I don't think I'll ever be a party animal.
I tried to keep an open mind about last night. I mean, I do go to school with these people, perhaps I should learn to socialize with them, right?
Well, I met them at this club. The music wasn't to my tastes, but it did seem to have that driving beat that is important for dancing, I suppose. The club was also very hot an noisy, but I think that's part of the experience.
I found the same group of people. Eri waved me over and motioned to a seat next to hers.
It seems that you have three choices in a club like this. You can either dance, drink, or listen to the music. Well, maybe a little more if you combine activities. But talking isn't the easiest thing to do. I was asked to dance several times, but I wasn't ready to try that, so mostly I was listening to the music. I had a couple of beers, but after that I switched to soda. To be honest, I really just don't like the taste of alcohol. While the people I was with were drinking a bit more, no one really seemed to get drunk.
Except for Eri. She was doing all right at the beginning, but Kanbe, one of the other folks there, convinced her to try this drink called, I think, a flaming blue Jesus. I'm not sure how it's made, but I do know you're supposed to light it on fire, where it burns very blue for a moment, then you blow it out, toss it down, and then chase it with a soda or beer. She chased it with my ginger ale, because it was the fastest thing she could find.
After that, Yono convinced her to take a drink called a "chocolate cake" which involves a shot of some type of liquor. But before you do that, you have to cover a lemon with sugar, suck on the lemon, then take the shot. Everyone swears it tastes just like chocolate cake.
Well, when she was finshed with that, Eri was quite drunk. She was having some trouble standing, talking, and in general functioning. Since others there were having a good time, I offered to take her outside for some fresh air and if necessary, take her home.
We went outside, where the cold air seemed to help her a bit. At least she seemed a little less wobbly. I asked her what she wanted to do, and she said she just wanted to go home and rest. I thought that was a very good idea. So, I had her wait in the entryway, went back into the club to tell the others that I was taking her home. When I did, Kanbe grinned and told me to "have fun."
As it turns out, she only lived a few blocks away from the club, so we set out on foot. She seemed to be getting better at first, but as we got closer, she began having more and more trouble walking, so finally, I just scooped her up.
"It's nice to know all those muscles you have aren't just for show," she said. Which I thought was rather odd. She hardly weighed anything and I would guess that for show or not, muscles would still mean you have some strength.
We got back to her place and went inside. She started telling me she was going to have a huge hangover the next morning. I told her hangovers are often caused by dehydration and histimines which are in alcohol and offered to make her some tea. I left her on the couch and went into the kitchen.
I wished I had some of my teas with me, and thought for a moment about flying home and getting some, but I decided against it. I did find some regular black tea and made some of that. When I went out into the living room to bring it to her, she was gone.
I thought she might be in the bathroom, but the door to that room was open and she wasn't inside. Then she called out, "I went in the bedroom, can you bring the tea in here?"
I thought it was a bit odd that she'd invite me into her bedroom, but maybe she'd just gone to lay down. So, I brought the tea in there.
She was on the bed, but she wasn't really lying down. She was lounging, I guess is the word for it. And she'd changed into a nightgown of some sort. Not too reveiling, but a far cry from flannel, if you get my meaning.
I brought the tea to her nightstand and placed it down. "Drink this and try to get some rest. I should be going."
"You don't have to leave," she said. "I'm not kicking you out."
"Well, it looks as if you're ready for bed... I mean, I don't want to keep you from sleeping."
"Oh, I'm ready for bed, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to sleep."
I was starting to get the idea where this conversation was going, but I was still pretty shocked and said nothing for a bit. She took my silence for ignorance. "Brolli, you're a good looking guy and I"m lonely. We're both adults, so I'm just going to ask you straight out. Do you want to spend the night with me?"
You know, nothing in my life has ever prepared me for such a situation. I didn't know if I should be flattered or insulted, but even more important, I really didn't know what to say. I mean, she seems like a nice enough girl, I grant you that, but I hardly know her!
"I-I don't think that's right," I finally managed to say.
"Why?"
"Because... because... we're not... involved... honestly, Eri, I barely know you."
"Well, can you think of a better way to get to know each other?" She had reached out and taken my hand by this point, and was rubbing my fingers in a rather suggestive way.
"Uh, conversation is always a good way to start getting to know someone."
"Brolli, you're acting like you've never done this in your life."
"I haven't," I said. Don't ask me why, I don't feel it's her business, but it jus blurted out of my mouth.
"You mean your a-" she starts to say, looking shocked. "But you said you had a daughter!"
"I do... but that doesn't mean...." At this point, I was so embarassed, my face so red, that the room seemed about 50 degrees hotter than it probably was and all I could think of was getting outside where it would be cool. "Look, I really have to go.. You'll be all right, Eri, just get some sleep!" And very impolitely, I left the place, shutting the door behind me.
As I flew home I was wondering, did she only do this because she was drunk? Will she be mortified when she wakes up and realizes what happened? Will she even remember what happened? And as for me, I have no clue what I'm going to say to her the next time I see her.
I don't think I have it in me to be a party animal, I really don't.