A Part of My Memory

Zara

I was convinced that every room in this hotel was going to astonish me.

The bar was unexpectedly luxurious. The room was huge, the lights were tinted blue and the chairs were made of some expensive leather. The bar counter was so long that it took up half the length of the wall. The counter was made of black marble and the cabinets where the drinks were stored were lit by tinted yellow lights. The several bartenders who were tending different sections of the counter looked impeccable in their uniforms and I, once again, felt out of place.

"This whole hotel is crazy," I decided.

"Agreed," Elliot said beside me.

Ally and Jonah went and sat together on the long leather couch that ran the length of the opposite wall and we were all wise enough not to join them. Faizah went to the other end of the room and, having no intention of drinking anything, she comfortably set herself on a leather chair and whipped out a book. She was the only person I knew who would bring a book to a bar.

Serena and Reed took a seat on the leather chairs by the bar counter and a bartender tended to them in no time. I, however, walked around the space of the bar. Admiring all the different coloured lights, the furniture and the art posted on the walls.

"Who knew a bar could be so... aesthetic?" I wondered.

"It is quite a wonder," Elliot said from beside me.

Eventually, we made our way to the other end of the counter and took a seat on the leather chairs. I would have liked to sit with Serena but she was in her flirting element, and Reed looked like he was genuinely interested in her. I wondered if he could break through Serena's walls and get her to open up again. I hoped he could, and if he did he'd better not break her heart in the process or else I might just commit a crime.

A bartender approached us and I had to admit that she was really pretty. I wondered how many men hit on her in this bar. Probably all of them.

"What are you having?" She asked us with a strong Spanish accent. Was everyone who worked here foreign?

"Piña colada," I said.

"Good choice," she approved, "cocktails are my speciality." She looked at Elliot now, "and what about you, sir?"

"I'll have a Tom Collins," Elliot said.

"Copycat," I teased. "I order a cocktail and now you order one too."

Elliot snickered, "I was thinking Tom Collins before you even ordered."

"I was thinking Piña Colada before you even thought Tom Collins," I retorted.

Elliot responded with a shake of his head and a crooked smile, and my goshness that smile did questionable things to me.

Yep, it was definitely going to be a long night.

****

I may have had one Piña Colada too many. The coconut and pineapple sweetness deceived me into drinking more than my body could handle.

My mouth opened and the words that came out would have shocked the sober me, but alas, I wasn't sober, nor was I tipsy. Nope, I was drunk. I was sure of it.

"Why are you engaged?"

Judging by the way Elliot choked on air, I had caught him by surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, you're too handsome to be engaged," I explained, thinking I made complete sense.

"Too handsome?"

"Reed should be engaged," I decided.

Elliot laughed, "are you saying he's not 'too handsome'?" He added air speech marks, quoting me.