Genie in a Bottle

Dance

Carmens POV

As the bar began to fill up so I told Amber that I would be occupied for the next half hour serving drinks until the cocktail waitresses started their shift so she took Patty out onto the dancefloor.

Just because I was in charge of the club did not mean I should act all high and mighty and getting involved was something I enjoyed, I was busy mixing some cocktails when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Hank, how you doing?”

“Good thanks, club is going well”.

“Yes it is, nice to see so many here…..did we get many paying clients”.

He removed a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to me…

“26 paid the full fee, thats great………..I best tell them that it covers a full year cost and not just the once”.

“I am sure they will love you even more for that, and talking about love….I saw you chatting with those two……..The brunette is quite the babe”.

“Yes she is, Im a little bit smitten and almost afraid to admit it”.

“Come on Carmen, you have had your fair share of heartache, its about time you let your hair down and had a little fun”.

“True but we know what usually happens, every girl I get with uses my reputation to get somewhere”.

“Not everyone is like that you know”.

“I know and I wish that I could let my guard done more often”.

Hank looked squarely in my eyes and spotted a glint which he had not seen for a long time.

“This girl has done a number on you but in a good way”.

“I don’t know what it is about he…..you know Amber who she is with?”

Hank nodded…

“Well she is her best friend and the girl called Patricia, its her 18th birthday”.

“Hmmm I remember when you were 18”.

I smiled at this…

“OK brother, you’ve had your fun but I think that I am going to give her a chance, she looks too innocent to take advantage of me”.

“Well you can be safe in the knowledge that I wont be wanting her”.

“Hank we all know you are as bent as a straight banana”.

He frowned..

“Bananas are not straight”

“Precisely!!”

I watched him walk off and moved from behind the bar as I saw the waitresses take over, instead I found a booth and armed with a tall glass and a tequila sunrise I observed Patrica from afar.

**

Amber led me out to the dance floor and I was just starting to warm up to the flow of the music when I saw another blonde heading towards my best friend.

“Hey Suzie”

Amber acknowledged her ‘sort of’ on off girlfriend with a wry smile.

“You remember Patty?”

She looked at me and smiled…

“How could I forget”.

The last time I had visited the house of my best friend I had discovered that the front door was ajar and despite knocking and ringing the bell no one was coming to see who it was.