Kimberly
“I could kill you for your little stunt at work today.”
Tiffany paid me little mind as she sorted through my closet, which seemed to be her favorite activity any time she stopped in my apartment. She often suggested that I get some sort of makeover and allow her to take me shopping for some sexier clothes, but that seemed impractical. I wasn’t exactly the type to go out clubbing, and most of my off time was spent in my apartment, searching the internet for interesting assignments for my students. It wasn’t as if I was going to attract some sort of stud while I was hunched in front of my desk, my glasses slipping down the bridge of my nose at every inopportune moment.
“The kids were fine; I don’t know what you’re so worried about,” she answered belatedly, and I resisted the desire to roll my eyes. It didn’t take much for the other teacher to become preoccupied, especially when it came to preparing an outfit for the rare opportunity when she could drag me out of my apartment. Spending an evening at the Red Room was the last thing I wanted to devote my spare time to, but I had been something of a homebody lately.
“They bolted. They could have gotten hurt. You know they’re not old enough to navigate the school on their own. If they’d gotten lost, I could have gotten fired—” I paused as my voice cracked a bit. “I don’t know what I would do without this job, Tiff. Work is everything to me. Ever since Chad broke up with me…” I trailed off, falling silent as she turned an angry look on me.
“Your ex was a dick, Kim. You need to forget about him. It’s not like he’s the only fish in the sea. He’s like a fucking fish stick in a classy seafood buffet. You deserve lobster tail, honey. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise,” she said, her voice a mix of firm yet somehow comforting. I nodded quietly, fidgeting with the bottom edge of my towel as she continued to search through my wardrobe.
I’d only managed to get a short shower before the other teacher had started pounding on my door, but that was pretty normal for our outings. Tiffany was nothing if not excitable, and honestly, I was past the point of caring if she saw my bare ass or tits when my towel slipped. It had been awkward at first, becoming friends with another teacher. When she’d first invaded my after-shower routine, I’d been humiliated to the point of wanting to sink into the floor. She had never seemed to care about personal boundaries, dismissing me with the reassurance that mine weren’t the first breasts she’d seen. I could only wonder if she was referring to her own or someone else’s, but after a while, I’d learned to live with her eccentricities.
“Seems like we’re having a lobster shortage in these parts,” I remarked belatedly, striding to my vanity and beginning to apply my makeup. I wore makeup when teaching at school, but that makeup was a stark difference from what I apply for a night out. On the schoolyard, I strove for a natural look — not that any of the children would notice either way. It was more of a self-care sort of thing. When it came to clubbing, however, I looked just short of a personal escort in what I could only hope was a good way. I’d never been particularly good at makeup, but Chad had insisted I learn if I was going to be seen with him. “And you’re right. Fuck Chad.”
“Amen, sister,” Tiffany agreed, emerging from the wardrobe with the little black dress I saved for special occasions. I raised a brow as she held it up to me in a rather appraising manner, meanwhile continuing to work on my lip liner. “This will be perfect. Jaws will hit the floor, Kim; I’m sure of it,” she announced, pressing the dress into my hands as I finished up my makeup. I considered the dress somewhat reluctantly, having internally dubbed it my ‘getting laid’ dress. I hadn’t worn it in some time, and it would be no small wonder if it even still fit me.
“I’m not sure. Don’t you think I should go a bit tamer?” I replied, shuffling into the dress nonetheless. I expected it to snag on my hips or my gut, but surprisingly, it fit me like a glove. Thank God for small miracles.
“Tame doesn’t get dick, Kimmy,” Tiffany grinned, touching up her eyeliner in my mirror. I couldn’t help but laugh at how crude she was being, but she had a point. I needed to get out of my shell a bit, take my mind off of the douchebag and realize that maybe, just maybe, there were actual decent guys in the world.
I wasn’t getting my hopes up too high, though.
“I take it you’re driving tonight? I’ll need to loosen up a bit if I’m going to do any flirting. God knows I’m rusty,” I sighed, looking myself over in the mirror. Not half bad, even by my own standards.
“Have you ever been good at flirting?”
Ouch.
“Of course I’m driving. Assuming, of course, you don’t find your own way home,” she continued, glancing at me with a rather sly expression. I reddened, flattening my dress and refusing to meet her gaze. I didn’t think I’d be that lucky on my first outing in months, but I supposed one could hope.
“We’ll see then,” I said noncommittally, trying to sound even the slightest bit confident. Tiffany knew me too well to believe my farce, however.
