Chris was making his way back over to the table where they had all started off from that night after arriving and being escorted up to VIP. But it hadn’t taken long after they got there for all the guys to go their separate ways. Mingling with the crowd in VIP, and the braver souls like Joey and Justin on the main floor.
Chris had been standing over at the bar, talking to a cute red head when he noticed Kerrigan sitting at the table by herself, looking less than thrilled. So he had excused himself from his conversation and headed her way.
“Having fun?” he asked, when he finally got back to the table and where Kerrigan could hear him.
“Oh, yeah. Tons!” she said sarcastically.
“What’s wrong, Kerr?” Chris asked, honestly concerned. Out of all the guys besides Justin and Trace, Chris was next in line, as far as who Kerrigan was closest too.
“Oh, nothing. Just that Justin dragged me to this friggin’ club, only to dissert me like he always does. I’m sure he’s having a great time, but does he actually think I have a good time just sitting here by myself all night long?”
“Well, you’re not by yourself now, are you?” Chris smiled at her, trying to make her feel better.
Kerrigan returned the smile. “Nice try, Chris. And I appreciate it, I really do, but I’m sick of this. This isn’t my scene. I mean I like a good party as much as any other person. And I’m up for going out sometimes and dancing and stuff, but I am not up for being ditched at some club, in a strange city. Especially, when I didn’t want to come in the first place.”
“Well, I’m ready to get freaky deaky if you are. Wanna dance?” he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
Kerrigan couldn’t help but laugh. That was what she loved about Chris, he was always able to make her laugh. He never took things too seriously, and she wished she could be a little more like him sometimes, but unfortunately for him, tonight was not one of those times. “As tempting as that is, I think I’m just gonna head back to the hotel. You were chatting it up with that cute red head over there, whom is STILL eyeing you. So you go back over there and chat her up some more. I’m just gonna head back.” she said, getting up from the table.
“Kerrigan, you can’t go back to the hotel alone. How you gonna get there?” Chris argued, grabbing her gently by her arm to stop her.
“In case that liquor you’ve been drinking has clouded your memory, I know what hotel we’re staying at. And I happen to have money for a cab. And fortunately for me, I’m not in a pop group, so I can manage without being mobbed. I’ll be fine. You have a good time and I’ll see ya in the morning.” she patted him on the shoulder and smiled before pulling away from his grasp and walking off.
“KERRIGAN!” Chris yelled after her, hoping to stop her.
“GOODNIGHT CHRIS!” she called back with a wave over her shoulder, not even turning to look at him.
Kerrigan made her way through the crowd of people in the VIP area, passing Lance and JC. Both had eyed her curiously, and mouthed “where you going” to her, but she had simply smiled at them and kept walking. She didn’t need any of the other guys trying to stop her. She was determined she was going back to the hotel, and that was all there was to it.
As she was making her way down the stairs to the main level she noticed Justin and Joey dancing away on the main dance floor, with their own formidable dance partners. “Glad they’re having fun.” she mumbled to herself, turning her attention back to where she was going.
She located the exit, and set her sites on reaching it. Which really wasn’t an easy task, considering all the people that were packed into the club that night. But she continued to push and squeeze her way through the crowd until she finally reached the exit. When she got outside, she took a deep breath of clean, fresh air. It was so smokey inside the club, it was definitely much better outside.
Kerrigan looked around and noticed a few other people wandering in and out of the club. Some of them so drunk they could hardly walk, and others just arriving. But at least they all looked happy to be there, which was more than she could say for herself.
Sighing she turned her attention to the street, now she had to somehow get a cab or something back to the hotel. That’s all she wanted. Just to get back to the hotel, and crawl into her big, comfy king sized bed. It sounded just heavenly at the moment.
Her thoughts however, were torn from her heavenly fantasies about her bed, when she heard some guy shouting. “HEY! YOU IN THE RED SHIRT!”
Kerrigan glanced down at her red shirt and then back up at the guy as if to ask “ME?” and he nodded. Thinking nothing of it, Kerrigan proceeded to walk over to where the guy was standing outside of a cab. “Need a lift back to the hotel?” he asked.
“Huh?” Kerrigan asked confused. How did he know she was going back to the hotel?
“I’m apart of the crew.” he said discreetly, as to not draw attention. “I’ve seen you around. You looked like you were heading out, so I thought I’d share my taxi with you.” he offered.
“Oh, you’re on the crew?” Kerrigan asked, racking her brain to see if she remembered him at all.
“Yeah, lighting.” he answered. “My names Cody. You’re Kerrigan, right?” he asked extending his hand.
“Um, yeah.” she said, taking his hand and shaking it.
