Replay Today

Chapter Ten - First date forgotten

I'm sure I've mentioned before that Tracy is one of those obnoxious girls that always looks down on my type. Her current friendly and optimistic attitude was baffling to me. It was almost as confusing as the time when she kissed me. That, I had learned, had been because of a dare. But I couldn't fathom the reason for this behaviour.

Still, she was cute, and the thought of going on a date with a cute girl like her was quite exciting. It wasn't something I was going to waste too many brain cells pondering about.

"Do you want to go now?" she asked. "I can call a taxi?"

"Okay."

Like that the two of us ended up in the back of a taxi driving toward our city's entertainment district. Different from the town area I went to yesterday, the entertainment district had more options but was also more geared toward adults. I haven't really been there much except with my parents, so I hadn't considered it as an option yesterday.

"Look at this." Tracy said, leaning across the middle seat toward me and keeping her voice low.

She opened her purse and took out a card and showed it to me. It was an age verification card with a photo of a girl who looked very similar to Tracy and a name embossed on it:

'Megan White'

"What's this?"

"It's my sister's card," she whispered, "Looks just like me, right?"

"What do you plan to do with it?"

"Whatever we like. This is our ticket to having a good time."

She looked at me proudly, a look of mischief in her eyes. I was surprised. This girl was really dangerous!

"That's why it's useful to wear makeup too," Tracy added, "Makes you look more mature."

With that she sat up, pulled out a makeup compress from her handbag and began examining herself in a small mirror.

I let out a breath. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but I knew one thing - I was definitely going to want to replay this day.

It was about a fifteen minute drive to the entertainment district and when we got there Tracy paid.

"You can pay for the karaoke." she said.

I nodded and we started walking down the street together.

Just like yesterday the streets were mostly deserted, but there were a few more people here. Some cafes and fast food shops were open and serving customers. We walked down a couple of streets and then stopped at one door wedged between two other shops which had a small 'karaoke' sign outside. After opening the door we were presented with a narrow staircase that led to the second floor.

"How do you know where this place is?" I asked as we started walking up. It was the kind of place you wouldn't notice even if you walked passed it every day.

"I come with my friends sometimes." she replied.

When we got to the top there was a very small area with an attendant sitting behind a desk. The rest of the floor branched out into two hallways with doors lining them.

"A room for two." Tracy said, approaching the counter.

"Sure, here's the key. You can pay when you leave. The price is $30 an hour. Drinks are extra."

"Thanks."

Tracy looked at the key and then began walked down the hall in front of us as I followed.

She unlocked one room and we stepped inside.

The room was small, with a single sofa couch and a square coffee table. The table had several thick books on top as well as a remote and there was a large screen TV on the opposite wall.