𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐞 | 𝐧. 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫

𝟏 | 𝐠𝐚𝐛𝐢

Two Years Later...

"What are you ladies still doing here? It's past closing time already." Marie, my elderly boss, looks at the clock by the door that leads into the kitchen and back down at us. When we work the closing shift, Celine and I normally stay back to help Marie clean up. She hates when we stay behind because she's a firm believer that since we're two young women, we should be enjoying life with other people our age and not spending it with her. Marie has been amazing to me since I moved to Jersey two years ago and she gave me a job when Celi introduced us the first day I was here. "Mar, you know we always stay later to help you clean up. We're staying whether you like it or not." Marie laughed at my insistence that Celi and I were staying and not going anywhere until everything was cleaned up.

As I start sweeping the floors and Marie works on cleaning the counters, Celi turns on the radio, putting on some music. "Dancing Queen" by ABBA starts blasting on the speakers throughout the diner as we all get busy trying to get out soon. Marie is one of the sweetest old ladies I've ever come across. She loves to tell stories of her younger days to just about anyone willing to listen. Twenty minutes later, the three of us are walking out the door, shutting off the lights as Marie takes out the keys to lock the front door.

"I'll see you ladies in a few days. Please enjoy your breaks and go have fun. I know I did when I was your age." Marie waves us off with a smile on her face as we laugh remembering all the party stories she's told us about from when she was in her twenties. Anyone who sees Mar would think she is the stay-at-home type, but from the stories she's told us, she was quite the party animal in her teens and twenties. As her car leaves the lot, Celi is quick to grab my arm pulling us towards her car. "Now that we're free, let's go to the bar Gabi. We have to get ready at home first real quick, but let's go please" She's been begging me to go out to a bar near a pretty crowded area of Newark called Mo's.

Despite my tiredness, I know Celi wouldn't let me live this down if I didn't go with her at least once. Since I'd moved in with her, she's tried to get me to go out to parties and urged me to live a little, but I always ended up staying home instead of going out. "Okay, okay. Let's do it!" Putting my hands up in surrender, Celi drives us back home excited that we're finally going out to a bar together.

At home, we each head to our rooms and show each other different outfit choices.  Celi decides to wear a leopard print bodysuit with light-washed ripped jeans, creme heels, and a leather jacket for the chilly air. I opt to wear a leather skirt that goes above the knee with a black bralette top, a black jacket, and some black boots. Once we're done, we both stand in front of the mirror looking at each other. "Oh my God we look so hot!" I nod my head with a smile on my face because we do look hot. Although I'm not a huge fan of going out often, when I do I always make sure to look good cause you just never know who you'll see.

~

Our Uber pulled up a few blocks from Mo's seeing as there was a lot of traffic for a few streets leading to the bar. People were moving in and out of different restaurants and bars. Everyone looked to be having a really good night and I couldn't wait to have my good night. Celine and I make some small talk as we walk a block or two to get to Mo's and find a lot of people inside once we make it in. The booths that line most of the walls are full to the brim with a lot of them having multiple bottles of beer and empty drink glasses. The only place we find to have a seat is at the counter of the bar.

The speakers are loud as the bar is playing Doja Cat and people dance near the middle of the room. As a group of guys walk in, a lot of people cheer and clap, many of them doing bro hugs to the people that pass. "Who are those guys?" My eyes look at the group of guys as they head to a booth towards the back of the bar. Somewhere along their trip to their booth, I turn back to look at Celi and all she does is shrug her shoulders with an I don't know look on her face. The bartender, whose name tag reads Stephanie, leans over the counter towards us, "Those are some hockey players from the New Jersey Devils. I heard that they won their game against Philly and usually after their home game wins they'll head here to celebrate." Nodding my head I look back at the table and see a waitress heading over with two trays full of drinks for the guys at the table.