Bittersweet Sundown

Climbing out of the car, in front of some fancy looking night club, Ash felt her heart beating rapidly. Her legs were like jelly. Breathing in she grabbed Leana’s hand.

“I am scared,” she whispered to her, her voice shaking with fear.

“Don’t worry, you look fabulous honey,” Leana assured while supporting her on the way up of a small stairway.

There was some flashing beside them and Ash turned her head, startled a little, only to see some man with a huge camera.

“Omg, we’re gonna be on tomorrows news, aren’t we?” she half asked, half stated to Leana, who was still supporting her, their hands entwined from elbows.

“Probably. You’re a new face with us so of course they’re curious. Just smile babe,” Leana suggested and Ash did her best to look beautiful.

She didn’t particularly like this kind of attention but it was inevitable when you were hanging out with famous people. She had been through this plenty of times already.

Leana let go of her when they reached some doorway, hidden with a heavy, dark red curtain. A big, overly muscular man was standing in front of it. He looked like a gorilla to Ash and she had to suppress her laughter. A small snort managed to escape and that gorilla gave her a suspecting stare.

“She’s with us,” Val announced and the man stepped aside, letting all of them enter to a small room, with glass wall between the rest of the club and a dance floor. It was a separated VIP room, Ash figured.

“Come on,” Leana whispered to her, tearing her attention away from that glass wall.

Val was already next to Matt, Michelle half way there and Leana was waiting for her, her back to the guys. Everybody was looking at Ash and she felt a sudden confidence rise inside herself, the magic of feeling beautiful. She smiled to Leana and started to walk towards couches. Leana joined her when she reached her and together they walked the rest of the way. Ash couldn’t hide the smile from her lips when she saw Bam staring unbelievably at her boots. That new guy, Jussi, was staring at her too, approving look on his face. Jesse and Ryan were laughing hard at Bam’s expression. Matt glanced at her a few times, turning his gaze quickly back to his wife. Same went with Zack and a beautiful, blond headed woman beside him, so Ash assumed they were together. Jimmy was smiling to her before turning his loving gaze to Leana. Brian and Johnny were staring at her full force, from head to toe, giving extra attention to her bare tights. Smirking, she stopped before the couches and did 360 with her hands half way up.

“Do I look good enough for this club?” she asked, smiling, when Bam lifted his gaze from her boots, finally looking at her dress and then her face. There was awe and shock showing from his eyes.

“You look more than good enough. I almost didn’t even recognize you,” Matt smiled, slipping his arms around Val, who was now sitting on his lap.

“Well, you can blame your dear wife for that. And Michelle and Leana had a part in this too,” Ash laughed.

She was last one standing and there wasn’t any free seat ​left, so she didn’t know where to go. She didn’t want to just go and sit on somebody’s lap without permission. Bam obviously saw her debating look and scooted closer to Jesse, revealing a small space for her to sit.

“Come on doll, we don’t bite,” he patted the space beside him.

“I know you don’t bite, but I’m not so sure about him,” Ash joked, pointing at Jussi, sitting on the other side of the free spot.

“Only if you want me to bite you,” he said with a thick accent that reminded Ash someone else she knew.

“Let me guess, you’re from Finland, aren’t you?” she asked, sitting down between them.

“Yes. How did you guess that?” he asked back.

“Well, you have that same cute accent as Ville Valo,” she smiled, remembering one of Bam’s other friends. Ville was a singer, also from Finland.

“So you have met Ville?” Jussi asked, offering her a bottle of beer.

“I don’t drink that shit,” she shook her head.

“She almost moved to Finland because of him,” Bam mentioned, handing her a glass of Lime Cooler.

“Thank you honey,” she accepted the drink and took a sip.

“Ha-ha, another victim of Valo’s romantic nonsense,” Jussi laughed, leaning back casually.

“God, why is there so few men in this world that value romance? I would prefer to spend my life with someone who’s not ashamed to show his romantic side, than with some cold, selfish, emotionless ice cube that most of the men are,” Ash complained, thinking sadly that Sean was exactly that kind of a man.

“I’m with you girl. Could use a little more romance in my life,” a blond girl beside Zack said, glancing at him meaningfully.

“What? I am romantic,” Zack protested confidently, and crossed his arms to his chest.

“You only think you are, when in reality you don’t have a clue what’s romantic,” girl beside him scolded.

“I’m Maggie,” she held out her hand to Ash, a warm smile on her face.

“Ash,” she accepted Maggie’s hand and smiled back.

“I wanna dance. Who’s with me?” Val asked, standing up suddenly. Leana quickly stood up too and stopped in front of Ash.

