“When you find it, let me know,” Lauren retorted and Alex couldn’t stifle a snicker.
The surfie’s mates laughed and cheered. Even he smiled and clapped her comeback.
Matt trailed behind the two girls, hands in his pockets, shaking his head. “The future of Australia. What a douche.”
“Yeah, pity. He was kinda hot,” Lauren replied.
Finally, they approached the end of the line. It was so long, Alex thought they would be lucky if they got in at all.
“So what do you think his tatts meant?” Alex asked.
“Who knows? But they were cool weren’t they? I bet they were tribal, maybe family too. It’s so hot when guys get inked with things that mean something special to them.”
“I dunno. It was a bit much for me. I like little ones here and there. Matt has bet me he will get one after our first kid is born because I have to go through labour. I still don’t reckon he will do it though.”
Alex squeezed Matt’s hand in apology but he was staring at sports scores on his phone.
A woman directly in front of them caught Alex’s’ eye. She was no more than four feet tall, leopard print boots, black stockings, white mini skirt, red top and yellow leather jacket. Alex didn’t think she’d ever seen an outfit so ridiculous, but that wasn’t the strangest thing. By the grey wisps in her curly hair and noticeable crow’s feet around her eyes as she stared far off in the distance, Alex decided she must be pushing seventy. Just as she was going to point her out to Matt, she turned to look at her, eyeing Alex up and down from head to foot also.
“You shouldn’t go in,” the woman said.
“Uh…You think so?” Alex asked.
“Yes. He will like you, but he will never love you. You shouldn’t go in.”
“Oh…really? So…you come here often?” she tried again, hoping to figure out what her deal was.
“This is my first time.”
“Oh, cool!” Alex replied, feigning excitement. “How’d you hear about it?”
“I am the last of my family. So far, he has refused all of us.”
“He doesn’t like you huh?” Alex felt a familiar arm over her shoulder. “Must be a really exclusive club, huh babe?” Matt had finally noticed the old lady, and smothered a sceptical laugh. “Wow, really? Must be a groovy place then. Far out and outta sight even.”
“You should all leave.”
The response was quiet and non-threatening, but its simplicity struck a chord with Alex and remained so even after the old woman had turned back.
The line slowly moved forward. Matt tapped Alex on the shoulder and all three moved quite a significant distance before stopping again.
“So who’s the hottest footballer, in your opinion?” Lauren asked Alex, who in turn, asked Matt.
Matt laughed.
“Oh come on…please?” Alex asked, trying to get some humour into the evening. “Do your impersonation.”
Matt obliged. The stereotypically high-pitched voice and over-the-top gestures quickly made Alex forget about the old lady. The line began to move quite quickly, when a whole horde of people walked past the three friends and continued on. Strange, Alex thought. They must have been turned away at the door.
They finally reached the bouncers who gave them a quick glance and let them in. The old lady in front of them had been told to leave, Alex noticed, but she wasn’t going without a fight. Lauren gave the bouncers the finger as she walked in. The last thing Alex heard as she crossed the threshold was the old woman shouting, “I need to see him!”
“Sorry, Taya. Not tonight.”
Sad that a woman her age is still a junkie. Alex grabbed Matt’s hand and led him into the pitch-black darkness of T. The ground sloped severely and the faint sounds of a thudding dance beat steadily increased as they neared the source. Lights flashed below them as they entered another tunnel. Lauren had eagerly disappeared through a curtain, before Matt and Alex followed through behind her.
“Welcome to T, baby,” Alex said.
From out of the darkness, Alex and Matt were suddenly awash with colour. Lights, music and people filled the air and his senses. Alex and he stood at the top of a staircase that overlooked the entire place while Lauren made her way down into the club. It was a huge round room, booths and mirrors lining the perimeter. All the reflections gave the impression of hundreds more people inside. The centre of the ceiling housed gigantic stereo speakers lined up beside equally big plasma screens. Directly under the mass of sound and visual equipment was the dance floor, packed with people, circling and gyrating along to the beats and laser-light show.
Matt gave an impressed whistle that Alex could barely hear, and then her eyes were searching past the crowd of dancers to the semicircular bar at the opposite end of the room.
“There she is. Come on,” Alex said.
They descended the stairs to where Lauren had found an unoccupied booth for them. Alex scooted in first and Matt said, “So what are we having? My shout.”
“He’s not here,” Lauren lamented.
“What’s in that? Need to know in case the bartender asks…”
Lauren groaned and ran her fingers through her hair, giving a quick burst of frustrated breath out her nose.
“Just get us some of those sour apple martinis or something,” Alex shrugged. Then she leant over to Matt and mouthed, “Girl time.”
Matt rolled his eyes as he turned towards the bar. When he returned with the drinks, he wasn’t alone.
“Girls, this handsome devil is Ryan.” Matt introduced the surfie they’d taunted in the queue outside, and slinked into the booth beside Alex with a feral grin. Alex looked from Lauren to Ryan. Lauren was looking murderous,
