Sunday

8/3/25

I woke up that morning in a fit, my head was aching, and my body was ravaged by the pain of restless sleep, yet I resolved to get myself out of bed and wake it out of its slumber. I quickly showered, ate breakfast, and saw myself out the door.

I had shit to do.

My first stop was a genetic counselor in midtown, I scheduled an appointment online last night to get my genome sequenced in anticipation of starting in the lab. I was easily able to find an electric Citibike and get on my way uptown. As I rode up eight avenue I took in the typical sights and sounds of the city, honking horns, chaotic pedestrians, and endless construction and refurbishment. The city has a way of making you feel at home in it despite its ever-changing nature. You always feel welcomed and comforted as a regular, despite the fact that it's different every time you stop to actually perceive it. By the time I got to the office on 47th I was already mentally exhausted. I've always found it rather easy to separate my brain and body, depending on the tasks at hand. If I'm doing something physically repetitive or rehearsed, I can practically hold symposiums in my head. So I spent practically the entire trip analyzing my plan for weak points and coming up with contingencies as best I could.

I found many. Yet, somehow that filled me with determination, which was a clear sign of madness.

The office was typically sterile, with white walls, drop ceilings, and stock image art hung ornamentally. I checked in at the desk and sat down with my clipboard and began filling in the requested information. Only about two others sat in the waiting room, a couple by the looks of it. No doubt here to ensure any future offspring are free of genetic maladies. I quickly finished filling out the forms, returned them, and settled back down to allow my mind to return to its wandering.

"Vivienne?"

The call came about 10 minutes later from a young nurse, I stood up and allowed her to escort me to the exam room. When I arrived, I was pleasantly greeted by a tall tanned woman in her Middle Ages who spoke with a heavy Eastern European accent. She introduced herself as Doctor Iashinovsky.

"So what brings you in today Vivienne?" She spoke calmly and directly, without the usual suspicious air that some specialists tended to convey.

"I'd like to have my genome sequenced, please. Mostly out of curiosity, but I'd like to see if you could offer gene counseling as well."

"Of course, are you worried about kids, or is this for personal reasons?"

"Oh it's just personal, I'm definitely not worried about children." I replied with a little chuckle at the end. Certainly, no fear of that.

"Alright then, this will be quick, just gotta swab your cheek, we'll have results for you in about a week.

----

The rest of the appointment did not last much longer after that. She swabbed my cheek, placed the sample in a labeled tube, and sent me on my way to pay my $50 copay for the visit. I did decide, however, that I deserved to treat myself. I'd been relatively responsible financially for the last few weeks. I deserved a nice solo lunch to unwind. I opened Google Maps on my phone as I rode down the elevator to street level and quickly identified what seemed like a lovely rooftop Mediterranean spot a few blocks away.

I muttered a quick "Fuck yeah" to myself as I made a mental note of the address and stuffed my phone into my purse.

10 minutes and a few exchanged pleasantries with the hostess later, I was seated and pursuing the short menu while taking in the typically spectacular view from the 42nd floor patio. The space was eloquently decorated to resemble a chic grandmother's garden in a rural village. The twelve or so metal tables were surrounded by numerous plants and species of ivy vying for sunlight on the large wooden trellises that lined the outer perimeter of the "garden". The variously irritating noises of the traffic below were quite muted from this height. The overall effect and ambiance were surprisingly convincing, and the vibes were immaculate. The waiter came back a few minutes later and took my order. Saganaki, Horiatiki Salad, grilled octopus, and a glass of white wine, of course. She came back quickly after with the wine and I sat back staring into the middle distance past the guardrails, pleased with myself for finally making what felt like meaningful progress in my life. I could get used to this kind of peace very easily.

By the time I was halfway through the meal, I was already feeling wonderful inside. The food was amazing, the wine was delicious, and they even let me smoke cigarettes. I arrived about an hour after the lunch rush, so the place was rather empty. As I sat there thoroughly enjoying the moment, I heard the buzzing of my phone in my purse and removed it to see that Chloe was calling. I quickly tapped the answer icon on the screen and jovially greeted my friend.

"Hey darling! Nice of you to call! What's up?"

"Viiiiii, I miss you! How are you? What are you doing? I'm in Brooklyn with Tommy and James right now, we were just talking about you, so I decided to call!" Her voice was her usual blend of enthusiasm and joy. It's honestly difficult to not feel comforted and uplifted just hearing her speak. I've met few people as truly alive as Chloe, and all of their personalities are equally intoxicating.

