Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(12)
Hitting their normal hot spots was out of the question for a number of reasons. Chyna had been on dates with a large number of the most eligible bachelors in the establishments and she knew that none of them would suit her tastes. They also didn't want to be recognized quite as exceptionally as that type of girl. If everyone already knew who they were, then it would be more difficult to find a man who would beg for a second date. Most of them would already know that there was no chance it was going to happen. And they were looking for a different kind of man in the first place. They frequented those locales, because the men who generally happened to be inside were less likely to expect more from the women within.
That's how they ended up having martinis at a Manhattan bar scoping out the men in attendance. The atmosphere was a bit more conducive to casual conversation than the normal, pulsing, hip-hop beats that broke through the speakers at their other destinations. Lexi could pick out several groups of regulars who were stuffed into booths and speaking to the bartenders, and thought they would be the best bet for the fun they were looking for that evening.
The girls had dressed the part for sure. Chyna's black mini dress just skirted her ass and gripped her body tightly in a silky, flimsy material. Her black heels shimmered in the mood lighting that emanated from every hidden light bulb in the place. Her long black hair was swept up onto the top of her head into a sexy concoction. Her long lean features were accented while keeping the focus on her well-sculpted body.
Lexi wore super low-rise, black, skinny jeans with hot red pumps. Her flat tanned stomach was revealed in a tight, red, tube top with custom black embroidering around the edges. She let her dark brown locks flow down her back with thick, chunky bangs covering her forehead. Her eyes were smoky and seductive while her bright red lips were both pouty and inviting. Together they were a dynamic duo, the sirens of the New York City nightlife. It was unlikely that anyone who fell into their trap was going to escape their clutches.
Chyna smiled at a sleazy looking man who had been eye-f*cking the shit out of her for the past ten minutes across the bar. He took that as an invitation and sidled up to her side. She downed the remnants of her drink and took his hand as he escorted her out on the dance floor. Lexi's eyes followed them into the dark center of the room, and an uneasy feeling hit the pit of her stomach.
He wasn't the type of person Chyna normally surrounded herself with, and something about him seemed off. His features were too angular, too sneaky. His height and bulk were threatening rather than enticing. Lexi wasn't sure why but the way he had grabbed her hand even seemed forceful. From her view, albeit a shadowed view of the couple, Lexi could even tell he was handsy. That was really saying something for a person dancing with Chyna, because Lexi had seen Chyna get pretty down and dirty on the dance floor.
Lexi sighed heavily and tried to clear her mind. There was no need to overreact. They were just out for a good time out. Maybe they didn't know everyone in the place like usual, but she felt certain that nothing was going to go wrong. After all, this was the one night Chyna wasn't searching for a stranger to bed.
She took another deep breath and let her own eyes roam the crowded room once more. A number of drunken girls were singing and dancing in a corner to a cluster of admiring onlookers. Lexi had a strange reminisce of doing that with her own friends in bars during college. The alcohol was beginning to set in and the different groups of people were beginning to blend together. She wasn't sure why her buzz was so strong already, but she kind of liked it. She would start coming here more frequently if they poured drinks this well.
A stranger approached her, but she blew him off because he obviously wasn't up to the caliber of the person she was seeking tonight. After another martini, she was caring less about who was approaching her. A part of her wished that she had stopped at one because she didn't want her judgment impaired quite as much without Chyna at her side. But she couldn't take back the decision now.
Pressing the palm of her hand to her forehead, she attempted to keep the spinning from gripping her conscious mind. After counting to ten, Lexi seemed to feel a bit better and slowly angled her body back towards the bar. She didn't need a drink, but she did need someone to sweat out this alcohol with. The dance floor was calling her name.
One of the regulars that she had been eyeing earlier seemed to notice that she was without a drink and approached her. "Hey," he slurred smiling drunkenly at her. His eyes darted to her chest and then back up to her face. "I've never seen you here before."
Lexi wanted to retort some snide remark about how completely original he was, but he was kind of cute so she refrained. Instead she just smiled at him in an all-knowing way that made his addled mind kick into over drive. "You're right. I've never been here," she murmured.
"What?" he cried trying to hear her over the music that had increased in proportion to the length of time she had spent in the establishment.
Lexi leaned forward resting her hand on his chest. She rose up onto her tiptoes until her mouth was just next to his ear and said, "I've never been here. Perhaps you could show me around."
The guy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at her comment. He turned back to his friends and made some kind of fist pump. They all cheered him on as if she wasn't standing there. Lexi felt a little sick to her stomach at how dumb he was already turning out to be, but she couldn't exactly turn back now. She at least owned him one dance after her forwardness.