The ACG Short Story Collection

Distance

Four more songs and he was in need of a toilet break, and figured he might as well go say hello to David and Trisha. He slipped over to their side of the room and squeezed David on the shoulder. The couple both smiled and gave him a big hug. They appeared to have been drinking for some time and were in quite an exuberant mood. It turned out they had been at a party all afternoon, slowly getting sloshed on whiskey and gin. Michael wondered how they could still be drunk and bouncy after that many hours boozing, but figured they probably had a better head for grog than he had. Not to mention a better bladder. He excused himself and continued on to the toilets.

On returning, via the bar with another drink, he found them dancing on the cram-floor, as it had now become, and took a seat nearby while he still had the chance.

The crowd was building up quite a bit now, as the fashionably late decided it was fashionably late enough to make an appearance. He began to browse again.

Though there were probably twice as many people here as when he first started playing, he still didn't take a fancy to anyone in particular. Perhaps he just wasn't in the mood. Whatever the reason, there just didn't seem to be anyone out of the black clad lovelies that especially caught his eye. Well, except maybe for that girl.

Actually, now he thought of it, she was quite exquisite. He wondered why he hadn't noticed her earlier. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd ever laid eyes on her before. She did look vaguely familiar, though that was not unusual. Everybody looked familiar to him. But yes, at a glance he knew that this was someone he would definitely have been willing to make a fool of himself for, back when that was an option.

He saw her glance in his direction and quickly averted his gaze. It was hard not to smile as he felt his cheeks flush red.

His thoughts were disturbed by a glowing figure who flopped into the seat next to him, white shirt and stonewashed jeans shining like a beacon under the blacklights. (Where did you get stonewash denim in this day and age anyway?) The fellow steadied himself, then leaned in close to shout in Michael's ear.

"Haayur gowan?"

"Pretty damned good, actually. Yourself?"

"Wha?"

"Not bad."

"Wha?"

"NOT. BAD."

"Thaz good. Thaz good."

The fellow's breath smelled strongly of beer and bourbon, with just a slight essence of vomit. He had obviously started early. He stared around the room vaguely, nodding quietly to himself. Michael braced himself for more ear damage as the guy leaned in again.

"Wuz ya name?"

"Michael".

"Wha?"

"Michael. What's yours?"

The fellow just nodded.

Okay, then.

Michael watched his new friend compose his thoughts, then cocked an ear as he leant in again. But instead of another slurred earful, Michael felt an arm slide across the chair behind him, the other hand falling on his thigh and moving slowly upward. Oh god! This dork was trying to pick him up. He probably didn't even realise he was making a move on another guy (must be the nail polish). This was too much.

Michael removed the offending hand and summoned his deepest macho voice.

"Look mate, I don't think so."

The fellow withdrew quickly, offering an apologetic handshake. Michael accepted the gesture and returned it with his firmest grip, only to find his hand being dragged insistently toward the cretin's snaking tongue. One swift move was enough to pull free, leaving sleazeboy to slap himself in the mouth, slip off the chair and slink away.

Michael laughed and shook his head, looking about for someone to share the hilarity with. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to have witnessed the incident, so he strolled off for another toilet break with a beer chaser.
Amazingly, his seat was still free when he got back.

Scanning the crowd of dancers, he found the cute girl and watched as she and her friend bopped along to some song he didn't recognise. She had a quaint way of dancing, almost like the good ol' two-step, but the sort you do in big army boots instead of a bulky skirt. He definitely would have been tempted to approach her, back in the day.

Her eyes drifted his way again and he held her gaze just for a moment. Exactly what he would have done if this was for real. He really liked this game.

Trisha spied him again and slid across to ask if he wanted to dance with them. He liked this song, but didn't feel much like dancing tonight. Politely, he declined. Tonight he preferred to sit back and watch everyone else strut their stuff and put in the effort for him. He just wished this place had more spots to sit other than between the speakers, as it was really starting to hurt his ears.

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Distance