The Boyfriend

They parked the car at a five minute walking distant parking lot. The streets were filled with parked vehicles and people getting ready for midnight. The Rockabillies entrance can be accessed from the narrow street where rows of bars, cafes and restaurants lined from end to end. They were playing all kinds of music that was jumbled up as they walked up to The Rockabillies.

Some people were too drunk to stand up and were just sitting on the pavement or leaning against the street lights still in their party mood. It was a warm night with no breeze. A tropical December night, something she never experienced before.

They walked over the long entrance over a wooden bridge. The jungle themed bar had swimming pools and a large whirl pool filled with visitors in their bathing suits holding their drinks. There were bars in between the pools. They walk past huts for people to sit and gather around tables with their group.

At the end of it were the lounges, seats under umbrellas facing a huge stage. A wide open space in front of the stage for people to stand. On the back of the stage was the beachfront where people can go straight to the ocean, or walk ten minutes to the Hard Rock Hotel nearby.

Top notch local bands performed there regularly like a mini concert. It was the local version of the Hard Rock Café. It was an outdoor venue and the drinks were much cheaper. Julie’s face was beaming with excitement, she was vibrating with the ambience. Before the band started the performance, she was at the bar ordering the drinks.

Andy didn’t know what hit him. It was supposed to be a date that he failed to initiate. He ended up going to a New Year’s Eve celebration with his date and The Boss. Andy didn’t mind the drinks at all, he would take anything to break the ice since the moment he got into the back seat of Nathan’s car.

He was dreading his poor game from the moment Julie told him Nathan was joining them on this supposedly “date”. He took big gulps of his whiskey and ordered another two. “Whoa … slow down buddy, the night’s still young,” Nathan patted him on the back and clinked his glass to his. “Yeup,” he said to himself and then bottoms up.

He thought the coast was clear for him to make a move on Julie. He was sure nothing was going on between her and Nathan, but then, this happened. The fact that Nathan wasn’t with his girlfriend on a New Year’s Eve was one thing, leaving Ardor on a night like that was another. He saw how Nathan was watching her. He took another big gulp on his whiskey, how was he ever going to compete with The Boss. To make things worse, Nathan paid for everything.

As the night moved along, he was feeling lousier. Julie was having the time of her life, she sang and danced along with the band’s performance. Somewhere between a tribute to Nirvana and Peal Jam, she was lost in the crowd, body surfed with all the strangers who shared the same hysteria.

By the time they started counting down for the new year, his vision was already blurry. He was aware that Nathan and Julie were standing beside him, not nearly as drunk as he was. Then he was sobered for a few seconds when Nathan kissed her on the lips when the clock struck twelve. A kiss that lasted two seconds too long and left Julie’s eyes widened.

She quickly turned to him and gave him a hug and a peck on the cheeks. The incident soon buried under the loud noise of people cheering, toasting, trumpet blaring and the fireworks show on the beach. He took another big gulp of his drink and swallowed the bitter truth. Julie was off limits for him now. He couldn’t help but think that he was there simply to witness and get the message that Nathan was trying to send him.

Less than ten minutes after that, it was all black for Andy.

***********

“He’s going to have a nasty hangover in the morning,” Julie said after they laid him on the floor sofa at Nathan’s villa.

“More than just a nasty hangover, I’d say,” Nathan said with a satisfied look on his face.

“I didn’t realize he was drinking that much.”

“He started pretty quick,” Nathan studied her face.

“I had a really good time tonight, thanks for letting me take the night off.”

“No problem, it was a needed break, I guess … I had a great time too,” still staring at her face.

“I’m gonna call Kelsey and wish her a happy new year,” she took out her phone.

“Okay … let me know if she picks up, I tried to call her earlier and got her voicemail.”

He put down his glass and walked over to his room, “Good night Julie,” he took another glance at her.

“Good night,” she said with a light smile.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

She went to her room and dialed Kelsey’s number, she paused for a moment and changed her mind. She put the phone down on the pillow next to her, her head felt light. She remembered the kiss, she was going to call Kelsey in the morning instead.