Two Cosmos later, and Becky still hadn't shown up, or called even. Jillian checked her cell phone for the third time, making sure she hadn't missed the call, or text, but nope. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Then again, Becky was only ten minutes late.
For as confident and comfortable Jillian was in her own skin, when thrown into elements unknown to her, she tended to sweat a little. And when those elements were so over her head that she almost felt as if she were drowning, well that was the worst.
At least she had been asked to dance twice. Unfortunately the first man looked like he was about sixty, and a little bit seedy for Jillian's comfort. She wasn't thrilled with having to draw such a conclusion, but she had to be careful after all. No point in being stupid. If the man turned out to be genuinely a good guy, he would certainly understand her caution. If not, nothing lost, and everything gained.
The second man who asked Jillian to dance seemed less threatening, but again because she was alone still, and didn't know the man or anyone else in the club, refrained from accepting. She did offer a rain check in an hour or two once her friend showed up, she told him. Dancer number two had then moved on and was now on the dance floor wrapped in a slow dance with a chesty blond. Jillian was both relieved, and a little annoyed. But she would survive.
She hoped Becky got there soon.
Out of one's element...totally.
Classes had begun again, but it was early in the term so Jillian wasn't quite overwhelmed as of yet. Good thing too, what with all she was doing to help Jesse settle in.
Though it had been some time now that he had begun working for the pack, and rarely came to Jillian with any questions about anything anymore. In that vein she was even feeling a little left out, but she recognized that was her own insecurity, and sought to rid herself of that feeling right away.
With classes in session again, she did regret not having the time to spend with her new pack mate. And tonight was supposed to help distract her from another evening where the young man was unavailable, due to being occupied with his patrols of the Long Run, and area surrounding the Den. One of her girlfriends from her Community Psychology class had convinced Jillian that a night of mindless fun was as good a way as any to start off the school year, so the two agreed to meet at Babylon, to have a few drinks, and maybe even some dancing.
Jillian was the first to arrive, and was already having second, and even third thoughts. Babylon was her first nightclub, and she couldn't have felt more out of place had she walked into the boys showers at school. In fact, she might have felt more at ease there...it was a toss up really.
Dressed in a skimpy dress of deep purple cotton jersey, wearing heels that made her cringe every few feet that she walked, somehow Jillian did manage to find a place to sit with a view of the entrance, yet not too obvious that everyone who entered saw her before anything else. Surely when Becky got there Jillian would be able to catch the other girl's attention easily. In the mean time Jillian had ordered a Cosmo, and played with the napkin the cocktail guy had placed before her on the table. Whatever she could do to appear busy was what she tried to think of, while she waited for her late friend.
Jillian
15 years ago
Jillian
15 years ago
When it became evident that Jillian had been stood up, she tried calling Jesse. As luck would have it, she only got his voice mail, and guessed he might be out of 'uniform', thus not having his phone on him. She left him a message, asking him to call her if he finished work and had nothing better to do, then waited another fifteen minutes before finishing her drink, and paying the check.
Sidling her way through the throng of dancers, wishing she had gone the long way about after suffering more than one groping, Jillian finally made her way out of the club, and into the cool night air. A breath of relief was spent, and she decided to walk a bit before going home.
As she walked her head was full of thoughts. Some dealt with what she planned to say to Becky tomorrow, once she found out her friend was okay, and not in the hospital somewhere. This was one reason she didn't often make plans with people she didn't know better. This was one reason why she would go back to that mind set now.
Try as she might she couldn't avoid all thoughts of Jesse though. Seeing some flashing neon lights ahead, Jillian wondered if some arcade games would offer her the diversion she sought. It couldn't hurt to check it out, she decided.
(Jillian out and off to the EleKTRONika Arcade)
Sidling her way through the throng of dancers, wishing she had gone the long way about after suffering more than one groping, Jillian finally made her way out of the club, and into the cool night air. A breath of relief was spent, and she decided to walk a bit before going home.
As she walked her head was full of thoughts. Some dealt with what she planned to say to Becky tomorrow, once she found out her friend was okay, and not in the hospital somewhere. This was one reason she didn't often make plans with people she didn't know better. This was one reason why she would go back to that mind set now.
Try as she might she couldn't avoid all thoughts of Jesse though. Seeing some flashing neon lights ahead, Jillian wondered if some arcade games would offer her the diversion she sought. It couldn't hurt to check it out, she decided.
(Jillian out and off to the EleKTRONika Arcade)