Thick fumes of a zesty scent wafted through the air within the apartment on the 13th floor of the infinito apartments. Calm and unboring, just like Mr. Darcy. The beat of the music boomed in the background, whilst he unbuttoned a grey shirt and put on a chalky white one which, he couldn't even deduce why'd he had it on in the first place. The song switched to another and he tapped his feet lightly on the floor, rummaging through the closet and soon after, rocking his body lightly to the beat of the music as he put on the white shirt.

His closet was jammed with all the whites and a few blacks. That's what he was always seen wearing and probably grey and blue sometimes but that was quite rare.

A man, seemingly around Darcy's age, 35, bolted through his bedroom, thrashing the door a bit too loud.

"What is taking you so long? You meditating in there or what?" The 35 year old man continued, suddenly aggravated "And turn this maddening goddamn music off!"

This was Charles, the guy who had supposedly come to fetch Darcy to the club at the top of the infinito apartments, where Colonel was throwing a party. These three worked together in the same company, in Colonel's company but Charles and Darcy had always been closer.

He turned to face Charles who seemed to have lost his cool and had a solid frown on his face and spoke, "I'm done. Let's head out." His voice, unbothered.

"Crookhead" Charles muttered under his breath.

SHEEP N' STAG said the antique looking entrance to the retro bar. The suppressed faint music when they stood right outside the robust wooden door boomed louder than they expected it to once Charles pushed the door, barging in and Darcy followed right behind him looking around.

Onto the right was an Asian bartender pulling out a bottle skillfully, filling the shot glasses stacked nicely on the counter.

The club wasn't overly dark which and Darcy could see to the very end of the club in all directions, which Charles found surprising because it was half past midnight already.

Moving towards the left, a bit isolated, was the sitting area where chesterfield couches were racked around the black stained glass table. They both sank into one of the deep tan couches and a man wearing a oversized polo t-shirt joined them soon after with a beer mug, only a quarter remaining.

"Darcy! Darcy! Darcy!" A man advancing merrily towards him announced. Darcy pulled himself from the couch and marched towards Colonel and pulled him in a hug.

"You like it? Loads o' people here!" Colonel said

Colonel put the beer mug down on the glass table with a clink before sagging into the couch.

It was close to an hour that Darcy had been in there and wasn't too fond of drinking but he did gulp down two glasses of whiskey because of how insistent Charles was. He got up and straight right towards the smoking room. He lit up his cigar and spent some time in there and soon after, his phone started buzzing and it was Charles. He'd been calling him incessantly.

"Find someone else to annoy" The first thing Darcy said when he picked up the phone.

Colonel was the one calling him, at least, that's what Charles told him.

"I'll be there in a bit." He said before cutting the line.

Darcy wasn't particularly socially awkward or needed space that night in that bar. He just felt...bored and also needed to smoke.

When he came back in, he saw that Charles and Colonel weren't there anymore. They seemed to have switched places or did they go somewhere or something.

Darcy thought of Charles to be such a dork for calling him right away but then, disappearing somewhere. He pulled out his phone and turned around and it seemed like a completely different place altogether than what it did before he left for the smoking room. It felt empty. Where did the people go? He felt slightly dizzy, maybe the whiskey was finally kicking him in the gut, he surmised.

And then, he saw something. A lot of people had gathered towards the dancing area. He wondered what must be going on in there for that many people to leave their seats. So, he advanced a couple steps towards that bulging crowd before stopping midway because he saw something...again.

It was the bartender who offered a cocktail to a woman, in her late 20s, he thought.

Darcy's eyes, curious, stared without a blink or a pause. He looked as if somebody had played a joke on him, shocked or surprised, cannot say. His eyes grew tender and his lips parted ever so slightly as he took a step forward. Towards her...

And then a couple more before he crashed into a couch towards his right, balancing himself quickly right after stumbling and noticed the cigar in his hand and it was still burning. He glanced in her direction once again, the blue of his eyes turning slightly darker like a storm taking birth. She laughed at something the bartender may have said and his lips curved into a faint smile without him realising and his feet moved towards her. His eyes glistened in a way that they never have before. He regained his posture and put out the cigar in the smoking room quick enough. He couldn't unsee what he had just seen.

He dashed towards the same spot again, as if, losing a second of her presence might make the dream disappear, if it was one.

A series of pillars at equal distance were there and he sneaked behind them, staring at her and trying to get as close as possible. He could faintly hear her voice. Soft and unreal, he thought.

A soft sudden tap on his shoulder and he jerked around unexpectedly to find Charles eyeing him.

"What's in their?" Charles stepped closer sniffing the pillar.

Seeing Charles bought him back to senses, a bit too suddenly, the music, the air, everything got too heavy.

