A Dog's Life

“I love rock’n’roll!” Taylor shouted the lyrics as she swung her hips to the beat, the rush of tequila running through her veins. It had been ages since she’d had a night off for the restaurant and a good night out. Now even if the night out was due to sad circumstances, she was planning on enjoying herself and ensuring Sarah did also.

Sarah had explained the engagement to Taylor who had sat and listened calmly without saying a thing. As Sarah finished the explanation Taylor had got up and grabbed a large bottle of whiskey and taking a good swig before launching into a tirade of abuse about Cliff and Louise.
Sarah couldn’t deny the fearace loyalty Taylor had for her friends, family and husband. She would not want to be Cliff if he ever ran into Taylor.

“He said, “Can I take you home Where we can be alone?" Next we're moving on, he was with me, yeah me and we'll be moving on and singing that same old song, yeah with me!” Sarah sang along, her eyes shut as she let herself go. She knew Taylor was closer by; she’d heard her singing and felt her brush by her a few times. There’d been a few guys try their luck but Sarah had just shook her head and moved away, never letting it bother her. “More drinks?” She called as the song changed. Taylor shot her a questioning look. “Starting to ache!” Sarah pointed to her leg.

“Ok-“ Taylor suddenly shook her head as the song changed and Sarah just laughed.

“I’ll be at the bar,”

“Be right with you!” Taylor called though Sarah knew until the song was over Taylor would be on that dance floor.

“What can I get ya?” The bar man spun round finishing up his last order before looking up to Sarah. He flashed her the winning bar man smile and chucked a dish rag over his shoulder. He was your stereotypical bar man with tight white t-shirt and low cut jeans, and of course the body to go with it.

It was a Tuesday night and extremely quiet so he had very little to do and focused on one costumer at a time.

“Ooo two-“ Sarah paused gazing over the cocktail menu. “Long island ice teas,” She ran her finger over the explanation deciding it was the perfect forget everything drink.

“Yeah, daring drink, you have to try this as well-“ He turned quickly grabbing a shot glass. “I’m experimenting let me know what you think!” The barman produced a shot in front of her adding whipped cream on top.

“Wow!” Sarah laughed. “What is it?”

“Blow job,” The bar man said straight faced as Sarah rolled her eyes and threw the shooter back.

“Ah I see why you guys like them so much,” Sarah chuckled licking her lips from the sweet drink as Taylor plopped herself down beside her.

“Enjoying yourself?” Taylor questioned gazing between the bar man and Sarah.

“Blow job?” The bar man questioned holding the shooter glass towards Taylor.

“Bit forward, but why not,” Taylor muttered back watching as he made up another shot. “I should employ him at the restaurant, I don’t have any fit barmen,”

“Not sure Karl would approve of your reasoning,”

“Dunno he might appreciate him!” Sarah just rolled her eyes slipping her Long Island Ice Tea. Which became another ice tea, and then a mojito, and then another ice tea, a glass of water and finally followed by cosmo after cosmo.

For someone recovering from car accident, hospital trips and a ban on alcohol, that amount of alcohol was not a good idea.

It didn’t take long for Sarah to realize this as Taylor went off to dance she disappeared off to get some fresh air. She perched outside on the wall of a raised flower bed along from a bunch of young lads smoking and drinking bottles of beer.

One of the boys watched Sarah stumble slightly as she tried to reach the wall of the flower bed and sit down. He noticed the cast on her arm and wondered what exactly she was doing.

“Hi,” The boy wondered towards Sarah standing a few feet away just wanting to check she was ok. She was fumbling with her bag trying to find her phone, she needed to go home.

Her eyes flicked up to the boy has he asked her a question. “Huh?”

“I said are you ok?” He had a kind smile, and soft brown eyes that seemed to reassure her he was not a mass murderer.

“No, I no,” She shook her head unsure of where she was. “What’s the name of this place?” He noted her speech was a little slow, her eyes looked tired and heavy, while the smell of alcohol lingered on her breath.

“Jacks Bar, you had a few too many of those famous cocktails?” He chuckled sitting a good meter away.

“Something like that, I feel sick,” She rubbed her finger tips over her forehead as if trying to numb the pain.

