Chapter 1: A Night to Get Wild

"Are you sure about this?" Christine's best friend asked as she watched her apply lipstick.

It was settled already. Tonight, Christine would be going clubbing. Her boyfriend of almost two years had broken up with her two months ago and all with the silly excuse that she was uptight.

The bastard didn't think she was uptight all these years and then suddenly, one night in a club, a pretty girl in a tiny gauzy gown came along and then he just kicks her out of his house.

Her eyes misted with tears which threatened to rain but she beat them back. Trevor wasn't worth her tears and she wouldn't want to ruin her makeup which she had spent almost two hours applying.

"I'm okay, Trish," Christine said as she ran her fingers through her hair to give it a messy look. Like that of a night spot frequent.

"I just feel you're letting Trev get to you," she said. "I think you're doing this because of him."

"Trish, I'm not..."

She was interrupted by someone bumping into something downstairs in the living room.

Alexa was home.

Christine groaned.

Trish's lips spread in an understanding smile. Alexa, their other roommate and friend could be a lot of trouble.

The door suddenly flew open and Alexa trudged in, wearing an expensive wig, heavy make up and a strong perfume.

"There's got to be a way to choose 'no woman driver' on Uber," she complained as she took off her wig and collapsed tiredly into the bed.

Her eyes darted across the room and settled on Christine.

"Hey, you know it's weekend, right?" she asked with a scornful smile.

Christine groaned and rolled her eyes knowing what was coming next. She had taken the breakup pretty hard and every night of every weekend, she had spent outside Trevor's condominium, causing a ruckus, begging and crying for him to come back.

"Shouldn't you be drunk and crying outside your Ex's condo or something?" Alexa asked and chortled.

"That's not fair, Alexa," Trish chided.

"What? Don't crucify me; I'm just messing around," she said and chuckled.

Trish sighed and decided to leave it.

Alexa faced Christine.

"So, what's the occasion? Why are you dressed this way?"

"Tonight," Christine said. "I'm falling in love with a girl named me."

"Ugh," Alexa groaned and grimaced. "That sounds weird."

"She's going to a club," Trish explained.

Alexa's eyes widened in disbelief and she sat up. "You? Clubbing?" she asked with a mocking scoff.

Christine nodded.

"Which one?" she asked.

"You're going to support her?" Trish asked incredulously.

"Of course. She needs someone to housebreak her and here I am," Alexa said and chuckled. Then she returned to Christine again. "So, which one?"

"I don't know yet," Christine replied her.

She got up and creased her face in a thoughtful frown. "Which kind of club do you want?"

"I just want to go somewhere wild where I can take as many drink as possible and also something with a bone," Christine told her.

"I would have suggested Rave Cave or Red-Blue Kingdom," Trish said.

"What's wrong with them?" Christine inquired curiously.

"The guys in Rave Cave get kind of gropey-rapey after a few drinks," she answered.

"Gropey-rapey?" Christine asked in genuine confusion.

"They tend to grope the girls in their party and in some occasions, the girl might get raped,” Alexa explained.

"Oh," I said simply. "Well, I'm just looking to get drunk not lose my virginity."

"About that," Alexa said. "Don't you think it's high time you do away with that?"

"Alexa, stop giving her ideas," Trish groaned.

.............

Christine pulled down the edges of her tiny gown, but not to cover her thighs. She did so to show more cleavage. Then she put on a sultry smile and walked past the brawny men who stood guard at the door, brushing against them.

Red.

That was the name of the club. And it was just as Alexa had described it to her.

The room vibrated with the noise of people cheering and dancing and chattering excitedly over bottles of beer and gin and bubbly. Music blared from hidden speakers and it was so loud she could feel the bass in her bones.

For a moment she felt sick and considered aborting her plan. But she was in it already. She just had to go with the tide.

She passed through dancing drunken revellers and headed towards the bar. The bar attender was a large man with a fierce face and a big mustache. But he had the kindest smile.

"What would you like me to interest you with?" he inquired as she pulled a barstool and sat.

"Your strongest drink," she said.

"Well that's broad. Can't you narrow it down a little bit? I've got about three which can knock out even the best drunk. Which one would you like?"

"I'm not really a club person," she told him. "Just bring anyone."

"Lemme warn you," he said. "It's quite expensive. We don't even have it here on the shelf among the regulars."

