What To Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection Part Two (176 page)

The remainder of the night passed by very quickly, the caterers in this place had it down to a science. The next time I checked my watch it was almost time for me to go. I was looking forward to ending the day. It was difficult for me to see Garrett and Marie all over each other on the dance floor. He nuzzled his face into her hair and then stared at me, making me feel very uncomfortable. Marie seemed to really enjoy flaunting his attention at me. They were grinding on the dance floor, and her eyes were always on me. It was almost like she knew Garrett and I had a past, or she was just a super bitch who wanted to show me that the hottest guy in the room was with her. Either way she was really getting on my nerves, and I was so ready to get out of there.

As soon as my watch hit 9:30 PM, I gathered my stuff and got ready to head out to my car. I made sure Garrett was out on the back patio first, and then I made my move. I usually stopped and said my goodbyes to the bride and groom, but in this case, there was no way in hell I was doing that.

As I walked to my car, I realized the temperature must have dropped a good twenty degrees since this afternoon. I shivered and told myself that I should really start keeping a jacket in the back seat of my car. Just as I reached the Honda and opened the door, I heard “Leila! Wait up!” I spun around in shock to see Garrett jogging across the parking lot.

I dropped my head down and whispered, “Fuck, I was so close to getting away.” Apparently, my perfect escape plan sucked ass.

“So, you weren’t even going to say goodbye?” He said as he jogged up to my car.

“Well, I didn’t want to bother you and the douche of honor. She was on you like a fly on shit all night. Does she know who I am?”

“No, she doesn’t know about you. She just became very possessive when she realized a beautiful single woman was staring at me. And like I told you before I am just here with her.”

“What gives you the idea that I am single? And just for the record I wasn’t staring at you, so please don’t flatter yourself,” I snapped.

He winced at my words.

“Um. . . I just assumed because, I saw no ring on your finger. Aww, shit Leila. That didn’t come out right. I just thought you were single. I apologize if you’re dating someone,” he stammered.

“Well, you can tell the douche of honor not to worry, you’re all hers,” I said in a very snotty tone and abruptly turned back towards my car to leave.

His words stopped me. “Babe . . . I . . . I . . . Mean Leila, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Please don’t leave angry.”

Dropping my head I said, “Garrett, I’m not leaving angry, I’m just leaving. I didn’t want to have to say goodbye again. The last time we said goodbye it almost killed me. Not that you would’ve known or even cared for that matter.” I was trying so hard to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes.

I felt his body move closer to me, filling the gap between us. The butterflies started going again in my stomach. “Are you sure you are okay?” He asked has he gently touched my shoulder.

I shrugged his hands off. “Yes, I am fine. I’m tired. It has been a really long day and I just want to go home. I still have an hour and a half drive ahead of me and I would like to have some time to relax at Danny’s.”

“Danny? Is he your boyfriend?” He asked in an annoyed tone.

I spun around to face him. “No, Danny’s is the bar I work at. I usually have a few drinks before bed to help me sleep. I don’t sleep much.”

“Oh . . . It was really great to see you, Leila.” He leaned in to give me a hug, and I could smell the alcohol on him.

“Oh, there you are, I’ve been looking all over for you!” We both froze. I peered over his shoulder to see Marie giving me a death stare as she walked towards us.

Garrett abruptly spun around. “I was just walking Lei – I . . . Mean the photographer out to her car. It’s dark out here and I wanted to make sure she got off safe.”

“Well, she’s obviously at her car and she looks pretty safe to me! Can we go back in now? It’s my sister’s wedding and you shouldn’t be seen with the hired help,” she sneered.

His eyes scanned to mine. I nodded my head and said very quietly with a quiver in my voice, “I’m fine, go ahead.”

“It really was great to see you,” he whispered.

As he began to walk away, I jumped into my car and immediately turned on the heat. I was now chilled to the bone, although I was unsure if it was actually from the cold air. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. It took all of ten seconds for me to pull out of the parking spot before the tears started to fall.

