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“What’sDrink Me Juice?” Alice asked as she exited the passenger side.
“You know, the blue liquid that sobers you up. You wroteDrink Meon it the night I passed out. I thought that’s what it was called?”
“Oh, that,” Alice said. “I never really gave it a name.”
“Sounds like it has a name now.”
“There’s a box for Ez in the back. One should be in there. Why?”
“Well, it’ll determine how much I drink tonight,” Hugo replied as he opened the back gate. He rummaged through a box. “Yep. There’s one here. Sounds like tonight is going to be fun.”
The SUV beeped as he shut the gate and locked the doors. Alice held out her hand, and Hugo took it.
Alice smiled as they turned the corner. They parked on a side street away from the main traffic of High Street, which was hopping on a Saturday night. Cars drove up and down the street. People stumbled from bar to bar. College students reveled in the school’slatest football victory. Some reveled too much as their friends helped them back home.
“So, tell me. How many times were you stumbling down this street heading back to the dorms?” Alice asked.
“You know what they say about us finance guys,” he replied.
“Let me guess . . . Numbers by day. Party at night?”
“Something like that,” Hugo replied.
Alice chuckled. “I never took you for a party animal.”
“I was a much different man in college,” Hugo said. “I can tell you were too.”
“Oh, yeah? What can you tell about me?”
“I bet you were all kinds of trouble.Funtrouble,” Hugo said with a sly smile.
“I resent that,” Alice said as she lightly smacked him across the chest. “Even if it is true.”
Hugo rubbed his black shirt where she struck him. “Two party animals, back on the town. Reliving their glory days.”
“You might be, but this was a typical Saturday night for me,” Alice said. “My friends and I would always go out for a night of dancing on the weekends.”
Alice hadn’t been out dancing since before her move to Newbury Grove. Not because she couldn’t convince Hugo to go dancing, but there weren’t the type of nightclubs she frequently visited. One catered more toward her aesthetic.
They approached The Heart and Rose in an older, rectangular building set on a street corner independent from other buildings. Two-story tall windows filled one side of the building overlooking the side street. A small, over capacity parking lot was on the other side.
The building appeared to cry black tears as a layer of dirt and grime dripped down the stone and brick facade. A black awning spanned the front of the building. A pole held the white, rectangular marquee high above the street, emblazoned with the same logo as Sebastian’s forearm tattoo.
An electric mixture of music filled the street as the pounding beats seeped through the walls and doors. People were entering and leaving. All dressed in black.
Alice couldn’t wait. She opened the door, instead of waiting for Hugo’s chivalrous gesture.
The nightclub was a mixture of darkness and laser lights transitioning through an array of colors. The walls, flooring, and ceiling were painted black. Crimson red curtains covered the windows. A DJ booth stood in the corner to her left as she entered, and a dance stage was in the corner to her right. The bar lined the left wall with a storage room off to the side. A black and white checkerboard tiled dance floor dominated the center. A balcony overlooked the entire establishment, emitting a gentle glow from within its depths.
Alice could hardly contain her glee. She danced with the music in the entryway. Her low-cut, thick-soled shoes tapped the floor. Her hips swayed to the beats of the music, and her shoulders tried to keep up.
“Five-dollar entry fee,” the doorman yelled over the sounds. He was dressed head to toe in black clothing, blending into the darkness. He was only highlighted by the soft glow of a lamp on top of a makeshift desk strewn with a money box, a hand stamp, a metal detector wand, and promotional ads for upcoming events.
Hugo took out his wallet and handed the doorman ten dollars.
He placed the money in the box and stamped their hands before waving the wand over them. “Enjoy.”
They made their way into the crowd. Hugo strolled, while Alice bounced with the beats. An eclectic mix filled the dance floor. Some wore very revealing mesh and fishnet stockings. Others in leather and vinyl. Some, like Hugo, dressed in pants and long-sleeve shirts. Almost all dressed in all black. They blended seamlessly with the shadows, gracefully dancing in the darkness, their forms illuminated only by the vibrant lights swirling around the club.
