who caused the accident. He was staring at the spot on my white shirt that clung to my skin, making it transparent, and I took a step back instinctively. Something about him just felt wrong.
“Let me buy you another drink. It’s the least I can do for spilling yours,” he smiled apologetically, then signaled for the waitress to bring him a beer and me another soda, handing her some money with the comment she could keep the change if she rushed. He turned back to me and picked up my glass, handing it to me again. “At least there’s a little left to hold you over until your new drink gets here.
C’mon, bottoms up!”
He was watching me closely and waiting for me to finish it, so I finally just took one big gulp and set it down. It was watered down from the ice melting, so was easy to finish off. At that point the waitress came back with the drinks. He set his beer on the table and held out the soda to me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and figured the quickest way to get rid of him was just to drink it quickly.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” I smiled tightly, figuring it was okay since the waitress had brought it over and it was never out of my sight.
He picked up his beer and clinked the neck of his bottle against the rim of my glass. “Cheers.”
He took a long pull on his beer while he watched me. “See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” he said, when I set my glass down.
My eyes watered and my throat burned from drinking the carbonated beverage so fast and I fought against the urge to burp. I was saved from having to say anything further as Sharon came back to the table. “Well, have a good night.” He grinned and disappeared back into the crowd.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“Just some guy. He bumped into me and made me spill my drink,” I replied.
I shook off the creepy feeling he gave me and decided not to let it ruin my night. The music seemed to be getting louder and it was starting to give me a headache. I propped my elbows against the table, slowly massaging my forehead and temples with my fingertips.
I looked around the room, feeling uneasy again, and caught a brief glimpse of the guy who was now on the other side of the dance floor talking to another man who was turned in profile. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn’t place it. The guy who’d bought me the drink glanced in my direction and winked when he saw me looking at him.
I gasped when the man with him turned, his eyes narrowed like he was studying me. He was the man from the cruise. I grabbed my purse from the back of my chair and stood, feeling the sudden need to run. A wave of dizziness washed over me and my vision blurred. I closed my eyes and opened them again, taking a deep breath, trying to shake the lightheadedness.
“You all right?” Sharon asked.
“Yeah, I’m just getting a headache. I’m gonna go.”
“Okay, don’t forget coffee tomorrow at ten,” she reminded me. “I’m sleeping over at Dustin’s tonight so I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll be there,” I assured her.
I worked my way through the crowd toward the exit, feeling more and more lightheaded as I went. I pushed open the doors and paused on the sidewalk, breathing in the heavy damp air, hoping it would help clear my head. I stumbled away from the building and the muffled sound of the loud music playing inside, into the dark parking lot. As another wave of dizziness hit me, I stopped to lean against a nearby car, dropping my purse on the ground and leaning over, propping my hands against my knees.
I slid down the side of the car until I was sitting on the ground, leaning against the fender, my eyes refusing to stay open.
The music got louder as someone opened the bar door, either going in or coming out. I tried in vain to open my eyes and clear my head as I struggled to pull my phone out of my back pocket, knowing I needed to call for help. I could hear the gravel crunching under someone’s feet as they walked, coming to a
“Let me buy you another drink. It’s the least I can do for spilling yours,” he smiled apologetically, then signaled for the waitress to bring him a beer and me another soda, handing her some money with the comment she could keep the change if she rushed. He turned back to me and picked up my glass, handing it to me again. “At least there’s a little left to hold you over until your new drink gets here.
C’mon, bottoms up!”
He was watching me closely and waiting for me to finish it, so I finally just took one big gulp and set it down. It was watered down from the ice melting, so was easy to finish off. At that point the waitress came back with the drinks. He set his beer on the table and held out the soda to me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and figured the quickest way to get rid of him was just to drink it quickly.
“Thanks. I appreciate it,” I smiled tightly, figuring it was okay since the waitress had brought it over and it was never out of my sight.
He picked up his beer and clinked the neck of his bottle against the rim of my glass. “Cheers.”
He took a long pull on his beer while he watched me. “See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” he said, when I set my glass down.
My eyes watered and my throat burned from drinking the carbonated beverage so fast and I fought against the urge to burp. I was saved from having to say anything further as Sharon came back to the table. “Well, have a good night.” He grinned and disappeared back into the crowd.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“Just some guy. He bumped into me and made me spill my drink,” I replied.
I shook off the creepy feeling he gave me and decided not to let it ruin my night. The music seemed to be getting louder and it was starting to give me a headache. I propped my elbows against the table, slowly massaging my forehead and temples with my fingertips.
I looked around the room, feeling uneasy again, and caught a brief glimpse of the guy who was now on the other side of the dance floor talking to another man who was turned in profile. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn’t place it. The guy who’d bought me the drink glanced in my direction and winked when he saw me looking at him.
I gasped when the man with him turned, his eyes narrowed like he was studying me. He was the man from the cruise. I grabbed my purse from the back of my chair and stood, feeling the sudden need to run. A wave of dizziness washed over me and my vision blurred. I closed my eyes and opened them again, taking a deep breath, trying to shake the lightheadedness.
“You all right?” Sharon asked.
“Yeah, I’m just getting a headache. I’m gonna go.”
“Okay, don’t forget coffee tomorrow at ten,” she reminded me. “I’m sleeping over at Dustin’s tonight so I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll be there,” I assured her.
I worked my way through the crowd toward the exit, feeling more and more lightheaded as I went. I pushed open the doors and paused on the sidewalk, breathing in the heavy damp air, hoping it would help clear my head. I stumbled away from the building and the muffled sound of the loud music playing inside, into the dark parking lot. As another wave of dizziness hit me, I stopped to lean against a nearby car, dropping my purse on the ground and leaning over, propping my hands against my knees.
I slid down the side of the car until I was sitting on the ground, leaning against the fender, my eyes refusing to stay open.
The music got louder as someone opened the bar door, either going in or coming out. I tried in vain to open my eyes and clear my head as I struggled to pull my phone out of my back pocket, knowing I needed to call for help. I could hear the gravel crunching under someone’s feet as they walked, coming to a
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