Never Again - 5

Chapter 5 - girly night out

Erin looked over at Michelle, they were on parallel couches having the most aggressive massage of their lives, but it felt great. Just as that thought entered her brain, her particular masseur dropped his elbow into the taught muscle to the left of her spine and she almost squealed. Biting her lip, her eyes wide, she scowled at Michelle who was laughing at her discomfort. Then her face contorted into a similar expression of pain as Erin...her masseuse had followed suit.

                “We do this for pleasure?” Michelle asked as she reapplied her lipstick in the mirror.

Erin was sat on a bench fastening her shoes and looked up, “don’t you feel better now?”

Michelle leaned against a locker and looked down at her, “I presumed a girly spa day would be more luxury than pain! Don’t tell me tonight we have to fight for our dinner or brew our own wine?”

Erin laughed, “Now I KNOW you’re being ridiculous! I’ve booked us THE best dinner for later. You’ll see!”

Jack hadn’t wanted to do anything other than soak in a bath after the game. Fortunately today it was a return to form and they had won, though he’d come by a huge bruise to his torso, courtesy of a huge centre half today. The down side of a reputation as a hard man was that people came at you from the off. His body regularly paid the price. And since hitting thirty a few months back he’d started to feel the need to slow down, but his pride...and that bloody reputation meant he didn’t, he couldn’t.

So here he was, propped at a bar, watching boy wonder Josh Gardener and three others brag, gloat and compete. The club they were in had a mezzanine level above the dance floor with a separate entrance, bar and bathrooms, rather than being a VIP area, the club were trying to be witty and had termed it the ‘invite only space’, and it was grim. But the days where he could walk into a pub and order a beer were long gone...but he wanted to be home anyway! Tonight there were eight of them from his team, as well as a gang of rich boys, he didn’t know any of them, then there was a boxer and his entourage and a few soap actors, the usual mix.

Josh was giggling as he clapped Jack in the back, “Come on old man! You joining in this or what?” They were all peering over the balcony, watching and gesturing to the many women filling the room. Regular visitors

He swirled the whisky around his glass without making eye contact, “I’ll step back Josh, leave you youngsters to battle it out! You know me!”

Josh looked at him suspiciously, “you getting too old Jack man?”

Jack laughed, “could get anyone with my eyes closed Joshie baby!” He joked, “but  I’m leaving you have a head start!”

Josh guffawed as the four youngsters moved back to the railing that enclosed the area they were all in, their eyes scanning the full nightclub like vultures. All the time Jack was trying to think of a way out of there that didn’t involve him losing face. What he really needed was a message from Erin. That would cheer him up, but he’d heard nothing since the previous evening.

Glancing at the barman, he nodded for another whisky, oblivion was calling!

               

“I told you this was a great restaurant!” Erin linked her arm through Michelle’s and led her out of the building. They’d just shared an amazing meal! “Not all the best food places have to be inside the M25 Mrs London snob!”

Michelle laughed, “I’m starting to like the North, that’s true!”

                “Well some of the best people live there!” Erin laughed as they moved through a doorway into ‘Lion’s Den’, a club that came highly recommended. It was dark, sweaty and the music pulsated. Neither of them were big night club fans, but they both wanted to dance and keep drinking, this was the perfect place, the music was nineties dance, too cheesy to be hardcore, and a great compromise.

                “Let’s dance!”

With a whoop, Michelle lifted her hands in the air, and swayed her way to the middle of the room.

Jack threw some notes at the barman and refused another drink, “thanks Paul, but I really have to go!”

 Josh was still hanging over the railings, and a group of girls who’d both spotted and recognised him and the other guys,  were all torn between showing off, dancing outlandishly, and looking up through fluttering eyelashes.

                “Guys!” Jack placed his arms around the group and was just about to utter the words ‘I’m going’ when he realised both the subject, and direction of the conversation.

                “I’ve tried every session as she has her hands all over me, but she’s having none of it. She must be a lesbian!” Josh announced so flippantly.

                “Who?” Jack asked, hardly able to breathe as his eyes followed their gaze and locked on to the target.

Josh shrugged, “ten o’clock, fit girl in blue. She’s Erin, the physio who’s been sorting out my back. Something very sexy about her, but I think she’s gay!”

There’s nothing gay about her! Jack thought watching Erin dance studiously, she was so bloody sexy, how had he missed that before. There was a real voyeuristic sensation watching her and knowing that she had no idea. How angry would this make her? He was about to find out.

Turning to Josh he smiled, “she must be if she doesn’t fall for the Gardener charm!”

The sarcasm was missed on him, so Jack smiled and moved away from the boys.

                “Drink! I need a drink!” The pleas came from the red headed diva across the room from her, and laughing Erin nodded, following Michelle to the crowded bar. “You wait here, I’ll dive in!”