“Come on girl, you are coming with us,” she grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

“You wanna kill me?” Ash asked with fear. There was no way she would be able to dance with these heels.

“Only way you are gonna die tonight is by having too much fun. And you can never have too much fun,” Leana announced and continued to drag her out of the room.

“Wait a sec then,” Ash pulled herself free and ran clumsily back to the table. She took her drink and emptied the glass in an instant. Then walked back to Leana and Val, who were waiting her by the door.

“Let’s go then,” she said smiling.

People around her bothered Ash but it wasn’t half as bad as the concert had been. She was determinedly ignoring everyone around her. She ​hadn’t been in a club for a long time and she did want to have fun, even if it would end in having an anxiety attack or a twisted ankle.

They went straight to dance floor and let the beat get to them. Letting all her emotions go through dancing felt so good to Ash. After a while her legs started to get sore.

“I’m going back, my legs can’t take it any more,” she said, leaning close to Val’s ear and slipping her hands around her waist. Val put her hands instantly around her neck and leaned closer too.

“Are you sure?” she asked while continued dancing against Ash body.

“Well, yeah. Although dancing got much more interesting right now,” Ash muttered, going along with Val’s moves. “Those two look like they’re gonna go off any second now,” she laughed at Val’s ear, glancing over her shoulder at the same time.

“Oh, god. I hope they’ll stay away,” Val shortly glanced at those two guys just standing on a spot and staring at them.

“We’d better stop dancing like this then,” Ash laughed and let go of her. She danced her way out of the dance floor and then walked back to the VIP room. She sat down on the couch, back beside Bam.

“Are you hitting on my wife?” Matt asked playfully, making Ash laugh with that look on his face.

“Sorry Matt, she’s mine now. You lost,” she laughed, taking another Lime Cooler from the table.

“Damn. Can’t I have you both? I’m willing to share her if you are?” he offered, setting his empty beer bottle to the side table, where all the empty bottles and glasses were.

“Hmm, tempting offer Matt. I’ll have to think about that,” Ash pretended to think about it.

“Okay, I can share. If we have something to share after all. Some freaky guys were checking us out earlier. I mean really freaky guys,” she twisted her face with distaste.

Matt got serious hearing that and turned his gaze back to dance floor, looking for his wife.

“I’ll better get out there. Just in case,” he said, got up and left the room.

“You got a phone call when you were dancing,” Bam told her, after taking a sip from his drink, Jack and Coke.

“Really? Who was it?” Ash asked, leaning forward to grab her phone from him.

“Sean,” he said darkly. Bam had never liked that guy and he’d never felt the need to hide it.

“Oh, great. He hasn’t called me three days and now he does it today, when I’m in a club. This is gonna be bad,” she muttered, dialing her boyfriends number. He picked up after second ring.

“Where the hell are you?” came an angry question. No hello or anything.

“At a nightclub. Hello Sean,” she greeted with a reserved voice. She could already feel that upcoming fight.

“Who are you with? Let me guess, another man?” Sean accused bitterly.

“Yes, his name is Bam Margera. Sean, would you just calm the fuck down now. I’m not cheating on you. I’m just out with my old friends,” Ash tried to avoid an argument.

​“You know I don’t like that asshole. When are you coming home?” he asked, changing the subject suddenly.

“Not yet Sean. I need some more time to myself,” Ash told him. She didn’t want to go back yet.

“Well, I have something to tell you,” Sean announced seriously, sounding a little sad, giving Ash a feeling of something bad coming. She took her drink from the table and drank half of it.

“Me and Stella decided to give it another try. I’m moving back to her. Dave needs both of his parents,” he said trying to sound emotionless but Ash could hear that almost happy tone underneath.

She spit out the drink she had in her mouth at that moment and just stared in front of her for a second. Then she placed her glass back to the table and took a half full glass from Bam’s hand, drinking it all with only two sips.

“School psychologist said that most of his behavior problems result from me not being around enough,” Sean continued calmly, as if he was just talking to a friend and not breaking up with her girlfriend.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ash screamed, holding her now empty glass in front of Bam, so he could fill it up again.

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry Ash, I thought you’d understand,” he apologized, sounding shocked to Ash’s reaction.

“Oh, I do understand. I understand that I’m being left for another woman. Sure, always quiet and accepting Ash will understand because to her others wishes will always come first. You can go to fucking hell Sean! I’m gonna be soo much better without your worthless ass,” Ash fumed before hanging up the phone. Then she emptied up another glass Bam just had filled, coughing a little to the burning sensation going down her throat. She handed that glass back to Bam but instead of filling it again, he took it from her.

