Be With Someone...

“Is that really what you’re wearing?” Rory asked from Janine’s bureau. She had already dressed in a borrowed number from Janine’s closet.

Janine looked down at her dress. “Yes. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, per se,” Rory considered. “It’s just that we’re going to a club, not a dinner party. Get down wit’ your bad self, girl.”

Janine grimaced. “First off, don’t try that voice ever again. Second, I don’t do the whole slutty club look.”

“I never said you had to be slutty,” Rory corrected her cousin. “Just a little less… professional.”

“Fine,” she gave up. “then you dress me.”

That’s all the initiative Rory needed. She was up and out of her seat and in Rory’s closet, looking for a suitable outfit.

“Here,” Rory started flinging clothes at her cousin.

Janine dodged a pink pump that was thrown from her closet and a strapless bra that was thrown from her dresser.

“I can’t wear this,” Janine said picking up the dress Rory had whipped at her.

“And why not?”

“I just… can’t. These are guys that I work with,” she reminded Rory.

“So? I guarantee you that each and every single one of those boys that are unattached would gladly get into your panties,” Rory said in all seriousness.

Janine snorted. “Yeah, okay.”

“Just put on the damn dress, Janine. I want to go to Diesel,” Rory instructed firmly.

Sighing, Janine decided that it would just be easier to listen to her cousin rather than try and fight any longer. Besides, maybe Kris was waiting for her at the club.

****

“And here they are,” Sidney laughed as his wife and cousin-in-law walked into the VIP section of the club.

“Not my fault Janine was being a stubborn little brat,” Rory said casting her cousin a side-long glance. Taking a swig of her husband’s drink, she continued. “And it’s also not my fault that I had to dress her.”

Jordan choked on his drink. “You dressed her?”

“Not like that you perv,” Janine swatted him.

“I had to pick out her outfit,” Rory explained. “That was good, will you get me one?” Her question was directed at Sidney.

Her husband chuckled and led his wife away to the bar.

“So why couldn’t you find your own outfit?” Max asked.

“Apparently, my outfit wasn’t ‘club appropriate’,” Janine used air quotes. “But whatever. I don’t even remember why I bought this dress in the first place, so it’s nice that I can wear it.” She shrugged.

“So any chance we’ll be hearing about that Spring Break trip to Miami tonight?” Tyler asked.

Janine’s eyes went wide. “Again, I repeat, hell-fucking-no. That is a story that I need to be very drunk to retell and very delusional. Neither of which will be happening tonight.”

“I don’t know about that,” Max said slinging an arm around Janine. “I’m sure I could convince you.”

Janine rolled her eyes before slipping out from underneath Max’s grip.

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head. “Anyone up for a dance?”

****

Janine escaped from the crowd of bodies that were moving to the music. It had been a great rush of adrenaline for a while, but after nearly an hour of dancing, Janine was about to fall over. A drink and a soft seat was needed.

She found both with Kris upstairs. He had left the group of young people a bit before Janine.

“Mind if I take this seat?” she asked.

Kris glanced up and nodded. As Janine settled herself into the corner booth with him, he observed the girl in next to him.

Her hair was a little messy, thanks to the crush of bodies downstairs, but it still looked beautiful. Her dress had a pink under dress with a lace overlay with one long-sleeve. She had bare legs and a pair of matching pink pumps on her feet. Janine’s makeup was a little darker than anything he had seen on her before, but it was refreshing.

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.

Janine smiled. “I can get my own drink, Kris.”

“A beautiful girl should never pay for her own drink, Jeanie,” he said getting up. “What can I get you?”

Janine scrambled to find a drink. “Uh, surprise me?”

She didn’t know why hearing him use her childhood nickname that had sadly followed her to adulthood caused her to swoon. Yes, swoon. The way it rolled off his tongue with his French accent was enough to make any girl go weak.

Janine caught Kris’s eye at the bar. He leaned against the wooden island as he waited for whatever drink he’d ordered for her and smiled. Her breath caught in her throat. What was going on with her?