Night Out

"The Dark Stranger" © VeGirl 2014

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I can feel Eddie watching me carefully several times during that day, as if she is trying to figure me out, trying to see what is really going on within me. Finally I catch her looking and give her a defiant, questioning look back.

"I was just wondering what you say about The Cave this Saturday?" Her tone is defensive and I am caught off guard.

"Sure, that's perfect!"

The only thing I am actually sad about when it comes to Peter is that he isn't interested in going out dancing. Sports is his main interest, and I don't mean doing sport, but watching sport on TV and however much I love him, I wish he would take me out. Luckily I have my best friend to go out with, we always have a blast together and this is something I'm especially looking forward to this time.

The town we live in isn't that big, but we have a few places to go to and The Cave is one of them. It is surprisingly big and draws people from the close by towns as well. It is the It-place right now and it is thriving.

When we arrive, there is a long line of people waiting outside, but we just walk right by all people glaring at us and the bouncer by the door let us in immediately. "Hi Eddie, Trey is in his office." This is definitely the perks of living in a small town, Trey is the owner of this place, he happens to be Eddie's cousin and that's why we can just walk right in through the front door, while a long row of people has to wait in line.

Trey has really made this old factory-building into the most eligible club in the area, the upstairs facility is bright, with high ceiling and is decorated into some high class 80:s club with retro Art Deco design. It makes me think of Madonna in her earlier years as an artist, you know; Material girl and that. The basement is totally different with a dark ambiance and looks like a dark cave; hence the name.

Eddie and I start out by the upstairs classy bar with typical 1980's Kamikaze shots and check out the crowd around us. People are dancing to top hits of the time with Wham, Pointer Sisters and Bananarama.

"Oh no, there's a girl with the same top as me!" Eddie hiss.

I turn in the direction she is discretely nodding. "Yeah, but it looks so much better on you; she doesn't have your figure." I raise my glass toward her and she smiles grateful with her blue eyes looking even more intense with that blue top accentuating them.

"Thanks' gorgeous!"

"You're welcome, hot lips," I reply jokefully. She really is gorgeous with that blond hair, lightly curling at the bottom; she fit right into the ambiance of this 1980's atmosphere as a glamour-girl. She's more curvaceous than me and I'm a little jealous of that, I have more of a sporty flat body, probably due to my sport-obsessed years as a teenager.

Oh well; you can't have it all!

We stay there by the bar; checking people out commenting them for a while, mostly to find out who is here tonight. When we head out to the dance floor, the mood is instantly on top.

Eddie and I are really making the best of it, and I note that we are getting attention from both feminine and masculine attendees in this club, and we love it.

The dance-floor is packed with swaying bodies, and the mood is high as usual. Suddenly there is a feeling of being watched. Usually I don't care that much; I enjoy the attention and then I enjoy turning the guys down almost as much.

I am taken!

This time it feels entirely different; I can't see the person watching me, and the shocking feeling reverberates through my body in a way I have never felt before, I think. The thought has barely run through me when I realize that it has; it is the same feeling I had when I dreamed about a black car dropping somebody off at the abandoned house opposite ours.

A wave of vertigo runs trough me.

"What's the matter with you?" Eddie ask. "You're fifty shades of white."

"It's..." I swallow hard. "Is there somebody watching me?" I ask breathless. "Don't look!" I hiss and beg her to be discreet and she does her best to subtle take a look while taking a spin on the dance-floor where I stand there like a pillar.

Eddie has a slightly sarcastic look when our eyes meet again. "Is it the one with dark hair?" she asks and I can feel my eyes widen and all the hairs on my neck are standing in full attention.

"Come on," she is laughing at me. "Remember that you were the one to sass me at the fair."

I just turn and stomp away from her, heading for the ladies room.

"Sam, I'm just kidding!" I hear her yell, but the terrifying prickling feeling is worse than ever and I have to get out of there.

When I walk through the door into the mirrored room, the prickling feeling disappears instantly and I exhale sharply. I grab the washbasin and lean heavy on it as I try to calm myself.

"What's the matter?" Eddie asks.

"I just have this ominous feeling that I can't shrug off," I say.

"Yeah, I can see that; you're pale as a ghost!" She has her eyebrows high up, looking surprised at me. "What if we get downstairs? If there is someone watching you here, we can trick him."

I don't want to go home just yet and I know here is stairs which we can easily reach, just a short way from this powder room. I take a deep breath and nod. "Okay, let's go downstairs." I do my best to shrug off the feeling I had earlier as we walk downstairs, and to my relief I note that it is working.

When you come down to the basement of The Cave, there is no doubt to why the club has earned its name. The music in the cave is nothing like 1980's tunes, here but instead funky club-music featuring David Guetta, or Swedish House Mafia.

The relief is profound and I can even afford a smile when we hit the crowd by the bar to get ourselves a couple of Tequila shots.

"Hey, let's drink the worries away," Eddie says with a smirk, making me laugh. "Here's to a good night!" She makes a toast and I raise my glass.

"I'll drink to that," I reply and we quickly lick the salt from the hands, down the wicked liquid and then bites into the lemon.

