How do you flirt with someone when all you want to do is slam their head against the bartop?
When dealing with someone unpleasant, sometimes all you can focus on is all the unpleasantness that makes them... well unpleasant. You tend to zone in on everything about the person you hate and begin to internally monologue about it. The way their stupid hair sits on their stupid head. The way their stupid face exists. The way their breathing makes any noise at all.
The more you are stuck taking in the loathing garbage heap of a person in front of you, the more self-control it takes not to crack. It's a form of torture that the FBI should consider using.
"So..." Carter said, his fingers tracing the rim of his newest shot glass. "Other than tearing up the dance floor, what do you do?"
I ignored the next drink he pushed in my direction. "I design clothing. And by the looks of you...." I said tapping my chin. "I'd say you a model for... Kmart?"
"Cute," Carter replied, eyes flashing with irritation before tucking it away behind a tight smile. He clearly didn't think it was in fact, cute. "Oh wait..." He looked at me with surprise, realization sparking across his face. "You're Allie Winters! The Fashion Designer!"
His smile widened, intrigued. "You have been busy. Your face has been all over the news!"
I shrugged, irked by his amused expression. Like I was a trainwreck he wanted to enjoy. "I like to keep busy."
"So modest!" he laughed, the sound making me grind my teeth. "You are a few publicity stunts away from kicking Royal Fashion out of the top spot in Los Angeles."
I ran my nail along the edge of the shot glass. "You know a lot about my line of work."
"You could say that." He glanced around the room. "Where's your dance partner? Pretty sure he'd be pissed if he saw me talking to you."
I rolled my eyes, waving my hand dismissively, hating my own words. "He's no one. Just business."
Carter snorted. "That dance didn't look like business."
He does have a point.
I leveled Carter with a dangerous stare, eyes glinting with promise as I looked up at him from under my lashes. "It can't be helped that I have chemistry with people."
"I can see that." He grinned, his hand landing on my bare knee, making my skin crawl. "Why don't you down that drink..." His hand inched higher. "We get out of here and then see how much chemistry we have?"
I grinned, placing my hand over his, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "There's just one problem with that plan."
He searched my face, his own, terribly close. "Oh, and what is that?"
I dropped my flirtatious mask, angerâ no, rage consumed my being. He blinked, registering the change, and quickly tried to remove his hand from my knee. But my grip tightened.
"You drugged my drink," I explained, yanking his hand off of my knee. "And I don't put up with bullshit like that." I twisted his hand behind his back and slammed him against the bar top, his head smacking the cold surface, pressing against a coaster, startling the bartender and several people who were standing close by.
Carter tried to lift his head, but I kept it shoved against the counter, watching him attempt with somewhat repressed glee.
"Miss!" The bartender shouted, alarmed as I hopped up on the counter to keep my grip strong on his wrist, digging it into his back, and used my other hand to latch onto the side of his head.
"This won't take long," I insisted with a warning stare at the bartender who took an uncertain step back. "Just making it clear to this dung beetle that drugging a person is an incredibly idiotic thing to do." I glanced down at my drink. "Please throw my drink away sir. I really don't want anyone snatching it up and passing out on the dance floor."
The bartender stood frozen, watching me uncertainly as I continued to pin Carter to the bartop. "Would you rather I slowly pour it on this guy's face?" I asked, my tone cold.
Startled into motion, the bartender snatched up the drink and looked up at me with a wary expression.
"How do you know it's drugged?" he asked.
Because I am a crazy observant, paranoid human, who doesn't trust people and in this case, that paranoia has worked in my favor.
I held up my nails, which were painted midnight black and showed off my index fingernail, which had turned bright blue. "This nail polish detects drugs in drinks. If you aren't sure, hold onto it. The police can test it."
Carter snarled up at me, his face scrunched with rage as he glared. "Let me go!"
I leaned close to his face. "The next time you try to drug someone's drink you better be ready to have your ass kicked as a result."
People murmured around us, gawking at me pinning a very angry Carter's face against the bartop. I was suddenly yanked away from Carter, my arms pinned behind me. "Calm down lady!" someone said behind me, using all of their strength to pull me back as I struggled against their grasp.
Carter whirled, angrily wiping at the mark of a coaster against his cheek before launching at me. I couldn't block him with my arms trapped in a strong grip behind me.
Swearing, I jerked my head to the left, dodging his punch to my face, which led him to accidentally punch the person behind me. I turned in time to see the bouncer who had been holding me back stumble backwards and knock into a group of people on the dance floor, sending them all sprawling to the ground like a set of bowling pins.
Now free, I punched Carter across the face, sending him tumbling into the bartop, blood coating his jaw. He flipped over the top, and landed against the bartender on the other side, sending them both crashing into the wall of booze displayed behind them. The glass bottles shattered, cutting through the rhythmic club noise.
Chaos erupted around me as the music was drowned out by angry cries. People were moving in a frenzy, but instead of bodies packed tight, moving to the music, they were transformed into angry wild animals, throwing punches and furniture.
A cocktail of lowered inhibitions and adrenaline, sparked into a war by a thrown punch, which now threatened to destroy the poorly named club, 'Snacks'.
My pause to take everything in was a mistake because suddenly I was shoved to the ground, Carter's bloody face a blur as we struggled for the upper hand, rolling onto the dance floor in a state of neon, blood, and black.
Carter landed on top, fists wild as they flew towards my face. Pain crashed into my skull as the first landed against my face. I had enough time to block the second and third punch, gaining enough time to think before I countered. Boxing his ears with my hands, he tilted, off-balance giving me a chance to kick him off.
Launching on top of Carter, I landed a punch to his face and stomach before two new colors bled around us. Blue and red flashed in succession followed by shadows, blemishing the newfound blue and red changing portrait.
I was soon yanked off of Carter and came face to face with a police officer, dousing my adrenaline like a bucket of ice water.
Pulling my arms behind me, he shoved me towards the door, "Party's over."
Then the entire club, inside and out watched, phones raised to record it as I was shoved into the back of a squad car, while the whispers of the nickname "Unhinged Fashionista," chased after me.
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Thank you for reading chapter forty-nine! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!
UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!
Well, Allie certainly made a spectacle! Was that her plan? Did it get out of hand?
Was Carter arrested too?
Where was Aiden when all of this was happening?
What will happen next?
CHAPTER QUESTION - Would you rather be a super villain, or the unpicked one in a love triangle?