“Mayra, come on! Get yer feet in the damn stilettos and get your ass out of the bathroom! You’ll look amazing no matter what you wear,” Mack called from the dorm room, yelling at the bathroom door.
“Now how is it you can yell at me but still deliver a compliment at the same time?” Mayra’s muffled voice came back through the other side of the door.
“Practice.” She looked at her watch and let out another groan. She loved her “big sister” to death but sometimes she could spend a little too much time in front of the mirror. She sat up and finger combed her hair down to its normal position. I guess I can’t blame her. I did tell her it was Girl’s Night. Heh, she’s gonna hate me once she finds out what I’m doing…
An evil grin split across her face as she looked at her watch again and then checked her phone for any voice messages. She had one from Justin telling them that they were all ready at the club and that he wanted to jump out of a window from the pessimism that was being thrown his way.
Mack turned off her phone and rolled her eyes. He could be a damn baby sometimes… “Careful, you’re gonna set off the sprinklers,” she commented when Mayra stepped out of the bathroom, fluffing her hair with her fingers.
“And ruin this makeup? No thank you,” she said as she slipped heels onto her feet. “Where are we going again?” She asked, looking for her purse.
“A club,” Mack replied, grabbing her keys.
“Right, so why am I dressed up and you aren’t?” Mayra asked suspiciously.
“Do you honestly think I own anything girly?” Mack asked with raised eyebrows, leading her friend out of the room. Mayra grumbled something in Spanish under her breath as Mack smiled to herself. Usually Mayra would be all over why Mack was being so secretive but she guessed the idea of graduation had her mind in a different place. They were halfway across the parking lot when Mayra finally spoke again.
“Tell me again: why am I dressed up and you’re not?” Mayra asked as she and Mack walked to her car. Her silver heels clacked against the ground as she adjusted her black, glitter fused dress. Ordinarily she stayed away from glitter or sequins on a dress, especially as obnoxious as that one was, but Mack wouldn’t let up until she put it on.
“Pfft, like I own anything girly,” Mack scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Besides, I’m not trying to impress anyone.”
“And I am?” Mayra demanded, putting her hands on her hips. “What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Mack sighed with an eye roll. “We’re meeting my friend and your friend now get your ass in the car. I promise I won’t swerve to freak you out again.”
“Wait, you did that on purpose? I thought you were high or something,” Mayra grumbled as she got in the passenger seat.
Mack laughed. “High on life.”
Mayra settled into her seat as Mack peeled out of the parking lot and sped forward. ‘This is why I don’t let her drive,’ Mayra told herself as Mack sped through traffic, as if in a rush to get somewhere. Add onto her speed demon rep that she had road rage and Mayra always feared for her life.
As they got closer to the club the more nervous she felt. She tugged at the hem of her dress, crossed and uncrossed her legs, licked her dry lips more times than she could count. Why was she nervous? She was just meeting her friend’s friend. But for all she knew he could be a serial killer or something. She hasn’t divulged much information except that she had met him two years prior, he was Mack’s age (19), and he liked to play basketball. And he was bringing a friend. If that wasn’t some sort of setup then a pig just flew overhead.
“You can let go of the door handle now. We’re parked, you’re safe,” Mack commented dryly, noticing the way her friend had been clutching at the door as if it were a life preserver. “I’m not that bad of a driver.”
“Even traffic cones jump out of your way ‘cause they’re so scared.”
“Shut up.”
Mayra let out a long breath, forcing herself to relax as she followed her friend across the parking lot and into the club. She even chuckled when Mack started spitting words of outrage for having to be carded while Mayra got to go on through. “I guess now you hate being short and looking younger than you actually are, Kiddo,” she said as she patted her friend on the head.
Mack swatted her hands away and scowled. “Let’s find a table.” Without bothering to hear her friend’s respond she started pushing and shoving her way through the crowd. Mayra looked around at the club as she followed her friend. Pulsing beats rocked her body, strobe lights made it a little hard to see where her friend was headed since she was moving so quickly. The air was thick with many mixtures of perfumes and men’s cologne but it made a strange intoxicating scent instead of an obnoxious disgusting one.
When she looked around again she groaned when she noticed she couldn’t find her friend. “Man, where’d she go?” She whispered to herself. She stood on the tiptoes of her four inch heels, trying to see over the crowd, but stopped after a few seconds, about to tip over when a hand grabbed her arm.
“Careful. Have you been drinking tonight?” An amused voice asked laced with concern. Mayra barely heard the question over the loud techno music but managed to catch a little bit of it.
“No, I was looking for my friend, she kind of ditched me once we got here,” Mayra replied, continuing to look around the club. It suddenly hit her that she should thank whoever it was who had stopped her from falling. Pushing her hair back over her shoulders she turned around as the hand let go and came face to face with the most handsome man she has ever seen.
Then she blinked as realization dawned on her. He’s on your dorm room wall…
“You’re—” She stopped herself at the last second. Don’t sound like those teenies that you feel the need to slap silly. She cleared her throat and licked her lips as his blue eyes twinkled in amusement. “What’re you doing here?”
“Um, I’m making sure you’re ok?” He replied slowly.
“I mean here in Atlanta. Your show’s not until next Thursday and Friday,” Mayra managed to get out. Stop staring at his eyes you freak! But she couldn’t help it. She always thought that he had the most beautiful eyes on the planet and she couldn’t help but get lost in them.
He actually laughed out loud. “You know where I’m going to be before I even know?”
“Well, that’s Lance’s job isn’t it?” Mayra asked, lifting her eyebrows.
“You know a bit too much about us. I think I should be scared.”
Don’t be! “Are you?”
“I said I should be, not that I am.” He then lightly hit himself on his head. “Where are my manners. You know who I am, it’s only fair to know who you are, miss…?”
What’s your name? C’mon idiot, what’s your name? It starts with an M! She mentally yelled at herself. “Mayra. It’s Mayra. Mayra Velez” she said with a big smile, holding out her hand. He took her hand and she was surprised at how soft his grip was and how soft and warm his hand was. It felt…right holding his hand.
“Interesting name,” JC commented. “Is it Spanish?”
“Thank you, and yes. Most people can’t figure that out.” As JC lifted his head to scan the room Mayra took a good look at him. The sharp cheekbones, the pouty lips, the strong jaw. She couldn’t believe she was standing in the presence of Pop’s Adonis. “Are you looking for someone?” She asked, hoping the answer was no—even better—that he had come by himself.
“I am, actually. I came with one of my friends but I seemed to have lost him.” He turned his blue eyes back to her and grinned, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “I guess we’re lucky to have run into each other, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she replied coyly. Uh, duh!!
“Well, I’m not in the mood to look around for my friend in a town I don’t know.” He lifted his eyebrow as he waited for a response from her.
“I know this place pretty well. Been here for the past four years. I could show you around f you want…” Mayra offered.
JC held out his arm. “I thought you’d never ask.” He grinned.
And that smile was just for her.
She turned to goo.
------
“Well? Is it working?” Mack asked, leaning over the rail, trying to get a good look at the couple that was moving towards the exit.
“Yup. Phase two is a go,” Justin replied with a grin.
