Karma

Saved - Part 1

The cold winter chill nipped at my cheeks as my heels clicked against the icy pavement, and the moonlight glittered off of their black sequins. My breath billowed out in front of me in a white translucent cloud, proving just how cold it was.

"Annie... do we have to do this? It's freezing out here..." I whined, as I nearly lost my balance. My ankles would hate me for choosing heels.

"YES, we have to do this. You have been holed up for weeks, and the most I've gotten out of you is a few one words texts. If it weren't for me, you probably would have died of dehydration on your couch. You should be thanking me." Annie's long curled brown hair swished over the shoulder of her read peacoat, as she regarded me with soft blueish eyes. "You need this more than I do."

I pursed my lips and avoided her gaze, my chest tightening. I hated that it had come to this. I was a complete wreck, and I had left it to the people who cared about me to clean up after me. I knew it was selfish, but I just couldn't get myself to do anything. I had been working from home and doing the bare minimum, I had been sleeping on the couch, eating anything and everything, and had been doing more crying than actual living. Annie had forced me to go out, yes, but I knew it was time to do something. I'm grateful that she had given me the opportunity.

"I know.... and you know I appreciate everything you've been doing for me."

She smiled and turned her whole body around as she walked backward. "I'm your best friend. You never have to ask. It's what I do." She said smirking and shrugging. 

I smirked at her as she bounced on her feet, her curls springing with her.

We rounded the corner, and the familiar glow of the Copper Cap Bar sign lit up the street purple. Our regular hangout place was hosting a speed dating night, and Annie had signed us up. I didn't have high hopes of finding anyone, or even a rebound for that matter, but going to an event like this was the first step to normalcy. Even though there's nothing normal about speed dating.

Annie used her whole body to lug open the large heavy wooden door and ran inside.

The smell of beer and fresh fried food made me take in a big breath. My stomach grumbled, and I realized that I had forgotten to eat.

The bar had a bit of a steam punk vibe, low warm lights, copper and gold trim on hard wood walls and floors, cogs decorated the wall behind the long wooden bar, wooden booths lining the back wall and what I could assume to be refurbished car parts popped out of the ceiling as if they were apart of it. Everything was clean and glittery, except for a few tarnished metal sculptures that decorated the room. The mismatched metal and wooden chairs and tables, which were normally strewn across the middle of the room, were organized with two chairs at each table, facing each other. On the middle of each table, a paper number was wedged into a metal stand, 1 - 10.

People, men and women, were milling about the room with drinks in their hands.

Annie smiled at the room as she slid her coat down her arms. "Isn't this great?" She asks, turning to me. It felt like she was waiting for me to agree with her, but as I turned to do that same as her, I made eye contact with a man leaning against the bar.

The man was average height, broad shoulders, a slender chiseled face, and sparkling blue eyes. His dark, tousled hair kissed his cheeks as he sent me a dazzling white smile and a wink.

Any sane woman would have melted at the mere sight of a man like him, put together and handsome, but oh not I. I had the sudden feeling like I had been violated by his gaze. I quickly looked away, refusing to look in his direction anymore as my skin had started to crawl.

"This... is something." I searched for a better word, but she had gone through all the trouble of getting me here, and I didn't want to be negative.

Her eyes scanned the room, and then she pointed to the very end of the bar. "There, I think we go there to get a number." She grabbed my wrist, and we started moving. As we passed the man with blue eyes, I felt his gaze follow me. I pulled the collar of my jacket tighter around my chest as if that would make me any less visible. I could just feel him sizing me up.