She nodded to signify that she didn't care the price.

"Hey, Winfredo," he called out to one of his assistants. "Come hold the fort till I get back."

Then he left and Christine waited patiently for him to come back while the guy called Winfredo continued to serve drinks.

"Hey, pretty," a voice said behind her.

She turned round and her eyes fell on a man who seemed to have had too many drinks and could barely keep himself steady.

He staggered forward, pulled out the stool beside her and sank into it.

"Would you love someone to play with for the night?" he said.

"No, thank you," she replied.

"I know how to treat my customers right," he said. "Come on. My pay is not much."

"I've told you, man. I'm not interested," she said.

Then he grabbed her waist and moved his face closer to hers so that his lips were almost on hers. The reek of alcohol hit her right in the face and almost knocked her out.

"Hey, leave me the hell alone!" she yelled and slapped his hand away.

"At least pay for my drink," he said. "I kept you company."

She sighed and passed a bill to Winfredo. Winfredo pocketed it.

The man got up and staggered away the same way he had come.

Just then, the bartender returned with a bottle of liquor. She collected it and refused his offer of a glass. She was going to be wild tonight, drink directly from the bottle.

She tipped my head and tilted the bottle. Her mouth filled with the strong liquid and first gulp and

She turned to the people dancing on the dance floor and I couldn't help but think about Trevor, her ex-boyfriend again.

Was this what he wanted? Going out at night and dancing and drinking?

They went on dates and the park and had beach picnics. What else did he want from her? Why did he say she was so uptight?

It was just his silly excuse to break up with her.

You know that thing they say speak of the devil and he will appear to you? It is true. Why the hell was Trevor here and why did he appear just when she was thinking about him?

She put up a false smile and pretended to be happy to see him.

"Hey, Trev," she greeted him.

"Hey," he said.

She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. He couldn't even mention her name.

She returned to her drink.

Trevor, if he wasn't a fool, would have known that he was the last person she wanted to see let alone have a conversation with. But her ex-boyfriend was anything but wise. He pulled the stool beside her and sat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Not your business," she replied icily.

He sighed. "Christine," he began slowly. "I know I hurt you when I..."

She raised my arm and interrupted him.

"Hurt me?" she scoffed. "I'm fine. You did what you had to do."

"You can lie to yourself, Christine..." he said.

"Look here, Trev," she snapped. "You go and meet your friends and your little girlfriend who is not uptight. Moreover, I wouldn't want my boyfriend seeing you here talking to me."

Boyfriend.

She scoffed in her head and mocked herself.

She just had to make him think she had moved on. Of course she had moved on but just not enough. She still thought about him and wished he would come back.

"Boyfriend?" Trevor echoed.

She was pleased by the disbelief she saw in his eyes.

"Yeah," she said coolly.

"Are you serious? Christine, we just broke up," he said emphatically.

"What? You expect me to lock myself up in my room and mourn?" she demanded.

"No, Christine. I'm just saying..."

"You hooked up with a girl in the club while we were still a thing. I think it's only fair if I also have my own boyfriend anytime I choose," she said.

"I really want to see your new guy," Trevor said with a hint in his voice that he didn't believe her.

"Boyfriend. He's my boyfriend. Not new guy," Christine corrected him. "He went to use the restroom. He'll be back soon, so, please, leave."

He remained there.

She had to do something. It would be a real humiliation if he called her bluff.

Just then, a man walked out of the restroom and walked towards the bar where she sat with Trevor.

"Hey, babe. Took you so long I was beginning to worry," she said.

The man's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

She winked surreptitiously at him and he got the cue.

"Sorry, sweet," he said. "I went to pick up my phone. Left it in the car."

Then, for effect, he planted a kiss on her forehead and cheek.

That was not enough. Trevor was still watching. She was going to give him a show.

She pulled the stranger's head down and captured his lips in hers in a passionate kiss.

Trevor got up and walked away without saying goodbye. But she didn't even notice him.

"Do you kiss everyone you meet like that?" the stranger asked with a teasing voice when they disengaged.

She stared at him and was awed by the sheer beauty in his sharp eyes. They were so beautiful and she could stare in it forever.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be," he smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Alan."

"I'm Christine," she said and took his hand.

She held her breath as he lifted her hand and kissed the back of her palm.