Clarity

Lou had spent all day confused. She knew in her heart that she was emotionally unavailable. She had shit she needed to deal with; demons that had haunted her nearly all of her life. But for some reason, she couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling about Jeremy.

She couldn’t really describe it. She wasn’t very spiritual or religious, but she felt like he was there for a reason. Like he knew exactly what she was planning to do the night before, and he got to her just in time to save her from doing something she’d regret. That wasn’t a feeling you just left alone. She had to explore him deeper. She knew there was something there.

So, there she was with her brother’s friends at a club. She swished her vodka around in her glass trying her best not to stare at Jeremy while he was playfully engaged in conversation with Scarlett Johansson. She heard a chuckle from behind her and she turned around, shooting a glare at the brunette man sizing her up.

“Sebastian,” Lou muttered.

“You look fantastic, Lou,” He said, holding her gaze. She was proud of her outfit, high-waisted black disco pants with black wedge sneakers and a blue lace bralet with a zipper in the middle with an off-white cardigan for when they were outside. She gave him a small smile and mumbled a thank you.

He moved to sit next to her and she allowed him to, the two sitting in silence while they enjoyed their drinks and the buzzing scene around them. “So do you like him?” He asked.

“Fuck if I know,” She admitted.

He raised an eyebrow at her, leaning back against the cushioned booth and turning his attention to Jeremy and Scarlett. “Jeremy, dance with Lou.”

Jeremy shot a look at Sebastian, not moving a single muscle below his neck. “What?”

“Dance with Lou,” Sebastian said, a mischievous look on his face. He leaned into the table. “I dare you.”

Lou didn’t quite understand what was going on between the two actors, but the next thing she knew Jeremy grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. He stood with her on the edge of the crowd, watching everyone else dance with an unreadable look on his face. He turned his head to look at Lou and leaned closer to her so that she would hear him. “I…I can’t dance,” He said hesitantly.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Lou said. She turned to go back but he caught her hand and stopped her.

“No, I want to. Sebastian knows I can’t dance for shit and he’s trying to humiliate me. I hate him,” Jeremy seethed. Lou smirked as Krewella's "Alive" came on through the loud speakers of the club.

Lou took Jeremy’s hand, leading him confidently to the middle of the dance floor. She stood on the tips of her sneakers, her lips close to his ear. “It’s just like those action scenes you learn, except dancing. Let the music tell you what to do and follow my lead.”

Lou began to sway her hips with the music, turning around and placing Jeremy’s hands on her. He reluctantly moved and Lou giggled at his awkward bouncing. “Relax,” She told him. “There’s no one here but us.”

Suddenly something inside him clicked, and he realized what Lou was doing for him. She was letting him dance with her, and she cared. She wanted to help him get back at Sebastian. That was enough for him, and he let it go. He enjoyed his moment with her, because he didn’t know if he’d ever get a moment like this again.

Before they both knew it, the song was over. They stared at each other, both not believing how much fun they had just had. “Do you wanna go out for a smoke?” He offered. She nodded, grabbing her cardigan before following him outside.

The cold Canadian air bit at Lou’s cheeks when they went outside. The luminescent light emanating from the streetlights was barely enough, giving them both an orangey glow. He gave her a cigarette, gazing at her while he lit it for her. She stared back into his clear, blue eyes while she took a drag. He lit his own and they leaned against the building in peace.

“Thanks,” Jeremy said out of the blue. She turned her head against the brick, admiring his profile. “For what?”

“You seem to always get me out of sticky situations,” He commented.

“Yeah well,” She paused, looking at her cigarette as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. “You’re not so bad.”

She didn’t want to admit to him that he seemed to do the same for her. Instead she found solace in the cigarette, blowing out smoke and watching as it combined with her breath until she couldn’t tell the difference.

“I could go for In-N-Out right now,” She blurted, filling the silence between them.

He laughed. “That does sound good, but unfortunately there aren’t any around here.”

She made a disappointed face, pouting her lips and making him feel bad for having to break the news to her. “How about we ditch the club and order burgers from room service?”

“Only if we can watch Regular Show!” She giggled, jumping in front of him playfully. So maybe she was slightly tipsy…

“Deal,” He said, putting his arm around her as they started for the hotel.