Chapter 42

Ava.

By the time I went downstairs for the second round, I grew dizzy, and the girls laughed as we stopped to dance around.

I found out that Mia and Willow were really great dancers, while Olivia and I mostly raised our hands in the air and jumped to the beat of the music. Lisa had just been standing, swaying a little in an effort to be a part of the fun.

When we came downstairs again for the third round, I staggered, feeling the music in my veins. I started not to care about my outfit anymore, becoming conscious about my breasts popping out or my dress becoming too short.

We danced once more, and this time I started swaying my hips a little, copying Mia and Willow, who had started drawing some men's attention.

When we got back upstairs, I had started misspelling some of the orders, and I laughed anytime but the bartender understood and just smiled at me.

As we took on the fourth round, I could hardly walk in a straight line, and my words slurred. Olivia, too, had started to feel the same, and we laughed hard when one of the strippers who had been mean to me earlier fell butt-first on the floor. It had been embarrassing for her, but we didn't care.

Willow and Mia had also started to behave funny, and we all went to the dance floor to dance after Mia told the DJ to play a different song.

Lisa had been the only one still standing tall, but I noticed her eyes fall a few times.

By the time I got back upstairs, I was scribbling down rubbish and mixing up drinks for different people, and even the high schoolers thought it was cute. The customers only frowned but went ahead with it. I loved the middle floor.

However, on the fifth round, I was already drunk.

I knew I was. I could hardly stand anymore, and Olivia and I had to throw our arms over each other to move about. Mia and Willow were in the same state, but they were a little better in terms of standing.

We danced some more, and this time a few men came around, and I didn't mind. I threw myself against one and rubbed myself on him, desperate to hold someone to stay standing.

When we got upstairs, we continued dancing, not taking anyone's orders anymore, and they headed to the bar themselves.

On the sixth round, no one could leave anymore. We stayed on the bottom floor and kept on dancing. Even Lisa was dancing with us now. Mia even taught me how to twerk, and soon I was shaking my butt for everyone to see.

We took the next shot downstairs and continued dancing. I felt light-headed, happy, and full of life. Some of the strippers had come to sneer at us, but none of us paid any mind to them as we took the next round. This time, we were screaming the lyrics of the music as we danced.

I felt someone touch my waist, and I turned to see a man I didn't recognize, but I knew he had been staring at me earlier. I felt his gaze on me earlier.

"Hey, baby girl," he said, drawing me close, and I shifted away, not wanting to touch anyone now.

"H...hi," I said, smiling up at him but frowning when I felt his hand snake around my waist. I moved away, but he pulled me close, sniffing my neck.

"You smell so good," he said, moving his hand lower down my back.

I tried to pull away, but he held me tight, pulling me against his chest as he started to move slower towards my butt.

"I...le... let go," I managed to say, stumbling over my words, but the man only laughed before reaching to grab my butt. Then I felt a strong grip rip me away from him so quickly I almost fell to the floor when Olivia grabbed me.

"Are you okay?" she asked, running her hand down my face, and my eyes stung before I wrapped my arms around her.

"Yes," I said after a while.

I looked up to see the man being pulled away by one of the bouncers, while another stood by us, threatening anyone else who came near us.

We suddenly burst out laughing and went for our next round. The bouncer followed us, standing a bit away to give us space to move around.

"Can you believe that creep was touching me?" I asked, gulping down my drink and slumping on one of the stools.

The girls all sat down, looking at the entrance, at the man being dragged out as the door was shut behind them.

"Yeah! That's one creep out of the club!" Willow yelled, waving her hand in the air excitedly.

"You're beautiful, Ava. Of course, you'll attract men," Olivia said, sipping her drink slowly as her wired eyes turned back to me.

"Even me, a guy came to me, and I pushed him away!" Mia yelled happily, making a pushing gesture that made all of us laugh.

"Yeah. My legs are killing me," I said, groaning painfully before finishing my drink as the music changed.

"Lisa, that's our song!" Olivia yelled, coming to grab Lisa who had started dancing in her seat, and together they went to the dance floor. Willow followed them, not wanting to miss out on anything, leaving me and Mia. I saw the other bouncer had returned, and he stood near them, keeping an eye on any person of interest.

I smiled at Mia before going to take the seat beside her and slumped against her. I laughed as she adjusted uncomfortably before relaxing.

"Let me tell you a secret," I whispered, bringing my mouth to her ear.

"Okay," she whispered too, as she took her second drink before leaning in closer.

I belched in her ear and laughed so hard I almost fell from the chair, but Mia had a confused look on her face.

"Repeat that. I didn't get it."

I leaned in again, looking around to see if anyone was trying to listen before I covered my lips with my hand.

"I said Mikhail and I went on a date a few days ago," I laughed, moving backward and covering my mouth with my hand to stop myself from laughing.

But it was too funny. Mikhail and I had gone on a date. I laughed again, and Mia joined me as I leaned in once more to her ear.

"And then we kissed yesterday, outside," I blushed, pulling back and shaking my head in assurance.

Mia frowned first before she hiccuped and hit me on the shoulder.

"And you didn't tell me yesterday," she pouted, and I felt sad before wrapping her in my arms.

"I'll tell you something again. You hear?" I asked, and Mia nodded before she hiccuped again, her head hitting my jaw, so I burst out laughing.

We pulled away, and I was about to say something when I hiccuped too.

"I do that thing that you do," I said, laughing at the top of my lungs, and Mia joined.

