Disclaimer: I do not own any of Stephenie Meyer's characters. No copyright infringement intended. Please don't sue.
Alice drove us further downtown to a street lined with bars and clubs of all shapes and sized. I saw the House of Blues, the Hard Rock Café and other clubs I swore I saw on the Entertainment Channel.
"Pick a bar, Bella." Alice told me.
"How will I know if it's any good?" I had no idea where we should go. I've never been to a bar my whole life let alone in New York.
"This is New York, Bella." Rosalie said matter-of-factly. "Every club here promises a good time!"
"Well then, how about that place over there? How do you read that? Absinthe?" It was a large building with a large green sign hanging over it. Neon lights and lasers slipped out when someone opened the door.
"Nice choice, Bella." Alice commended me. "We've been to their European branch in Amsterdam but I see that this place is just as good." Alice parked the car across the street. We got out and crossed the street to find a line a mile long.
"Nice choice, Bella," I chided myself. "I'm sorry I had to pick the club with the longest line."
"Since when has that ever been a problem?" Alice said more as a statement than a question. Alice and Rosalie strode over to the large burly doorman.
"Cullen." Alice announced to him. He checked his list and shook his head. Some of the girls in the front of the line sneered at us. Rosalie glared at them which made them shut their mouths.
"Could you please check again?" asked Alice using her most alluring voice. If Jasper were here I knew she's receive an earful.
"I'm sorry I must have missed it." The doorman appeared to be hypnotized from Alice's seduction. He stood aside to let us in while some of his colleagues wolf-whistled at us. The people in the line started shouting profanities at the doorman for letting us in without a reservation.
Once again my jaw dropped open at the sight before us. This was no ordinary bar. It was "the" bar. Laser lights shot out from every possible place in the ceiling. Dozens of waiters and waitresses scattered around the place serving drinks. Beautiful dancers were posted up in cages above the dance floor while the club was almost packed with hundreds of people.
"You sure can pick'em Bella." Rosalie said. "It's time to party!" She whispered something to a passing waiter then he nodded and led us up to the VIP lounge. This time it was obvious because there were large neon letters spelling it on top of the archway.
"I could get used to this!" I shouted over the noise.
"You don't have to shout Bella, we can hear you from across the room!" replied Alice. I nodded apologetically as the waiter seated us in a booth that overlooked the dance floor.
"Will you be drinking, Bella?" asked Alice.
"Just some iced tea, I guess?" I suggested. Alice whispered something to the waiter and he left to get my order.
"I can't wait to get out there!" exclaimed Rosalie.
"I'm sure you'll look great out there," I commented.
"What do you mean me? "We" are going out there!" said Alice.
"What? I don't know how to dance!" I screeched.
"That's why we're here." Rosalie said sinisterly.
"Oh no! You can't make me!" I gripped down our seat wishing they didn't have vampire strength to drag me out onto the dance floor. "You do realize I could kill myself out there!"
"I already looked into it," said Alice. "Not a hair on your body will be harmed."
"I'm more concerned about my bones," I retorted. They just laughed as the waiter arrived with our drinks.
"You guys drink?" I asked. I would think that they would skip pretending to drink this time around.
"It's all for you. I ordered in advance because I saw that the waiters will be busy for a while." Alice was the perfect Girl Scout. You could depend on her for anything.
"Thanks Alice," I said. "Mmm…this is good!" Alice and Rosalie looked at each other before nodding. I shrugged off the feeling that they were planning something. After I finished a couple of drinks I felt a little giddy and light-headed.
"This is fun!" I giggled. "Isn't this fun, girls?" Alice and Rosalie just laughed as I finished off my last drink.
"Who would have thought hundred-year old vampires were loads of fun!" I squealed. Alice immediately covered my mouth before I could say anything else. Rosalie just snickered beside her.
"It's time to dance!" announced Alice. I stood up to follow them to the dance floor. I kept thinking I was forgetting something but I shrugged off the feeling. Alice and Rosalie found a spot near the deejay and started swaying to the music. They looked like mermaids floating in water, the way they danced.
"I wanna do that too!" I whined. They pulled me over to them and I started mimicking their moves.
"Woah, Bella! I thought you didn't know how to dance?" asked Alice.
"I don't!" I started giggling uncontrollably while dancing. We kept dancing until 2AM until they decided it was time for me to rest. We climbed back on to the car and sped off towards the hotel. By now, whatever had me doing those things was finally wearing off.
"I cannot believe I actually danced like you!" I squealed.
"Are you still drunk, Bella?" asked Rosalie. Alice slapped her arm while she drove.
"How could I have been drunk? I just had iced tea, unless, Alice!"
"Well, you didn't say what kind of iced tea you wanted," said Alice.
"I can't believe you made me drink!" I was really upset at how they manipulated me into drinking alcohol without my permission.
"If we didn't give you Long Island iced teas you would never have come with us on the dance floor," defended Rosalie. I shrugged and pouted the whole drive back.
"Admit it, Bella," said Alice as we got out of the car. "You had fun! You had fun!"
"Admit it, Bella!" Rosalie had joined in the teasing now. "Admit it! Admit it!"
"Okay fine!" I cried. "I had fun, all right? You happy now?" I had to give them credit, Their deviousness actually paid off tonight.
"Very happy," said Alice smugly. "Now let's go upstairs. I told the guys to call us in two minutes."
We arrived in our rooms just in time for their cell phones and the telephone to ring. I answered the phone while Alice and Rosalie left the room to take their own calls.
"Hello Edward," I greeted a little too cheerfully. I thought the alcohol had worn off.
"Why are you so happy, Bella?" asked Edward suspiciously.
"I just had the best time ever! I wish you'd been here! I danced with Alice and Rosalie and I was good!"
"Good for you, Bella." Edward chuckled. "I assume you didn't need to be brought to the ER?"
"Nope," I said proudly. "I wouldn't have had so much coordination if I wasn't half-drunk." Oops.
"Bella! You tattletale!" yelled Alice from the other room.
"Don't be mad at them, Edward! They were just trying to make me loosen up! Nothing bad happened anyway." There was nothing but silence on the other end.
"Edward? Please say something." I was getting worried now. Not only would Edward be mad at Alice and Rosalie but he would get angry with me for tolerating their behavior.
"Alice didn't tell me anything about that part." Edward said dryly.
"Please don't get mad at them, Edward. I'll take the full blame. If I wasn't so stubborn they wouldn't have had to make me drink." I heard Edward sigh on the other line.
"All right, Bella. I guess we'll just have to add that up as another item on the lists of your human experiences before I change you."
"Thanks, Bella!" yelled Alice from the other room. She probably saw that Edward wasn't going to be angry with her and Rose anymore.
"Thanks for understanding, Edward. I promise you, it won't happen again."
"We promise, too!" yelled Alice.
"Talk to your own husband, Alice!" I yelled back.
"So tell me all about your night out," said Edward. I could hear that he was calmer and was trying to forget that I ever drank at all. I regaled the whole story of our night out and described each and every detail of the places we went to and all the people we saw. After a while I started getting sleepy and tried to stifle a yawn.
"You're getting sleepy, Bella. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"
"No, I don't want to stop talking yet." I whined.
"I'll hum your lullaby until you fall asleep okay?" I nodded and quickly remembered he couldn't see me.
"Sure, Edward. I love you,"
"I love you too. Goodnight, sweet Bella." After he said that, he started humming my lullaby. I cradled the phone in my ear and lay down comfortably. After a few moments, I fell asleep listening to my fiancé's wonderful voice and dreamt of him and the wonderful life we would have together.