One Night

She walked in to the overwhelming aroma of spilled beer and popcorn. The bar was more crowded than usual tonight; the loud and obnoxious fraternity boys filled the booths, standing on tables, raising their glasses to clash with one another while their sorority counterparts sat below them, cautiously eyeing one another and sipping on vodka soda; a few football players sat at the bar taking shots of Jaegermeister and turning in their chairs to glance at the girls that walked by; the bartenders furiously mixed drinks and poured beers as college students waved cash in their faces, yelling in their order through a haze of noise; the usually stoned crowd sat in the corners, yelling unusually loud at each other as they tried to reconcile between their intake of marijuana and their excessive amounts of Jack and Coke; at the end of the bar, those who had obviously drunk too much too early danced ridiculously next to the jukebox that played hit songs from the sixties and seventies, awkwardly bumping into one another while trying to keep beat; from the front it looked as if there was no room for anyone else to fit inside, but the bouncer continued to check IDs and usher the line of people inside.

She edged her way through the crowd ignoring any glances from boys who got too close and made her way to the back, worming herself into a position next to the bar. She stood there quietly, credit card in hand, and waited for a bartender to notice her. As she leaned against the bar she stained her blue floral dress with the remains of beer, vodka, and soda that lay on the surface. The girl next to her stumbled upon turning with a handful of drinks, spilling vodka and cranberry juice all over her black leather boots.

Once she had a drink in her hand, she turned and walked down the back hall, passed what she assumed were the beginnings of one night stands, and out the back door. Curls of smoke wrapped around her, soaking into her hair. She sipped her drink and the soft sting of whiskey lingered in her throat as she looked around for a familiar face. She peered around a group of smokers hovering near a small fire pit and walked a few steps closer to see him. They smiled at each other, feeling somehow drawn to one another as their eyes meet.