Say Something...

by T. A. Roth

  “They were in the back of your closet,”she answers shrugging her shoulders. Shows how often I get out, I don’t even remember buying them.

  I take a quick shower and let Vonne work her magic on my hair and make-up. We change quickly and are out the door in no time flat. I’m a nervous wreck so she decides to drive us. “You ready?” She turns to ask. I nod, trying to rid my sudden case of dry mouth. I’m gripping the door handle with my clammy hand and am seriously rethinking this plan. “Hey, it’s all good. We’ll get some drinks and dance. Stop worrying.” I nod again in response. “Here, we need some party music to get us in the mood.” T-Pain’s “Booty Wurk” pours out of the speakers, and she starts shaking her ass. She pulls out her arsenal of crazy dance moves. Note to self: Do not twerk and drive.

  She has me in complete hysterics the rest of the drive, almost making me forget where we’re going. That’s until we pull up to Matador. Cue the butterflies. The line is around the building, and I almost hope it will make her change her mind about going in.

  “That line is ridic; we’re never getting in. Let’s just go,” I say nervously.

  “Uh . . . no. Good try, Debbie Downer. I know the guy at the door. We’re getting in.” Damn. I forgot she’s hooked up with the doorman a few times. We park and go straight to the front of the line. A smile spreads across his face as soon as he sees her. “Hey Matt, this is my friend, Ari. Any chance we can get in?” He gives me the universal guy nod for what’s up and pulls her into a hug. She leans in whispers something into his ear and a minute later we’re inside.

  “What did you promise him?” I ask chuckling.

  “Don’t worry about it. It worked didn’t it?” I smile and shake my head.

  The music is thumping and the tiny dance floor is already at capacity. We weave our way through the crowd and head straight for the bar. A few drinks are definitely in order to get through this night. I catch the bartender’s attention and order a glass of sangria. It’s my favorite and they make the best. Vonne sidles up next to me. “That’s not going to cut it. You need a shot,” she yells over the music.

  “Hell, no. I’m trying to calm down. Not get shitfaced and pass out,” I yell back. She shakes her head and orders a shot of tequila and a beer. I don’t know why she’s so surprised; she knows I’m a lightweight. She’s in college. Beer pong is practically on the curriculum. She can outdrink grown men. A few glasses of sangria, and I’ll forget my own name.

  We spend the next few minutes sipping our drinks and keeping an eye out for an empty table. We get lucky when Vonne spots her old co-worker, Amanda, sitting with a couple of friends. We take a chance and make our way over.

  “Vonne. Oh my gosh, it’s been forever. How have you been?” she asks loudly.

  “I’ve been good. How are you? This is my best friend, Ari.” We exchange a smile and wave.

  “This is Lisa and Jennifer.” She gestures to her friends. “I’m good, just down visiting for Spring Break. Do you girls want to sit?” The girls scoot closer together giving us room.

  “Sure, thanks.” We slide into the c-shaped booth and continue to chat. I’m trying to keep myself engrossed in conversation but find myself staring at the door. Every time I see someone with dark hair walk in, my stomach drops.

  We order another round of drinks and I decide for my own sanity to stop looking at the door. I mean really, I’m delusional if I think he’d drive all the way over here when he could just stay in with his supermodel girlfriend. The waitress comes over and places our second round of drinks on the table. I grab my glass of sangria and take a large gulp.

  “Hey, isn’t that Ben and Eli?” I try hard not to spit a mouthful of wine across the table. It ends up going down the wrong pipe and I choke instead. “Are you okay?” Amanda asks full of concern.

  “I’m good,” I choke out. It can’t be him. It’s a coincidence. It’s a common name.

  I fight the urge to look while still trying to catch my breath as Vonne leans in and whispers, “He’s here.” FUCK!

  BEN

  I text Eli to let him know I’m ten minutes away. He’s at the bar next door and tells me that he’ll meet me out front. The line is ridiculous and parking is a bitch. After circling the lot for fifteen minutes, I finally get a spot.

  I walk over to the front and Eli is bullshitting with the doorman. It’s his friend Matt from school so he lets us right in. “So, what’s up, bro?” He shakes my hand, pulls me in, and slaps my back. “What brings you out?” he asks. “It’s been a while.”