As I drove away, I turned on the radio to keep my mind off of what had just happened, but Katy Perry was singing
The One That Got Away
. “Really, of all the songs to play on the radio, this song has to be playing right now!” I said out loud. Tears were pooling in my eyes, and I could barely see the road. I pulled over and rolled my window down to get some fresh air. I started to feel the onset of hyperventilation.

I knew that feeling all too well. After one of our fights, Garrett showed up at my doorstep unexpectedly. We hadn’t spoken in a few days, and I could tell he’d been drinking again. His drinking had been getting more and more frequent. He looked tormented. His hair was all over the place. The look in his eyes told me he hadn’t slept in days. He begged me to take a ride with him. We got in the car, and he drove off like a bat out of hell. He didn’t speak or look at me, but I knew exactly where we were going.

He pulled into “our” spot at Wales Park. We’d spent so much time there, taking long walks, partying with our friends and all the times we would just come here to be alone and make love in the back seat of his car.

Things hadn’t been right between us for some time. We were both in denial, struggling to save our love. The rift between us was getting bigger and bigger. It felt as though I’d already lost him. I could feel his anger and resentment towards me. He said I had broken his trust, that when he looked at me, he felt sick to his stomach. I apologized over and over. I begged him to let me make things right between us. I loved him, and our love could survive this.

A flash of light woke me from the fog I was in. A police officer had pulled up at my driver’s side door.

“Are you ok, Miss?”

“Yes, officer I’m fine. I just pulled over because I was dozing off.”

“Okay. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Don’t stay here too long, it’s not safe.”

He left, and I turned on the light inside my car. I adjusted my rear view mirror to take a good look at myself.

“Fuck me,” I huffed. “Why do I always let Garrett get the better of me?” I searched my camera bag for my cell phone. Once I found it, I immediately sent Nicole a text—

Me—

Well, I barely survived that wedding. Meet me at Danny’s in two hours. I need about five shots of tequila after the day I’ve just had.

Nicole—

I’ll be there. Did you get to talk to him?

Me—

Long story. I’ll see U soon.

I pulled back out onto the road and decided to leave the radio off this time. I vowed to myself to make it home without any more tears. I made really good time and got back home with about twenty minutes to spare. I headed to my apartment to freshen myself up, I can just imagine what I looked like. Even though Danny’s wasn’t a fancy place no one should be seen in public the way I was looking right now. I began rummaging through my closet looking for my favorite pair of jeans and one of my WSU sweatshirts. I quickly changed my clothes and headed into the bathroom.

“Urgh . . .” I sighed. “You look like a Mack truck has run you over.”

I re-applied my make-up, and put my hair up in a ponytail and threw a baseball cap on my head. I stopped by the fridge to grab a glass of soda and gave Molly a little food.

I checked the time, shut off all the lights except the one over the kitchen sink and headed downstairs to Danny’s. I could hear the music bumping already and wondered if any regulars would be in tonight, I really needed my girls with me.

As I stepped through the employees’ entrance, the heat hit me like a brick wall. I was regretting putting a sweatshirt on. It felt like it was hundred degrees and Danny’s was packed. All the bodies on the dance floor had really heated the place up. Danny’s was a decent sized bar. As you walked in the main entrance, the dance floor was directly in front of you with strobe lights flickering overhead. To the right was the bar, long enough for twenty-five bar stools. The wall directly behind the bar housed mirrors and shelves and shelves of liquor. Directly above the bar was a flagged banner that promoted Corona Beer in bright yellow and blue. Along the front wall, next to the main entrance, were six high-top tables that had three or four seats. To the left was a row of booths up against the wall. On the walls throughout the bar, were mirrors that advertised different beers and liquors. The mirrors looked as if they were from the late eighties or early nineties.

I scanned the dance floor and spotted Hillary immediately. She was wearing a dark pair of jeans, with a form fitted white t-shirt and black boots that came up to her knees. She had pin straight platinum blonde hair with streaks of black underneath and her hair hung down to the middle of her back. We met at Danny’s and hit it off immediately because we both had the same sarcastic sense of humor. She has been a regular since I started working there. We hung out a lot at the bar and often got asked if we were sisters. We would always laugh because we just didn’t see it.