"Eww... I bet it would be better if we didn't have to take the salt and the lemon," Eddie shout and I laugh again. This kind of distraction is definitely what I need. I feel jittery and tense and I am determined to make the best of it.

After the shots we hit the dance-floor and soon a couple of Eddie's friends approach us.

"Milo!" Eddie yells. "...and Kevin!" She flings herself in Kevin's arms like she does every time they meet. I don't understand why they don't hook up; it is obvious that the guy likes her.

"Sam, you keep looking more and more hot every time I see you!" Milo has his usual flirt going on, but tonight I start to tingle as I slide my arms around him.

"I shouldn't listen, player. I won't fall for your lines," I state with a cocky smile lurking in the corner of my mouth as I look into his intense green eyes. But I feel fluttery as he slides his arms around me. There is a warmth starting deep within me

"Dammit!" Milo makes a mock disappointed face. "I certainly have to brush up on my lines then." His voice is seductive as he kisses me on the cheek. "I will have you fall for me some day, sugar pie!"

I laugh, but that sentence makes it tingle deep inside me. Boyfriend, remember? Something within tries to remind me, and I look at him with a surprised face.

"It's working already?" he asks delighted. "Come on then baby!" He wraps his arms tight around me, letting his hands slide down to my buttocks.

"Hey!" I yell and grab his hands to move them, but the laughter, erupting from me probably takes the edge off my statement. "I'm still not available." I pretend to glare at him.

"Why? You're sexy and he's a jerk!"

I can't help but to start laughing and enjoy the flirty attention he's giving me, and by all means even the death glares from girls around this facility is chuffing me on. Milo is currently working at some stereo store, but he might as well be working as some freaking Abercrombie & Fitch model; he is drop dead gorgeous.

"Let's dance, hot girl," he says in my ear and his breath makes me tingle inside. I laugh to hide it.

"Sure, pretty boy, show me your moves."

"You wanted me to make a move on you?" he teases, and I almost say yes to that. It feels amazing to get all this attention from this pretty boy and I can't help to enjoy the feeling when he wraps me in his arms.

Boyfriend, remember? My mind try to remind me again, but what does that matter; it's not like I'm about to have sex with him. My breathing hitches as my mind start to imagine what that would be like and I have to mentally slap myself to snap out of it. Focus Sam, for God's sake!

"You're not getting all hot and bothered, are you?" Milo whispers.

Wide-eyed I look up at him, probably looking as if I was caught with the hand in the cookie jar.

Milo laughs. "I'm getting to you!" He beams smug. I feel my cheeks are tinted pink and I hope the dimmed light hides it while I try to find something clever to say to deny it.

Suddenly the icecold feeling of being observed returns to me in the most terrifying way; I widen my eyes and Milo notices how my whole body gets rigid.

"What is it?"

I just stare at him and then start to look around. "I have to find Eddie," I hiss wide eyed.

"Sure," he says, looking a little confused and lead me off the dance-floor with an arm around me. We find Eddie and Kevin by the bar and I plunge across all the people to get to my friend.

"I have to get out of here," I breathe.

"What is it?"

"Here is somebody watching me and it freaks me out."

"He's here now?"

I simply nod and feel my eyes well up. "Yeah I can tell." Like a flash of lightning a solution hits me on the head. "I have to talk to Trey; can you get me to his office?"

Eddie raise her eyebrows in a grimace that is almost arrogant, and then she shrugs. "Sure." She grabs my arm and hooks her own under. After a brisk goodbye to the guys, we walk in through the door behind the bar and through a narrow corridor.

Finally we end up outside double doors where a brawny guy stands guard outside. "Can you tell Trey that his cousin wants to see him?" Eddie asks the guy, but the door opens and Trey let us inside his office.

"Eddie," he exclaims and hug his cousin as she pass him. "And Sam... as hot as ever!" He flirts and kisses me on the cheeks. "Are you still with that prick?" he adds and raises a solitary eyebrow while his green eyes sparkle.

"I'm still with the... with Peter..."

Trey laughs at me. "One of these days I'm gonna get you Sam," he continues to flirt.

I shrug my brows. "Until then there is another matter I want to see you about." I do my best to focus on my business and dodge his flirting, something he is really good at I must say. "Trey, is there some surveillance footage over your guests here at the club?"

"You're a voyeur?" he teases.

I ignore his comment. "Well... I'm having some trouble with a guy that is following me around and I have a feeling that he is here tonight." I can see Eddie standing behind Trey during this and eyeing me suspiciously.

"Is he threatening you?" Trey is instantly on high alert, his teasing tone has vanished. "What is that ass of a boyfriend of yours doing about it?" he says through clenched teeth.

I sigh. "He doesn't even know," I admit.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." He gives me a disapproving look, but then puts his arm around my shoulders and walks us through a side door where the security team is located in front of several monitors, showing several places of the club. "Now, what are we looking for?"

I realize that I really don't know, and this is a monstrous task I demand from them. Trey seem to read my mind and asks when we arrived, and the security guy clicks his computer and several of the monitors change images and we watch ourselves being let into the club.

