One Day at a Time

The rest of the time I was in my room, I didn’t sleep. I mean, how could I? After a nightmare like that, I don’t know how I would be able to sleep later on that night. Instead, I sat on my bed and leaned back on a few pillows that I propped up behind me. My heart still seemed to beat irregularly and I was sweating just a little. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Jenn knocked on my door and walked in.

“Hey,” She said and sat down next to me. “You sure you’re okay? You’re sweating like you just got done running a marathon or something.”

“I’m fine, really. The dream just sort of caught me off guard.”

“Okay, well, we should start getting ready!” She jumped up from my bed and started dancing. “Gotta get all beautified.”

I groaned as I slid over to the side of the bed and stood up. Jenn stopped her little ‘happy dance’ and stared at me.

“What are you groaning about now?” She asked with her arms crossed.

“Oh, nothing,” I waved at her question. “Keep doing your little happy dance.”

“Come on,” She walked over to me and grabbed my wrist to bring me into the bathroom to start getting ready. “We should start getting ourselves together.”

By the time she wanted us to leave, I was feeling worn out just from trying to get ready. I wasn’t ready for a night on the town after a crazy nightmare. But, I had to admit that she was being a lot easier on me this time. She didn’t put me in a super sexy dress or crazy four inch pumps. Actually, I was wearing flats and a regular little black dress that didn’t show too much cleavage so it could, as Jenn would so eloquently put it, ‘leave the rest up to imagination’ for the guys. She’s crazy, but I love her.

“Okay, I think we should get going,” She said as she grabbed her little purse from the coffee table in the living room. “You don’t mind driving, do you?”

“Not at all,” I assured her. “I already figure you would need a designated driver tonight. So; hello, I’m Alexa and I’ll be your D.D. tonight.”

“Hah! Cute, Alexa. Very cute. Now, let’s get going,” She grabbed my purse, which was also on the coffee table, and I grabbed my keys and we left me apartment and jumped into my car.

“So, where to first?” I asked as I pulled out of the parking spot in front of my building.

“I think we should go to Luna’s. They always have really great music there and the guys aren’t too bad looking either.”

“Jenn!”

“What? I can look, can’t I?” She asked with a sad face.

I shook my head and laughed. We drove for only fifteen minutes before arriving at Luna’s. It wasn’t very packed; but then again, it was only going on 10:30. This place usually started getting really packed at 11 or 11:30. I followed her in; showing my ID to the bouncer as he marked my hands with X’s to show that I was unable to drink. It wasn’t terrible that I wasn’t able to drink. I always felt relieved to come to this club because they at least served soda and water; even if it was eight dollars for a bottle. Jenn went straight over to the bar, where she ordered some kind of alcoholic drink for herself and a bottle of water for me. She took a swig of her drink and slammed the cup on the bar.

“Woo! Look at that guy over there!” She pointed to a tall guy with dark curly hair and a goatee. I shrugged my shoulders when I tried to compare him to Erik in my mind.

“Oh, uh. He’s okay, I guess,” I said in response to her observation.

“I think I’ll go dance with him. Hold my purse?” She shoved it into my hands before I could say anything.

I sat down on one of the stools and slumped over slightly. Jenn made her way onto the dance floor and introduced herself to the tall goatee guy before they started dancing. And I t wasn’t such a lovely display of dancing either. I felt it safe to just look away; so I turned around on my stool to face the bar. After taking a sip of my water, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find this guy with dark wavy hair that ended at the top of his eyebrows and brown eyes. He had a light smile on his face as he began to speak.

“Hey, I don’t mean to bother you, but you’re kind of sitting on my jacket,” He pointed to the back of the stool I was sitting on.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize I sat in someone’s stool. I’m sorry,” I said as I stood up so he could take his jacket.

“It’s okay,” He said and slipped his arms through the sleeves and then stuck out his right hand. “Since I bugged you, I figure the least I could do is introduce myself. I’m Joe.” He took my hand in his and we shook.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Alexa,” I replied.

“Pleasure to meet you as well,” He point to my stool for me to sit down and he sat in the stool next to me. “So what brings you to Luna’s tonight?”

“Well, uh, it wasn’t really my choice,” I pointed to Jenn on the dance floor, who was now grinding up against a completely different guy. Wild child. “That’s my friend Jenn over there. She insisted we have a girl’s night out.”

“How’s that going so far?” He asked.

“To be honest, I’m sort of bored out of my mind,” I answered and took another sip of my water.

“I see you’re the designated driver tonight, huh?”

“Yeah. I can’t really help it. I’m only 20.”

“Yeah, me too,” He said.

“Then what brings you here?” I asked.

“Birthday party for an older friend of mine. He also insisted that we all go out tonight for his birthday and we ended up here.” He then pointed to a guy who seemed to be about thirty, who happened to be the next guy that Jenn was dancing with. “And he also seems to be good friends with Jenn now too.”

“Oh gosh,” I laughed. “She’s really not this wild when we hang out, when it’s just me and her. And she’s actually a really great student.”

“She’s in college then, right?” He asked. I nodded my head. “So, are you in college too?”

“Yeah, I’m in my junior year,” I replied.

“Exciting,” He said. “What are you studying?”

“My major is law and I’m going for a minor in psychology.”

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Wow, law and psychology,” He nodded his head in, what seemed to be, approval. “I kind of wish I went to college, but I like what I do.”

“Well, you could always start now if you really wanted to,” I explained. “But, what is it that you do?”

He gave me a confused look and tilted his head. My forehead crinkled when he continued to stare at me.

“You don’t know who I am?”