"Hahaha, I'm glad to hear it, I hope it was good things? I'm in midtown, treating myself to a little solo lunch on a rooftop. I miss you too! We should hang out soon!" I really do mss her immensely, I'd probably be significantly more satisfied with life if I could see my friends more often, but being adults in NYC usually means making plans weeks in advance and navigating increasingly complex schedules to get more than two people in the same room.

"Oh my god yay! That sounds wonderful! Can I see?" She punctuated her question with a video call request.

I accepted, of course, promptly turning the camera to point over the rooftop ledge towards the downtown skyline for a minute before turning it back towards me. "That's fucking beautiful Vi, and you're looking amazing too! What are you doing tonight?" She seemed to be wearing a modest black top complemented by her characteristic light smoky eye and maroon lip tint and large dangly silver earrings. The image on my screen jostled rhythmically as she panned her camera behind her to show Tommy and James. They seemed to be walking briskly somewhere.

"Shit, I don't know. I was planing on heading home and just unwinding before work tomorrow, but I could be convinced otherwise. Any suggestions?"

"Ok good, meet me at my place at 7, we're going to a club nearby tonight, and you cant say no 'cus I already bought you tickets." She finished her statement and immediately hung up before I could object.

The exasperation I felt at that moment could probably be sensed by all the plants surrounding me. She really did know me too well, of course I would object and try to have a lazy night in, of course I would be unwilling to go clubbing without persuasion, of course I would try to pay for the tickets. But she knew just which knobs to tweak to get me to come out, and she probably knew I was feeling some type of way by the fact that I hadn't spoken to her in a couple of weeks. She definitely knew a night out would make me feel better. I composed myself and planned out my logistics for the next few hours before returning to my meal.

----

I met up with Chloe, James, and Tommy later that night at her family home in Western Bushwick. I had settled on wearing a cute black crop top that was cut low in the front, with black denim shorts, fishnets, and a leather harness to accentuate the bottoms. My usual combat boots went well with the outfit, so I kept them on. I spent about an hour and a half on hair and makeup, electing for a shimmery red eyeshadow that faded into my black eyeliner on the outer edges. I was feeling confident and sexy.

Chloe met me at the door in a black A-line minidress and platform Mary Jane's, complemented perfectly by her smoky eyes. She was as gorgeous as ever. She let out a little scream when she saw me and ran in for a massive hug.

"Oh my god how are you babe? I'm so glad you came! This is gonna be so fun!!" Judging by the smell of tequila on her breath, I clearly had some catching up to do, so be it, I had to drop my inhibitions regardless.

"Hahaha, thanks for getting me the tickets, how much were they? I'll Venmo you." I replied earnestly while stepping through the foyer and towards the kitchen where the festivities likely were. I heard Chloe hurry her pace to cut me off and stop me with a devilish grin.

"Don't you dare, it's my treat, now let's get you caught up." She then grabbed my hand and let me into the kitchen, where the two boys were waiting for us at the bar, drinks in their elevated hands, a welcoming toast. Chloe let them at the bar first and grabbed an untouched glass of dark liquid, which she quickly passed to me before grabbing her own.

"Here's to a night worth remembering when we're on our deathbeds!" Tommy exclaimed excitedly, raising his drink even higher towards the center of our small group.

"If we can remember it!" James quipped, joining Tommy and Chloe with his glass in the center of the circle.

"Knowing us, I doubt we will." I finished our new mantra, completing the circle with a rhythmic ding as our glasses clanged. We all took large sips in unison, and I soon discovered that the devilish concoction in our glasses was sure to put us in quick reveries. "What the fuck is this, Chloe? Battery acid?"

"That's actually a good name!" She replied. "But no, just a mix of Monster, rum, absinthe, and tequila, with a little guava juice for fun." I felt the absinthe burning my throat as she listed the ingredients. God, I love my friends, few people are truly as unhinged as I am, this is gonna be a fun night.

"Y'all are fucking batshit, and I love it." I punctuated that sentence with a massive, wide hug over Chloe and Tommy's shoulders, drink precariously teetering in my right hand. James quickly joined in, clearly feeling left out of the long-standing friendship.

