Mentor
Chapter 2 - First Night
I saw Anita at work on Monday, and ate lunch with her as usual, after spending the weekend reliving our encounter. Picturing her body, naked, atop me, or her hair spread over my thighs... well, I guess it wasn't surprising that we'd share a few secret smiles over lunch, or that I felt a thrill of excitement when I saw her.
I knew that not getting too close to her was wise, and that Friday night couldn't happen again, but I was okay with that. Daydreaming wasn't off-limits. Besides, tonight's introduction might open a new world to me.
"Still planning to be at the club?" she asked, before we'd finished lunch.
"I am," I said.
"Do you want to arrive together?" she asked. "I can introduce you to some of the regulars."
"Sure. I'd probably have trouble finding people to talk to," I said.
Anita laughed. "On the contrary. You'll probably be overwhelmed by others wanting to get to know you," she said. "It's summer vacation. Most patrons will be locals, interns like me, or summer school students. Some students prefer to stay here. Some have been disowned by their parents and have nowhere to leave to." She grimaced. "Yeah, it happens more than you'd think. So it won't be as busy as it will next semester, and a new face will be a pleasant surprise. I'll set you up with someone who can act as a buffer for the curious."
~~~~~
When I arrived home I showered, then dressed in a sheer peach button-front top over a beige plunge bra. I freed my bun, remaking my hair with half braids, half down. The look was both subdued and sexy, the peach contrasting my dark hair and blue eyes, and it worked well with jeans and my cowboy boots. Then I drove to Gabby's. Its large parking lot was less than half full, which Anita's earlier comment explained.
Anita arrived just after me. She texted to let me know, so I waited and we entered together. Inside, she surprised me by taking my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and holding on as she led me through the area.
The club room was busier than I would have thought from the number of cars in the lot. The layout was unusual. It was split down the middle by a low wooden partition. Black gauze curtains hung down from the ceiling to meet the partition, dimming the light show from the dance floor on the far side, and, I assumed, darkening the bar's lighting within the dance area. It also worked surprisingly well at muting the dance music in the bar, so that patrons could converse normally.
The partition had a gap in the center, and there a lighter-weight black gauze reached the floor, so that it was easy to traverse between the two areas. There were tables all along the bar side of the partition, so bar patrons could observe the dancers, and vice-versa.
Anita led me to the wall on the far side of the bar area, which was quiet and lighter, approaching a table at which two girls were sitting, talking to each other. They both smiled at her as we approached, then turned to me, still smiling, but frankly curious.
"May we join you?" Anita asked, "or are you looking for private time?"
"If we wanted quiet time, we'd have stayed home," said the shorter of the two, a dark-haired girl with an infectious smile.
"We're here to see friends," said the girl with golden-brown curls beside her, "which includes you, Anita, and I'm sure your friend too." She tilted her head toward me. "Sit!"
"Great," Anita replied. "Kayla, this is Emma and this is Tiff," indicating the golden-haired girl first, then the girl with the mischievous smile. "And this is Kayla, who's teaching me to be an engineer. She graduated last year, so you probably haven't seen her on campus. This is her first visit, and I wanted to find her a gatekeeper before the vultures start to circle."
"Vultures?" I asked. "You make the outlook sound grim."
"Hawks, then," Anita said. "Eagles. Sparrows. Seagulls. Some predatory bird. Or sharks. Sharks would be good."
"Shark-birds," offered Tiff. "Circling above, playing Jaws music." Then demonstrated, waving an arm around, singing, "Daaa-dum, daaa-dum..."
"The irony of asking me to be a gatekeeper," said Emma, ruefully.
Tiff snorted. "Right, Emma was the biggest shark-bird of all."
"Until I found true love," Emma agreed, then winced as Tiff elbowed her. She looked up at my friend. "You don't really need a gatekeeper," she said to me. "Everyone here is cool, and I'm sure you can look after yourself. But I'm happy to be your safe contact." Her eyes skimmed my body. "I just wish you'd been around a year ago. OW!" she yelped as Tiff elbowed her again, much harder.
Emma rubbed her side as Tiff grinned, then she turned to my friend. "She's in safe hands, Anita. Until she doesn't want to be. Go enjoy yourself."
"I will," Anita agreed, but she stayed to make small talk for another quarter hour, then excused herself to join a pair of girls standing by the bar counter.
I talked to Emma and Tiff for a while about college. I was envious of the freedom they had, but not of their situation, with two couples in an old, cramped three-bedroom apartment. I remembered those days, though at least they had live-in partners they were obviously comfortable with. There was something to be said for the ability to afford my own place, make car payments, buy groceries, and still be able to save rather than worry how I'd pay the next tuition bill.
Someone tapped me on my shoulder. "I think you owe me a dance."
The voice was musical, and amused. I grinned at the blonde who'd accosted me. She had olive skin, eyes between mid-brown and amber, and a cute turned-up nose. Her hair lay in untidy curls. "And you are?"
"Hey, Suse," said Emma. "Anita stole your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend," the blonde said, with the tones of someone who had made the denial a thousand times before. "But yeah."
The dark curtains and low lighting made it hard to see the dance floor, especially from the far side of the room, but I thought I could see Anita dancing with a tall dark-haired girl. I thought she was the one I'd seen with Suse and Anita beside the bar.
"I see," I said. Then I shrugged and grinned at the blonde. "Why not? I'll settle that debt right now. And I'm Kayla." I held out my hand.
"Suse," the girl said, taking it. Her grip was firm, though her skin was soft and warm. "And I'll answer to Susie, too. Just don't call me Susan unless you're my mom."
"I'm pretty sure I'm not," I said, as she released my hand, standing to follow her to the dance floor.
We danced for a few songs, then I thanked Suse and went back to my table. I wouldn't have minded spending more time with her, but I was navigating new waters, and I wasn't entirely sure about the girlfriend denial. I was fairly sure her holding me responsible for Anita taking away her friend was for comedic effect, or to serve as an excuse to introduce herself, but I wasn't completely certain. Also, I could picture Anita splitting the pair up to encourage Suse to seek me out. I didn't
think
she'd done that, but I didn't know the group well enough to know.
At the table, Tiff was rising to go get Emma and herself drinks. She asked if I'd like something, and suggested a lemon ginger mocktail when I asked what she'd recommend.
"Sure, I'll try that," I said.
Before she left for the bar, Tiff caught her girlfriend's eye, then pointed to her own eyes, then to me, then shook her head, before leaving.
"She does trust me," Emma confided when she was out of earshot. "She's not wrong about my past, but she's all I need, and we both know it."
"How did you meet?" I asked.
"We were roomies," Emma replied. "And she was straight." She grinned. "So she thought. She had a boyfriend, and everything." She turned to look for her partner, and I followed her line of sight. Tiff was talking to the bartender. A few feet from her was a dark-haired girl in a black tee and skirt. As my eyes lingered on her, she looked directly at me. I felt a jolt of adrenaline. Her eyes seemed pale from this distance, and challenging. She raised her glass to her lips, still studying me, and I looked away, my face feeling warm. Emma was watching me curiously, but I didn't comment. "And you?" she asked. "What's your story?"
