As the work day came to and end, I was so relieved. I had come in early this morning to make sure that this project was done and ready to go, although it made for a long day. Some of the girls from the office and I had decided to go out for drinks and appetizers after work. We could treat ourselves every once in a while right? We deserved it anyway, after today.

The music in the club was bumping and the atmosphere was light and upbeat. We all sat down and ordered drinks and some nachos. I slid off my heels and leaned back in my chair sipping my Long Island. Julie was in the corner telling us something that her stupid cat had done again to piss her off. Sara was talking about her overbearing mother –in-law and Vanessa was off to my right cracking jokes. I think it was the first time in days that I had even cracked a smile. I think the atmosphere, being with the girls and the alcohol that I had consumed had helped a lot. Marissa looked over at me.

“What is up with you, tonight Natalie?”

“Nothing, why?”

“Oh, don’t give me that. I don’t take excuses”

“You’re not still thinking about that Ben guy are you?” Julie said

It might have been plain on my face.

“You really need to forget him” Sara chided

“I’m trying.. I really am. It’s just…. “

“What..”

“He’s supposed to be leaving for New York this weekend… I.. I guess I’m kinda still hoping he’ll call or…”

“No… honey, he did you wrong.. He didn’t have any consideration for who you are. Let him go.. You will be so much better off, I guarantee” Vanessa reassured me

“We need to find you a real man..”Marissa insisted All the other girls agreed. Marissa began to scan the room looking for what she thought was the perfect guy.

“hmm.. too old, too young, uh, totally gay” she laughed

“What about that guy?” Julie pointed out. Pointing to a guy at the end of the bar, who was laughing and passing his buddy a beer.

“Yeah, yeah..”

“No, come on guys… I don’t want to..”

“oh yes… “ Marissa got up and headed over to the guy that they had picked

Seconds later, my phone rings. As I reach inot my purse to grab it, I see that it’s Charlie.

“Hello?”

"Hey stranger...Where are you?"

"I'm at Landsharks. Are you at the airport?"

"No, I'm at Brian's"

"Oh.. do you want me to meet you at the house, so you can unpack and stuff?"

"You can do...unless you want me to come and meet you"

"Well, my car's at work but if you want to come by you can. You can meet some of my friends from work.. who by chance are trying to set me up with some guy.. so yeah.. come rescue me.. "

"You're trying to pull guys and you haven't invited me?" I ask and I stick my tongue out at Brian aand blow him a kiss. "Yeah I'll come and meet you soon"

"alright bye" giggling

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I turn to Brian when I hang up and kiss him softly "I've gotta go...call me later?"

"Count on it"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Excuse me… umm… hi.. My name is Marissa.” She said as she tapped him on the shoulder

“Uh, hi… I’m Ryan.”

“I.. Could I ask you a favor? I have a friend who needs some cheering up, and I was wondering if you could possibily, maybe ask her to dance?”

Seeing as she was kinda cute, I figured that her friend had to be cute too. Hell, why not.

“Sure, which one is she?”

“That one, over there in the corner with the blue shirt and long brown hair.”

As I looked over, she turned her head and was half smiling at something. Man, was she hot. I would glady take her to dance. And I strode over to her table.

As I came upon the table, she turned to look my way. “Umm.. would you like to dance?” extending my hand

I couldn’t believe that she actually went throught with it, but then again that was Marissa. Bold and daring, not afraid to take chances. I gave a questioning look to the girls.

“Go, go Natalie. We’ll still be here..”

“Ok… “ turning to him “Sure.. thank you”

I smile at her when she accepts my offer to dance. I hold out my hand for her to take and her friends cheer. There's a moment's pause whilst the dj decides what to play. He finally settles on a club remix of twist and shout. I grab both of her hands , pulling her slightly towards me and grin at her as we begin to twist towards the floor in rhythm with each other. I can't help singing along to it and soon after she joins in with me

I couldn't believe that they were playing such an old song, even though it was remixed. As we danced, hand in hand, twisting and turning, I began to relax. I was actually having fun. I couldn't beleive it. I even twisted down to the floor as I was holding on to him.

As the song picked up, I tried showing off and doing a fancy twist but I slipped slightly and fell towards her but she helped me regain my balance and she couldn't help but giggle

He pulled me back close to him and We twisted together down to the floor.

You know you twist your little girl, (twist, little girl)
You know you twist so fine. (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer, now, (twist a little closer)
And let me know that you're mine. (let me know youre mine)

Then as the last verse came, he quickly grabbed me and lifted me up and swung me around. I felt a little bit like a ragdoll. Finally, he stood me up and grabbed my hands and we shook it til we could shake anymore and we collasped into each other out of breath and laughing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I enter the club I smile, the place feels so alive, the atmosphere is lively and there is a mass of people dancing. A few moments later, I spot Natalie "twisting" with some guy. Maybe her n Ben sorted out their differences. It's only when I get closer that I see the guy she's dancing with is not Ben...This can't be good, I think to myself but then again, she looks like she's having fun. I wait until they've finished dancing before going up behind her and tapping her shoulder.
"Hey you" I shout over the music

“It was a lot of fun acutally. Julie, you should have seen this guy” laughing. Lightly touching his arm. I jump slightly as someone taps my shoulder. As I turn around, I see Charlie. “Hey!” giving her a hug

I hug her back "Oh gee I missed you like crazy girl"

" Me too..... oh girls, Ryan, this is my best friend Charlie.. .. Charlie, this is Marissa, Julie, Sara and Vanessa and this guy,is Ryan”

I smile and wave "it's nice to meet you all"

"Do you wanna stay a while longer or shall we go?"