I've known Chloe and Tommy for about 15 years at this point, we met through a friend that I went to high school with at one of his numerous house parties and quickly hit it off. Since then, we've been together though thick and thin, sure there have been occasional spats, but we've supported each other despite all the bullshit that life can often cause, I honestly cannot think of any two more real friends that have ever been in my life. It's honestly been a pleasure watching them grow as people over all these years as well. Chloe is now an accomplished tattoo artist with clients all over the world. She travels to various cites all year and her books are always full. I don't blame her, she's a fantastic artist, and I'm proud to wear a few of her pieces on my body as well. Tommy, on the other hand, is a welder by trade, he went to a vocational school about 10 years ago, and has since gotten a solid union job working on new construction. If he's not at home relaxing with a video game in hand or hanging out with us, he's usually suspended 500 feet in the air on a steel girder, fabricating some new skyscraper in this ever-growing city. I've never really found him attractive since I've known him as a friend for so long, and I've seen him at his worst, but goddamn, I understand why other women do. 6'1, with a tradesman's body and those veiny arms that can make most women quiver, he really is a catch. Still not sure why he often chooses to be single. He regularly has women fawning over him, granted well over half of them are unstable and have daddy issues, but most men typically aren't opposed to that. He's the kind of guy who would rather reserve himself and his heart until he find someone who is worth the investment. I honestly admire that, even if I don't understand his restraint half the time.

We spent about two hours that night drinking and catching up, preparing our minds and bodies for the evening ahead of us. By the end of it, we were all properly sloshed and ready to head out on the town and crack open the oyster that would surely be our world. The taxi arrived around 10pm and drove us to the club somewhere deeper into Bushwick, the club was bustling and packed, so loud you could hear the thumping music through the cab doors on the approach, and practically smell the sweet scent of sweat from the celebrant on the inside. There were quite a few people packed on the outside smoking various substances, in various forms of going out attire, but the general vibe was dark, grunge, and mysterious from the outside. I could get behind that. My inhibitions were certainly significantly lowered by this point. We exited the cab as a group and approached the bouncer, it was late enough that the line was close to nonexistent. He scanned our ID's and led us in quickly afterward and through coatcheck, where we deposited our bags and changed into our night's attire. The men were slightly more scantily clad, each opting to lose their shirts, while Chloe removed her dress in favor of the somewhat more revealing corset-like top underneath and donned a matching miniskirt. I opted to keep my bottoms unchanged and a bralette in lieu of my crop top. With all the preparations completed, we emerged into the club floor as a group and took in the sights.

About 500 people packed in the surprisingly large space, the music was blaring. A throbbing mix of house and dubstep, with occasional lyrics for ambiance. The ceilings were abundantly high, with aerialists hanging from various contraptions and exhibiting their skillful bodies. The lights were too low to really take in the decor, but the floor was absolutely packed with people dancing rhythmically to the heavy bass beat of the music in an exuberant display of young adult freedom. I typically try to avoid clubs due to the often seedy vibes that one can get from them. But this was clearly a queer space, and I was clearly welcome and accepted here. That helped tremendously. So I let the group pull me towards the dance floor, and we made ourselves at home amongst the heart pounding beat. Within minutes, I let myself be consumed by the music and dancing, I let myself be encapsulated by the love of my friends, and I let myself be driven into a fervor by the madness of the crowd. It's so strange how one can find peace in such moments, but there, in the chaotic mess of dancing bodies, I found myself in a trance-like state of new age nirvana. I quickly became one with the mass of humans fervently oscillating to the music, and allowed my body and mind to be given away into the mob mentality. The peace that came with it was honestly sublime. I was no longer just one person, rather a simple cell amongst a larger organism, simply a part of a whole, and we moved as one in response to every key change, ever note, every beat for the bass drum. Nothing more than a natural reaction to an ever-changing stimulus.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I joyfully let the dancing consume me down to my very core for what felt like hours. I let my body and mind drift off, back to that wonderful primitive state in our very being. I stayed in that state with my friends, my truest friends, and together we were simply a part of an even larger writhing mass of organisms amongst the world. The beauty is lost on nobody who knows these experiences, but it's often not described enough. There's a reason music and dance are one of the most fundamental human experiences. After an indescribable amount of time, I was approached by a tall and muscular man from behind who proceeded to wrap his arm around my waist and dance closely behind me. I allowed it of course, with not enough light or sense of preservation to look into his eyes, I spent the next thirty minutes or so sensually grinding up against him until I was firmly in his arms and his lips were sensually upon mine. The feeling was nothing short of bliss, with the satisfaction to match. His hands were strong around my waist, and his lower half was perfectly tuned to mine and the undulating beat of the music. Together, we formed a perfect complement to the DJ's efforts. We danced in that fashion for what felt like hours until I heard the sweet, gravely tones of his voice in my ear requesting my number. He was apparently going out for a smoke and didn't want to lose me. That felt nice. I grabbed the phone I felt earlier from his pocket and drunkenly dialed in my number, thumbing the call button. Once I felt the phone in my purse ring, I handed him his phone back and went back over to collect my friends.

