up three hours later, she was groggy and disoriented. She rubbed her eyes. The party, right. I need to find something to wear. Lia threw some cold water on her face and pulled on a pair of slim-fitting black pants. Oh good, they still fit.
As she headed out, she saw that Gianna had drifted off to sleep on the couch, the book still in her hands. Lia covered her with a warm blanket and put the phone on the table next to her. She kissed her lightly on the check. “See you soon,” she whispered.
She stopped by Paulo’s studio apartment next door. “I’m heading out, are you going to be in?”
“Yeah, I’m not going out. I’ll check on her, don’t worry.”
“Call me if there’s anything.”
“I will.” Lia felt relieved. Paulo was practically Gianna’s son, and a very loyal and concerned one at that.
By the time Lia got to Anu’s apartment, Anu was fully dressed. Eighties music blared and she was dancing in between applying her makeup.
“Let’s go.”
Lia and Anu walked into the Bar Azul, the restaurant that had been reserved for the party. Techno music played, and people were standing around talking. A flashing rainbow of lights illuminated the empty dance floor.
“We need to liven this up,” joked Anu. A couple of balding guys were standing at the bar, their arms stiffly crossed. Lia felt them watching her and Anu as they approached the bar.
The shorter guy came over, “Hey I’m Trent. This is my friend Dave. You ladies want a drink?”
Dave sat next to Anu. His eyes scanned Anu from top to bottom.
“Sure, surprise us,” said Anu.
Trent took the seat next to Lia. His body was stiff and his hands were clenched.
“You come here a lot?”
“No, not really. You guys? Are you also medical students?”
“We’re law students at BU. Our friends invited us here tonight.”
“Cool.”
Lia tried to avoid looking at Trent’s bald spot, but she couldn’t ignore the reflection of the dance floor lights. She forced herself to look around the bar. Some more students were trickling in, and the dance floor was starting to pick up.
Trent looked over at Lia. “He took a deep breath and paused. “Want to dance?"
It might be fun. With the right person. Not Trent.
“No, thanks, but I'm not feeling so great.”
His eyes turned away.
Lia thought about Colin and she wished he were there. She missed his clean-smelling scent. She smiled to herself, thinking of him preparing all those solutions for her. What had driven him do such a sweet thing?
“I need to go pretty soon,” she said, “I'm beat.”
Trent looked at her and shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
With that he got up and went over to another cluster of women, probably to find someone else to dance with.
In a quiet corner of the bar, Anu was deep in conversation with Dave. Her hands were animated and Dave was laughing at something she was saying. Lia approached them with slow, measured movements.
“Hey Anu, I'm going to head out now. I'm not feeling so great. I’m kind of tired and I'm ready to call it a night.”
Anu’s expression clouded over, but after a few seconds, she reached over and squeezed Lia’s hand. “I know. I totally get it, you're going through a lot.”
Lia hugged Anu and walked over to a quiet spot next to the restrooms. She reached into her purse and after some wrestling with receipts and other junk, pulled out the paper with Colin’s number on it.
I can do this.
The phone rang and rang and nobody picked up. Lia started to second-guess herself. Maybe he was just messing with me. Maybe he he doesn't really want me to call him. Maybe he remembered the incident and he changed his mind. She hung up she decided to walk home by herself.
Lia stepped out of the bar into the cool Fall evening and looked around at the scene. It was bustling with college students out partying that night. Couples strolled down the streets holding hands. I’m all alone.
CHAPTER
As she headed out, she saw that Gianna had drifted off to sleep on the couch, the book still in her hands. Lia covered her with a warm blanket and put the phone on the table next to her. She kissed her lightly on the check. “See you soon,” she whispered.
She stopped by Paulo’s studio apartment next door. “I’m heading out, are you going to be in?”
“Yeah, I’m not going out. I’ll check on her, don’t worry.”
“Call me if there’s anything.”
“I will.” Lia felt relieved. Paulo was practically Gianna’s son, and a very loyal and concerned one at that.
By the time Lia got to Anu’s apartment, Anu was fully dressed. Eighties music blared and she was dancing in between applying her makeup.
“Let’s go.”
Lia and Anu walked into the Bar Azul, the restaurant that had been reserved for the party. Techno music played, and people were standing around talking. A flashing rainbow of lights illuminated the empty dance floor.
“We need to liven this up,” joked Anu. A couple of balding guys were standing at the bar, their arms stiffly crossed. Lia felt them watching her and Anu as they approached the bar.
The shorter guy came over, “Hey I’m Trent. This is my friend Dave. You ladies want a drink?”
Dave sat next to Anu. His eyes scanned Anu from top to bottom.
“Sure, surprise us,” said Anu.
Trent took the seat next to Lia. His body was stiff and his hands were clenched.
“You come here a lot?”
“No, not really. You guys? Are you also medical students?”
“We’re law students at BU. Our friends invited us here tonight.”
“Cool.”
Lia tried to avoid looking at Trent’s bald spot, but she couldn’t ignore the reflection of the dance floor lights. She forced herself to look around the bar. Some more students were trickling in, and the dance floor was starting to pick up.
Trent looked over at Lia. “He took a deep breath and paused. “Want to dance?"
It might be fun. With the right person. Not Trent.
“No, thanks, but I'm not feeling so great.”
His eyes turned away.
Lia thought about Colin and she wished he were there. She missed his clean-smelling scent. She smiled to herself, thinking of him preparing all those solutions for her. What had driven him do such a sweet thing?
“I need to go pretty soon,” she said, “I'm beat.”
Trent looked at her and shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
With that he got up and went over to another cluster of women, probably to find someone else to dance with.
In a quiet corner of the bar, Anu was deep in conversation with Dave. Her hands were animated and Dave was laughing at something she was saying. Lia approached them with slow, measured movements.
“Hey Anu, I'm going to head out now. I'm not feeling so great. I’m kind of tired and I'm ready to call it a night.”
Anu’s expression clouded over, but after a few seconds, she reached over and squeezed Lia’s hand. “I know. I totally get it, you're going through a lot.”
Lia hugged Anu and walked over to a quiet spot next to the restrooms. She reached into her purse and after some wrestling with receipts and other junk, pulled out the paper with Colin’s number on it.
I can do this.
The phone rang and rang and nobody picked up. Lia started to second-guess herself. Maybe he was just messing with me. Maybe he he doesn't really want me to call him. Maybe he remembered the incident and he changed his mind. She hung up she decided to walk home by herself.
Lia stepped out of the bar into the cool Fall evening and looked around at the scene. It was bustling with college students out partying that night. Couples strolled down the streets holding hands. I’m all alone.
CHAPTER
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