"Where were you?" Darcy asked ignoring Charles.

"Being a nicer buddy to Colonel than someone who's sniffing pillars." Charles snapped at him.

"Where is he?" Darcy interjected, his expressions suddenly darker and losing the gentleness they were consumed by a while ago.

Charles started speaking again and this was gonna be annoying, Darcy knew. He closed his eyes and let his body relax, shutting his senses.

"Nevermind Darcy, let's head back. Colonel needs us. It's high time for him." Charles moved towards the bartender and Colonel stood where she stood once.

Darcy followed him, looking around, searching...

Colonel lifted off a beer mug from the counter and gulped down, creating a dent in the mug.

That explains the beer belly, Darcy thought.

"EVERYONE! Gather around. My pals are here!" Colonel yelled, flashing a smile at Darcy and thereafter at the Bartender, which was him ordering to refill once he gulps it all down.

Everyone scurried right after Colonel announced.

"This day, matters to me, y'all. It matters a good deal." Colonel took a pause. Charles smiled so widely, it almost looked pretentious. Everyone cheered on.

Such a dolt, Darcy thought.

Darcy looked at Charles, whilst squinting and mouthed "what" to him and their eyes met for a second after which Charles ignored him completely and cheered on whilst giving Colonel a half hug.

"This day..." Colonel went on.

"Night" Charles hushed into his ear.

"Yeah...this night is a bloody important one for me. I..." Colonel's eyes wandered off to a distance "CANNOT begin to express what I am feeling." Darcy looked at Colonel, wondering what was it all about.

"And as much as I am in love with tonight, so am I in love with the person responsible for all..." Colonel paused searching for words, "all of this. My fiance" He swung his arms, pointing vaguely at...everything. Darcy felt his heart stop beating for a second. If someone was informed about all this, it certainly wasn't him.

"Maya, would you please..?" Colonel spoke looking into the crowd. So did Charles and so did Darcy. It was quite cold but Darcy felt his body heating up. His body was still but his mind was running away from his control, not listening to him. Maya...he heard it again in his mind. Was it her? It cannot be, it should not be because if it were then...

The door of the restroom flung open and two women strolled out towards the crowd. Darcy was the first to examine if any one of them was her.

It was hard to tell, they were at a distance but soon enough, he found out that he was stressing for no reason. They weren't her.

"Oh honey..." Colonel blurted out when he saw her, presumably Maya.

A woman in her late 20s, walked elegantly towards Colonel, smiling and putting a lock of her dark hair behind the ear.

"Maya, EVERYBODY!" Colonel pulled her up to what looked like a small pedestal where there was nearly no room left after Darcy, Charles, Colonel and now even Maya standing next to them all. And Darcy shifted a bit to the side, saving himself from tripping over and trying not to stumble down. He let out a deep breath, adjusting and tugging at his black tie.

He did feel a cooling sensation wash over him, which indeed felt much like relief. However, his mind still won't stop.

Everyone settled down on the couches and the drinks alongside the dinner was served thereafter. It was all vegan food tonight because Maya was vegan and Colonel didn't want to mess his sixth relationship where he was on the brink of getting married. Colonel, although, did keep the seafood in the menu just for Charles and a couple more picky eaters.

The seafood was the only thing Charles could think of. But the entire table was adorned with vegan food, desserts and drinks. Charles got up to check the covered plates if the seafood was hidden in there and Darcy also got up and came after him, not realising. Charles lifted off the lid and it was some Greek salad in there and he immediately shut it back off, scrunched up his nose and found Darcy right behind him.

"Wait, did you find it?" Charles asked, wide eyed.

"Find what?" Darcy looked at Charles .

"Shrimp, clams, tuna or maybe salmon, who knows." Charles spoke, his breath smelled a bit too pungent.

Darcy went slightly backwards. "What did you eat?" He blurted out judging by the way his mouth smelled.

"Nothing." Charles took a pause, staring at Darcy scrutinizingly "what did you eat?"

"Nothing you'd be interested in." Darcy spoke, lost, looking around.

"I want seafood. Where'd you get it." Charles pushed Darcy a bit. He could have pushed Charles backwards but he didn't.

"Charles...over here." Colonel called him over and once he was gone, Darcy got down on the couch, feeling defeated. The night had not ended and neither had the part but his hopes sure did. He'd been looking for her everywhere instead of shrimp, clams and tuna.

He knew he won't find her here. Maybe the chance was gone to see her. But if he could see her, just once, maybe, he could...

Ans that was the question, what would he do if he saw her again?

Was it an illusion? He felt the impossible, the irreversible and quite literally, the most enchanting he had ever felt in his entire 30 years he had lived on this planet.

She can't be real, must be an illusion, thought Darcy.