A Dog's Life

“The last time we went out, you ended up throwing up outside the club and drunk dialing that man of yours,” Taylor smirked accepting the round of cocktails from the bar man and carrying a tray towards the table Rhian and Niki had secured.

“Well that won’t happen tonight,”

“We’re starting with Happy hour, 2 for 1 on cocktails, and you don’t predict puking by the end of the night,”

“I fucking hope not,” Niki spoke up helping Taylor unload the drinks from the trays.

“I defiantly need to pace myself,” Sarah spoke up sitting down beside Niki. “I’ve not drank in ages because of the pain killers,”

“Apart from that fateful night,” Taylor mocked.

“Yeah and look how that turned out,”

“Just don’t try to keep up with Niki,” Rhian warned taking a sip of her colourful drink and smiling, clearly pleased with her choice. “She can drink anyone under the table, she’s taken out Johnny and Zacky a few times,” Sarah raised her eyebrows surprised. “Jimmy was a bit of a challenge, but next is Bri and Matt, who still refuse,”

“They scared?” Taylor questioned earning a smirk from Niki.

“Damn tooting they are!” Niki answered, Rhian just rolled her eyes. “Brian is all, I can’t let you drink that much, you’d die! He’s just shit scared I’d beat him,”

“You two are as bad as each other anyway!” Rhian added.

“Brian’s your husband?” Taylor clarified.

“Yeah of 3 years,” Niki smiled waving the gorgeous wedding ring around.

“Pretty,” Sarah added.

“You should have seen the wedding, I mean seriously who’d have thought our boys could scrub up so good,” Rhian smiled.

“And you’re not married?” Taylor asked Rhian who shook her head with a shrug.

“She will be soon, Jimbo fucking worships the ground she walks on,” Sarah noticed Rhian role her eyes but still smile brightly. “And then you chick,” Niki nudged Sarah who nearly chocked on her drink. Marriage? That was all a bit too fast for her liking.

“You think?” Taylor questioned with her, I’m up to no good, smirk on her face.

“No way, far too soon thank you!” Sarah stopped that conversation quickly. “I’m not ready for that at all!” Though she didn’t feel like that inside, in fact the idea of marriage wasn’t that horrific, the idea of being with Zack for a very long time wasn’t that bad at all.

The girls carried on chatting and getting to know Taylor, while Sarah let her mind wonder a little. She really was falling hard for Zack. That was quite a scary thought, the harder you fall the more it hurts.

“Sarah come dance!” She looked up at Taylor who had a huge smirk on her face. “You love this song!” Sarah couldn’t help but smile at her friend, this is what tonight was meant to be about, not dwelling on her boyfriend but enjoying a night out with the girls. She never was one to spend her time worrying about boys, so Zacky Baker wasn’t going to turn her into that girl, she was going to enjoy tonight!

The girls hopped from bar to bar, making the most on offers at each one from two-for-one cocktails to free shots to doubling up for a $1. It turned out Rhian was completely right Niki could drink, plus dance, plus party her arse off. Sarah knew she should of expected that, Niki always seemed the type to be the life and soul of a party. Taylor wasn’t far off, the two Americans getting on really well from the off.

The final bar come club they’d stopped in was busy but they were still able to get to the bar. The dance floor had a good amount of people on while there was enough staff working the bar for the drinks orders to flow nicely.

The girls flipped from dance floor to bar with ease, there was always someone on the dance floor, and Sarah enjoyed the casualness of the night out.

“You okay?” Rhian gazed up as Sarah came to join her at the bar, the other Brit slipped her phone back into her bag and waved her hand out to the barman to order Sarah a drink.

“ Mhmm, tired! When did I become so old?”

“I think when you had a car accident and you came out all batterd and bruised,” Rhian suggested passing Sarah her drink. “It’s a single,” Sarah smiled greatful, she didn’t need too much alcohol, she was winding down her night.

“Were you taking to Jimmy?” She questioned indicating to the phone Rhian had put back in her bag. Rhian smiled with a nod. “How long have you guys been together?” Rhian paused looking like she was remembering something before her smile came back.

“4 years,”

“Wow!”

“Yeah,” Rhian nodded in agreement still with a huge smile. “Niki introduced us, she has known the guys forever, and I met them through her!”

“Love at first sight?”

“Not quite,” Rhian chuckled. “He pushed me into a swimming pool-“

“Oh ducky! Why?”

“He tripped over Johnny and went flying into me, I never saw him coming and went backwards into the pool with a 6 foot something man on top of me,” Sarah couldn’t help but laugh it seemed the perfect start for such a cute couple.

“And then you went on a date with him after that?”

“Well more like two years after that!” Rhian laughed. “It took a lot of groveling and making up, Niki and Bri were already together at that point, then a year later Zack-“ Rhian paused awkwardly.

“He got with Jenny?” Sarah questioned innocently. She saw her moment to find out more about this woman who seemed to be the biggest piece of baggage Zack carried. Rhian nodded spinning the straw around in her drink.

“She kind of just appeared, they met at a club, and she hung on,” Sarah raised her eyebrows quizzically, Rhian was holding something back.

“No one liked her, that night at the club Zack had being doing shots at the bar with Niki and I, she wondered on up, wedged herself between Zack and I and started talking,” Sarah raised her eyebrows. “Now if I’d done anything I’m sure the words cock-block would have be tarnished around, so instead Niki and I left him to it,”

“You don’t like her do you?”

