Second Shot (Bastille)

2: Buy them a drink, ask for a dance, next step: marriage

*Earlier that night*

*Dan's POV*

My phone buzzed energetically against the kitchen counter and the screen flickered to life.

Kyle: You better be ready, I'm on my way.

I wandered through my apartment, into the hallway and pulled my converse on. Quickly, I glanced in the mirror and checked how I looked (not terrible but could be better) before sliding my glasses onto my face and grabbing my jacket. When I heard the gate creak open outside, I stepped out the front door and met Kyle halfway down the path.

"Really? Dirty converse? How are you expecting to pick up anyone when you're wearing things like that?" Kyle complained, shaking his head and leading the way down the street.

"First of all: we're going to a bar. It'll be dark, no-one will see them. Secondly: I'm not expecting to pick up anyone regardless of my footwear." I explained almost defensively (yup, that's me, Dan Smith: gets protective about my tatty trainers).

"Dan, it's been six months since... well, since your last serious girlfriend. It's about time you met someone isn't it?" I shrugged. I suppose it was. I hadn't been in a proper relationship since... Liv. I tried. For the last few months, I'd been in a revolving door of first dates and one-nights-stands but I couldn't seem to commit myself the same way I did to Liv.

The night dragged impossibly slowly. Kyle dragged me into bar upon bar, club after club, pointing out every girl he saw and stating 'she looks nice' yeah they looked nice but (call me old-fashioned) I liked meeting girls when they're weren't spilling their drinks over themselves and tripping over their own feet.

We were well into the night when we found ourselves in a club that insisted on flashing harsh purple lights in our eyes every thirty seconds. I was sat on the worn leather sofa, slowly sipping my beer when Kyle tipsily stumbled from from the bar with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Dan, I think I've found the ones" He gestured for me to follow him over to the bar. Reluctantly, I trailed behind him and directed my glance to where Kyle was pointing; to a pair of girls who were sat at the other end of the bar. "Well?" Kyle asked nudging me. I shrugged nonchalantly, I couldn't see their faces due to the tacky lighting so I couldn't make a judgement.

"Why don't you buy them a drink, ask for a dance, next step: marriage" I suggested sarcastically. Kyle rolled his eyes and we both turned our heads back to the girls, who were no longer in their seats. "Maybe next time mate" I clapped Kyle on the shoulder sympathetically before returning to the sofa. More time passed; Hip Hop music boomed out of the tinny speakers and drunken singing rattled in my head. I was ready to call it a night when Kyle darted over to me, an ecstatic look on his face.

"The girls came back!"

"Go talk to them then!"

"Come with me!"

"No Kyle, you saw then first"

"I can't have both of them Dan" I remained in my seat, refusing to move. "Fine. If you won't go to then, I'll bring them to you" Kyle marched off determinedly and I laughed to myself; Kyle had a very unique charm about him, a charm that many girls couldn't refuse. He was suave and a big kid at the same time, a gentleman who loved Disney films. I quickly lost sight of him and distracted myself by going through my phone, losing track of time until Kyle returned with (I assumed) the two girls from before. One girl had her arm around his waist; her hair was coloured a bright turquoise and its shorts strands stuck up wildly. The second girl was stood slightly behind them, looking at the floor hesitantly. Kyle dived on the sofa and whispered some inappropriate comment in my ear but even with my protests, he insisted that I talk to the second girl. "Be nice okay?" He mocked, climbing off the sofa and dragging the blue haired girl back onto the dance floor, leaving me and the other girl alone. I quickly looked her up and down; her hair rested just past her shoulders in ashy brown waves. She was small- even in the heels she was wearing I guessed she would just reach my shoulders- and had a delicate build; her arms and legs were thin and her waist was just as small. Along with the twig-like heels, she was wearing a short, strapless dress which was dark red with a waistband that glistened subtly in the light (I'll admit, she looked very pretty but watching the way she pulled uncomfortably at the hem of the dress, I assumed it was her friend who had decided what she would wear).

"Sorry about Kyle" I apologised when I realised how long I had been looking at her "he's uh, just a bit excited... and drunk, he'll look after for your mate though don't worry" She nodded. I offered her a drink. She denied. "Well, we may as well get some conversation in, who knows how long they'll be gone. Take a seat, please" I gestured to the seat across from me and for the first time, I saw a small smile creep onto her face. I slid my phone back into my pocket before looking directly at her and with a warm smirk I introduced myself "First things first: I'm Dan."

"Nice to meet you Dan, I'm Freddie. I'm guessing your friend dragged you out too?" She asked, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. I laughed amusedly and briefly explained Kyle's plans for tonight. Freddie nodded understandingly: her friend, Sam, had done exactly the same. "So, by night you let your mates try and hook you up with someone and by day you...?"

"I'm uh- I'm in a band" I hated saying that. There was no way to tell someone you're in a band without sounding like some pretentious asshole. An intrigued expression sparked onto Freddie's face. Please don't be like everyone else, don't just gain interest now. Please don't be like-

"That's awesome, how long have you been doing that?"

"About three years but we've just been finding our feet really you know, working on our style, trying to see what works, experimenting with a little bit of everything- and I'm about to start rambling nonsense" I cut myself off and shook my head at my own sidetracked train of thought which made Freddie smiled even wider, making the corners of her eyes crinkle slightly.

"What about your band name?"

"Completely unoriginal and uninventive, but because my birthday's July 14th, which just so happens to be the french celebration of-"

"Bastille day. Bastille. I thought I recognised your voice from somewhere, I can't seem to escape you when I'm listening to the radio. You're a talented group of musicians from what I've heard."

"Thanks. Right, enough about me, what do you do?" I questioned before sipping the last few drops of mildly warm beer out of the glass and pushing it to the side. She did photography, which her and Sam had been wanting to do since they were 14 and they were about to start a six-month contract with a big time photography company. "Ugh, I just remembered, the band and I have got a photo-shoot tomorrow. Don't think you could come and do it do you?" I joked, smirking slightly.

"I wish we could, it would probably be a lot more interesting than whatever it is Sam and I are doing tomorrow," We both laughed quietly and continued talking until Freddie got a text "Okay I'm paraphrasing a slightly drunk text here: 'Hey Fred, gone back to Kyle's place, meet you at work tomorrow, love you lots from Sammy' and far too many x's, wait, another one 'PS: don't forget to get Dan's- Okay, enough of that." Freddie shook her head and placed her phone on the table.

"She want you to get my number?"

"Yeah but you don't have to"

"I don't mind, in fact, I'd like to, it's been nice talking to you" I pulled my phone out of my pocket and found my number. Freddie entered it into her contacts then sent me a text: Hey, in case you don't save this number straight away and you forget who this is. I'm the girl you met when Kyle dragged you out to find a hook-up (except we didn't hook up). I sniggered childishly and saved the number. Looking up from the screen, I saw Freddie yawn and then checking the time I realised it was almost 2 am.

"Do you mind if I call it a night? Gotta get up early tomorrow and-" She yawned again "- as you can tell, I'm not great at hiding my tiredness"

"Sure, I should probably head home too" We stood up and walked out of the club. It was bitterly cold outside compared to the sweaty heat inside, I could see my breath as I exhaled and even though we had only been out for a few seconds, my nose was already painfully cold. I waited with Freddie until her taxi arrived (even though mine came five minutes earlier) and I waved goodbye until I could no longer see her or the taxi.