An hour passed with us making silly noises, and soon the girls gathered for the last shot.

"We didn't sing 'Happy Birthday' yet," Olivia said as all of us sat on the stools once more, the two bouncers standing at both our sides.

"I'll start," I suggested, standing and staggering so I stood in front of them as I cleared my throat.

"Say, can you see by the dawn's early light, what so prou-" I sang, and the girls burst out laughing, so I stopped and looked at them curiously.

"Stop singing the national anthem," Willow laughed, her eyes tearing up as she pointed at me.

"No, I'm singing the 'Happy Birthday' song. You are not listening to me," I argued back, and they burst out in laughter again before Olivia spoke up.

"No Willow, she is singing the song from Frozen. 'Let it Go,' remember? That is how it sounds," she argued, and Mia laughed this time, pointing at the three of us.

"You all are dumb, Ava is singing the song from 'Beauty and the Beast,'" she slurred, and we all burst out in laughter again, and Lisa stood up. I went back to my seat, almost stumbling and falling to the floor.

"I will sing. Happy birthday to Willow. Happy birthday to Willow-" she sang, and I knew she was singing beautifully.

"Is that the birthday song?" I asked Mia beside me, and she nodded.

"She can sing," I said again, but to Olivia who sat at my left, and she nodded too. Everyone, despite being drunk, was enchanted by Lisa's voice.

"How old are you now?" she finished, and we all clapped as she went back to her seat.

We looked around each other, waiting for the birthday celebrant to come sing their age before Willow laughed and moved forward.

"I'm 24 today. No. I am 23 today. No, no sorry. It's 24 today. I am 24 today. I am 24 today, my friends, I am 24 today," she sang with a crooked voice, and we all stood singing the last verse.

"We wish you many happy returns of the day, long life and prosperity, hip, hip, hip, hurray!" we yelled, raising our hands and started dancing.

But we stopped when there was no music.

"Play the music!" Willow yelled at the DJ, but we were met with silence, and we finally looked around the club.

It was empty.

Everyone else had gone, and the day had started to get bright a little outside. We burst out in laughter.

"Everybody has gone?" I asked, and Lisa nodded.

"How come we didn't know?" Olivia asked as she came to hold me to stay standing.

"We were singing, that's why," I said, and Mia nodded.

"I'm tired," Willow grumbled, and one of the men held her and Olivia, who was almost falling too.

"Come on, girls. Let's get you home. You'll pick your bags, and I'll call a cab for you," the other one said, holding me and Mia as he led us to the dressing room. Lisa holding onto me.

We all fell a few times, and soon we were standing in the dressing room.

"My legs hurt," I cried, and Olivia agreed too as we took our bags, only with our phones, leaving the rest of our stuff inside because the guys said they could steal it.

We agreed, and they led us outside the club. I was almost falling asleep, my body tired and weak. My eyes closed and opened a few times, and after hitting a chair and hurting my toes, I kept them opened.

"I'll call a cab for all of you, where's your address?" they asked Mia first, and she told them.

Soon, they were hailing down a cab for her and taking some money to the driver before it sped off, leaving me, Olivia, Lisa, and Willow.

Willow yawned as she clung onto the man, muttering her address in his ears as a giggle escaped her lips.

She went home next, kissing him on the cheeks and hugging the rest of us.

Olivia waved as she left, and soon she started dancing on her own, and I joined her. Lisa too. And I heard the guys sigh tiredly.

Olivia was next to go home, and she hugged me before entering the cab as it zoomed away. And then Lisa was next, she waved tiredly as her can drove her away.

"Where's your address?" one of the men asked, and I thought about it. I was already staying at Jayden's, and I wasn't sure of his address. I laughed.

"What's wrong?" the other one asked.

"I... I don't know. Let me call my friend. He will pick me up," I said, pulling out my phone as they watched me quietly.

After trying my password six times, I was finally able to unlock it as the letters were blurry.

"Where's Jayden's number?" I asked, straining my eyes to find his number. I hiccuped, then laughed before stumbling.

I clicked on his number and dialed it. He picked up immediately, and I laughed, placing it on my ear.

"Jayden…" I sang, and I heard a gasp of breath on their other end.

"Ava?" he said, his voice sounding a bit different than usual.

"Yes. Could you... could you pick me... pick me up at the club. Please. Thanks," I slurred, holding onto the bouncer to stop myself from landing on the floor on my face.

"Are you drunk?" he asked worriedly, and I laughed.

"No. I swear I didn't drink anything," I said, giggling and covering my lips.

"I'm on my way. Stay there and don't move," he said, ending the call.

I yawned, looking up at the guys. "He's coming, you can go," I said, and they pulled me to a chair and sat me there.

"Stay here till he comes. Don't go anywhere. Okay?" one of them said, wiping off the drool from my face with his sleeve.

"Okay," I said, and they looked at me one last time before going inside the club.

I waited for a few minutes and started to doze off, my head hit the chair a few times. I finally heard a car pull up, and I yawned, opening my eyes before gasping in shock.

Mikhail got down from the car. He was damn hot in a black suit that stretched with his muscles, his dark hair falling all over his face, and a frown on his lips, as his cold blue eyes darted around as if looking for any potential threat.

What was he doing here? I wanted to ask as he found me and headed towards me.

I opened my phone quickly this time and glanced at my recent call. It was the same number that had called me earlier.

I didn't call Jayden, I had called Mikhail instead.