It wasn't difficult to find the three relatively nearby, we try to stick together for safety reasons, of course. Chloe and James were sensually dancing together in perfect synchronicity, I had to take a minute to watch, awestruck by how naturally their bodies and personalities complemented each other, it was beautiful to watch. Tommy was nearby as well, dancing respectfully with a group of girls in their earlier twenties. They all gesticulated and spoke into each other's ears, seemingly trying to have a conversation despite the powerful speakers. I was able to gather my friends with relative ease, tapping them each on the shoulder with a kind smile, and a two finger gesture to my lips indicating my desire. They nodded in turn, and we clumsily made our way off the dance floor, stopping by the bar to grab a quick drink. I ordered a double Margarita, and Chloe followed it up with a vodka cranberry, the boys got IPA's. We spent the next few minutes heading outside slowly, giggling amongst ourselves and exchanging inside jokes about Tommy's dancing skills.

The outdoor area of the club was a spaciously furnished rooftop, complete with moody lighting and a small DJ booth where less known artists could get exposure entertaining a less interested audience. The area was lined with a long U-shaped wooden bench that formed the perimeter, comfortably seating at least 40 or 50 people. Everyone was in their own little groups, lighting up, drinking, and having private conversations, with the occasional call for a lighter or something. We were able to find a spot with ease and thumped down on the hard benches.

"So Vi, seems like you found yourself to distract you for the night." Chloe remarked in a sing-song voice shortly after she lit her cigarette. "You two seemed very invested in each other."

"Oh god yeah, we had a bit of fun to say the least, did you get a good look at him, though? I couldn't really see his face" Not that I was overly concerned, his body and tongue were convincing enough.

"Oh he's definitely your type, that's actually him standing over there with a friend of his. These two were also a bit too busy to actually look around." Tommy finished his statement with a subtle head nod towards a couple of guys on the other side of the patio. They were both dressed similarly, in black jeans, basketball sneakers, and fitted buttoned shirts, one gray, one white. "I think the one on the right is your guy."

He absolutely matched what I imagined in my head from his general outline, he had a well-defined body, strong jaw, and crippling green eyes. My type, for sure. Fortunately, they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice the four of us drunkenly appraising them.

"We were actually being plenty observant Tom, just focused on different things, that's all. Do you mind if I steal a cig, by the way? I prefer menthol." James cut in with a sly wink over to Chloe, clearly still in a flirty mood after their dancing. He took the offered cigarette, lit it, and proceeded to full on slav squat. Clearly unwilling to sully his outfit by sitting on the ground or the dubiously clean benches.

"Well regardless of who was looking at what." Chloe chimed with an exaggerated ashing motion. "I'm proud of you Vi, not for bagging him, but just in general, for coming out and letting loose a little. I've been worried about you, and I don't wanna see you in a funk, or burnt out."

I gave her a quizzical stare before I answered. "What made you think I'm in a funk? I feel pretty fine." An obvious lie, but it felt necessary. I was trying to convince myself of the same thing.

Chloe responded with yet another dramatic gesture, this time raising her eyebrow in a clear you know exactly why I think that way. "You've been ignoring your friends and family for a while babe, anyone who knows you even a little can tell you're hyper fixated, or that you're spiraling. Which is it? And don't even try lying, I know your tells."

"Not to mention, you also haven't logged on to steam or discord in like a week." Tommy chipped in.

Shit, they're good, I should have known better than to assume I was behaving normally. I decided to respond with sass, hoping to add some levity to the situation. "Shit, okay, didn't realize this was an intervention, I've just been busy."

Chloe dropped her eyebrow, and her face became significantly more stern, a rare look for her, a warning. "Cut the crap, Vi, we're worried about you, what's going on?"

Damn it, there's no backing out of this now. I have to give them something, and it certainly can't be the whole truth, that would just inspire even more scrutiny. While I am very reassured by the fact that I have such amazing friends, it can make it quite difficult to do shady shit that they don't approve of. "I met a guy, and we've been spending a bit of time together lately. Nothing serious yet, but he's ... distracting. I'm sorry." By this point, the cigarette in my hands was nearly down to the filter, I put it out and flicked it off the rooftop before fishing a joint I rolled earlier out of my bag and lighting it instead. The sweet smell of the drug quickly washed over my senses, and the pavlovian response over the years of smoking immediately calmed my racing thoughts before I even took the first inhale. I took a few more long pulls before passing the joint to James.

