Once we were inside the club, I looked eagerly at my surroundings, even though I probably looked like kind of a hick. The two-story-high club consisted of a wraparound balcony above possibly the biggest dance floor I’d ever seen. In the corner, a dreadlocked DJ was on the one and two, spinning the weird remix of Whitney Houston’s “It’s Not Right But It’s OK”. The dance floor was packed.
“Not bad,” I commented, although that was an obscene understatement. There wasn’t a single club back home that could top this. We found a booth in the back to serve as sort of our home base in here, and I plunked down my purse and headed for the dance floor. When I came back 20 minutes later, as N’Sync’s “Tearin’ Up My Heart” (a song I didn’t have any great fondness for) began, Brian was sitting there with a drink, looking a little bored.
“You even got Nick out there?” I said incredulously as I sat down.
Brian shrugged. “Michelle talked him into it. Normally he won’t dance if you bring him to one of these places, but she’s got him wrapped around her little finger.”
“Sounds like it. She’s always been better with the guys than I have.”
Brian raised an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Thanks. But seriously. I think it’s better that way, though.” I sighed, looking down at the tabletop. “That way, I won’t get hurt again.”
Brian was silent for a moment, like maybe he didn’t think he should say anything to that. At last, he said, “What kind of idiot would hurt you?”
I took a deep breath, not quite able to believe that I was actually going to tell this story. “My last boyfriend. I dated him at the beginning of my senior year of high school. And he kept pressuring me to…you know…do the deed, even though I wasn’t sure he loved me. I found out the answer to that question a week before homecoming, when he dumped me for the captain of the cheerleading squad. Turned out he’d been cheating on me with her for a month. And I went back to him, sniveling and crying about how I’d loved him, how could he do this to me, blah blah blah. And you know what he said? ‘At least she’ll put out.’ Then he just walked off.” I closed my eyes to keep from crying at this painful memory that I was remembering out loud. “That was on what was supposed to have been our three-month anniversary. No one can possibly know how much all that hurt me. Ever since then, I have never let myself get close to a guy, because I always knew I was going to end up getting hurt.” I sniffled. “Sorry. I can’t believe I just said all that. I know you didn’t come here to listen to me whine about my love life. Or lack thereof.”
“No, it’s all right,” Brian said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you dredge up bad memories or anything.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I mumbled, head in my hands. “I was the wrong one here. I can’t believe I just told my sob story to someone I’ve known twelve hours.” I could feel the tears welling up, and then one rolled down my cheek. Lucky for me I wore waterproof mascara, or else I’d look like a real idiot, I thought.
“No no no, don’t cry,” Brian said quickly, sounding almost like he was begging. He came around the table and sat down next to me. “Listen. At the risk of sounding corny...um...I’ll never break your heart,” he started singing. “I’ll never make you cry...”
I smiled. “Now that’s sweet.”
“Well, that’s good, because otherwise I’d feel like a real idiot,” he joked, shifting in his seat. I laughed, and suddenly I felt better.
“Are you for real, or did I imagine you? You’re, like, perfect.” The minute that was out of my mouth, I felt like an idiot. This was not a bridge that I wanted to burn by acting like I wanted more.
Fortunately, he didn’t take it like I meant it. “Yup, I’m all real, baby,” he said in a silly-deep voice like Chef from South Park. He reached out and pinched my cheek. “You’re such a sweet girl.” I swatted his hand away and made a monumental effort to keep from blushing.
“Really, though,” he continued, “I meant that. You’re a sweet girl. And if I end up being the only guy who doesn’t want to hurt you, then that’ll be a real mystery.”
“Oh man,” said a voice behind me. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” I looked up. AJ was leaning over the back wall of the booth. I had no idea how neither of us hadn’t seen him hiding out there before.
“Bone, you really need a hobby,” Brian said, obviously exasperated. “I’m going to get a drink,” he told me. “You want anything?”
“Yeah, can you please bring me back a Sprite?” I asked. He nodded and turned to leave, but AJ stopped him.
“Rok, you’ve got a drink. Right there. See it?”
“You are gonna die a slow, painful death later,” Brian hissed at him before he walked away.
“God, what’d you do that for?” I exclaimed as AJ sat down across from me.
“It’s for the best, believe me.”
“I don’t believe you. How could this be for the best?”
“Well, if you got hurt before...”
I kicked him as hard as I could under the table. “How the hell long have you been listening?!”
“About five minutes. But don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.”
“You better have a damn good way to do that.”
“I know something you don’t about Brian.”
“I don’t doubt it. You’ve known him, like, five years.”
“Natalie, he’s crazy about you. Head over heels. I think it’s one of those love-at-first-sight things.”
I shook my head. “Liar. What makes you think he’d go for ugly little me?”
AJ looked shocked. “What makes you think you’re ugly?”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “You want a list of good reasons?”
“Reality check. You are about as far from ugly as a person can get.” He turned around in time to see Brian making his way back with two drinks. “And here comes someone to talk some sense into you.” As Brian walked up, AJ said to him, “Hey, Rok, we all know how highly Natalie values your opinion.” I glared at him, but he continued, “She thinks she’s ugly. Set her straight, would you?”
Brian gave me this shocked look. “For real? You think you’re ugly?”