  “Nothing man just wanted to see you?” I answer, and he laughs. He can smell my bullshit a mile away.

  “I’m flattered, but I know you’re full of it.” I put my hands in my pockets and nervously rock back on my heels. He shakes his head. “I know you get plenty of tail on campus. So, who made you drive out here?” he asks.

  I scrub my hand down my face and shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know, man, she’s different. Not like the girls at school. Curiosity has me by the balls.”

  He laughs and slaps me on the back. “All right, Romeo, let’s go get a drink.”

  The place is small and, with the crazy line outside, crowding up pretty quick. It takes us a few minutes to get the bartender’s attention. I order us two beers and casually look around while I’m waiting. I hand Eli his beer. “Hey, isn’t that Amanda from high school?” he asks yelling over the music.

  I look over in the direction he’s pointing in but don’t see Amanda. I see Ari. She’s looking down at her drink and is nervously playing with the stem of her glass. I freeze and feel that weird shit happening to my stomach again. Eli snaps me out of my trance. “Dude, you okay?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I’m cool.”

  He looks back over in her direction. “Do you know her?” he asks. He puts two and two together when I don’t answer right away.

  “Oh . . . That’s her. I see it now, dude. Not your usual type, though.”

  I take a drink of my beer. “And what type would that be?” I say, keeping my eyes fixed on her.

  “The Kardashian wannabe type,” he says laughing. He’s right, and I can’t help but smile.

  “Well, why in the hell are we still standing here? Let’s go over. She’s sitting with Amanda. We’ll say hi.” He turns and starts walking toward their table before I have a chance to react. I don’t usually need a wingman, but she has me all kinds of screwed up. My palms are sweaty and my throat feels dry. I put on my game face and follow.

  ARI

  I finally get the guts to look up and away from my drink. It’s him. Oh holy hell it is him. He’s walking in with a friend. Damn, do hot guys travel in packs? The sandy-haired guy is about the same height as Ben. His firm body is outlined nicely in his button-down shirt and his rolled up shirt sleeves are exposing his toned arms. My eyes shift back to Ben.

  His friend is giving him a hard time about something. He looks nervous and puts his hands in his pockets looking up with a grin. That grin is the death of me. It reveals his deep dimples and those eyes. I feel an elbow to my ribs. “Ouch!” I screech. Vonne giggles.

  “Drooling much?” she asks.

  “Shut up.” My face begins to heat, but I can’t stop staring in his direction. I watch them make their way over to the bar. The booth feels like it’s getting smaller. “I need to get up, I need air, I need . . .” I say scooting out of the booth. She clamps her hand down on my wrist.

  “Oh no, you don’t, you’re stuck in this booth. I’m not going to let you hide.” I’m restless and shifting in my seat. The other girls don’t notice I’m having a mini-meltdown and continue their conversation. I smile and nod, but I’m not listening to a damn thing they’re saying. My heart rate picks up and small beads of sweat are building on my upper lip. I take a long pull of my drink. I should have listened and taken that shot. Maybe he won’t see us. Too late. His friend is looking right at the table.

  I’m playing with the stem of my glass trying my best not to look in their direction. The hairs
on my arms stand at attention. I can feel him staring at me. I drag my eyes away from the table and see them heading our way. “Oh shit, Ari, they’re coming,” Vonne whispers.

  They’re quickly making their way over to our table. I have all of thirty seconds to get myself together. The girls perk up. Turns out Amanda and one of the other girls sitting with us went to high school with them. I take a deep breath. Here we go.

  BEN

  Eli gets to the table first. He smiles at the girls and starts to make small talk. I think introductions are being made, but I’m too busy staring at Ari like a damn zombie. He nudges me with his elbow and I realize I haven’t responded. I look away and he’s shaking his head at me. “So, Amanda was just telling us she’s down for Spring Break.” He narrows his eyes at me urging me to talk. I nod.

  “Cool. Hey Vonne how are you? How do you girls know each other? ” I ask.

  Amanda answers for her. “Vonne and I used to work at the mall together the summer after senior year. I was just telling her that we went to high school with you guys. She mentioned she knew you from school. Small world, huh?” I nod. Eli clears his throat and looks over at Vonne and Ari.

