I just, I didn't know what to say!" She giggled.
"It's a good thing I'm a good guesser then, I suppose. That and the fact he described you to me five times." Kelsey looked down and blushed. "The boy's pretty smitten with you if I don't say so myself." She fixed a piece of her hair, trying to avoid this awkward yet adorable conversation she was having with Niall's bodyguard. She had only met one of Justin's bodyguards, and it wasn't Kenny, who was always seen in the tabloids next to him. He was a light skinned man, at least six feet tall and rude. But a lot alike Niall, there was more to meets the eye with his security.
Kelsey looked back up and noticed Niall walking down the few steps that led out of the booth. He came towards her and the body guard, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. His lips were warm, and along with the vast volume of the music, it made her face tingle. He pulled away and stared at the bodyguard.
"Telling Kelsey embarrassing things about me, eh Pauly?" Niall said, smiling.
"Well, now that you mention it, there was this one time when I walked in on him-"
"Oi, look at the time we better get back to the booth." Paul and Kelsey both giggled as Niall shook his head at his security. He patted him on the back and said thank-you and led Kelsey up the steps by her hand. As they went up the two or three steps, he pushed back a white see through curtain and held it aside for Kelsey to step through first. As she walked onto the black platform, she saw that not only were the boys here, but what looked to be some of their girlfriends as well. Liam was occupying the attention of a very pretty olive skinned girl with wild, curly brown ringlets. Alike Liam, Louis was whispering into a light skinned girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She looked down at the ground and blushed at whatever Louis was saying to her, her mouse-ish appearance turning pink. Kelsey felt Niall's hand touch the small of her back and push her along towards a couch next to Zayn. Unsurprisingly, Harry was no where to be found.
"Well, well, well aren't we looking very dapper tonight." Kelsey looked to see Louis smiling at her.
"Hey Lou," Kelsey said smiling at him and the girl next to him.
"Why hello there! This is my girlfriend Eleanor,"
"Hey!" Eleanor said in a light, squeaky voice. "Hi,"
" -and that's Liam's girlfriend Danielle,"
"Hello!" Danielle had a strong voice, and she gave Kelsey a little wave. "It's nice to meet you two,"
" …. Over there we have Zayn, and well, I guess you already know Niall ..." A mischievous smirk formed on Louis's face as he said Niall's name. She looked over to see Niall roll is eyes.
"Well I need a round of shots... I'll be right back!" Louis exclaimed, but not before asking his girlfriend what she wanted.
"Do you want anything?" Niall whispered to Kelsey's, his accent floating through her ears.
"Can I just have a coke? I'm not really a big drinker..."
"Well that's going to change!" Zayn said, bursting out laughing. Niall rolled his eyes and pulled Kelsey up, dragging her by her hand and down the steps.
"Where are we going!" She giggled, feeling her palms begin to sweat from the heat of the club and the fact she was holding his hand.
"If you're not drinking then we're dancing!" Niall laughed, dragging her through and around groups of people. All of the faces were a blur as the bright lights and loud music made Kelsey feel euphoric. There was only one slight problem; she couldn't dance.
"I changed my mind!" Kelsey shouted over a Rihanna song. "I'd rather drink then dance!"
Niall turned to face her and rolled his eyes as the two headed towards the bar. As they approached she watched as Niall waved to a few people, clearly already acquainted with them. A rather tall brunette man raised a finger in acknowledgment while a petite girl with bright pink hair gave a large smile. Both looked familiar, but with the bright flashing lights and the butterflies creeping inside of her stomach it was hard too tell.
"There you are mate! Saw Lou earlier, figured he was babysitting the rest of ya." The man laughed as he took a drink from his pint, draining the last of it.
She giggled a bit and saw the girl looking in her direction, studying her intensely. Kelsey blushed under her stare, looking anywhere but her direction.
"What're ya drinking, Aid?" Niall spoke, beckoning the bartender over.
"Eh, a bit a this and that." He smiled, pointing at the empty glass in his hand. "I'll take another pint of Corona if this lads buying!" He laughed, setting his glass on the table. Niall giggled and rolled his eyes, sending a wink to Kelsey. She almost had a heart attack.
"Two pints of Corona, Kels what do you want?" He asked, turning towards her.