I nodded, reaching up to take my glass from him. I tried to avoid eye contact because suddenly I felt very embarassed.
“Well, you know what?” he said. He leaned down and whispered, “I think you’re beautiful.”
Now I could feel my face starting to really heat up, but not from embarassment. It had been much too long since a guy had told me that, and I was surprised and genuinely pleased to hear it. “Thank you,” I told him.
“I heard what he said, and it’s like I told you,” AJ said triumphantly. “He’s crazy about you.” Brian and I both gave him the look of death, and he stood up, grinning sheepishly. “All right, I’ll leave now. But this isn’t the end.”
“That’s what you think,” I muttered under my breath.
“What’d he say to you while I was at the bar?” Brian asked me as he sat down across from me. “You looked pissed when I came back.”
“Ah, he was just generally being annoying,” I said casually, trying my hardest to hide the fact that AJ had told me what could have been the truth.
“That’s what he’s best at,” Brian joked. We were quiet for a moment. Then he said, “What were you talking about earlier, in the limo, about Michelle starting fires?”
I grinned, happy to have the opportunity to tell this great story. “We were at a Goo Goo Dolls concert once, and you know how you, like, hold up a lighter at a good concert? Well, she borrowed one from this chain-smokin’ friend of hers for the occasion, and she held it up in the middle of ‘Slide’, because that was their big hot song back then. Only she dropped the lighter while it was lit, and the person next to her’s shoe caught on fire. They were these big rubber mothers like from Daria, so they just got charred, but they called security and Michelle and I got thrown out.” I made a face. “It was a good show, too.” Brian burst out laughing. “What? It’s a funny story, but it’s not that funny.”
“No, it’s just that…this person’s shoe caught on fire, and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we missed this good concert.’” He shook his head. “You’re weird.”
“Oh, thanks!” I exclaimed in mock outrage. “First you call me sweet, and then you call me weird. Make up your mind.”
“Don’t worry. There’s good-weird and there’s bad-weird. You set someone on fire for real and laugh about it later, and I’ll start to think you really need help.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I laughed, standing up.
“Where you going?”
“To dance. Come on.”
“No, I can’t dance,” he protested.
“Oh, I know you didn't just say that. I do watch MTV, you know. I have seen y’all’s videos.”
“Well…I’ll come dance later.”
“You better,” I warned him. “You can’t just sit here all night.” With that, I headed back out. But luck intervened after only one song.
“OK, we’re gonna slow things down a little, letcha catcha breath and get next to ya partna,” the DJ announced. “Enjoy.”
“Damn DJ,” I muttered under my breath. But as Sixpence None The Richer’s “Kiss Me” began, I decided it was time I dragged Brian out here. As I headed back to the table to get him, I saw that he was headed in my direction.
As we met, we both said, “Wanna dance?” at the same time. We both laughed because we sounded dumb, and then we went back out. I wrapped my arms around his neck, he slid his arms around my waist, and we stood there swaying to the sweet music. This was nice. Real nice.
Halfway through the song, I glanced around and saw Michelle and Nick dancing not too far away. They looked pretty content, too. I smiled, happy for them, and wondered exactly how much fun those two had been having.
Then I looked back at Brian, into those wonderful eyes of his, and smiled again. It had certainly been a good night for me.
“Hey, you know what?” Brian said softly.
“What?”
“The song just gave me an idea.” He gently pulled me closer and brought his lips down toward mine. I knew this had to be a dream. But it wasn’t. This was actually going to happen. This perfect guy was actually going to kiss me.
Actually, he wasn’t. Right before our lips met, a blast of feedback came through the speakers, and the music stopped abruptly. I figured it was going to start right back up, but it didn’t.
“Uh, peeps, we seem to be having a little problem with the sound system,” I could faintly hear the DJ say. “We’ll get it fixed ASAP.”
“Too bad you can’t fix the moment,” I muttered.
“You’d’ve thought I was a jerk anyway,” I thought I heard Brian mumble.
When we all got back to the hotel around midnight, Brian and Nick decided to be gentlemen, I guess, and walk me and Michelle back to our room. The minute we got there, Nick and Michelle disappeared into the room (I had a sneaking suspicion as to why they were going in there, but I wasn’t about to say anything smart about it), leaving me and Brian standing out in the hall.
“I had a great time tonight,” I told Brian. “You’re a fun guy.”
“Thanks. I had fun too.”
“And thanks again for saving my life,” I added.
“You’re welcome. I figured if I didn’t, I’d never forgive myself.” He paused. “I wouldn’t forgive myself for not doing this, either.” He leaned in to kiss me, but once again, the moment was disrupted. My door opened, and Nick walked out, grinning from ear to ear.
“God, what an amazing girl,” he said almost dreamily. “Nice having you with us tonight, Natalie. See ya later, Frick.” With that, he walked straight past us, heading for the elevator, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just interrupted what should have been an incredible moment.
“Uh, I should probably get going, too,” Brian told me. He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss half on the cheek, half on the lips. “Good night.” He smiled, looked at me for a long moment, and then turned and left.
“Good night,” I whispered, feeling like my legs were going to melt right out from underneath me. Even if it hadn’t been a real kiss, and I didn’t know what had stopped him. I wouldn’t have thought he was a jerk for kissing me. He was the first non-jerk guy I’d met in a long time. And I was crazy about him.