Page 7 of Off-Limits

Chapter Two

DOTTIE

It doesn’t take us long until we are stumbling through the club, legless, and laughing our damn heads off. Arrie has been hit on more times than I can count, and me, well I just give them the death stare, and they leave me the hell alone.

Moving toward the bathrooms, Arrie breaks off from me, yelling she’s grabbing us a drink. I wave her off, bumping into bodies as the music thumps loudly in my veins. It makes me feel alive.

Rushing into the bathroom, I’m pleasantly surprised to find an unoccupied one. I step into the stall and slam the door closed. Flicking the buttons off my overalls, they pool at my feet, and I shimmy down my thong and sit on the toilet.

Sweet relief.

That’s how I feel as I relieve myself. I sit there for longer than intended, until my phone goes off. I bend down to retrieve my it from my bag.

The notification blinks on the screen, my belly dipping when I see where it’s from.It’s the discreet dating site I signedup to a few months after a drunken night with Arrie, reaming me about not getting laid.

I hesitate, hovering over the icon, and just as I’m about to click on it, someone bangs on the door, startling me. Jumping up, I hold the phone tight in my hand before pulling myself together and exiting the toilet stall. A goth looking girl gives me the evil eye and shoulder checks me.

Ok then.

Tucking my phone in my pocket, I wash my hands, look over my makeup and head to the bar. I find Arrie sitting on a stool with her phone in her hands. She’s typing away, swaying on the seat, oblivious to what’s going on around her.

When I approach her, her head snaps up, tears swimming in her green eyes. Glancing to her phone, she swipes out of the message and wipes her eyes. I don’t hesitate, I grab her hand and haul her up.

“Where are we going?”

“Home!” I shout back.

“But why?”

“Because you’re not having fun, babes. You’re messaging Adam, right?” I scream over the music, weaving through the crowd.

One glance over my shoulder solidifies my assumption.

“I-I…”

“Let’s get you home.”

An hour later, we are sitting around my loungeroom drinking margaritas and eating pizza. We laugh, we cry, hell, we reminisce over our time together, but the conversation always comes back to Adam and Connor. She’s in in knots over them, and I don’t know how to help her.

“Anyway, enough about me. Did you meet anyone from that dating site?”

I feel my cheeks warm.

“Ooohh. You have?”

“No,” I rush out. “I was talking to someone, but it didn’t eventuate.”

“How come?”

I shrug my shoulders, heat spreading throughout me with the image he last sent me.The Tin Man. That’s his handle. But it didn’t matter anymore, that was a month ago, and we both agreed regardless of the chemistry we felt through our texting, we were both in different places in our lives.

“Why are you blushing, bish?” Arrie slurs, yawning.

“No reason,” I say, wanting to keep our conversations private. “Anyway, I’m beat, and you’re yawning like no tomorrow. We should get some shut eye.”

Arrie yawns again, stands up and stretches, falling into the lounge with a giggle. “I am going to be soooo hungover tomorrow.”

“Today.”