"What guy would have you so invested? Don't tell me you're fucking Hozier." Chloe retorted with a quick chuckle, followed by Tommy and James. Even the group of girls next to us giggled, clearly having been invested in our conversation.

Before I could formulate a response, the tension was fortunately broken by a ding from my phone. I pulled it out of my purse to see a message from an unlabeled number.

Where'd you run off too?

1:34 PM

I let the relief visibly wash over me, realizing immediately that the man I was hooking up with might be my knight in shining armor at this moment. I thumbed a quick response before hitting the send button and putting my phone down.

I see you, gimme a sec

1:35PM

Kk

1:35PM

"That's Mr. Handsy I assume?" Tommy asked with a sly smile, passing the jay back to me.

"Yup! I replied enthusiastically. "Seems like someone is ready for round two. On that note, I know that this is unlike me, but I do like him, that's why I've been spending so much time with him. I'm trying to respect the men I have relationships with a bit more. I've been called a bitch so many times that it got me thinking I should consider giving the occasional man a shot every once in a while." I punctuated my sentence by handing Chloe the joint and returning my phone to my purse.

Chloe seemed moderately satisfied by that answer, and the look on her face suggested that she'd be willing to let the matter drop for now. "Fair enough, I'm glad you think you found one worth entertaining. Go scamper off. You're not off the hook yet, though." She put out her cigarette and focused on the other burning object in her hand. "Shall we have another drink before going back in gentlemen?"

As they nodded their assent, I got up and gave the three of them quick pecks on the cheek before heading over to what's-his-name. "Thank youuu, love you guys! I'll see y'all soon!" Thank god that ended reasonably. Hopefully, I'll be able to think of something to say before the next round of questioning. I downed the second half of my drink and headed over to the trash can to dispose of the cup. "Mr. Handsy" noticed me as I approached, and the recognition quickly washed over his clearly intoxicated face. He waited a minute for me to get close enough before speaking. "Hey sexyy, thought I lost yah there."

I responded to his question with a smile and a wink, before directing another kind smile to his friend as well. "Ready to go back inside, big guy?" He muttered something vaguely affirming, and I grabbed his hand, gave his friend a flirty wave, and led him back downstairs. He enthusiastically followed me down the stairs and into the club proper, not even questioning me when I proceeded to lead him past the dance floor and straight to the restrooms. They were all gender-neutral here, and he was apparently too enthused by the girl taking charge to think twice about where he was going. Not that he would object, of course. There was fortunately no line, so I was easily able to secure a stall, pull him in, and push him against the wall with my tongue down his throat. It's immensely satisfying to know that you have a man by his balls, and ever so easy to turn them into putty if you care to. I, personally, love taking full advantage of the body that I worked so hard to achieve, and have every intention of abusing the few privileges that come with it. We made out vigorously and I took my time undoing the buttons of his top before peeling it off him and caressing his generous frame. He stopped kissing my lips and started making his way to my neck, before I stopped him with a subtle finger and bit down on his neck sensually instead. The moan that escaped him damn near buckled my knees and only served to remove all doubts from my mind. I worked on his neck for a while, letting my hands slide all over his body, they soon wandered to his pants and I allowed them to undo the belt and top button of his jeans, giving me just enough room to slide in and grip his shaft. He was solid as a fucking rock, and that only served to satisfy me further. I could feel the tension in him, he was ravenous, and I knew he would consume me the second I let him. So that's exactly what I did, removing my mouth from his neck, looking deep into those jade eyes, and biting my lip for emphasis. He took the cue and promptly undid his zipper before literally picking me up and spinning me to put my back against the wall. The next seconds were nothing but a blur, but before I knew it he was hilt deep inside me and my brain simply stopped forming coherent thoughts.

