Bloods Gem by Gloria Conway Page B

“Shit, we need to get
ready. We’re supposed to meet Cameron for dinner.”
    Sighing, I ran upstairs to get dressed. I
felt sexy, so I wanted to wear something that complimented my mood.
Finally I settled on a tight-fitting, low cut, black top and
skirt.
    Gina let me borrow her black high heels
again. Letting my hair down, I put on a little makeup. Looking at
myself in the long mirror that hung on the bathroom door. “Wow,
nice,” I thought smiling.
    Walking downstairs Kate and Gina chuckled.
“Going to try to get some tonight?” Gina laughed.
    I laughed sarcastically, “Yeah right.”
    After dinner at a pub,we headed to the club.
Nervous fluttering arose from my stomach, prompting a memory of the
dream from the night before. The idea that those butterflies had
somehow moved into my being and might be setting up a nest in my
stomach almost caused me to cry out. I don't know why I thought it,
but suddenly I felt anxious and ready to bolt. Taking a deep
breath, I looked out the window as Cameron parked. The sound of
music grew louder as we approached. Despite my dislike for crowds,
I smiled and acted as though nothing was wrong.
    Inside, a crowd gathered on the dance floor.
In the dim light, I used Gina as a guide. Candles lined the walls
and table tops. There was a bar set up in each corner, lit with a
string of green Christmas lights. Cameron led us to a section
furnished with leather sofas and settees. Kate and I sat on a sofa.
Cameron and Gina left us alone to check on other employees.
    “ This is so cool!” I yelled over the
music.
    “ Yeah, very,” Kate replied.
    We both sat quiet for awhile. Seeming tense,
I could tell Kate was uncomfortable. Looking around, I noticed the
majority was our age group. Some older men lurked in the darkness,
waiting to pounce on innocent drunk girls.
    Watching drunk people dance, we laughed, and
pointed out individuals making fools of themselves. Neither of us
were drinkers, but we thought on this night, we might make an
exception.
    Cameron brought drinks, then quickly
abandoned us again. The drink tasted of sweet lemonade. I had four
before I began slurring. Kate followed my lead and our initial
anxiety evaporated.
    We stumbled our way to the dance floor,
laughing. Goofy dance moves caused a few looks in our direction.
Holding our noses, waving our free hand we performed a squat and
then jumped up to the imaginary watery surface. When the music
transitioned to hard rock, we jumped up and down head banging,
uncaring of those around us.
    After an hour of dorky dancing, throbbing
began at the back of my head it soon escalated into a full blown
migraine. We moved off the dance floor to our previous spot on the
sofas. Laying my head on the back of the couch, the room began to
spin.
    The image of my dream man floated through my
mind. Kate laughed loudly and poked at my sides. Groaning, I pushed
her hand away trying to get her to stop. Trying to get away from
her and the images in my head, I stood up. She tugged on my shirt
and pulled herself up.
    “ You have an admirer,” she said
laughing again. Glancing in the direction of my so called admirer.
I followed her stare, turned and looked in that direction. Then I
froze.
    The rest of the world disappeared, and I was
alone in the room with him. Staring into his dark eyes, I was
unable to look away. My eyes stung with tears. Without any
conscious knowledge of moving, somehow I made my way toward him. He
held to the bar to his side, his expression pained.
    Wanting to touch his face to make sure he
was real, I hesitated.
    “ Are you okay?” I whispered leaning
in. My face touched the side of his cheek. Stepping back, I glanced
at him. Wondering why he had not responded. He seemed frozen,
unable to move or talk. Looked into his eyes, he seemed absent as
if some part of him had taken flight.
    I reached into my purse, grabbing for a pen
and piece of paper and wrote my number down. My hand shook as I
hurried to put the paper in his hand. He