“How about you phone someone to pick you up?” The boy suggested moving a little closer to her, just encase she did throw up he’d at least be able to hold her hair back.

“Zacky,” She muttered again going in her bag, this time after a few tries she successfully pulled out her phone. It took a few minutes for her to manage to dial but Zacky picked up straight away.

“Zacky? Zack-Zacky is that you?” She questioned down the phone hearing a chuckle from the other end.

“Yeah babe, of course it is! You phoned me,” His laugh was soft and relaxed. “You good?” He gazed over to Brian who just rolled his eyes.

“No,” Zack’s attitude changed instantly. Zack shot out of his chair sending Foo Foo flying off his lap in fear. Brian stopped strumming chords on the guitar and listened intently.

“What? Sarah where are you?” He could hear noise in the background, and the fact it took a few seconds for Sarah to even register he’d spoken to her, was enough to have him worried. “Sarah?”

“I drank too much,” Zacky listened carefully as Sarah explained where she was the best she possibly could. He waited as she seemed to almost forget what she was saying and reassured her he’d be there as he tried to pull his trainers on and search for his keys.

“Where are we going?” Brain called finishing his beer as he watched his friend hop around.

“Sarah, she’s on her own I’m going to get her,”

“Sarah?” Brian questioned slowly standing up.

“I’ll explain along the way!”

“Along the way? Oh good a road trip,” Brian muttered grabbing another bottle of beer and following Zack out of the house. The car was already started before Brian had shut the front door.

Zacky drove quickly and decisively, some may say dangerously, as they made their way to the bar. He said very little along the way, answering questions in one or two word answers, rarely making a full sentence.

“Do we know where she is?” Brian questioned taking his final swig of beer and gazing around the car park. There were only a few cars and very few people. “Maybe check with the doormen,” Zacky was always already jogging towards the entrance leaving Brian to amble on behind. There were a group of guys out front who slowly fell silent as the two men passed by, whispering and pointing. They were sat on the wall of a flower bed, while at the other end of the wall a girl was doubled over, puking her guts into the roses.

“Oh good,” Brian muttered watching Zacky walk up to the girl and guy who was attempting to hold her hair back.

“I’ll take it from here,” Zack surprised himself with the confidence in his voice, Sarah’s head stayed over the flower bed, while the boy turned round.

“Dude,” He gasped staring at Zacky. “Fuck you’re Zacky Vengeance, and you’re Synyster Gates,”

“Yah,” Brian nodded starring at the Sarah in amazement. So this was the girl his best mate was head over heels in love with. The road accident girl.

“Sarah,” Zacky was by her side in a second, and Brian just watched on in secret amazement, he nodded as the guy who’d been looking after Sarah started going all fan boy on him. “Sarah baby it’s me, I’m here,”

“Zack?” She groaned in response. “Oh god no,”

“Hey it’s alright,” Zacky chuckled pulling her hair over her shoulders. “I’m here,”

“No,” She tried to push him away. “You can’t see me like this, you’ll hate me,”

“Not possible,” Zacky whispered continuing to hold her steady. “Now we need to get you home,”

“You on your own?” Brian asked ignoring the boy next to him.

“Tay,”

“Taylor’s here with you?” Zacky questioned and got a nod in response. “Right ok Brian go find Taylor,”

“I have no idea who Taylor is,” Brian replied still watching Sarah with interest.

“Shit ok, right hold on Sarah, I’ll be right back,” He turned to Sarah and kissed her forehead softly.

“She’s fucking throwing up,”

“Hey last time her head was bleeding and there were broken bones, this is easier to deal with!” Zacky replied watching Brian sit down on the floor with Sarah who just grimaced and tried to apologies to Brian.

“Don’t worry, I think it’s you that we need to thank,” Brian muttered watching Zacky jog towards the club. “You’ve made him fucking happy,”

“Huh?”

“She made him miserable, you, you make him get up in the morning,” Brian smiled at her. He knew Sarah would probably forget everything he’d said in the morning, her eyes were big and blurry, she’d clearly drank far too much.

It looked as if she was about to speak but her face turned a nasty pale colour again and her head spun quickly to throw the rest of her stomach into the flower bed.

“Well this is just great,” Brian whispered leaning over to pull her red hair away from her face.
“Fucking brilliant!”