“Slow down babe, you’ll be under the table in ten minutes, drinking like that,” he tried to reason. Ash just stared at him, still shocked from that phone call.

“Now, what the fuck happened?” he demanded, looking straight at her. She didn’t answer right away, instead a lonely tear slid down her cheek. There was a blizzard of different feelings inside of her.

“I…He…” she tried to find the words to say, looking sadly to his friends already knowing eyes.

“Come here. You know this is a good thing. That son of a bitch didn’t deserve you anyway. Now you can find someone who knows how to treat a girl like you,” Bam whispered, hugging her close and stroking her head gently. A little smile was starting to form on Ash’s lips.

“I’m free Bam. I don’t have to see his selfish face ever again,” she smiled now, feeling more and more happier about it.

Sure she loved Sean but she had known their relationship was doomed for a long time. After all, she had wanted out.

“What happened exactly?” Bam asked, letting go of her.

“He went back to Stella,” Ash said, feeling awkward relief swelling inside of her.

“Well, congratulations bestie! Now you don’t have to decide yourself what to do,” Jimmy smiled at her happily.

​“Thanks,” she answered, forgetting that some people in the room wasn’t able to see or hear him.

“Who are you thanking? You don’t believe in god,” Jesse asked, looking at her thoughtfully.

“I’m thanking what ever made Sean decide to go back to his ex,” Ash tried to find a way out. And it seemed that Jesse was content with that answer, at least he didn’t ask anything more.

“Why didn’t you leave him when obviously you were so unhappy?” Michelle asked, frowning.

“Because I still love him, regardless that I knew our relationship was bad. I guess I was just putting off inevitable, hoping that he’d change, or take the first step. And now he did,” she explained. “It’s one of the reasons I came to this road trip, I needed to give myself a chance to think without him constantly influencing me.”

“Well, let’s go and find you a better one then,” Michelle grabbed her arm and started to pull her up.

“I don’t need a new one. I wanna be freeee,” Ash hollered happily, hijacking Bam’s now full drink glass again. She didn’t empty it this time, only took a really big sip, then handed it back to her smiling friend.

“And I wanna dance,” she announced, grabbing Michelle’s arm and together they left the room.

After some time and a few more drinks later, Michelle and Maggie left, they had to be at work early in the morning. Ash was pretty drunk already, she wasn’t used to drinking alcohol and abusing Bam’s drink had its consequences.

She was dancing again, not caring that her feet were sore and tired. She had let go of all of her strings and rational thinking. Someone slid his hands around her from her back and curiously she turned around, only to see Brian’s face dangerously close to her own. He pulled her against his body and she let him, running her own hands up his chest and behind his neck. She had trouble with her balance but Brian held her up, his hands strong on her firm butt.

“You look damn hot in this dress,” he slurred, not being sober either.

“But am I hot enough for you Mr. Iceman?” she asked, her words little too soft and desultory.

“You are more than hot enough,” Brian said, leaning down to kiss her neck. Something inside of Ash raised alarm but she didn’t even have a chance to react. Someone was pulling her away from Brian’s grip. Turning her head, she saw Bam and Val, standing beside them.

“Bam-Bam! I love you baby,” she squealed, forgetting Brian in an instant and threw herself at Bam. Val dragged Brian away from the dance floor.

“What are you doing, Ash? He’s married, you know that,” Bam scolded her, holding her up.

“Yes, I know. We were just dancing,” Ash slurred, clinging on to his arm. “I am soooo drunk,” she swayed, laughing at herself.

“Come on, let’s get back to the hotel before you manage to do something you’ll regret later,” he said, sneaking his arm around her waist and guided her towards the VIP room.

​“Hey guys, we’re leaving. I’m gonna take her back to the hotel, she’s wasted,” Bam said to his friends and took Ash’s purse from the couch.

“Okay, see you in the morning then,” his brother said, eyeing Ash curiously. He had never seen her even slightly drunk.

“But I don’t want to go, I wanna be with Jammyyy,” Ash slurred, trying to move towards the end of the couch, where Jimmy sat, invisible to some of the group.

“Oh no you don’t, you’re coming with me,” Bam commanded firmly and lifted her over his shoulder, making sure that her short dress was still covering up her ass.

“Thanks for a great evening guys. See ya,” he saluted Avenged part of the group and then marched out of the door with Ash still hanging over his shoulder. She stuck her hands into his back pockets, so she could have some point to lean on. She didn’t particularly like hanging upside-down like this.