Pg. 5
After a winning battle of waking up Ms. Knoxville, everyone leaves SM's. While they are skipping off down the street, however, Pinkie and Knoxville catch a cab and go home. Suddenly, the group seems so much smaller - and she is slightly saddened by the loss of two partygoers. As if more truly meant merrier. Perhaps at that point, more could have meant less trouble.
They embark upon Hero, part of the Maritime Hotel (as per what she was told - who knows if this is true). The bar is bronzed - dark with copper lights glinting off the walls and counter. Newly-Engaged (NE) finds her roommate and introduces the group to him and his friends.
Now, there are three big problems with going out at this point: number one, she is out in unfamiliar territory. Literally. She has no idea where they are, much less where they are in some building that she didn't even realize was a hotel. Number two, she is already drunk. This means that if anyone buys her a drink, she will take it; and, (three) if anyone hits on her she might be more inclined to actually talk to the person. Or, embarrassingly enough, do more than that. She should have called it quits after Blockheads, but in some ironic twist on that same name, she is too dumb to catch herself
before she falls.
NE and her roommate keep telling her that one of the roommate's friends (P) is interested in her. She cannot even see P at this point, to be honest - P does not exist. All she sees in P is a navy jacket - a nice navy jacket, to be sure, but navy nonetheless. He goes to Columbia Business School, as does the roommate, which means that P is too... too... straight. Too conservative, too boring. And since a few rockers have trickled down into the bar, and three grab her and begin talking, she easily forgets all about P. The four talk about things that cannot be remembered, probably along the lines of "Where are you from" or "Of all the little gin joints" etc. etc. until one seems to fancy her, and buys her...
"Jameson and soda."
Drank.
"Um... I should lighten up... how about... Amstel Light."
Drank.
"Ok, Corona."
Drank.
The man won't leave her alone, and finally, she slurs, "You can keep buying me drinks, but I'm not going to do anything with you."
He slurs back, "I don't want to do anything with you. You can take your drinks and leave, but when you're ready for another one, let me know, and I'll buy you another one."
And then, something idiotic happens. She listens to this fellow - takes the drinks and talks to her friends. SM is on his way out, having had too much to drink on an empty stomach. FM and another girl are on their way out to another club.
"Hey! Let me come with you!"
NE grabs her and says, "No, no, no. You should stay here. You want a drink? P will get you a drink."
Instead, the roommate's hand encircles her bicep and he says, almost softly, "Aren't you interested in P?"
"No. I'm interested in you."
2005-05-26 | 12:02 p.m.