“We had nothing in common,” Rhian shrugged. “She didn’t bother talking to me, so I left it, she tried to befriend Niki but she had none of it,”

“So when did they break up?” Sarah questioned.

“Wow, it’s gotta be 8 or 9 months ago now, it was a long time coming though, the engagement wasn’t working and quite frankly Zacky was never happy!” Sarah smiled a little finishing the rest of her drink, and leaning back in the chair, she was getting tired. “Not like he is with you,” That really did bring a smile to her face, she knew Rhian was being honest; she may have not known Rhian well but there was something about the way she spoke that told Sarah she was telling the utter truth. “You look tired?”

“Exhausted! Did Niki say Brian was on his way?”

“Yeah doll, I’m sure here be here asap! Wouldn’t dream of leaving his girl waiting!” She chuckled.
“I’m gonna grab my jacket from the cloakroom, we can meet the girls outside,” Sarah nodded shooting Taylor a quick text before following Rhian out of the club.

Taylor met them at the cloakroom and followed the girls outside. When they got out Brian had just pulled up and Niki was walking over to him.

“Told you,” Rhian smiled walking straight over to Brian’s SUV.

“Evening ladies, did we have a good night?”

“Oh yeah!” Niki smiled brightly kissing him hard before checking we were all safely in the car. “I count three lovely ladies, we’re ready to go,” Brian chuckled squeezing her thigh before putting his hand back on the wheel and driving off.

“I’ll drop you off at Zacky’s if you want?” Brian questioned as they dropped Taylor off first. Sarah bit her lip, she’d not asked Zacky and she didn’t really want to get in the way.

“No it’s ok I should go back to mine,” Sarah replied. Brian just nodded clearly not bothered either way but Rhian glanced up and caught Sarah’s gaze. “He knew I went out, but I imagine he’s expecting me to stay in my own flat,” Rhian smiled at her.

“You can give me directions?” Brian questioned Sarah his gaze meeting with hers in the mirror. She nodded, telling him to carry straight on from Taylor’s and turn right at the next crossroads. Sarah kept quiet on the journey back, her alcohol buzz slowly wearing off; Niki kept talking away to Brian.

“Next left,” Sarah called noticing how close to where to hers, and if you pull up on the left that would be great.

“Nice area,” Rhian commented. “I love the flats round here, it seems safe as well,”

“Yeah it’s not bad, you get a good amount for your money,” Sarah replied, fishing the keys out from her bag. “Here is fine,” She added as Brian slowed the car down and pulled up right in front of her block. “This is me, thanks for the lift Brian,”

“Anytime sweetheart,” He looked tired but kept up his smile. “Stay safe,”

“Will do, bye girls, thanks for a lovely night,”

“You too sug, don’t forget water before bed!” Niki smiled as Sarah got out the car and made her way up the steps to her house. Sarah shot them another wave before going into the house and making her way up to her first floor flat. She’d never worried about being alone, but tonight felt different, she almost wanted Zack there.

As soon as she stepped into the flat she checked the locks and dumped her shoes in the hall. She made her way to the kitchen grabbing a glass of water and picking up her phone charger. Spike sleepily walked into the kitchen gazing up bleary eyed at her.

“Hey boy, you okay?” She tickled behind his ears and smiled as he followed her to her room. Spike curled back up in his bed, as she stripped out of her clothes and climbed onto the bed. Leaning over she plugged the phone charger into the wall and then her phone into the charger; there was just enough cable for her to still use her phone. She pulled the duvet round her and sent a quick text to Zack.

Hello ducky! Hope you had a good night, Bri just dropped me off, and I’m all ready for bed. Night nightxxx

She put the phone back on her bedside cabinet and grabbed the tv remote, flicking the tiny tv she had in her bedroom on. She flicked through the channels knowing it would take a while for her to drift off, she just wanted some easy to fall asleep to.

Her phone vibrated next to her just as she found re-runs of Supernatural to watch.

Hey beautiful! You should have come back to mine, I’d have made toast! Had a good night?

She smiled, texting back quickly. She let him know she’d thought about it but didn’t want to just crash, she was going back to the wedding shop on Monday so she thought she’d spend Sunday getting some work done. She was taking a break from dog walking, not wanting to risk any injuries just yet. She also needed to get back on top of the online store, she’d closed it for a few weeks but opened the ordering system back up on Monday and had a lot of work to catch up on now.

Sarah gazed up to the tv, she’d seen this episode a million times, and tuned out slightly as the characters ran around. A smile graced her lips allowing herself to snuggle up in the soft covers. For the first time in a while she was comfortable, relaxed and happy. The cast was off and she felt she was quickly getting over the accident. She was able to go back to work now and do a job she enjoyed. And of course she had a wonderful boyfriend, even if the relationship wasn’t perfect it was a wonderful work in progress she really enjoyed. She just needed to stop worrying.

There was only one tiny niggling doubt, and wondered maybe if Jenny was a factor that may over shadow their relationship.

Her phone went off once more and Sarah sleepily checked her phone.

I’m playing golf tomorrow. Maybe I should bring caffeine for my hardworking girl, when I finish. Catch you tomorrow, Night Night beautifulx