Mid-Air {UNDER CONSTRUCTION}

two

August 1, 2021

Screw it. I'm going to Luca's, Josie thinks to herself. She throws on her jeans and favorite top and heads out of her dorm building. She needs to get over Zane. Pronto.

If only she knew how this night would end for her.

She enters Luca's in search of her best friend. She spots Meredith speaking to a guy who isn't Oliver. Meredith spots her best friend and walks fast over to her. "I found you someone. He's perfect!!" Josie raises an eyebrow. Meredith rolls her eyes. "Oliver's friend from high school. Matt Henderson. He's perfect for you."

She leads Josie back over to the guy. "Matt, this is my best friend and partner in crime, Josie Jones." Meredith grins. "Nice to meet you." Matt smiles.

Josie quietly hums to herself

"Same here." Josie politely smiles. "Alright, I will leave you two alone while I go make googly eyes at the lead singer." She winks.

"Do you want to dance?" Matt gently asks Josie. She nods and leads the way to the dance floor where Oliver begins singing.

The way Matt's hand feels...clammy and rough...the way his hand presses against her back...doesn't feel right.

Josie looks over his shoulder as they sway to Oliver's singing. "You look nice tonight." Matt whispers. "Do you maybe wanna get out of here?" He pulls her closer.

Sure, if you weren't stepping all over my feet and had the decency to use breath spray before you whispered so closely to me, she wants to say.

"You know, I um actually need to talk to Meredith before I leave. I'm sorry, I don't know how long it will be."Josie begins to move away from him but Matt holds onto her arm.

He arches an eyebrow and whispers, "Now what fun would that be?" Josie feels his hand on her lower back in attempt to usher her towards the back of the venue.

She knows where this is going.

She knows that he's slightly drunk.

She knows he's way too heavy to fight off.

She knows all of this, and she stills at the touch of his lips trailing down her neck.

The exposed brick walls feels cold against her back and the usual noisy Luca's sounds eerily quiet. She can't move. She can't hear Oliver's voice. She can't see Meredith.

Matt's rough hands begin to toy with the hem of her shirt, tugging it up. His free hand ventures to her belt loop when she makes eye contact with a guy standing at the bar.

His concern, his strong jaw, something weird in his eyes bring Josie back to reality.

Matt is trying to coax her.

This isn't right.

She does what any  girl would try to do. She sacks him right in the balls and steps over his curled body once he falls to the floor.

As she reaches the bar, bar dude looks at her impressed. "I'm amazed. I don't think I've ever seen a girl do that to Matt Henderson."He chuckles.

Josie stares at the guy and all she can say is, "I just...couldn't move. It was the first thing I could think of."

The guy slides her a shot, "On me." Josie didn't bother to ask how he got it.

Josie nods her head appreciatively, "Thanks. Not sure this will get the feeling of his gross lips off my neck, but hey." She throws the shot glass back quickly and places it back on the sticky bar top.

She wipes the corner of her mouth with her thumb and shoots a look to him, noticing how well the Coors neon light shadows his skin. Ok, Josie, that's weird.

"Um," she hesitates, "Thanks..for that. I should probably go find my friend..."She bites her lip as he leans one arm against the bar to face her. He grins, "No problem. Might see you around sometime."

Nothing about it was creepy. It seemed truly genuine. That's why Josie backed away. She knew college guys. She knew Carolina guys.

She knew Luca's guys.

Meredith, she needed Meredith. She needed to get out of here before she made a damn fool of herself. The band was taking a break, and Josie found Meredith sitting on the edge of the stage.

Josie huffs quietly and pushes her way through the crowd towards Meredith. Apparently Meredith can see the distress on her best friend's face and meets her halfway.

"Mer..." She trails off. "He tried shit with me...I'm going home. I've had a long day, I'm gonna head back."

Meredith frowns, "I'm sorry. I thought maybe you two might hit it off."

Josie hugs her best friend and says."Hey, I'm good. Tell Oliver I said 'hey'."

She slowly makes her way through the large crowd and begins the short walk back to campus.

What a fucking day.

* * * *

"I'm sorry about tonight." Meredith plops down in her desk chair.

Josie shrugs, "It's ok, some guy bought me a shot."

Meredith widens her eyes, "Details, please!!"

Josie rolls her eyes and makes eye contact with Meredith. "The only information that I can provide is that he had blonde hair and ordered me a shot of tequila."

"He saw me with Matt. But it was weird, he didn't intervene."  She adds.

"His name? That's the important thing." Meredith rolls her eyes.

Josie shrugs.

"Giiirl, you need a man. You also need to learn a few things."  Meredith groans.

  You're telling me. Goodbye forever, Zane. Hello, operation get over Zane. Josie laughs to herself.