Girls’ Night Out

I hadn’t realized how much the stress from work was taking a toll on me until I finally got to see my girls again. Working five eight-hour night shifts a week left me with two days off in a row only twice a month and trying to get all of our work schedules to jive was not easy. So when every one of us, Lisa, Tracy, Paige, Sherry, and myself had tonight off we dropped everything to go out and dance.

I swung by and picked Tracy up from her parent’s house. She came out wearing a cute red skirt with a black sweater, her long dark hair left wavy and slightly teased.

“Do you think you’ll be warm enough in that?” I asked as she hopped in the car.

“Oh Yeah, you know how warm it gets in the clubs,” she replied.

“Yes that’s true. And I guess you won’t end up with a coat that smells like cigarettes like I will at the end of the night,” I said and Tracy nodded.

“So you decided to give up the dorm live tonight and hang at the parent’s, this weekend,” I said.

“Oh God. That dorm room is disgusting! I came home from a date the other night and walking to my room there was a trail of shit running down the hall. It was so disgusting I nearly vomited up my dinner,” she said.

“How the heck does that happen? Even if you had to go to the bathroom so bad and didn’t make it the poop should be in your pants not on the ground. What the hell? Were they doing running down the hall naked and pooping?” I asked.

“In the dorm, it wouldn’t surprise me,” she replied.

“So… did you examine it? What did it look like? Did it smell like C. Diff?” I asked teasingly.

“You really are disgusting, Hope,” she replied.

“What? The nurse in you didn’t inspect it?” I asked. “The other day my patient flushed the toilet without letting me see his poop.”

“So,” Tracy said.

“Well he had been constipated so it was important for me to look at it!” I exclaimed. “Anyway so I see him in his doorway. He was a large Italian guy. Like could have been in the mafia. So I ask him, ‘were you successful?’ and he says yes. And since he didn’t save it I had to ask him ‘well was it a lot? What did it look like?’ He shrugs his shoulders and says ‘well, uh, I don’t know… like a bon-bon.’” I said in a deep masculine voice.

“A Bon-Bon?” Tracy asks.

“Yes a Bon-Bon! Damn it! I liked Bon-Bon’s now the thought or site of a Bon-Bon makes me envision his big ass and one of them coming out of it. UGH!” I said.

Just then we pulled in front of Lisa’s and I beeped the horn. Within a couple of seconds she came out. As she entered the car so did the cool crisp winter air. The warm cozy environment that had transpired from our ride was swiftly replaced. It felt nice if only for a moment.

“So where are we headed girls?” Lisa asked. “My bootie is ready to shake!” Lisa always had the most energy and loved to dance.

“We are meeting Paige and Sherry at Studio 31,” I said.

“Studio 31?” Lisa groaned. “Who’s idea was that?”

“Now who do you think? The place is packed with guido’s from the south side,” I replied.

“Oh Sherry!” Lisa groaned again.

“Now stop complaining. We are going to have a great time no matter where we go,” I said. “Besides we don’t have to stay there. We have all night my friends,” I said smiling.

Studio 31 proved to be a great warm up spot. We got out of the car and the temperature seemed to be dropping, the damp air making the cold bitter. The warm, smoky air seemed to envelope us as we walked in. We found Sherry and Paige at the bar talking to some guys. As we approached, the heavy south-side accents told us they were indeed from the south side of Chicago. That was Sherry’s kind of boys.

After dancing for a couple of hours we decided to hit a club deeper into the city. Pulling around the club we looked for parking and a couple of blocks away found a parking spot on the street. The block was dark with minimal streets lights. It gave me an eerie feeling.

“Are you sure we can park here, Tracy?” I asked hoping we would see a no parking sign.

“Yes. I’m sure. Stop being such a suburbanite!” Tracy said.

So we left the car there and ran to the entrance. We paid our cover, checked in our coats and then entered the club. Something about the thump, thump, thump of the music made me forget about my car parked on the dark city street and want a shot. I always felt more comfortable dancing with a good buzz anyway.

I grabbed Tracy, “Common, let’s go get a shot! I need one after this past week.”

