Strings (1 of 2)

Chapter 29 - Chris

On Thursday, I wake up to a text from Jade asking me to come out clubbing with her and her friend Claire tonight. I have zero interest in going but she doesn't take no for an answer, threatening to show up at my house and pull me into the car whether I say no or not.

Finally I agree to shut her up. Nathan has plans and this beats sitting at home with my parents watching Jade's wild snapchats the whole night.

Maybe this will be good for me. Some fun outside of working, having friends over, my bedroom or Nathan's. I can go out and do something for a change.

I don't party as much as I used to. It doesn't really have the same thrill now that I'm less broken over Matt's death.  The drinking, the dancing, the boys... it was more of an escape from my reality than a good time.

I'll stay sober and once Jade leaves with a guy, I can go home to my bed or see what Nathan is doing.

That's the plan.

---

[8 hours later]

I lean against the dirty bar counter waiting for my vodka cranberry in the skimpy black dress Jade forced me to wear.

I didn't plan to drink tonight but it became the only thing to do to pass the time as Claire and Jade flirt with randoms all night, leaving me to myself. I don't mind necessarily, I don't want to ruin their fun. 

I really only came out for Jade not to be mad at me if I bailed again, so I guess this is best case scenario. Except that I know Nathan is here with a few guys and I can't do anything about it. I can't be around him in public like this, we agreed no paparazzi and no friends knowing. Plus, no strings means no strings. And hanging on him all night at a bar we came to separately is definitely stringy.

Besides our initial half-smile across the bar when we spotted each other, Nathan has not paid much attention to me at all. We both understand our situation. It's awkward. It's also another reason I'm about to be on my fourth drink.

"You are soooo funny," I can hear Jade behind me giggle while she slurs her words, no doubt to another boy she set her sights on. I roll my eyes for what feels like the hundredth time tonight.

God, this bartender is slow. I get I am not the prettiest girl at the bar, but come on buddy, pick it up a notch.

I feel someone come up beside me and I see out of the corner of my eye a man holding his fingers up to the bartender, signaling he wants two drinks. Apparently, the now-borderline-incompetent bartender completely forgot about me, since he nods and starts making his drinks.

I turn to the man who stole this rude bartender's attention, completely out of patience and filled with liquid courage.

"Did you even see me here waiting or are you just that rude?" I glare at him.

It isn't really his fault his drinks were made first, but someone needs to feel the wrath for this and it can't be the dude who can spit in my drink... if I ever get it.

The brunette stranger doesn't seem shocked by my tone, he just chuckles. Maybe he didn't hear me correctly...

I put my hands on my hips and scrunch up my face to make it more clear how pissed I am, which only makes him laugh again.

Wow... his teeth are white.

Why am I noticing that?

The vodka. That's why. 

I shake myself to shut the thought out.

The bartender interrupts us and passes the two drinks towards the middle between me and the brunette. I look down at the drinks and notice they look like the vodka cranberry I ordered... weird.

"Is this what you have been waiting for or are you really that presumptuous to think I would just take your spot in line?" he smirks, mocking me.

I look between him and the drinks a few times, slowly realizing how crazy I'm being. 

I sigh and pick up the one closest to me. I take a drawn-out sip to buy time as I try to figure out what to say.

"Wow, I'm a bitch," I try to say as sympathetically as possible, hoping he doesn't hold this against me, but also unsure why I even care what he thinks about me.

"No you aren't... just feisty," he winks at me, making me grin and roll my eyes.

My eyes quickly roam the bar around us, looking for my two friends on the dancefloor. My eyes land on Nathan's leather jacket across the bar, making him stick out clear as day in my drunken vision.

Oh crap... he is already staring at me. His face is blank, I can't read what he is thinking. I take a large gulp and try not to give away any emotion as our eyes meet for a brief second before he turns back to his friends. 

I need to try to forget he is here before someone catches on.

I turn my eyes back to the man in front of me, who I now realize paid for both our drinks. I step a bit closer so he can hear me better, as the music seems to have gotten louder in the last few seconds. Or maybe the vodka has hit me more, I don't know which.

I place my hand lightly on his upper arm to stabilize my wobbling self and lean over closer to his ear. "Thank you for the drink, and sorry for before."

I feel his breath on my ear as he replies, "You look beautiful tonight. What's your name?"

I lean back slightly and smile at him, which he returns. Most guys seem creepy when they say that at a bar, but his tone is different. He really means it as a compliment, not a 'let's go fuck' way.

"Emily."

"Chris." He reaches out his hand to shake mine. His formalness makes me smile and laugh lightly.

He leans in closer as he lets go of my hand and moves his to my waist, leaning closer to my ear again. I try not to fidget under his touch, trying not to overreact at his fingers on my skin through the cutout of my dress. 

Maybe I gave him the wrong idea. Or maybe he is just being friendly... I try not to wonder if Nathan is still staring, watching this. I'm not doing anything wrong, I tell myself. Just being friendly.

"Are you here with friends?" he asks, pulling me back to reality. I take another sip of my drink.

"Yeah, but they forgot about me when they saw the dancefloor," I laugh and angle my head towards Jade and Claire to show him. He chuckles, watching them drunkenly grind on two new men.

Chris leans forward back to my ear, then yanks his hand back from my waist, almost making me fall forward onto him from the sudden loss of stability holding my drunk self up.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" I hear someone scream over the music.

"What the hell?!" I yell and take a step forward, ramming straight into the back of a leather jacket.

Author's Note:

Hey readers... it's me... again! Decided to post this chapter right after the last one because why wait??

This is actually one of the first chapters I ever wrote and then I rewrote several times as the story developed and names and details changed/evolved.

Hoped you liked it! Stay tuned for the next chapter (which is very important) coming very soon!

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