“Don’t worry, I’m not some freak. I’ve just heard some of the guys talking about you. You’re Justin’s friend right?”
“Yeah.” she answered, not really sure of what else to say.
“So do you wanna share my taxi with me? I mean if you were actually leaving and not just out here for some fresh air.”
“Oh, no. I was definitely leaving.” she affirmed.
“Well, since we’re both going to the same place, then we might as well share a taxi.”
“Yeah, we might as well.” Kerrigan smiled, and climbed into the taxi, as he held the door open for her. Once she was in he climbed in behind her and shut the door, giving the driver their destination.
“Chris, where the hell did Kerrigan just go?” Justin demanded, after storming up to him and jerking him away from the red head, he had just resumed talking to.
“Chill out, J. What’s up with grabbing me away from the lady like that.” Chris said, pulling away from Justin.
“Why did I just see Kerrigan getting into a cab with some strange guy?” Justin glared at him. “I thought you was watching her. Was she drinking? Who was that guy?”
“Whoa…hold up. She left with a guy?” Chris asked, confused.
“Isn’t that what I just said?” Justin glared at him.
“Well, when she left me a few minutes ago she was alone, and perfectly sober, so I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Chris shrugged.
“Why did she leave? Better yet, why did you let her? I brought her out tonight so she could have a good time. Why would you let her leave? And alone?”
“J, maybe if you were a better host or whatever she wouldn’t have left. You drug her out to some club, when she didn’t want to come in the first place, and then you ditched her. I wouldn’t stay either. She said she was tired and going back to the hotel. She wasn’t having fun. What was I supposed to do, tie her to the table?”
“Well, who the hell was that guy then?”
“I have no idea who you’re talking about. Like I said, when she left me she was alone. How do you know she left with some guy?” Chris asked.
“Because, I seen her coming down the stairs. I thought maybe she was gonna come dance with me and Joe or something but instead she headed for the door. So I went to catch up with her. Took me forever to get through all those damn people down there, and by the time I got out the door she was climbing into a taxi with some guy, and they drove off before I could stop them. I can’t believe she left with some strange guy, in a strange city. What if he’s like some crazy person or something? What if he hurts her, Chris?” Justin asked, growing somewhat frantic.
“Hold up, J. Calm down for a sec and think here. Kerrigan, is a smart girl. She wouldn’t just get into a car with a strange person and go off somewhere. You know her better than that. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for it.” Chris tried to reassure him.
“Well, I know what I saw. And I didn’t recognize the guy, and she doesn’t know anyone in this town as far as I know. So you tell me why my such a smart friend Kerrigan just got into a taxi with a strange guy?”
“Well, I guess maybe next time you’ll pay more attention to her then.” Chris shrugged. He was acting nonchalantly about it, but really on the inside he was a little worried too. It really wasn’t like Kerrigan to just go off with some strange person. And he knew that Justin had to have really seen her, he wouldn’t be this upset over nothing.
But at the same time, Justin also needed to learn a lesson. He needed to learn that he couldn’t just drag Kerrigan out to places, and then just leave her. Especially by herself, and then expect her to stick around. She was not that type of person, and if anyone should know that, it should be Justin.
“Chris!” Justin growled.
“Fine, do you want to go back to the hotel and see if she’s there before you call out some huge search party, or start jumping to any conclusions?” he suggested.
“Yes! Let’s go. NOW!” Justin said, pushing Chris towards the exit.
“I’m going, I’m going. We should at least let the other guys know we’re leaving.”
“Mike will radio Lonnie and the others. They’ll tell them.” Justin said, still pushing Chris.
“You know, J. If you worried more about Kerr when she was around, you wouldn’t have this problem. She wouldn’t just take a notion to leave.” Chris stated.
“Oh, so it’s my fault she just hopped in a car with some strange guy.” Justin scoffed, as they exited the club and loaded up into the awaiting Suburban outside.
“Yeah, it is.” Chris said bluntly. “She’s your friend Justin. I mean, she’s my friend too, and I love Kerrigan as if she were one of my sisters, but the fact of the matter is, that she’s your friend and you drag her along on these things, and then you ditch her when we go out. Don’t you ever stop to think about how she feels. It can’t be fun for her to sit at a table alone all night while everyone else is out having a good time.”
“Is it lecture Justin night or something?” Justin groaned.
“No, I’m just saying that this is your fault. Point blank, this is your fault. Just so there’s no confusion.” Chris smirked.
“Well, I’m glad we could clear that up. But let’s focus more on the where the hell Kerrigan is and who the hell did she leave with, dilemma. OK?” Justin growled.
“Ok.”
