Hitting a stranger

                           ~JESSICA~

                The loud music from the club almost burst my eardrums.

Geez! How do people cope here with the noise and everything?? So much for coming to a club!

I should have just stayed at home and had a good sleep.

“Stop deceiving yourself, Jessy. It's not like you'll be able to sleep at home” I silently said and rolled my eyes.

As usual, Grace was the center of attention and almost every guy wanted to talk to her there. I watched as she hugged people she knew, laughing beautifully while I stood there like a statue.

Her eyes fell on my face and she waved with her fingers for me to come closer. I shook my head negatively, politely refusing.

I wasn't ready for some introductions. And so, I turned and made my way to a seat at the bar counter.

I sat on it and took a quick glance around the club. The lights were almost blinding my eyes, so I had to squint my eyes to be able to grasp a look at my surroundings.

The small club was almost crowded with people, most especially young boys and girls like Grace and they're all dancing.

“Oh yeah, you're talking like you aren't young yourself” I berated myself.

I was just twenty two while Grace was eighteen. 

Grace was right, my dress was the longest tonight as all the other girls were putting on really short, sexy dresses and they're all looking so beautiful.

I must really look like a primary school teacher as Grace said.

The club wasn't a big one, or a club where the rich go to. It was a sub standard small club that wasn't expensive. Reason why high school students had the money to be here.

“Good evening, ma'am. Do you want something to drink??” a male voice asked me and I turned to face him.

“Yeah, anything that has enough alcoholic content in it. Any drink not more than $30” I replied as I didn't know what drink to take. I rarely take alcoholic drinks.

He turned and walked away and I searched carefully for Grace with my eyes and I saw her dancing with some group of girls.

Thank goodness it's girls! I would have gone to drag her out if she's dancing with so many boys like that.

I turned and faced the counter, then I felt someone tap me on my back.

It's Grace with all smiles on her face.

“Come on, Sis, let's dance,” she said. She's literally screaming because of the loud music playing.

“I don't feel like it. Besides,you know I don't know how to dance” I screamed back.

“I'll teach you” she said and began pulling my hands but I pulled back and shook my head.

“Stop being so stuck up and serious. Come, let's dance” she persisted.

“No, thanks. I already ordered drinks” I said. “Go enjoy yourself”

She frowned and pouted her lips, then walked back to her friends and resumed dancing.

The bartender brought me a full bottle of an alcoholic drink and a glass cup and I began drinking. It wasn't long when I started feeling tipsy.

But I kept on drinking and lamenting and crying my eyes out as I remembered everything that happened during the day.

My really drowsy and tipsy eyes caught sight of a man standing close to me with another man beside him.

“This is the club I'm going to buy….” Part of their conversation reached my ears before I zoned out and placed my head on the counter table.

When I raised my head up, I caught sight of the man who's standing beside me now staring curiously and weirdly at me with a funny look on his face. A teasing, mocking look!

How long has he been staring at me like that??

“You…” I pointed my fingers at him. “What are you staring at??”

He didn't bat an eyelid at me but kept staring.

“You bastard…why the hell are you staring at me…. like that?” I slurred.

The alcohol was taking effect on me already and I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to.

“What are you looking at?? You men are just the same. Bunch of betrayals, bunch of heartbreakers. You all are scums, dirty pieces of trash. Stop staring at me, the fuck!!” I screamed loudly and began hitting his chest hard with my fist.

I saw him raise his hand as if he's stopping someone and stood, allowing me to hit him.

“Liars. All of you are liars. I pray you all men rot in hell. I pray you all burn in ashes. You all men shouldn't have been born” I yelled drunkenly and kept hitting him.

People were starting to watch and I felt someone starting to drag me.

“Sis, what the hell are you doing??” I heard Grace yell at me.

My eyes were already closing and I was slowly losing consciousness.

“I'm so sorry, Sir. She's drunk and doesn't know what she's doing. I'm so sorry, Sir” I heard Grace apologize to the man.

I was still muttering inaudible cuss words as Grace dragged me out of the club. It was outside the club that I collapsed on Grace's arms as I finally lost consciousness.

                         ~DANIEL~

    I was walking around the club with my escort, Mister Anthony. We're checking out the new property that would soon be mine.

I own a multinational business and have my finger in property development on five continents. Sutherland enterprises—is an enormously successful property development business.

I buy properties I so desire and renovate to my taste or sell it off whenever I want to. And so I heard of this club in this rural area in America and I drove down from California to take a good look at it before buying it.

It was on the tour round the club that I saw a nerd looking lady drinking heavily at the bar counter. I was amused at the lengthy dress she wore, the sandals she wore, the glasses on her face and the way her hair was tied up. An inappropriate dressing for a club.

She's looking funny and with a grin on my face, I stood staring at her as she's fascinating to watch. I was really surprised when she began to yell at me and spat out cuss words from her mouth and was shocked when she started to hit me on my chest.

Her outburst showed that she's suffering from a heartbreak and letting it out on me and so I stopped Mister Anthony when he wanted to interfere. I allowed her to hit me if it would ease the pain in her heart.

A reason why I'm against love, why I hated love so much. Love is a terrible feeling that will hurt and break you and leave you in so much pain and misery. 

One look at her and I was reminded again and again never to fall in love- never ever.

A young lady came towards us and apologized to me as she dragged the drunk lady out of the club. I was still staring at the exit of the club when Mister Anthony called back my attention to him.

“Sir, are you okay??” He asked me.

“Yes, I'm fine,” I replied.

“I'm buying the club” I announced and he nodded.

“I'll make the necessary arrangements, Sir” he replied.

With one long, last look at the club, I walked out of the club still replaying the incident that just happened in my head, and someone, I had a feeling that I was going to meet her again.