"Gaddamn you are hot as shit." He exclaimed breathlessly into my neck as he slid in and out of me tirelessly while holding me up against the wall, my legs wrapped solidly around his waist, and the muscles tightened with his rhythm to push him ever deeper inside me with every stroke. It was finally time to let myself loose and allow my body to relent to his will, and I fully intended to submit myself. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled my lips back to his, it felt awkward allowing myself to moan in such a public place, but by this point I really could not care less who heard or what they would think. I let my enraptured moans escape and felt his confirming response as he thrust into me even harder than before, the feeling was nothing short of complete and utter bliss, and I shuddered with the waves of pleasure that overcame my body and mind. Before long, I was repositioned over the toilet with my face towards the back wall of the stall, he allowed one of my arms free for stability, but held the other tightly against my lower back for his own leverage. He was soon back inside me with a renewed vigor, and the sound of my ass clapping against his thighs resonated throughout the spacious restroom. I frankly didn't give a shit, I didn't care how loud and obnoxious we were probably being, I didn't care about the grungy bathroom, I didn't care about my worries or insecurities, and I sure as shit didn't care about who he was, I just wanted him deeper and harder. "Fuck you're good!" I moaned exasperated between thrusts and arched my back, searching for better angles.

It worked, before long I was once again overcome by ever building waves of pleasure that threatened to shatter my very being. I gave into the feelings and allowed by body and mind to be absolutely overcome by them, I was nothing but an object by this point and I loved it more with every fucking second. His pace became increasingly more fervent up to the point that I could feel the vein of his cock throbbing rhythmically deep inside me and that sent me over the goddamn edge. I lost myself to the orgasm just as I felt his load filling me up, and it fucking broke me, I screamed and buckled under the load of the overwhelming stimulus, but he did not allow me to fall. Instead, his arm wrapped around my chest and held it aloft, despite the protests from my legs. He punctuated his final thrusts with a deep shuddering moan and gently lifted my back against his chest, allowing me to ride out the overwhelming euphoria still very much coursing though my body.

We stayed like that for what felt like days, catching our breaths and wrestling control back over our bodies and minds, his cock remained deeply inside me, and I squeezed against it, enjoying the quiver of response on his end. "Don't do that if you don't want a second round" he chuckled into my ear from behind.

I got a grip on myself and responded slowly. "I don't think either of us are ready for that tonight. Plus, I have a feeling our neighbors would object." By this point, the post nut clarity fully rolled into my mind, and I was made distinctly aware of the smell and general grime of the restroom we were in. It's a nice club, but it's still a fucking club bathroom, god knows what yet-to-be-discovered diseases are thriving in this environment. "Do you mind giving me some privacy to pee and compose myself? I don't think we're at that level yet."

"Yeah no, I get that, I should probably check on my friend anyway, he's done a lot of coke tonight. Hit me up if you ever wanna go again. Name's Nick by the way. You?"

"Thank you, It's Vi, we'll talk."

With that, he saw quickly reassembled his clothing and saw himself out of the bathroom, leaving me to my devices. I sat down, peed, and cleaned myself up. I refused to feel shame about tonight, and I was sure as shit gonna enjoy myself while I was still young. I got up and fixed my outfit and makeup in the mirror before going back out into the club and finding my friends. It took a while, god knows how long we spent in there, but eventually, I found the three of them towards the back of the venue, Chloe was dancing on top of a set of speakers with another girl, presumably a new friend she made, while the boys were together on the floor hyping them up. Chloe noticed me easily due to the height advantage and helped me up onto the speaker with her. She leaned over and yelled into my ear, so I could hear her over the thumbing bass of the sound system.

"Looks like someone had fun tonight!"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"'Good, I'm happy for you, lets dance, were leaving soon."

I was disappointed, but I understood, it was probably close to 3 am by this point and I could feel the exhaustion washing over me, but I conceded and danced with her, once again letting my body fall into that familiar reverie. The music was slightly calmer by this point, not the live mixed EDM of the early night, but rather a mashup of familiar songs from the mid twenty-tens. We sang and danced to the beat, content to enjoy our youth with the backdrop of nostalgia.

----

We opted to take a cab together back to Chloe's home, too tired and drunk for the logistical planning involved in individual trips. The car ride was short and filled with exuberant energy as we each recounted the nights events and filled each other in on missed details, I let the energy seep out of me with my friends and had my head on Tommy's shoulder in the back seat by the end of it. We were all visibly exhausted and ready for some much-needed rest. Chloe assured us that we could all spend the night if we liked, and we all took the opportunity, certainly unwilling to spend the next hour on unnecessary travel. We exchanged stories again over a final bottle of wine and I told them of my private escapade while we got ready for bed. I opted for the pullout in the living room with Tommy, and Chloe and James elected for their bed in the next room. I soon found myself platonically cuddling with my best friend of over 20 years as we both quickly drifted off to sleep.