"You don't mind if we stay a little longer, do you?"

"Sure we can, I'll go grab something non alcholic and try to remember that I have actually got a guy so I can't flirt"

Once her friend leaves for the bar, I smile at her.

"You're not single by any chance are you?"

"Not anymore”

"How would feel about going out with me sometime?"

"Umm.. " not too comfortable about starting another relationship, "I.. uh.. I'm not exactly ready to for another relationship right now, but I would be willing to go out with sometime. And anytime you want to go dancing, I'm definitely in! " smiling

It wasn't exactly what I'd been hoping for but it was better than a knockback. "Sure that would be great …So let me get your number so we can get to know each other"

I could tell that it wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear I'm sure, but I couldn't help the way I felt. Maybe sometime soon I would more confident and ready for a relationship. I reached into my purse for a pen and paper and wrote down my phone number and laid it in his hand.

Hey...hey I'm back" I say slurping on a non alcoholic cocktail...I must admit even though i'm confused as to why Natalie's with another guy, he's very dishy "Hey. . Ryan, could you drag her that chair right there?"

"Sure...Hey I have to go anyway...I'll give you call sometime if that's ok?"

"Yeah.. and thank you so much for the dance. "smiling

"It was my pleasure, it was nice meeting you" I say and kiss her hand.

The girls began cheering and whistling. Blushing a bit at his chivary, but quickly recovering, I turn to the girls and Charlie..

"Oh stop it... Charlie... here you can sit here. Sorry, I think they have lsot their minds..."

"Are you seriously gonna go out with him?"

"She better or I will..." Marissa blurted

"I don't know... I guess I'll decide if and when he calls"

"He will call..He'd be crazy not to"

Shrugging my shoulders, I take another swallow of my drink. "So, when did you get in?"

I smile "I flew in yesterday and spent the time with Brian"

"Oh. I'm sure you both enjoyed that... "giggling

"You could say that"

"Are you hungry? There is plenty left over... And if you want to hit the dance floor we can before we go"

"i'm not too bothered about dancing..we can go if you want to?"

"Sure... " Turning to the rest of the girls.."Hey, I'm gonna head out... Great job today ladies.. I'll see you monday. Don't have too much fun without me okay? with a giggle

"We would never...." Julie says laughing

The fresh air was welcoming as we stepped out of the club. I followed Charlie to her car. I wouldn't have recognized if she hadn't been there. I was so glad that she was here and to stay.

"Now do you wanna tell me what's going on?" I ask as we drive home

"What? Why do you ask?"

"What happened to Ben? I ask carefully

As she mentions his name, I tense up. I really didn't want to talk about him. But didn't she know? Maybe she forgot..

"We broke up about a month ago. He should be on his way to New York sometime this week"

"What?" I exclaim, turning towards her as the car swerves sightly

"Watch the road, honey. Yeah, he's gone. He got a promotion in Syracuse. He asked me to go with him. But in the end, it's better that he went alone"

"Why didn't you go with him? If you guys loved each other then surely it coulda worked out"

"Yeah, I thought he loved me.." taking a breath, calming myself as I Knew the emotions would rise. "When he asked me I was happy for him but it was a big decision. When I told him that I would have to think about it. he got all huffy and accused me of not wanting to be with him To make a long sotry short, he got into a huge fight and he gave me an ultimatium. If I didn't give him an answer right then, then we were over"

"If you had to think it through then it wasn't the right decision for you. I'm sorry though...I want you to be happy"

"I did love him.. and I might have gone, if he hadn't been so arrogant, and pushy. It wasn't like him. He made it out like I was like his property or soemthing. It had to be his way or the highway. but I guess that love was jsut not enough for him. " wiping a tear that was threatening to fall. "Anyways.. so yeah... I'm really glad that you’re back to stay. It'll be like old times.."

Yeah it will be" I say as I pull in to her drive "Except I'm starting my life again...New university...A new relationship and...oh god...What if I've made a mistake"

" I promise, you haven't. You and Brian survived the long distance between you and now that you're back, things will be so much better. He's a great guy. And anything else that comes along, we'll get through it together, okay?"

"Yeah...I guess I'm just nervous"

"Once you get settled, you won't be"

"I'll hold you to that" I say with a smile Once we pull into the drive, I help her unload the trunk. We carried the stuff back into her old room. It felt good having her here. The house wouldn't be so empty anymore. As we loaded the last bit, we came downstairs and sank into the sofa.

"Hey, would you like a night cap before we hit the sack?"

"What have you got?" I ask "Mind you I'll drink anything at the moment" I tease

“What about some martinis?”

"Sounds great...I'll just change into my pj's so that we can chill"