“Alright, alright,” she said as I dragged her to the bar.

“So how’s work,” she asked as our lemon drops were set before us.

Our shot glasses clanked and I winced at the sourness as it slid down my throat.

“Oh my god. I have to tell you what I did to one of the doctors. He’s such a jerk and I got in trouble from my manager because of him… Well not entirely because of him and my manager is a bitch too but that’s a whole ‘nother story,” the bar tender handed us a couple of beers and I took a swig before I continued. “Anyway, I left work so pissed I could feel my pulse in my ears and I happened to come upon this doctor’s car and before I knew what I was doing I was on the ground releasing the air from his tire.”

“HOPE! Oh my god. You are crazy,” Tracy said laughing.

“I know I felt like Sherry or something. She’s usually the one losing her temper but I was so mad,” I replied. “I feel much better now though! Especially, after that shot. Let’s go hit the dance floor!”

We found Sherry and Lisa getting down to the Macarena. We joined them shaking our booties and slapping each others ass as we got down. Before I knew it the music changed and Return of the Mack was playing and I was pressed against some hot guy. As our bodies rocked the music changed again and the techno beat and undecipherable lyrics of Push the Feeling On by the Nightcrawlers came on. Getting on to the beat of the music my hand naturally grabbed his ass pulling him closer to me. His back was damp from sweat but the sweet smell of his cologne turned me on so when he bent down and kissed me, it only seemed natural to kiss him back.

The song came to an end and suddenly the lights were on. People were yelling in search for their friends. In a state of confusion, I looked around for my friends. I almost started to panic when I heard Sherry, “little Hope, come on its time to go.”

“Oh man, where’d the night go?” I said.

“You spent it dancing with the hotty,” Sherry replied.

“Shit he was fine wasn’t he,” I said in excitement looking around for him but not really sure I would even recognize him in the light.

“Did you get his number? What’s his name,” Sherry asked.

I stopped for a minute as I realized that I didn’t have a clue. “His name,” I started laughing, “I don’t know. Is it really that important to know someone’s name,” I said between giggles.

“Oh Hope! You were just sucking face with the hottest guy in the bar and you don’t even know his name?”

We were both in tears as we exited the bar. The sudden burst of cold air felt refreshing. I hadn’t realized how warm and stuffy the air was in the club or how hot my body had become.

“It’s snowing,” I said as a flake dropped on my nose. The cars parked on the street had a layer of snow on them and as I turned the corner there was

Tracy, Lisa and Paige. Lisa and Paige with their hands shoved down their coat pockets and Tracy, probably now second-guessing leaving her coat at home, all jumping up and down to keep warm with a layer of snow on their heads.

“My god! What the heck took you guys so long? We’re freezing our butts off and they wouldn’t let us back in,” Lisa said.

“Hope was sucking face,” Sherry said.

I tried to defend myself, “I didn’t even hear them call last call.”

“Hope, who are you trying to kid. You didn’t want to hear last call,” Tracy said.

We got to Sherry’s car first and after a set of hugs and kisses, she and Paige drove off. Tracy, Lisa, and I headed around the corner to my car. The snow covering the ground gave the street more light than earlier but still a shadow lay over the car. As we got a bit closer I saw a dark figure come out from behind the vehicle. I grabbed Tracy and Lisa’s arm to alert them. The adrenaline running through my veins told me to run but the three of us walked warily closer. As we approached a second figure came out the other side of the car with something in his hand. We weren’t quite within hearing shot of them and I wasn’t even sure they saw us coming.

“Is that a weapon?” I whispered to Tracy and Lisa.

“I don’t know what it is,” Tracy whispered back.

“Should we turn around and go back,” I asked hoping they would say yes.

No sooner were the words out of my mouth the two figures saw us and started coming toward us.

“Too late,” Lisa said.

I felt panic running through me and told myself to remain calm. “Oh God please don’t let this be karma for letting the air out of Dr. Evangelist’s tires. I am sorry and will never do it again,” I prayed to myself.

