Chapter 2 TWO
After almost half an hour, Janice parked the car in the KDX club parking lot and turned to Brienne.
"Bree," she called her name softly. Brienne, lost in thought, stared out the window, not responding to Janice's voice. Concerned, Janice gently placed a hand on Brienne's shoulder to get her attention.
"Bree, if you want, I can take you home. I understand if you don't feel like going out with me," Janice said, her voice gentle and understanding. "Or we can go back to my place and drink. Sherry’s out with her friends, so we’d have the apartment to ourselves," she added with a hopeful smile. Bree glanced at her, touched by her friend’s concern, and smiled back.
"I'm alright, Nice. Thank you for earlier. Without you, I don't know what I would've done," Brienne said, placing her hand gently on Janice's.
"I'm your friend; punching him was the least I could do," Janice said, and they burst out laughing together. "But I'm disappointed you didn’t slap him. That man deserves it tenfold!" she added, pouting.
"After I confronted him, all I wanted was to vanish quickly because it hurt so much, Nice. I’ve been with him for two years," Brienne said, her tears starting to stream down her cheeks.
"Shush now, Bree. You don’t deserve that man," Janice replied, her tone full of comfort. "Let’s just go inside and have some fun, okay?" she added, giving Brienne’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
Brienne nodded, wiping away her tears, and they both stepped out of the car, determined to make the most of the night despite everything.
The two entered KDX, and the same loud, booming sound greeted them. Janice immediately pulled Brienne to the bar counter and guided her onto a stool.
"Drink, order whatever you want. I’m paying for it," Janice said with a wide smile.
"I can’t possibly do that, Nice. I’ll pay for my own drinks. You don’t need to do this for me," Brienne responded, her voice soft but firm.
"Come on, Bree, it’s not every day that I get to treat you, right? Today is officially 'me being generous day,’ so please, don’t worry about it," Janice replied, her tone playful yet sincere. Brienne sighed, knowing her friend well enough to realize that Janice wouldn’t back down. As much as Brienne didn’t want to be a burden, she understood that this was Janice’s way of showing support.
"Thank you, Nice," Brienne whispered. Janice started with a hard drink and recommended a liquor with a lower alcohol content for Brienne.
"Bree!" Janice called out; her voice already slurred from the liquor. "Let's go dance!" she added, giggling. Brienne, after downing two glasses of hard liquor, felt the alcohol’s effects too.
"L-Let's go!" she agreed, and they made their way to the dance floor. They danced to the lively music as if their lives depended on it, laughing the entire time. For a moment, Brienne forgot all about her problems. All she could focus on was the joy of dancing.
"Oh god, I can’t do this anymore. E-Everything around me is s-spinning!" Brienne exclaimed. "N-Nice, let’s go home—" she added before collapsing onto the couch. Janice and Brienne looked at each other and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Y-You’re drunk, B-Bree," Janice said, pointing her index finger at her friend while giggling.
"A-And so are you!" Bree replied, giggling as well. She tried to stand up again but groaned when she fell back down.
"Sht," she whispered. When she finally managed to stand, she moved beside Janice and grabbed her hand, trying to steady both of them.
"N-Nice, let’s go," Brienne urged, but Janice swatted her hand away, causing Brienne to lose her balance. Just as she was about to hit the ground headfirst, a strong pair of hands caught her.
"Ugh, l-let me go," she whispered. The man gently helped her sit back on the couch before releasing her. Through her blurred vision, Brienne stared at the man as he started to walk away and quickly grabbed his hand.
"What?" His deep voice sent a shiver down Brienne’s spine. She glanced at Janice and saw her lying on the couch, completely out of it.
"W-Will you d-dance with me?" she asked bravely, hiccuping. Brienne wasn’t sure where the sudden confidence came from, but she was determined to dance with this man.
"You're drunk," the man said.
"I can still dance," Brienne insisted, pouting. "Or maybe you don’t find me attractive either, just like my ex-boyfriend. He said I’m plain and boring," she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness. She was about to let go of his hand, but the man pulled her closer, causing her to bump into his broad chest.
"You're gorgeous. Your ex-boyfriend’s a sht who couldn’t fcking see that," he said, making Brienne's heart race.
"Then why don’t you dance with me?" she asked, pouting like a kid denied her favorite treat.
"Because, babygirl, you're drunk," he replied, his tone gentle but firm.
"My name isn’t babygirl; I’m Bree," she said in a singsong voice, making the man chuckle.
"Okay, Bree. I’ll dance with you," he said and guided her to the dance floor. The song changed to a romantic slow tune, and everyone around them seemed wrapped up in their own little world. Bree wrapped her arms around the man’s neck and leaned against his chest.
"Are you sleeping?" the man asked, making Bree groan.
"O-Of course not!" she replied, glaring at him. The man cupped her face and leaned in.
"May I kiss you, Bree?" he asked.
"A-Are you like this with every woman you meet?" she asked with curiosity, her forehead creasing. The man shook his head.
"No, this is the first time I’ve asked a woman for a kiss," he answered, making Brienne blush. She bit her bottom lip, then tiptoed and kissed him gently.
"Won’t you kiss me back?" Brienne whispered. The man cursed under his breath and took Brienne’s lips with his. As the kiss deepened, so did the man's desire for her, but he eventually pulled away.
"You tasted divine, Bree," he said. Brienne opened her eyes and stared at him, her chest heaving up and down.
"Take me out of here, then," she said.
"Are you sure, babygirl?" the man asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Brienne looked back and saw Janice still napping on the couch.
"You're worried about your friend?" the man asked. Brienne nodded. "I'll have my men take her home," he added.
"Then take me home," Brienne said. Was this the right choice? She had no idea. She didn’t even know the man personally.
"Understood, babygirl," the man said and took Brienne's hand as they walked out of the club.