Think About Me

Chapter 7: Night Out

Paige meets me at my apartment right after I get off from work. And while I didn't ask her to, I also couldn't be more grateful; I need her help picking out an outfit for tonight.

I show her what I have in mind, and she immediately shakes her head.

"You need something sluttier," she informs me, then heads toward my closet. "I know you have a crop top in here somewhere."

"Why sluttier? It's not like I'm trying to pick anyone up."

"Well I am," she answers, like that's explanation enough. Then she looks at me over her shoulder, suddenly concerned. "Tyler's driving you home tonight, right?"

"Yes."

"So you're good if I leave at some point?"

I grin as I plop down on my bed. "I'm good if you find someone you want to take home."

"Okay, good." And she goes right back to digging through my closet. "How's that situation going by the way? With Tyler?"

"It's okay," I say with a shrug.

"Okay?" she repeats skeptically. "I'm confused. I thought you really liked him?"

Last night had been a good night. Tyler had been so kind and so understanding, and when I'm with him I see everything that's good about him. It isn't until he's gone that the unbidden feeling that something is missing comes creeping back in.

"I don't know," I say with a sigh. "I thought maybe he was going to be the one, but now..." Jude's face flashes across my mind -his eyes, his smile- and I blink the image away in frustration; I'd been doing so good not thinking about him today. "I'm not so sure. I just don't feel the same about him anymore. I guess I'm just kind of... riding it out, waiting for those original feelings to come back."

Paige sits beside me and places a hand on my knee. "Are you sure you want him to come out with us tonight?"

"I'm sure," I tell her with a smile, because I know she's been looking forward to tonight, and I know that if Tyler doesn't come with to keep me company, that she'll be less inclined to seek out a lover. "I don't plan on drinking much anyway."

"Okay." She hands me the little, black top that she's holding in her free hand. "Found the shirt by the way. The pants are fine, but you're definitely wearing this with it."

I lift the garment toward her in a salute. "You're a life saver."

...

It's ten o'clock when we make it to the nightclub -or the closest thing to a nightclub in the immediate area. The bar is crowded, bodies packed together like sardines in a can, and I eye it wearily.

"I'm going to start us off with some shots," Tyler says, raising his voice over the rumbling bass of the thumping music. "Paige, you in?"

"Hell yeah!"

He gives me an amused smile, then raises his eyebrows at me in a question. I nod, and then he sinks into the crowd. I imagine it'll take some time to order, let alone actually get the drinks, so I grab Paige by the hand and lead her over to a table near the dance floor.

"Okay," she says when we're settled in. It's a little quieter here, my ears less suffocated by the voices of drunken patrons. Now there's only the music attempting to carry our voices away. "Help me scan the area. Let me know if you see anything good. And remember, I like them nerdy."

I chuckle and nod. "You got it."

I try to be subtle as I let my eyes wander, even though Paige definitely isn't. She's like a hawk, flying over a field looking for a mouse. I feel bad for whoever she catches tonight, and yet, not bad enough to abandon my job of helping her find her prey.