Lexi pulled his blue and white striped tie between her fingers and tugged lightly. “Well, then it’s your lucky day, isn’t it?”
He smiled wide, obviously enjoying her advances. “I suppose it is. How’s your ankle? Can you dance on it?”
“It’s just fine.” Lexi nodded checking off number two in her head and wondering if Chyna had beat her to it.
Armani Guy pulled her onto the dance floor. Typically with all the years of formal dance and gymnastics training she had, it made it rather difficult to find a good partner. It seemed that she had lucked out with this one. He moved with her perfectly in time with the music. He anticipated her change in direction and would even guide her hips to his own rhythm when the music took him. She was starting to get disappointed that she had set the rule that they wouldn’t be taking anyone home. This guy, whoever he was, was actually helping her forget about Jack, and that was a feat in and of itself.
Lexi didn’t know anything about him except that he was obviously wealthy. And though he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, he helped her when he thought she was injured, she simply couldn’t let herself get swept up into an imaginary attraction to someone she just met. That never ended well for her.
She needed to take this as far as her drunken brain would allow her. This guy was just like most other men. He wanted one thing and one thing only. When he realized that she wasn’t willing to give him what he was looking for, and she kept telling herself that she wasn’t, then he would find someone who was.
“Do you want to get out of here?” he questioned into her ear.
She leaned her head back against his chest and swayed to the music. She wanted to leave with him, but she had promised Chyna. She hadn’t even thought about Chyna for ages which could mean that she had already ditched her for someone else except Chyna was usually good for her word. If she agreed no guys for the night, then she would find Lexi by the end of the night and they would both go home alone. Lexi sighed…both go home alone. She needed to find Chyna. “I’m here with a friend. I can’t leave without her.”
He located her much more quickly than Lexi would have been capable of alone. His height gave him a distinct advantage. “Chyna, time to go,” Lexi commanded peeling her off of some guy she had locked lips with. Whoever he was didn’t look too pleased, but after seeing Armani Guy he quickly backed off and vacated the premises.
“Alexa,” she shrieked, “the love of my life!”
Lexi giggled as Chyna tackled her, forcing them both back into Armani Guy’s hard chest. “Oh, excuse us,” Chyna trilled batting her long lustrous eyelashes.
“It’s not a problem. I was just helping, Alexa, find you,” he said smiling politely at Chyna.
“Ohhhh,” she said her eyes moving from Lexi back to Armani Guy. “Well, thank you for that. She’s hardly ever able to find me on her own.”
“So she told me.”
“It is time for me to go,” Chyna said faking a yawn. “I guess I should check out. I’m sure you can find your own way home, right chica?”
Lexi knew this act. It meant that Chyna approved of her choice. “Can you excuse us for a minute?” she asked Armani Guy. As he nodded, she yanked Chyna out of earshot from him. “No guys, remember?”
“Yeah, but did you see that Armani suit?” she asked, her eyes leaving Lexi’s and glancing back at his build.
“Yes, I did,” she said snapping at her to get her attention back on her.
“Did you see those muscles?”
“Yes, I did,” Lexi growled.
“Did you see the way his green eyes blazed at the sight of you?” she purred.
“Chyna, cut it out. I saw, but it’s a girl’s night. I can hook up with him another night.”
“You are insane, but I love you!” she exclaimed planting a drunken kiss on Lexi’s lips.
Lexi rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know, dear.”
“Just for the record, I think you should go for it.”
“Well, I’m not going to. Some other time,” she said as she turned towards Armani Guy. “Sorry, we have to get out of here.”
“We?” he asked incredulously. She pointed between her and Chyna and his face transformed at the realization that she was going to leave without him. He had put in all that work for nothing. She could tell he wasn’t pleased. They had hit it off, but she wasn’t ready to go home with him yet. Not tonight at least.
“Sorry. I know you have that meeting,” she quickly improvised. “Maybe we can meet up some other time.”
“I’m leaving the city tomorrow, but maybe I could get your number and the next time I’m in town we can meet up.”
Chyna grumbled something in her ear, but she swatted her away not wanting to hear her voice of reason. Of course she should go home with this guy, but that really wasn’t going to help her tonight. She was too drunk at this point to go home with his guy. She quickly punched her digits into his Blackberry and then dragged Chyna to the door.
As they drove back to Lexi’s dorm, Chyna kept staring at Lexi in dismay. “I don’t want to hear one word,” Lexi said pointing her finger in Chyna’s direction.
Chyna pulled a zipper across her lips, but raised her eyebrows in further disapproval. A few minutes later as they entered the dorm, Chyna couldn’t hold back any longer. “You should have gone with him.”
“Yeah, I probably should have, but there will be other guys and other nights.”
Chyna scooted closer to Lexi as they reached the top of the stairs and began walking down the stained hallway Chyna had been so uneasy about earlier that afternoon. “Yeah, but he was delicious.”
“I guess he was.”
“I hope he calls you though.”
“I doubt he will,” Lexi said coming to a stop in front of the door and fumbling for her keys.
Lexi pushed the door open and immediately veered towards the bedroom. Chyna shut the door behind her and walked towards the lumpy couch. She plopped down allowing her aching feet a reprise from their tormentors. Just as her butt hit the cushion, she jumped up screaming at the realization that whatever she had sat on was not a cushion. And now it was moving.
Lexi darted back out of the room sobering up as soon as she heard the blood-curdling cry echo throughout the apartment. “Chyna, what is it?” she cried unsure what she would find. Lexi gasped in surprise at what appeared to be someone rising from the dead. The figure’s head hung limp and arms were stretched out in front like Frankenstein’s monster. A low menacing moan escaped the person. Just then the figure’s head snapped sideways as Chyna slammed a pillow into the side of his head. Lexi rushed back to the front door, latching on to the handle in the event that they needed to make a run for it, and flicked on the dorm light.
Chyna brought the pillow viscously back down on the intruder several more times. A yell sounded from the person seated on the couch. “Oww, stop that.”
“Get out of here! You can’t take our stuff!” Chyna screamed smacking him across the face another time.
“I’m here to see Lexi, Goddamn. Chill out,” the intruder cried shielding himself from Chyna’s assault.
“Chyna, stop,” Lexi demanded her feet frozen in place as she stared forward. Chyna paused mid-swing, and then brought the pillow back down to her side. She glanced back at Lexi in confusion. The intruder looked to where she had spoken ignoring the possibility of another attack. Lexi’s throat caught at the sight. “This is Jack.”
“Jack. Jack, Jack. You mean the Jack?” Chyna asked stumbling on the name.
Lexi nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well then,” she mumbled tossing the pillow onto the loveseat, “guess that’s my cue. Sorry.” She walked to Lexi and gave her a quick hug whispering into her ear, “Let me know if you need anything, sweetie.”