My Baby Daddy’s Father

Sierra

“Oh my God, this party is so boring.”

I sipped from my champagne flute as I looked around the room. Soft pop music played in the background as Mark from HR tried to get everyone’s attention.

“Urgh, we need to get out of here,” Monica grumbled beside me again.

I haven’t been to many parties so I couldn’t tell a good one from a bad one; either way, I had a plan of my own. I had been working as a Junior Brand Executive for almost five years at Sterling Group and I just knew it was time for a promotion.

I mean, just last month, Gina, the brand exec, dumped her project on me on short notice but I was able to do it on time. I heard the board loved it and Gina was looking good for a promotion.

Meaning this was my chance to level up and aim for Brand Executive. I didn’t care if I had to do Gina’s work for her as long as I got to move up the ladder.

To do this, I had to warm up to Gina and Mark, see if they could put in a good word or two for me.

“Hey, Sierra.”

“Huh?”

“I just spoke to Catherine and the girls in Accounting; we’re going to ditch this place in ten. You’re coming with us.”

“But I need to talk to Gina and Mark.”

“You can talk to Gina and Mark some other time, what you truly need is to go have fun. I mean, you just won best employee of the year in our department, that’s something to celebrate, right?”

I guess it was.

“Oh…it’s happening right now,” Monica gasped excitedly, “Catherine is giving me the signal, let’s go!”

I barely had time to grab my purse and drop the champagne flute on the table before Monica snatched me up and we made our way out of the hall.

Outside, the cool air hit my face and I wrapped my arms around myself. The coat was hardly keeping the cold away.

“Taxi!”

“Where are we going?” I asked Monica as she stopped a cab. There were three other girls with Catherine that I vaguely recognized.

“There’s this bar at Monet?” Catherine was saying, “I heard it’s a bar slash strip club!”

The girls hooted excitedly. “And that is where we will be headed to!” Monica said to me, then to the cab driver.

A strip club that was also a bar? What in the world was that? I’d lived in Meridian City for a while and I’d never heard of that before.

“Get in, get in!”

We all piled into the cab and I didn’t mind that there were five of us all mushed up at the back; the warmth was inviting.

“Hey, ladies! Anybody have some candy?” Catherine called from the passenger seat.

“You know I do!” Monica announced.

“Pass them around, girl.”

I watched as Monica pulled out a tiny white plastic bag and dropped little blue pills in everyone’s hands. She turned to me and gave me one.

“Uh…no, I don’t think—”

“Come on, don’t be a party pooper. Look, it’s okay, see?” She dropped one on her tongue and it disappeared into her mouth. “That’s all. It’s nothing strong, I promise.”

Everything in me told me not to take it, but then again I didn’t want to be a party pooper. Monica was right; I barely ever had any fun.

I took a pill from her hand before I could convince myself to stop, then I swallowed.

“Whoooo! Let’s get this party started!”

The girls whooped along and I smiled slightly. How could they be so carefree? Sometimes I wished I could be that way, but I was always too self-conscious.

But maybe this was my chance. Today, I could try to be someone else; someone different from myself.

I mean, I just popped a pill; that had to count as the first step.

We arrived at our destination and as we spilled out of the car, I came face to face with a tall building. It didn’t look like a bar.

Maybe it was a private bar?

“Are you sure this is the place?” Monica asked Catherine after paying the cab man.

Catherine started to walk. “Trust me, ladies. Come on.”

Monica held my arm as if she could read my thoughts on how I wanted to run after the taxi that brought us here and beg the driver to take me home.

Inside the, lights were low with flashes of green and blue. You know the kind that makes everyone look so sexy you just want to put them on the table and rip their clothes off?

Wait. Hold on. Were the pills working already?

I turned to Monica and I’m sure I was wide eyed because she had a look of concern.

“What? Are you alright?”

I wanted to say that I thought I was tripping, instead I heard myself say, “Monica, I think I need to get laid, like…in like the bathroom.”

Monica started to laugh. “That sounds like candy talking and I love it!” She laughed again and led me towards a table where all the girls were.

I was suddenly feeling so hot. I peeled the coat off my body, sighing.

“Hey girls,” Monica said, “Sierra’s candy just kicked in.”

I heard them giggle and I joined them, not even sure why.

“Oh, this is gonna be so fun!”

“Let’s play dare, I can feel mine kicking in too!”

We were all literally just giggling like schoolgirls. Catherine returned to the table with drinks I didn’t even notice when she left to order.

“Bottoms up!”

“Hey, Catherine, we’re about to play dare.”

“Already? You girls are here to party, aren’t you?”

“Hell yeah. And since Sierra’s candy kicked in first, she’ll go first.”

I was still in awe of the lights but the mention of my name drew my attention back to the table.

“Huh?”

I had this urge to dance.

“We’re giving you a dare.”

I heard myself say, “Okay, shoot.” Then I took a tot glass and took a shot.

“Mehn, I love her!” I heard someone say…was it Melanie that was her name? Couldn’t remember.

“So,” Monica started, “I dare you to find a man, buy him a drink—” the girls were squealing now and Monica laughed.

“Wait, hold on now, find him, buy him a drink, then make out.”

I laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Lethally.”

“Okay.” I stood up. Time to find my man.