She saw me walk in and started waving. I knew she wanted me to join her on the dance floor. I motioned to her that I was hitting the bar first. She gave me a concerned look and left the dance floor immediately heading my way. We reached the bar at the same time.

“Are you ok, sweetie?” Hillary asked with a worried look on her face.

“Yeah, I am fine. I’ve had a rough day. Nothing a few shots of tequila won’t cure,” I sighed as I plopped myself into a bar stool.

Hillary threw her hand up to grab Danny’s attention. “Hey what does two beautiful ladies need to do to get a drink around here?”

Danny turned around and shot us a smile.

Hillary yelled down to him, “Two shots of tequila!” She turned to me and saw the sullen look on my face. “Danny! You better make it four shots!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep your pants on down there,” Danny yelled back, jokingly.

From across the bar I saw Nicole enter. She was about five feet six inches tall, with medium length straight blonde hair. She had the bluest eyes I’d have ever seen. She wore skin tight jeans and a low cut black tank top with stiletto heels. Every guy in the place turned his head as she walked by, but she didn’t notice any of them. She came up behind me and gave me a huge bear hug. She’s one of the only people I will let hug me. I have an issue with personal space and don’t give hugs freely.

“Oh honey, are you ok?” She asked.

“I’m fine. I had a little freak out in the car on the way home, but I am fine now. I just need some tequila in my system to make the pain go away.”

“Are you sure you want to do that? You know that you and tequila don’t mix well,” she said with a concern in her voice.

“That is why you are here silly, to keep me in line,” I laughed nudging my shoulder into her lightly.

“Yeah, well. . . I’ve seen you and tequila. Even I can’t control you.”

“Danny! Make that six shots,” Hillary hollered.

While Hillary waited for our shots, Nicole pulled me into the ladies’ room and grilled me on what had happened at the wedding. I told her everything that happened from the moment I realized Garrett was there. The entire day had really thrown me for a loop. Seeing Garrett at the wedding with her. Him dancing with her but staring at me and then chasing after me. Iwas confused by his actions, and I really needed a drink. I just wanted to forget this day ever happened.

Hillary was waiting for us with the shots. She already had one in her hand for me by the time I reached the bar. “Here you go, Sweetie. It really looks like you could use this.”

I took the shot glass from her. “Oh, you have no idea,” I said smiling. I glanced over at Nicole and she was shaking her head in disapproval.

About twenty minutes and five shots later the tequila was flowing through my veins. Tequila was always my drink of choice as it was strong and got me drunk quickly. I had been using it as a Band-Aid to mend my broken heart for years.

Hillary, Nicole and I eventually ended up on the dance floor. We were laughing and having a great time like we didn’t have a care in the world. There were a ton of college students in the bar, and I spotted a group of football players watching us dance. I took Hillary’s hand and started dancing seductively with her. She noticed the football players too and started playing along. She was moving her body up and down mine and grabbed my ass as they began shouting and giving us “cat calls.”

I put my hand up and pointed to one of them and signaling him to come over and dance with me. He got up from his seat making his way over to me. I put my arms around his neck and began moving my hips in a circular motion. Putting his hands on my waist he began moving his hips the same way. Spinning me around I started grinding my ass into his crotch. He moved his hands up my torso, and I could feel his breathing begin to quicken. My inner core was buzzing. The combination of alcohol, music and his hands was pushing me over the edge.

Our dance was interrupted by Nicole. “Can I borrow her for a minute?” She snapped with a condescending tone in her voice. She led me off the dance floor by my wrist and angrily whispered into my ear, “Sleeping with him tonight is not going to make you feel better. I know you think you’re thinking straight, but you’re not.”

I gave her a goofy grin and slurred, “I’m not going to sleep with him. What do you think I’m a whore?”

“Leila, I know you better than you know yourself. You’re self-destructive, especially when it comes to Garrett,” she said angrily.

I threw my head back and rolled my eyes. “You’re not my mother. So you can stop acting like her.”