Short stories

Friday night

It was almost dark. The sun was just a big orange ball disappearing over the horizon. It was barely 8:30 pm and the lights were lit in houses and apartments. Thank God it was Friday! People expected it was around ten or eleven o'clock to get in the nightclubs downtown to drink all night. Over the week, the night life people stood out, demarking themselves from those who stayed home. More than half of the city spent their Friday night in bars.

The young woman was a part of this category. She returned home to relax a bit. She ate something in front of the television and, sometimes, she fell asleep. Thomas was going to pick her up around eleven o'clock to go to their favorite bar. She loved to drink and dance all night. Her boyfriend loved to look at her when she was completely drunk. He found her very sensual, her hips swaying to the rhythm of the music. Then he brought her back at four o'clock in the morning. He took her in his arms and gently put her on the bed. They made love the rest of the night. But this time, something would change.

She put on her bathrobe before leaving the bathroom. She walked over her closet. She pulled out a purple shirt and a black skirt. She put on her clothes and returned to the bathroom. She brushed her curled brown hair up and dropped two small locks on each side of her face. Her makeup was very light. She returned to her room. She put on her shoes, took her bag and jacket before leaving her apartment. It was only ten thirty-five pm.

* * * * *

She emptied her glass before returning on the dance floor. She came alone in the bar, but she hope not to get back home alone. She used her cell phone to send a message to Thomas. She hadn't heard from him. She didn't care very much, but she wanted to see his reaction. Being naturally curious, she was intrigued to know how he would react.

Her message was very clear: "I don't want near me. Ignore me if you see me in the street and forget my phone number. You're a bastard." And she doubted about his reaction.

A few months earlier, she had accused him to have sex with another woman. She struck him, insulted him before collapsing on the floor in tears. He approached her and told her she made a mistake and that he loved her too much to do such a thing. They had made love. So he thought she was sleeping. He called Rachel to tell her that Jasmine had doubts. But Rachel had confessed to the young woman a few days later. And now, Thomas would pay dearly.

As she danced, she saw a guy alone at the bar. There was not a single girl around him, which surprised the young woman. Since he was pretty cute, she walked towards him, her jacket under her arm. She smiled, waving. He returned her smile, his eyes wandering over her. She ordered another drink. He finished his beer.

"It's very rare to see a single person in a bar," she told him.

"You're not really here alone?"

She giggled.

"For me, it's another story."

"You can tell me if you want."

"It's far too long and I don't really want to talk about it."

"I've got plenty of time."

She smiled at him.

"Not me. Would you like to dance?"

"No, not really."

Jasmine looked down at her glass. This is really not my day! She understood what it meant: he wasn't interested. She took her glass and walked away. She sat at a table far from everyone and finished her drink, regretting to be there. She began to think it might not be a good idea to leave Thomas. At least she would have fun. She put on her jacket and crossed the room. When she passed near him, the young man at the bar looked at her questioningly. She ignored him and left the bar in a rush. She walked fast and wasn't paying any attention to the sounds around her. A hand touched her arm. She screamed and turned quickly. The young man from the bar had followed her outside.