Rather than a bleep, her phone vibrated against her hip, leaning against a pillar, she pulled her phone free then quelled her racing heart as she saw Jack’s number flashing at her.

                “Erin Thomas, aren’t you the dark horse? If I’d known you were a physio I’d have come after you for a massage!”

Erin felt her eyebrows draw together in a frown as she replied, “Is there anything you haven’t managed to find out about me?”

After pressing the send button she looked over her shoulder, she could barely make out the head of her friend in the throng surrounding the bar.

Buzz.

A reply.

                “I know that you’re funny! And that blue suits you! J”

The first thing she noticed was the smiley again. He’d sent her another one. Then she glanced down at herself, she was wearing blue...suddenly she felt that mix of adrenaline, nausea and anger. He was here, somewhere in the club. He could see her!

She was shaking with so many emotions as she tapped a reply,                 “Perving on me Reilly? That’s low!”

If he could see her the last thing she wanted was for him to see her searching the room with her eyes for him, so she kept them on the floor.

                “Coincidence Erin, was just about to leave when your presence was brought to my attention. Can I buy you a drink?”

                “Who told you I was here??? And my friend is getting me a drink, thanks anyway.”

Where was Michelle? No closer to the bar. This was becoming a nightmare.

                “Josh wondered if you were gay as he’s been trying it on with you to no avail. He spotted you. Hence my insider knowledge on you. We’re upstairs, there’s no queue at the bar, bring your friend, just for ONE drink. She’ll be hours at the bar down there.”

Then before she had time to respond, “I know you’re thinking no, but for once just give me the chance to apologise for last week. What harm can one drink do?”

Those were the exact words of her friend once she’d rescued Michelle from the bar queue. “Come on Erin, I’m gasping for a drink, and we’re offered free ones WITHOUT queuing for two years! What’s the worst that can happen?”

That I get out of my depth! Erin admitted to herself as she followed Michelle across the club.

Watching closely, Jack spotted the moment she moved in his direction, her friend was leading the way, so she was still reluctant, but she was on her way. Nodding to Paul the barman, he ordered a bottle of champagne, it was as cheesy as it came, but he was going for it. Paul busied himself finding an ice bucket and some glasses, so he left him to greet them at the heavily guarded stairs.

“They’re with me!” he intervened as Erin’s friend was about to be blocked from entering the mezzanine by the bouncers, hearing him they dropped their hands. As the other woman looked up at him, recognition on her face, he held out a hand, “Jack Reilly!”

She took it and shook firmly, “Michelle Bryant, pleased to meet you!”

He grinned, “There’s champagne, at the bar.” Raising her eyebrows appreciatively, she marched past him, leaving him to wait for the reluctant, almost sullen Erin. He fought the smile that threatened to turn him into a goon. “Erin...we meet again.”

She glared at him, “you are really starting to freak me out!”

Despite the words, there was no malice in her voice, and he sighed with pleasure, he’d quiet happily fight with her every day. Then with a step back he pointed towards the bar, she flounced past him and he grinned. Game on.

Michelle he noted was the life and soul, very soon she was dancing, waving her champagne glass around as she went, and everyone on this floor was fascinated by her. Even his four younger teammates were laughing and dancing with her, and it pleased him.  And it gave him more time with Erin.

                “Here.” He handed her a glass and she showed the same reluctance as she took it. “It’s a full time job you know?”

Erin looked up, and he was dazzled by her blue eyes, so unadorned, so natural, that was what he liked about her he was sure, her dark hair was glossy and loose reflecting the light of the nightclub, her lips free of slimy gloss or gaudy lipstick, and instantly he wanted to kiss them. Shaking himself he ignored the fact that up close her blue dress was slinky, draping over her curves, the length of her long legs. Instead he looked at her eyes, and heard her whisper, “what is?”

Chuckling, he leaned in, his breath on her ear and answered, “hating me!”

Jack wasn’t wrong Erin thought, she was fighting her warring feelings for him every moment she thought about him, but here, in full on charm mode she had to pull her defences up to her ears.

                “Hating you would involve thinking about you Mr Reilly, something I avoid doing!”

He couldn’t control the guffaw of laughter, and Erin tried to hide her smirk. He had such a lovely laugh, she’d seen his face more than a dozen times this week, in newspapers, gossip mags, or TV adverts, he did play for one of the biggest teams in the country, he was always headline news. But this week she’d been far more aware of it. He wasn’t classically good looking, his dark hair was permanently unkempt, but she could admit that was an endearing quality, as were those deep blue eyes. And he was so bloody tall! She wasn’t short, but he towered over her, laughing in a belly deep way, and she was so tempted to join in.

                “Erin Thomas, where have you been all my life? I have never laughed as much as I have at you!”