Under Your Skin || Jungkook

15

I would lie if I said I didn't spend all evening trying to get ready for tonight, making my biggest effort to leave my anxiety aside and adopt that new personality I've already seen on so many women that have come to the bar these weeks. But the pressure I'm putting on my own shoulders, before I even get to the pub where we were supposed to be meeting, is only causing my level of stress to rise.

I should also avoid drinking, or at least not drink too much. I've never gotten drunk, not even when my bosses decided to treat us to a good dinner once a year, so it's not the best idea to get drunk for the first time, messing it up big time, with people I'm trying to be friends with. Or at least grow closer to.

But all those concerns vanish away the second I see a twisted smile on Tammy's face. And the little I've gotten to know her, I know it means nothing good. So my worries change, to focus solely on her and what she could come up with.

Five minutes later, she shows up with a stray full of little glasses. I start counting those the second she leaves the metallic plate on the small rounded table. Eight shots. Eight shots and it's only four of us.

—Two each —she mentions, as if it were obvious—. There's nothing better to start the night than vodka shots.

—Yeah, that's why you always end up spending more time on the floor than standing up —Melanie jokes.

—That only happened once —Tammy rolls her eyes, bending over to take one of the shots—. C'mon. Cheers, bitches! For a good night ahead.

After we all make our tiny glasses tingle after we toast, Soo makes sure to remind us all she can't drink a lot nor will stay until the end of the night because she has to meet up with a client tomorrow morning. I'm almost going to say we could've left it for a different day, but I hold it in. Instead of trying to comfort her, I'll probably sound annoyed or rude, which isn't the case at all.

Sometimes there are some things to be left unsaid.

—My wrist is driving me crazy —Melanie complains, trying to move her hand in circles.

—Did you make a bad move during training? —I ask, trying to hide as much as possible how the liquid is burning my throat.

—Probably —she pouts—. It's been bothering me since I left the kickboxing session.

—That's why you barely moved your hand when you were driving me back home? —Tammy asks, both eyes wide open—. I have a good ointment for things like that. I'll give it to you next time you come home.

She doesn't miss the chance, and while her hand is still rising because of her gesture, she picks another shot and drinks it all at once. An exaggerated gasp leaves her mouth, and her green eyes look around, like encouraging the rest of us to do the same with the rest.

—Y/n, you should come and join us one day —Soo says out of nowhere—. I kinda think you'd like it.

—Kickboxing? —Soo nods— I'm not sure. Never been good at sports —I laugh—. But I could give it a try one day, why not?

—Yeah. That's my girl —Tammy points at me with a pleased smile.

The night goes on just like that. They talk between them, mostly, although they try to make me join the conversations, I rush to shift back to my little side -and for the most part I look like one of those npc's. It's not like I have much to share or to talk about. I don't add anything to the conversation. They're talking about crushes and past experiences anyway, so yeah... I can't add anything to the conversation.

I could say how I settled a strange deal with Soo's brother, because I'm unable to go further than three words with the opposite sex. But I'm sure no one at this table would like to know about that.