Chapter 1 - Friday
I met Celeste on a Friday night. At The Hollow - a loud, dark bar in a trendy neighbourhood just outside of the city's major downtown core. It was the first Friday since my girlfriend and I had split up. Rather than staying at home feeling sorry for myself, I decided to embrace a newfound freedom I hadn't felt in years. Have a few drinks, relax, just be out in the world.
The Hollow wasn't a place I necessarily frequented, but I preferred the live bands to the DJs at most of the nightclubs downtown, and the dim, purple lighting and old-school furnishings created an atmosphere that I always felt comfortable in. It had character.
I could hear the thumping of drums and the pounding of a bass guitar before I even walked in, feeling the vibrations in the door as I made my way inside. The music was heavy, but groovy, and the scantily clad cabaret dancers, almost tucked away in cut-outs within the very walls of the bar, had no trouble finding a rhythm to sway to. They were gorgeous, but I could watch them after I'd gotten myself a drink. The night was young, there was no rush.
The place was busy, with no shortage of people trying to get the attention of one of the bartenders, so I whiled away the minutes taking in my surroundings. It was the early stages of spring, and it reflected in the way people were dressed as they went out on the town. Good looking crowd. Most of the people here were in their late-20s - early-30s, and I liked that, a more mature crowd than most of places I used to go to with my ex.
The open floor in front of the stage was full with people dancing, leaving almost half of the booths and tables lining the walls and back of the bar empty. One of the bartenders, who looked like he sometimes substituted as a bouncer, came over and took my order, grabbing me a beer. I took it to one of the unattended high-tops and faced the crowd, admiring the people as they danced away their troubles.
I nursed my drink for 20 minutes, content to just sit and relax, observe, before I finally saw her. She was absolutely stunning, I don't know how I could have missed her. She'd been here a little while, at least; the stage and dance floor I was facing are almost right next to the front door, and the cocktail in her hand was almost empty.
She stood alone at the end of the bar, towards the back of the building. Well, mostly alone. After a while, I started to notice that there were more than a couple guys who would attempt to approach her. But she sent each of them away, never allowing one of them to even buy her a drink. I couldn't blame them for trying, she really was stunning.
Now, I don't particularly believe in love at first sight, but there was something about this girl, this woman, that really drew me in. I had a hard time paying attention to the dance floor, constantly returning my gaze to her. She looked to be a couple of years older than me, maybe 30, but in the dim bar and from this distance, it was tricky to say for sure.
Her beauty was unmistakable, however. She was tall, looking just under 6 feet in her heels. Dark hair cascaded down towards the small of her back, which was only half-covered by her black dress. Her long legs were exposed to about mid-thigh, but you could tell there was plenty of them left underneath the snug material of that dress, which accented her body beautifully. Her lips were full and painted red, contrasting wonderfully with her light complexion. But what kept stealing my focus was her eyes. They appeared dark, but, even from this distance, I felt such life in them. And confidence. She was statuesque, magnificent. Captivating.
I'm not sure what came over me, but I soon found myself out of my seat and slowly moving in her direction. I haven't been single in almost 5 years, and talking to strange women in bars has never exactly been my forte, but here I was, walking towards this elegant creature, even after having seen a number of other men do this exact same thing, only to meet with failure.
And then she saw me. And our eyes met. She knew what I was up to, picked out yet another guy heading her way, like she was expecting it. What I was not expecting was the slight smile that formed on her lips as I got closer to her. Almost a smirk, though it seemed playful, not malicious. I stopped just in front of her, our eyes still searching each other out.
Like I said, I'm not one for love at first sight, but there was something here, something different. Understanding, maybe. Up close now, I could see just how truly beautiful she was. There was so much youth, and yet so much wisdom in her face. I started to wonder if I had any idea just what I had gotten myself into.
"Hi. I'm Noah," I said over the music, extending a hand. Lame, I admit. Again, I'm not usually the type to approach someone like this, and I still wasn't even sure I knew what my intentions were at this point.
She continued to wear that smirk before taking my hand in hers. It was soft, and I noticed that her nails were painted a similar colour as her lips.
"Hi, Noah", she replied, almost like she was testing out how my name felt on her tongue. She then leaned in close enough that I could feel her breath on my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "I'm Celeste."
"Can I buy you another drink?" I asked, nodding towards her now-empty glass.
She surprised me again, taking both of my hands in hers. She tilted her head a bit to the side, sizing me up.
"Why would you like to buy me a drink, Noah?" she questioned, again saying my name like she could taste it. I felt a chill each time she did it.
"I thought maybe we could talk. I think I'd like to get to know you"
Her smirk turned into a real smile now.
""You think" you'd like to get to know me?"
I'm sure I turned a compromising shade of red. Real smooth.
"What makes you think you'd like to know me, Noah?"