"Apple martini please," Kelsey said awkwardly, not knowing what else to order. Considering the drinking age in America was 21, she usually stuck to the basics so she didn't look suspicious.
"You're kidding me, right?" Niall said, a look of disappointment on his face. "Make it three pints!" He told the bartender, a grin overtaking his features. His accent was hard to notice through the club, but she could tell it was there. She could recognize it anywhere.
"Ni, are you sure she can handle it, a little thing like her?" The pink headed girl asked, examining her once again.
"She's stronger then she looks," Niall replied, pulling her into his side briefly. "Kels, this is Cher and Aidan, guys this is Kelsey-"
"MCDOUGALL!" Cher snapped her fingers, a grin plastering her tiny face. "That record producers daughter, I thought you looked familiar!" They all stared at the pixie of a girl. Kelsey really did not expect such a voice to produce out of the girl, and only then did she realize she was in the presence of two former X-Factor contestants. She tensed up, which was weird because she was so used to meeting celebrities left and right. Something about this girl made her feel even more insecure; was it her beauty, her voice, the fact she knew Niall better? Kelsey didn't know, but when Cher stood up abrubtley and left, let's just say that Kelsey wasn't awaiting her return.
Three glasses were set on the surface of the bar counter, one by one being filled with a tinged brown liquid. After being handed the money, the bartender gave Kelsey a wink and didn't even try to hide his satisfaction with her dress. That was it, Aleisha and Paige were dead for letting her go out like this. Was she giving the wrong impression of herself – easy and sleazy? After all, it was only a dress. But when you're in the lime light, every impression counts, something she had learned long ago. Kelsey felt something cold thrusted into her hand, and looked down at the pint. She couldn't even recall what beer tasted like, what if she looked like a fool?
"Thank you," She said, smiling up at Niall. He shrugged it off, emphasizing that it wasn't a big deal. But it was, to her anyway.
"Well, it was good to see you Ni, haven't seen you since the tour mate." Aidan spoke up, sipping on his drink.
"S'been too long!" Niall laughed, patting him on the back. He lead their way to the booth, passing bodies of of people provocatively dancing on people they hardly knew, outcasts, and people way past their drinking limit. All the while Niall kept waving to people he knew, smiling and saying hello while all the while his hand remained clasped onto hers. And alike Niall's hand, the smile her held on her face never withdrew either.
As the two sat down behind the booths curtains, Kelsey realized they were alone. Well, alone as you could be in a crowded club. Her finger drew patterns on the condensation of the cold glass when she asked, "Where did the others go?" She looked up at Niall and saw he was watching her hand move among the glass. She rested them in her lap.
"I'm not quite sure," He said smiling. "It's kind of nice to be alone though, I've been surrounded by the lot all night."
"Doesn't it ever get difficult constantly being surrounded by people?" Kelsey blurted out, completely unintentional. "Sorry," She mumbled, embarrassed. Niall laughed.
"It does sometimes," He agreed. "When you want to be alone and take a step back from being on the go everyday and your phone goes off and it's management, or when the boy's barge in and want to go out. Sometimes it's even fans." He paused, taking a drink of his pint. "The other boys have it easier, they can go home whenever they want and it's only an hour or two away. My family doesn't even live in England."
"Do you miss them?" She asked, slightly reminiscing on how much she used to miss her father when he was away for so long. He was always on the go with business meetings, recording contracts, occasionally helping the X-Factor winners with they're album recordings.
"Not as much as you would think." He smiled, taking her hand. "So are you having a good time?"
"This is definable different then the L.A scene." Kelsey said nodding and looking around, taking in her surroundings. "But, yeah. Of course I am." She blushed.
"So in L.A, does this count as a first date?" He picked up his drink again and took a sip. "Because where I'm from, the boy has to pick the girl up from her house and bring her out for dinner and maybe a movie or a walk in the park. And then at the end of the night, he would bring her home and maybe steal a kiss." Niall said, intensely staring at Kelsey.
What was a date in L.A? Kelsey could remember countless things Aleisha would tell her about the places and scenes she had encountered on dates. Clubs, beaches, restaurants, theaters... Aleisha had experienced it all. Unlike Kelsey. Could she admit to Niall how much of a loser she was? She had never been on a date, she could just imagine what Niall would think then. Loser. But something inside of her knew she could trust him with this.