  “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you ladies. I’m Eli and you are?” Vonne grins and I see the pink in Ari’s cheeks get a little brighter.

  She surprises me by putting her hand out first to introduce herself. “I’m Ari and this is my best friend, Vonne.” He shakes her hand and Vonne finally speaks up.

  “Hi Eli, nice to meet you. Ben, I didn’t get a chance to introduce you the other night; this is Ari.” Ari slowly pulls her hand away from Eli and puts her hand out to me. I shake it and feel a small charge up my arm. It takes all the strength I have not to pull her from her seat and up against my chest.

  We stand at the table for a while making small talk. Ari and I steal glances whenever we get the chance. Amanda is reminiscing about old times, so there isn’t much Ari or Vonne can add to the conversation. “We’ll be right back. We’re going to go get another drink,” Vonne says scooting out of the booth.

  Ari passes me, and I boldly grab her wrist. She turns to me in surprise. It’s loud so I lean in. “Can I get you a drink?” I ask. That blush I’m starting to love spreads across her cheeks again.

  “Yeah,” she says shyly. I slide my hand away from her wrist, lace our fingers, and lead us through the crowd toward the bar top.

  ARI

  I wave an arm trying desperately to get the bartenders attention. Ben is still holding my hand, and I think I might melt into a puddle. I turn around to ask what he wants to drink. He leans in, his bottom lip makes contact with the shell of my ear causing me to shiver. “I’ll take a Shock Top.”

  The bartender finally gets our drink order and it’s a few minutes before he comes back. Ben reaches over to pay him pressing gently into my back. I turn to him and smile. “Thanks.”

  He squeezes my hand. ”No problem.” I look over and Vonne is getting friendly with Eli at the other end of the bar. She winks at me and throws her head back to laugh at something he just told her.

  “So, Vonne says you guys have been friends for a while,” he says, pulling back my attention.

  “Yeah, we’ve been in school together since first grade, but we became best friends in seventh.”

  He smirks. “She’s funny.”

  I smile back. ”Yeah, she is.”

  We talk for as long as we can without having to shout in each other’s faces as the music is slowly getting louder. He asks about my job and if my name is short for anything. The conversation seems to flow easily. It could also be the four glasses of sangria finally making me more comfortable.

  The bar top is crowded, and we keep getting bumped and shoved. He grabs my hand again to keep me from stumbling while a drunken idiot pushes his way to order a drink.

  “Do you want to go dance?” he asks. I nod and he leads us over to an empty spot near the DJ. He places his hands on my hips. The crowded dance floor isn’t any better than the bar top, but at least I have an excuse to be close to him. We sway back and forth to the music; the crowded floor is not allowing us to do much more. I’m resting my hands on his hard biceps, but they’re aching to roam across his chest. I close my eyes and lose myself in the music as one song fades into another. His warm breath tickles my ear. “Do you want another drink?” he asks. I do, but having him this close is enough to quench my thirst.

  I bring my mouth to his ear. “No, I’m okay.” He pulls back and smiles. His deep dimples are driving me insane. Usher’s “Good Kisser” starts to play and the crowd goes crazy. We’re now pushed even closer. My chest is firmly pressed against his, and I know he could feel my rapid heartbeat. He closes his eyes and rests his forehead and begins to sing along to the music.

  Every word is a whisper across my lips. I want him to kiss me so bad. I even start to chant it like a mantra. Repeating the words over and over in my head. kiss me . . . kiss me . . . kiss me . . . All it would take is a small tilt of my head. The closer he gets to the end of the song the more desperate I become. Fuck it!

  I tilt my head up unable to resist any longer and bring his juicy bottom lip into my mouth. I gently suck and he releases a moan that I feel vibrate throughout every inch of my body. His right hand slides up the back of my neck and he fists a handful of my hair. He gently pulls away and holds my stare, his golden brown eyes to my hazel green. His breath is coming out in quick pants. He looks like he’s fighting himself to make a decision. I’m blinking quickly, saying a silent prayer that he doesn’t make the wrong one.

