Necklace In The Path

Chapter 16: Escaping the Crowd

The nightlife in Bangkok was wild to me. It was a Tuesday night, yet it felt like it should have been Saturday. As we drove through the city, I examined the surroundings outside of the cab. There were so many people still out, and I recalled how the other night, I did not know the time, but it felt early in the evening because of how energetic it was with all the people still going on about their day.

I was pleased that we decided not to walk because this drive took at least 30 minutes to get to the venue. As we sprang out of the car, I took in the environment around me. The club was huge and looked expensive. I grabbed Fah's arm and asked, "Can we even get in?" I was a bit nervous because there was a line, and everyone seemed so flashy. Fah patted me on the head and said, "This is the best time to go! On the weekends, you have to have reservations to enter, so most locals try to come during the workweek. And I'm not one to brag, but I know the bouncer working, so we can get in!" Fah peered down at me and shot a cocky smile.

Beth and Non were stumbling all over the place, while Fah and I appeared to have been walking normally. Fah went ahead of us to talk to the bouncer, and I decided to stay back and wait for her signal. I could see that she was laughing with the extremely large man standing at the entrance of the club, and she was very touchy with him. I wondered if she had some kind of intimate relationship with the guy at some point. All of a sudden, Fah whipped her head back and waved her hand to come toward her. The bouncer opened the door for us four, and we sauntered into the building like VIPs.

The place looked huge on the outside, but when we got in, it was jam-packed. There were people everywhere, and the music was insanely loud. I couldn't even hear myself think. We made our way through the crowd to get to the nearest bar. Each of us ordered a drink; I usually enjoyed fruity drinks, so I asked for a Mai Tai, which was my go-to.

I scanned the structure, trying to see if there was any available seating, then I felt my arm being pulled, "LET'S GO DANCE!" Beth and Non had already taken off to the dance floor, while Fah waited for my response. "MAYBE! I'M GOING TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO SIT!"

"WHAT?"

"I'M GOING TO FIND SEATING!"

"OHHH! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!" She was right; this place had hit capacity, and I wasn't even sure if there was a spot where I could sit.

"I'LL STILL LOOK! I'LL TEXT YOU GUYS!" Fah gave a thumbs up and took off to the dance floor.

There had to be someplace available; I mean, it was a Tuesday night! I felt like a ball in a pinball machine, being bumped back and forth as I tried to find an opening. In the distance, I could see an outdoor set-up. I sprinted towards it, as if it were the light at the end of a tunnel. In a flash, I crawled my way out of the sweaty crowd and headed into a small entryway. Phew, I was outside! I looked around to see where exactly I had ended up. This almost seemed like a private area, but no one had said anything to me yet. It was much quieter, and there was a bar with only a few people hanging out around it.

This was a fascinating part of the club. It was located outside, but it had a hangar and a lookout where you could view the outside world. Again, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be there, but I didn't really care. I just needed to get away from the crowd.

There was plenty of seating available, but I didn't want to be seated alone at an empty table, so I headed towards the bar and made myself comfortable there. The bartender walked towards me and set a napkin down. "Would you like another one?" I looked down at my drink, realizing it was almost empty. "Yes, please." He turned back around and started grabbing different bottles and mixing my drink. I didn't even tell him what I had ordered, but he must've been an expert because after he was done, he set the drink down in front of me. "Is this a Mai Tai?" He nodded with a quick smile. I sipped on the drink he had made. "Holy shit! This is a Mai Tai." I peered up at him and inclined in approval.