Trackside

A Night on the Town

Sally reaches a life-changing ultimatum.

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"Come on, girl." he said, trying to pull her away from the crowd. "We can get outta here and go have a real adventure."

"I'm not into those kinds of adventures." Sally rolled her eyes at the intoxicated Maserati.

The bass coming from the speakers was almost deafening. Lights strobed around the open pavilion, alive with music, dancing, and conversation. The air was cool and smelled of the ocean. It was a perfect California night – it was alive.

So why couldn't she feel it?

"Babe, come on. I promise you, you'll love it." the Maserati insisted, getting ever so slightly agitated.

Ugh. Sally thought to herself. They're all the same. I would like to, just once, meet a guy that immediately didn't want to take me out or take me home.

She drove away from him and lost herself in the crowd, trying to find her friend that had convinced her to come to the party in the first place.

That day she'd finally wrapped up one of the biggest cases of her career, a case involving a big name company that had been scamming customers. She had gained satisfaction from being able to help so many individuals, but the feeling was fading. In the end it would just be another case to add to the list of all the others. Sally sighed as she thought about it.

Why wasn't she happy? She had a wonderful career and was able to help people, one of her own personal goals. She was financially comfortable, lived in a safe area, and always had a good group of friends to keep her busy and social. Everything seemed perfect, even though her instinct said otherwise. Something had to change, but she wasn't sure what. Attending this party definitely wasn't it.

"Hey, Sally!" her friend called from the edge of the swarm of partiers. "Come here and check this out!"

Her friend was next to the open bar, to no one's surprise, and clearly had had days of better judgement. The young Mercedes was talking to a group of guys that reeked of privilege and money. They were all clearly interested in her.

"What's happening, Cleo?" Sally asked, driving over and putting on a façade of enjoyment.

"Okay, so get this." Cleo's speech was starting to slur, making Sally worry a little. Cleo didn't have the best track-record when it came to situations like these. "My friend Jace here says he's got a waterfront condo. And! And, we're invited to come hang out."

"Oh, I don't know, Cleo." Sally was hesitant, looking at the Ferrari that apparently had extended the offer. "Isn't it a little late? Shouldn't we be heading home soon?"

"Come on, Sally!" the Ferrari put on his best smooth-talking persona and drove a little closer to her. "The night is young! And so are we. I promise you that you'll enjoy it."

"Yeah, girl, come on." Cleo begged her with her eyes. "You never go out and do anything fun anymore."

"Hey bartender!" Jace yelled. "Let's have a strong one for the Porsche in blue here."

"Oh, no, that's –" Sally started to argue but he shushed her and smiled.

"It's all on me and my boys, here." he gestured to an Aston Martin and Corvette stanced behind him. "We'll take care of it."

"I appreciate it, but –" she tried again.

"See? We knew you'd come around!" he turned back to Cleo and winked at her.

Cleo giggled and took a sip of what had to have been her seventh or eighth drink. Sally gave her friend a worried glance. She wasn't about to just let her go off with these dudes. Maybe a drink was what she was going to need to get through a night of babysitting.

The next morning, Sally awoke to the sound of seagulls and waves crashing against the shore. It was so peaceful. She opened her eyes and saw the sky starting to brighten, casting all sorts of beautiful colors on the water.

Wait. She didn't live on the beach. She didn't live anywhere near it. A pang of fear went through her as she tried to remember where she was and how she got there. An abrupt noise at her side jolted her fully awake, and she cringed. To her left was parked the Corvette from the night before, snoring his hangover off.

It all came back. That one drink had led to many more, and they'd ended up at Jace's condo, where they continued the festivities. Then there was nothing. She didn't remember anything. Glancing out the window at the ocean, she felt a strong urge to be free. Life couldn't go on like this – disappointment after disappointment, feeling unhappy all the time, allowing others to pull her into mistakes.

Quietly, but swiftly, Sally left the room and found the door. Before she left, she glanced to make sure Cleo was okay. She was, all cozied up next to Jace and peacefully sleeping. Sally silently wished her the best of luck.

Out on the road, she felt a panic coming on, like something dangerous was chasing her. She stopped once to fill up on gas before she hit the highway. And she drove. On and on, never looking back, not caring about everything and everyone she was leaving behind.