Too Soon

“I hate it here,” I said said flatly. Scott looked up from his drink and grinned at me.
“I know you do, Gem,” he laughed.
“I don’t see why people big it up. I could give you a list of reasons why Base is worthless,” I replied, referring to the bar we were at. I looked around and glared at everyone. This place was made up of a dance floor, then tables lining the edges and an over priced bar.
“Go on then,” Scott urged.
“Okay,” I breathed. I took a swig of white wine and set my glass down. “Number one . . . they’re robbing bastards. I mean, twenty pound entry are they taking the piss?” I ranted. “Then you have to pay for the drinks. They’re over priced and you have to drink certain things. You can’t order ‘common’ drinks. I don’t even like white wine,”
“You’ve drank a bottle’s worth,” he stated dryly.
“That’s not the point,” I huffed. “All of the women here dress like sluts, and no man comes here without a wing man,”
“Forgetting something, Gemma?” he teased.
“Oh and they have shit music!” I exclaimed. Scott rolled his eyes and finished his bottle.
“It’s not that bad,” he lied.
“Can you just admit the only reason forced me here and literally took the money out of my purse is because Sarah wrote on her Facebook and I quote ‘Headed for Base hoping to wake up somewhere different YOLO’,” I pleaded.
“So what if she did?” he shrugged.
“Just admit it so we can get out of here with my sanity still intact?!”
“Fine, I did,” Scott sighed. “But we broke up a week ago. I mean, come on,”
“Next week she’s sodding off to London. So can we please forget about it?” I begged. Scott nodded and leant back in his chair.
“So . . . want another drink?” he offered.
“Can you just admit we don’t fit in here?” I sighed.
Scott looked at me searchingly and I rolled my eyes. “You have dark hair. That fits in here,” he stated.
“So does Marilyn Manson but I doubt he’d fit in,” I said and he rolled his eyes again. “Besides my Slipknot vest and tattoos probably cancels out my normalness in hair color,” I shrugged. “And as for you, they’ve probably already prescribed you a bouncer,” I joked. It was probably true though, tattoos, plugs and his build doesn’t fill you with confidence in a place like this.
“Very funny,” Scott replied dryly.
“Okay, we’re going,” I said and stood up. I pulled Scott up and forced him across the dance floor.
“Thanks,” he called above the noise. “I think my ears are bleeding,” he joked.
We got outside and I looked at the line for Base. Why would people put themselves through the ordeal I’ve just suffered? Scott shoved his hands into his pockets and we started walking.
“Scruffy’s?” I offered.
“I thought you couldn’t get in anymore,” he stopped.
“I can. Just not when Dave is on the door, and he only works Friday’s now,” I grinned.
When we got to Scruffy’s I could already hear the good music from outside. Scruffy’s is this cool rock pub down a side road. I’ve been going there for eight years now, since I turned fifteen. We got to the door and the nice bouncer, Rich smiled at us.
“Late this week, Gem,” Rich said and let us through.
“So much better,” I told Scott as we squeezed our way to the bar.
“What’re you after?” Christine, the owner asked.
“Can we have some of that stuff that you’re not allowed to sell?” I asked and Scott smirked.
“They’re trying to catch us out with it,” she told us. I handed her a five pound note and she passed us a bottle and two glasses.
We walked over to the edge of the room and I leant up against the wall. Scott used someone’s table to pour the concoction. We discovered it a few years ago. You drop sweets like jelly babies or gummy bears or anything into vodka and just wait. When they dissolve they make the whole bottle taste of sweets.
“Here,” Scott said and passed it to me. I took it and smiled, I could feel the vibrating of the band playing downstairs. “Someone wants your attention,” he smirked.
I took a gulp of the the green jelly baby vodka and looked up at him. “If it’s David with the long leather coat I don’t want to know,” I muttered.
“No, it’s not David,”
“I know, if it was he would have pounced by now,”
“Pounced?” Scott echoed.
“Remember last Halloween,” I said and leaned towards Scott. I saw him shudder. “Well, who is it?” I asked.
“Tall, dark hair, dressed in black, tattoos,”
“You know you pretty much described ninety eight percent of the guys in here,” I stated.
“Next to ginger,” Scott added. I sweeped the room and sighed. It’s so dim in here it’s impossible to make anyone out. My eyes landed on two men; one with ginger hair and the other taller one Scott had been referring to. The taller guy smiled at me and I smiled back.
“He looks alright,” I said to Scott.
“Shall we see if he has the balls to come over with me here?” he joked.
“Shut up,” I snapped.
“It’s cool. I’ll just go find a bad rebound choice,” he shrugged. I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Just remember if he asks you back to meet his cat he’s lying. He wants to meet yours,”
“Who uses that?” I laughed.
“I do,” Scott replied and raised his eyebrows.
Scott took the bottle with him and headed over to a table on the other side of the room. I looked back to the mystery guy and saw him mutter something to his friend. His friend laughed and shook his head a little.
I looked at the guy, daring him to come forward. He started walking towards me and stopped in front of me. I looked up at him. It was dark so I could only make out basic features. But he had tattoos on his neck and chest, something I like.
“Hey,” he said. I listened to his voice, definitely American.
“Hi,” I smiled. I took a sip of my drink and saw him smile.
“I’m Austin,”
“Gemma,” I replied easily. “I think your wingman is lonely,” I commented.
“He’ll be fine,” Austin shrugged. He rested his hand on the wall behind and leaned against it a little. “So does yours,”
“I don’t need a wingman,” I joked. “I know virtually every person who comes here on a Saturday night,”
“You don’t know me,” he said.
“No, which is weird. You kind of fit in here,”
“It’s the dark pants and tatts,” he grinned.
“Your accent makes you stick out though,” I smirked.
“You noticed?” he asked sarcastically and laughed. As he laughed he snorted and I bit down on my lip.
“Hard not to. How long have you been here?”
“Been in the UK for two weeks. But in Birmingham for two days,”
“Cool. You on holiday?”
“Vacation? Not really, I’ve been working, but I’ve got a week off starting tomorrow,”
“What made you spend your first free night here?” I asked lightly. He took a gulp of his drink and looked back at me.
“I know some boys from Sheffield. When they were here they said this is like the place to be,”
“It so is,” I grinned.
“So we were super stoked to come here,” Austin said. “Somewhere with good people and good music,”
“You appreciate good music?” I asked.
“Just like I appreciate your shirt,” he added.
“I appreciate your neck tattoo. You’re brave,” I teased.
“I appreciate your tattoos. And your eyes,” Austin said and stopped.
“That was cheesy,” I commented.
“English chicks aren’t into that?” he tried.
“I’m not living in a Jane Austen novel,” I shrugged.
“Damn it, I was about to exchange you for a horse,” Austin joked.
“You don’t think I’m worth more than that?” I asked lightly and moved a little closer to him.
“I’d go up to buffalo,”
“You’re such a gentleman it’s unreal,” I mocked.
“You’re struck, right?” Austin teased.
“So struck,” I replied dryly.
“Do you want another drink?” he asked.
“Anything with vodka in it,” I said and he grinned. Austin walked over to the bar and I smirked.

Notes

Hey! What did you think? Do you like Gemma? What about Scott? What will happen with Gemma and Austin? :)
- Kelci xx