  BEN

  We’re dancing and the crowd is pushing us closer together. I can feel her breath pick up. My heart starts to race a little faster. One night won’t be enough with this girl. She has my head spinning and my body reacting in ways it never has.

  I feel every curve of her body, we’re so close. I put my forehead against hers and continue to sway with the music. It’s an Usher song I like, so I start to sing along. Our lips are about an inch apart. Her heart rate picks up matching mine. I close my eyes for a second trying to calm the feeling of excitement from having her so close. I feel her head shift, and suddenly my bottom lip is being massaged by her tongue. Aww, shit.

  I slide my hand up the back of her neck and gently pull her back. We stare at each other for a few seconds, and her eyes are pleading. One night will definitely not be enough. She’ll need more. I don’t do more. Her sweet smell, the feel of her pressed against me, and the electricity that I feel on every part of my body when I’m in the same room with her is fucking with my head. I don’t want to hurt her. She’s too good for me. I’ll hurt her. I’m a selfish bastard.

  I look down at her hazel doe-eyed gaze and my heart beats even faster. One kiss and this girl has me twisted up in knots. I want to finish what she’s started. I stop thinking, stop breathing, and crash my lips down onto hers.

  I’ve never tried drugs, but I imagine this is what taking the first hit would feel like. Warmth takes over my body and the fact that we’re on the dance floor doesn’t even register. I can’t get close enough. She’ll be my undoing. I’m so screwed.

  Our tongues dance in perfect rhythm. Her hand works its way up the back of my neck, and she softly tugs at my hair. I moan and her grip tightens. I harden against her, and with our close proximity, I know she can feel it. One word is on loop in my head “mine,” and it’s scaring the shit out of me.

  ARI

  I’VE NEVER BEEN KISSED LIKE this. My muscles relax and the damn electrical parade is taking place all over my body. I feel it everywhere. I can’t seem to get him close enough. I slide my hand up the back of his neck and softly tug at his dark silky strands. He hardens against my stomach causing my grip in his hair to tighten. I kiss him till my lungs feel like they’ll burst.

  I break the kiss and press my forehead against his. We’re both panting.

  “So am I?” I ask boldly.

  “Are you what?” he says meeting my eyes.

  �
�A good kisser?” I ask. He chuckles, wraps his hand around my neck and brings me in for another earth-shattering kiss. We come up for air a few minutes later, and I look at him and grin. “I’ll take that as a yes,” I say, still a little breathless. He cups my jaw and makes slow circles on my cheek with his thumb. We’re staring at each other, and I wonder what he’s thinking. His eyes look confused, scared, turned on. A gamut of emotions I’m sure neither of us expected to feel.

  “I want to take you home. Can I take you home?” he asks.

  “Vonne drove,” I spit out like an idiot. You can’t blame me. He just kissed my brains out.

  “I think she’ll be fine with it, but let’s go find out,” he says, giving me that panty-melting grin. I nod my head and he gives me a quick kiss. Good Lord, I’m done for. He takes my hand and leads us back to the bar top. Vonne and Eli are still chatting in the same spot.

  Her smile brightens when I walk up. “Having fun?” she asks. I narrow my eyes, and she smiles. I pray silently that she won’t embarrass me.

  “Yeah, we are, but she’s getting a little tired and I wondered if it was okay if I took her home? She wanted to ask you since you drove,” Ben answers.

  She looks over at me with an evil grin. “Sure, that’s fine. Eli wanted to take me to this after hours spot. You kids go and have some fun.” She leans in for a hug and whispers in my ear, “Text me later. I want all the juicy details. I saw that kiss, by the way, you big hooch. Holy shit! That was h.o.t.t. hot.”

  I nod trying to hide the fact that my face is probably bright red. Eli hugs us both. “It was nice to meet you, Ari. Ben, good seeing you bro, don’t be a stranger. Give me a call.”

  Ben nods. “Will do, see you guys later,” he says putting his hand to the small of my back and leading us outside.

  BEN

  I’m walking us toward the door and all I can think about is getting her alone. That kiss still has my body buzzing, and I need more. More kisses, more everything. I’m feeling things I’ve never felt toward any girl, and it has me all kinds of fucked up.