Like Bookends

10:02 P.M.

"The sun goes down, and it comes back up"

She shoots her hands up, the rings on her fingers shimmering under the neon. She throws her head back and sings along, her teeth gleaming.

When the heavy EDM chorus of the remix drops, the camera pans over to the beautiful girl, and she is seen in full view on the projector screen behind the DJ.

"She can throw some crazy shapes, that one!" Alex points.

"Do you have to be so damn British all the time?" Kent teases.

"Fuck off, mate," Alex flips him off and smiles.

At first glance, one would've thought the head turner was wearing an elegant dress from the look of her silky slip top. But now on screen, everyone can see the delicate, white silk tank is tucked into a black leather mini-skirt. Her feet glide smoothly to every beat in a pair of high-top vans.

"She can fucking shuffle?! Dude, I bet she's a raver. One of the boys at the House tried to teach me how to shuffle," says Porter.

"I know, we've seen you try, lad. You look like you're stepping on fire ants."

"Whatever man, dancing isn't always about your feet!"

"Are you referring to your hip thrusts?" Kota mocks.

"You know these hips don't lie," Porter beams proudly. "I'm a better dancer than Jaeger, at least. The man's all shoulders."

The song changes, and the charming girl is waltzing their way.

In an instant, Jaeger jolts up from his seat. He moves to her without hesitation, like a sailor being lured to a siren.

She offer's up a dainty, ring-clad hand, and he leans over the railing, bringing down his own.

For a moment, the music stops. All that can be heard is the thump-thump, thump-thump echoing in his ears.

Then, a different melody sounds.

"I'm Arabella," she sings. It's a song to him. That one irrevocably rare song that he knows all the words to, but it never grows old.

He feels both corners of his mouth being tugged up as if by string. He watches her face turn shocked and sour as man in a cherry red Polo and matching red hat spills his martini all over the front of her white silk shirt.

"Hey man, watch your feet! It's called spatial awareness." the tomato man scoffs in the dimpled-boy's direction. He looks down at the girl, "Sorry about this dick here, can I buy you a drink?"

"No thanks, jackass. I'm wearing enough vodka right now," she sneers.

Jaeger's eyes widen as the liquid and fabric mold to her chest, clinging to her perfect form and thin bralette. Almost instinctively, he's over the railing and shielding her within a second.

"You need to get to the ladies' room," he insists.

She furrows her brows, "Well you need to come with me."

Panic flashes in his eyes, but he ushers her to the bathroom without a second thought.

"Are you coming in?" she asks, expectantly.

"Of course not! That'd be inappropriate!"

"Nooo, what's inappropriate is you leaving an exposed girl at a packed club's bathroom door with nothing dry to change into."

"What? I don't.." He's cut off by her pulling him by his collar into the restroom.

He hears what seems to be least 7 girls gasping,  but they blur by looking like deer in headlights as he's dragged into an empty stall.

Arabella untucks her silk top, crosses her arms at the hems, and pulls it off.

"I, um.." he stammers.

Her eyebrows raise as her doe eyes trail from his neck to his waistline, insinuating he should give her a shirt.

"Oh! Yeah, of course." He understands, and begins unbuttoning his outer shirt and gives her the plain white t-shirt he'd been wearing underneath.

She effortlessly tucks the t-shirt into her skirt and rolls up the sleeves an inch, while he puts the button-down back on. He rolls up the long sleeves and leaves the few top buttons undone, exposing a bit of his chest. He knows Porter and the boys will appreciate the frat vibe.

He peers apologetically at her. "I'm so sorry this happened. This kind of stuff never happens to me, I swear. I can pay to have your shirt dry-cleaned. Really it's no trouble. I'm just really, really s-"

She puts a finger to his lips and smiles, "You are so very kind. But I don't wanna hear how sorry you are. I do, however, want to hear your name."

"It's Jaeger."

Her tilts head, "I like that. I like that a lot." She grins - the dimple in her cheek deepening.

"Well, Jaeger, I don't want to be too forward, but since we're basically nose to nose in a bathroom stall, I also want to know - did I just see a tattoo on your hip?"