“Is this yours car?” the first dark figure asked. The large gap between his teeth gaped at me as he smiled.

“Yes,” I said trying to hide my fear. I was ready to hand my keys over and thought I would faint when the second figure pulled out his weapon. I was ready to hand over my entire purse but instead of using the weapon on us he started to scrape the snow and ice off of my window. “It’s just a snow scraper! It’s just a snow scraper!” I thought to myself. “Holy shit! Thank you, Lord! It’s just a snow scraper!”

The first figure came a bit closer, “Weeze been watch’n yours car to make sure it is safe.” We all looked at each other, the relief apparent on our faces, as we realized that we didn’t have two thugs trying to rob us but instead two homeless men trying to make a buck. “You’ze zee,” he said between his gaping teeth and pointed to my tires. “All hubcaps still on,” and as he moved to the side of the car he pointed again, “and no scratches,” he said.

“And now you can see… no snow,” the second man said as he pointed to the windshield that he had scraped for us.

Each of us dug in our purses for the last few dollars we had and handed them over to the homeless men.

“Thank you so much,” I said as we quickly got in the car, my tires skidding in the snow as we drove away.

“Oh, my gosh!” I said trying to maintain control of the vehicle. “I have never been so scared in my life!”

“Jesus, Hope. Don’t kill us trying to get away from the homeless men,” Tracy exclaimed.

“All right, all right,” I said trying to calm my shaking hands. “But you can’t say that you weren’t scared too,” I glanced at her through my rearview mirror.

“Yes, I admit it. I was scared too,” Tracy said.

“Anyone hungry?” Lisa asked.

“Hungry!! How can you even think about food right now?” I replied.

“Cause I danced the night away. That’s how!” she said.

“Yeah, I can always eat,” I said after a moment.

“Me too,” Tracy agreed.

As we got closer to the suburbs the snow had fallen much harder. Everything was layered in snow. We stopped at an all night diner and ate breakfast. By the time I dropped Lisa off at her house it was nearly four in the morning and it looked like there was at least 6 inches of snow on the ground. Tracy and I laughed most of the way home reminiscing about moments during the night. By the time I pulled up to Tracy’s house at least a couple more inches of snow had fallen. Large flakes landed on my windshield only to be swept away by my windshield wipers. Tracy dug in her purse for her keys.

“Don’t tell me you lost them,” I said as she groped.

“No, I probably left them in the house. But no worries there is a spare set in the back. Could you drive me there?” she asked.

Tracy’s house was on the top of a hill so driving to the back of the house meant going back out of the subdivision to the main road. I pulled over to the side of the road and prayed a cop wouldn’t come by.

“Ill wait to make sure you get in I said,” as Tracy got out and headed up the hill toward her house. I watched and laughed as she trekked her way up in her short red skirt. Each step up she took, took her deeper and deeper into the snow. The snow was up to her thighs, she struggled to get through and when she fell and I could barely see the top of her head, I couldn’t help but laugh even harder. I rolled down my window and could hear her laughing as well.

“Are you going to make it,” I yelled between giggles.

“Almost there!” she yelled back. At this point all I could see was the back of her behind as she tried to crawl up the hill on all fours trekking through the snow like a snowplow. Finally when she reached the top, covered from head to toe in snow, she stood up and took a bow. She had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. She disappeared as she looked for the key and I waited for a light to go on in the house but instead she emerged at the top of the hill again, this time with a saucer in her hand. Oh No she’s not going to do it. I glanced into my rearview mirror to make sure no cars were coming. She sat on the saucer and gave herself a push and came down the hill like a flash of lightening. Laughing I watched as she hit the curb and flew out of the sled landing with a thud in front of the head lights of my car. For a moment, she didn’t move. I ran out to the front of the car to find her on her back rolling in laughter.

“What the hell!” I said but the sight of her made my laughing fit start up all over again. By the time we both got back in the car, my eyes had tears in them and I could barely hold my bladder. Her house key had not been there, so I drove us back to my house. I gave her a fresh warm set of pajamas to wear to bed and we both crawled in to bed still giggling about her snow experience.