"I've actually never been on a date..." Kelsey said, finally deciding that this was the perfect time to try her pint. She lifted the cold glass off the table and tipped the substance into her mouth. It tasted bitter and clean, refreshing and almost calming. It made her feel more relaxed. Surprisingly, no aftertaste.
She looked back up at Niall, noticing he still held the smile he always had on his face.
"Kelsey, what's your favourite number?" He said slowly. Her favourite number? What did that have to do with anything?
"Twelve," she said giggling.
"Okay," Niall laughed. "Think of a lot smaller number." Where was Niall going with this?
"Well, uh.. Three, I guess?" She giggled again. It's a good thing she drank the beer. It loosened her up, making her feel more of herself rather then a bag of nerves.
"Okay," He grinned. Kelsey had never been so confused in her life. She opened her mouth to speak, but not before Niall interrupted her. "Three dates. I will take you on three dates, and you can decide which is the best first date."
He wanted to take her on a date? But not just one, three.
"I would really like that," Kelsey said blushing. Niall grinned and took her hand, leading her out of the booth once again.
"I'm assuming you want me to dance?" Kelsey said laughing, passing by Paul.
"If I say yes, will you dance?" She could hear the laughter in his accent. Niall was heading towards the middle of the floor, somewhere they hopefully wouldn't be noticed.
"I don't think I really have a choice, do I?" Kelsey said, laughing as Niall turned around. He gripped her hand, spinning her around to the beat of a Rhianna song. Kelsey giggled every time he spun her, until he pulled her back into his chest. He rested his arms on top of her shoulders almost as if he were giving her a bear hug, and she held onto his hands. Together they danced to the beat of the music, Kelsey moving her body in circles against Niall.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Niall said, leaning down to whisper in her ear. She could feel her face heat up, blushing at the sweet compliment. "No," She whispered, looking up at him.
"Well you do Kelsey," She could feel his hot breath on her face. "You always do." He planted a small kiss on her cheek, subtle but fulfilling. And for once, she felt beautiful. Irrevocably and truly beautiful. She was about to say how kind he was, and what a great night she was having when she let out a loud giggle. Walking in front of her was a very lost Harry, his curls falling messily to his face. His shirt was on backwards and he was stumbling when he walked. He caught a glance at Kelsey and Niall and grinned. She could feel Niall's cheeks turn into a smile and he started laughing when Harry walked by and snapped a photo or two.
It was definitely a night to remember.
The same black SUV that drove her to the club was now pulling up to Kelsey's driveway, containing one more passenger. Niall stepped out first, opening her car door before she had the chance. It made Kelsey blush and she said a subtle, "Thank you." Niall walked Kelsey to the front door of her home, along the small pathway towards her brown front door. They settled underneath the porch light, just standing there smiling at each other.
"I had fun tonight," Kelsey said smiling up at Niall. With her heels on, she still wasn't close to being as tall as him. She watched him nod at the ground, biting his lip. He looked back up grinning, his eyes bright and blue.
"I did too." He said, never taking his eyes off of her. They stood there for a little while, just staring at each other until the wind started to blow a little harder, making Kelsey shiver. Niall seemed to notice and quickly took off his black cardigan, handing it to her.
"Oh, Niall it's okay. My house is right there." She giggled, watching him blush.
"I know, but erm, it'll look better on you then it will me." He reached around her and rested the sweater on top of her shoulders. It drooped down to her knees, making both of them smile.
"I should get going..." Niall said still staring at her. "I have a few meetings in the morning and recording to do in the afternoon."
"You have meetings in the morning and you went out clubbing the night before?" Kelsey's laugh seemed to be a recurrence today, and she could get used to that.
"That's the life of a rock star." He grinned. "I'll call you tomorrow, ya?" He watched as she nodded and leaned in, kissing her cheek. "Goodbye love, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight Niall," Kelsey whispered, as she walked Niall walk across her lawn and drive away. She unlocked her door, thinking of what to tell Paige and Aleisha. Where would she begin, walking into the club? Meeting the X-Factor contestants? Well, maybe she would leave that out. It might anger Paige. But what about their conversation in the booth? Kelsey had no idea where to start, but when she walked into the house she saw the two girls fast asleep. Paige was sprawled on the couch, Aleisha on the floor. Not wanting to wake the two, she walked up the stairs deciding that sleep would be the best option.