A Stranger in a Nightclub

I never meant to stay out all night; it was supposed to be an early night. Just us girls, down the local for a couple of drinks to send me off halfway around the world to start the next chapter of my life. But it didn’t end at 10:30pm when it was supposed to. One drink turned into two, turned into five.

“We should go to a club!” Alice announced.

“No, no, no,” I slurred, “I have a flight tomorrow.”

“Come on, it’s not in the morning, this is the last time we’ll see you in like, forever!” Sally said, pulling me along the street.

“Alright, alright, but just one hour.”

***

The lights strobed and flashed, soothing my fuzzy head.

“Would you like a drink?” I heard from my left.

I turned, trying to focus, seeing a twenties-something guy smile back at me.

“Sure,” I replied, sinking my head into my hands.

“So, what’s your name,” he asked.

“Jessica.”

“I’m James, both J’s, that’s got to be an omen.”

I drunkenly scoffed before a large grin covered my face.

***

“You know, it’s like they don’t trust me,” I said, my hands making wild gestures in the air, “They make me do this and that, but they don’t trust me. I’m going to Europe tomorrow, *on my own*, but they still want me back for 12am.”

I looked at my watch, it was 1:30am.

“Well they may have a point,” James said smiling.

“Fuck you, James; fuck you.”

“I know though, I hate my parents too,” he consoled, “They’re just such losers. I fucking hate them.”

He offered his hand over the bar, and I took it.


 

I woke with a thumping headache, I winced when I looked down and saw the sleeping man next to me. I got out of bed and slipped my clothes on quickly before tip-toeing out of the room, down the stairs and out of the town-house.

I tried to call my Dad, but I got his voicemail. I left a message saying I stayed round a friend’s, it was the last time we’d see each other. I’d make it to the airport from here. I’d speak to him when I landed.


I sat on the runway, the safety talk finished and I picked up my phone to turn it off. A message from an unknown number sat there.

“Thank you for last night. xxx”

The phone powered down and the plane took off.


The plane landed with a thud. I switched my phone on. As the signal came back, it beeped; *voicemail*.

It was my Dad, “Sorry I didn’t get to speak to you before you took off, I hope the flight is good. Look honey, I’ve got to go, there’s someone at the door.”

The phone beeped again, it was from the unknown number, my heart skipped a beat, “All done, I hope you like my improvisation ;).

“Don’t forget your end of the deal; say hello to Alice for me. xxx”

Leave Feedback