“You’ll be fine, girl. Just work that charm of yours, and shake your ass a bit on the dance floor. You’ll have plenty of studs drooling over you. I’m sure of it,” she assured me, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
I could only hope she was right. I had no misconceptions that this outing would change my life, but I hoped it would be fun at least.
“Alright, then. I guess, let’s get a move on — get the whole embarrassing myself part of the evening out of the way,” I said with a faint grin, casting a final glance into the mirror to consider my outfit. For once, my makeup was on point, and my hair had been meticulously curled into a fancy up-do. The little black dress hugged all of my curves in all the right places, and truth be told, I was a bit startled by how good I looked. Maybe a bit of confidence was all I needed, after all.
My attention was drawn away from the mirror by Tiffany, who gripped my wrist tightly in her hand. Apparently, she had gotten bored of simply watching me observe my own reflection. Not that I could blame her. She only released my hand when she was certain I was trailing along behind her, and when she did, she rubbed her hands together almost maniacally. I could only wonder what was going on in that strange mind of hers. She led me to her car, which was nearly too small for the two of us to comfortably fit in, and turned the ignition with a small smile. She seemed to have relaxed somewhat once she was free of my apartment and, by association, free of the evidence of my depressing life. She hadn’t said as much, but that was only because I’d not pressed her.
“We’re both getting a good fuck tonight; I can feel it,” she murmured excitedly, shifting the car into gear and tearing out of the parking lot. I clutched either side of the seat, not entirely sure I wouldn’t be launched through the windshield, seatbelt or not. The steady bass of the radio playing through the busted speakers of her sound system was somewhat soothing, and like every other time I’d been driven somewhere by Tiffany, I prayed for my life to be spared. She seemed well aware of my discomfort, grinning as she took her hand off of the wheel and gave my shoulder a shake. “Come on, kid. Get a little bit excited,” she teased.
“You’re hardly old enough to be calling me kid, you know,” I muttered, relaxing into the seat and watching as the scenery of the concrete jungle passed outside of my window. The Red Room was located deep in the downtown district, which made it an interesting ride, regardless of how the experience at the club itself went. That wasn’t to say the club lacked its charms. The wealthiest and most handsome men in the entirety of the city made a habit of visiting the ritzy nightclub, usually looking for a quick lay. In most circumstances, I would have considered myself above indulging them.
But it had just been so long.
“You act like a kid, Kim. Maybe that explains your fascination with children,” Tiffany said idly, and although I leveled her with a glare, I knew she was simply having a bit of fun at my expense.
“I like to see the best in people, Tiff. The best in situations. It’s difficult sometimes, but every date doesn’t have to end with a dick in your mouth,” I replied calmly, hoping to get her goat. She only laughed, smacking her lips together as she pulled into a parking spot outside of the club. She rummaged in her purse and removed a tube of cherry lip gloss, applying it to her lips with a cheeky little grin.
“No, not every date. Only the best ones,” she replied, unfastening her seatbelt and lurching out of the car. I hesitated a moment before following her path, fidgeting with my dress as we made our way to the entrance. There was a line as usual, and I expected to be waiting for some odd hours while Tiffany made an attempt to flirt with the bouncer. That was always the worst part of coming to these clubs — the wait to get in. However, the bouncer seemed to recognize Tiffany as she approached, and come to think of it … I recognized him! It was one of the younger janitors at our school!
“Jim? What are you doing here?” I demanded, as if he had no right to witness my slutty night out. He smiled, seemingly at ease with the entire situation.
“Needed another job to put a bit of extra dough on the table. Janitorial work isn’t the best paying job in the world, you know,” he said casually, opening the door for us. “Tiffany called ahead of time and told me you guys would be showing up. What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn’t make room for you on the guest list?” He grinned, his eyes lingering on Tiffany’s ass as we passed. She seemed a bit entertained by the attention, but I could only hope the young man wasn’t checking me out as well.
You never really realize until you frequent a nightclub like the Red Room, but arousal certainly has a scent — not a good one by any means, but a distinct one. It was all I could do to stomach it as I trudged over to the bar, beginning to doubt the whole trip. I wasn’t really cut out for this kind of outing, was I? Tiffany seemed to care very little about my immediate trip to the bar, which only knocked my confidence down a few more pegs. I ordered a mimosa in short order, resting my chin in my hand as I stared at the bartender.
I sensed more than saw someone sitting on the stool beside me, and I stiffened a bit as I tried to covertly glance at the newcomer from the corner of my eye. Oh … oh, holy shit.
He was a modern day Adonis; that much I could say with confidence. With dark hair and brilliant green eyes, his lips were quirked in a decidedly panty-dropping smile. There was no way I’d have a chance with him, but….
“H-hi.”