"Okay, let's check who is following you through the door."

I am so incredible relieved that he takes my fear seriously that my eyes almost well up as we stand there in the dark room, only lit by the monitors. One of the monitors suddenly flickers as a guy walks past the front door and I just point at the screen. I know instinctively that it is him.

The computer wizard back up the footage and gets me a still image of the dark stranger. My breathing hitch and that prickling feeling returns, but however he tries to fix the picture it comes out pixled; it is impossible to see his face. All I get is an image of a dark-haired guy in a black overcoat, glancing towards the camera that I had never noticed by the door.

The security guy turns towards me. "Is that him?"

I can hardly say anything. "Yeah, I think so." My voice is weak and squeaky.

"What did he do to you?" Trey ask and I just turn to look at him. "I mean, I can call the cops if he has done anything," he offer and I feel a bit stupid since the guy actually hasn't done anything at all; not yet...

"No, I think I'd better get home," I murmur.

"Do you want me to call Peter?" Trey ask.

I look surprised at him. "No!" I can hear how harsh that sounds when it came out and I rearrange my expression. "No, I'll manage. I'll just get a cab." I fake a calm smile.

"Whatever you say gorgeous."

Eddie walk silently beside me when we pass through the long corridors again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I put on a brave face again. "Sure." I feel the need for some big bulky body guard when we return to the public area of this club. Kevin and Milo finds us pretty easy and approaches.

"How are you?" Milo wraps his arms around me and the sweet gesture almost make me wanna weep.

"I'm fine," I lie.

"Come here sugar," he leads me toward the bar. "I think you need some sedatives to calm those nerves."

I laugh and do my best to calm myself and drink when I'm requested to.

That night ends up in the basement of the club, where I sit in a dark corner with my eyes fully focused to scan the facility for some mysterious dark stranger with every cell in my body on high alert.

Milo slumps down on the couch beside me. "Come on sweetie, I'll get you home." He lays an arm around my shoulders.

"But... You've been drinking!" I object loud.

"I'm not that drunk!" Milo objects and stumble a little, totally ruining the sober illusion. "I'm at least not too drunk to take a cab," he says and smiles widely while I glare at him in a scowl.

"Come on sugar pie, I wasn't going to drive, but I will definitely not just send you off in a cab."

Once again I am astounded by the sweet side of this guy, but I feel a need to hide it. "Why do you have so many nicknames on girls? You do know my real name don't you?" I feign a really obnoxious tone of voice.

He leans very close to me. "I can't wait to call out your name in ecstasy, Sam..." He whisper in my ear, making my whole body shiver and my head spins when he kisses me on the neck.

I lean my head back and a tiny moan escapes from my throat before I can help myself. Oh my God, he's good at this. I remember thinking that he's the perfect distraction, when that tingling feeling returns; the tingling that runs through me like iced water.

My stalker has zoomed in on me again.

I push Milo off of me. "Take me home." Even I can hear the huskiness in my voice.

Milo grin. "Your place or mine?" he asks boldly.

"I don't care!" I say and he is on his feet in no time, grabbing my hand.

"Come on then, cupcake." He pulls me up and wraps me tight to him before we're heading out. He gets us a cab fairly quick and once again he has his arms wrapped around me when the car heads toward my address. The feeling of security is calming and the awakening is rude when the cab stops outside my house.

"Come, I'll walk you to the door, making sure nobody lays their hands on you... nobody than me that is." He smirks and pulls me closer with the arm he has wrapped around my neck.

I just smile and lean my head on his shoulder. We walk up on the porch and we hug. "Get inside now so I can watch your lovely ass on your way."

"Hey!" I scowl him, but all he does is chuckle.

"You can't stop me from fantasizing about you when I'm all alone." He raise one eyebrow while a cheeky smile lingers on his face.

All I can do is laugh and shake my head. "Go home Milo!" I say. "And thank you."

"Anything for you, legs."

"Legs? That's a new one." I laugh.

"Yeah, you've got legs that are made to wrap around me," he states and my mouth almost water.

"Milo!" I use my authoritarian tone, but can't help to laugh, which possibly takes the edge off the scowling. He kisses me on the cheek once again and walk back to the waiting cab while I get inside the door.

"Who was that guy?"

I flinch and turn to look at a grim faced Peter standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Err... that was Milo, he's... err, he's Eddie's friend." Why am I stuttering? I ask myself.

"You can't even give me a straight answer?"

I furrow my brows and look him right in the eyes. "Of course I can; that is Milo, he and Kevin are friends with Eddie, we've been hanging with them tonight," I explain without the slightest tremble in my voice.

Peter looks at me as if he doesn't believe me.

"Well, you never come with me so what do you expect; me standing in a corner, not dancing with anybody?" I snap with an ire tone, but sigh afterwards. "I don't want to hear this, I'm going to bed," I say calm and walk out on him.

I hear him trod behind me and I notice him in bed when I have brushed my teeth, washed the makeup off and slide in between the sheets.

None of us says goodnight.