CHAPTER 24: THREADING DANGEROUSLY

The phone rang and rang until it cut off. There wasn’t anyone on the other side answering it. Flora slammed it down in frustration. Impulsively, she jumped out of bed and changed into something more suitable for her next destination.

Once again, the blue and white strobe lights, heart-pounding, head-spinning rave music and the smell of weed greeted her as she walked in. Flora squinted her eyes as she tried to accustom herself to seeing in the dark. She scanned the room, hoping to find who she had come looking for.

“Flora?”

Flora turned and saw a familiar face – a face she thought she would never see again. “Hayden?”

“What are you doing here?” they asked each other in unison.

Hayden looked at her with a mix of suspicion and fear. He hoped she didn’t track him all the way here.

“Err…I’m looking for a friend,” Flora mumbled.

He nodded and quickly excused himself, wanting to put as much distance between Flora and him. Someone else brushed up against Flora and she turned to look. It was some guy…oh no, hang on, he wasn’t a guy. He was a she dressed in men’s clothes. ‘He’ smiled at Flora and gave her the look over a couple of times. Flora realised that ‘he’ was about to say something to her and she hastily moved away, avoiding eye contact with that person. She wove through the crowd, feeling really self-conscious whenever someone paused to stare at her. She was about to give up and go home when she finally saw her. She was with a group of people at the far end of the club. Flora hesitated a few seconds before she plucked up her courage. Taking a deep breath, she approached the group.

“Karen…”

Karen turned around. There was surprise written all over her face when she saw Flora. “Flora? What are you doing here?”

“Err…” Flora stammered, totally tongue-tied at the sight of Karen. “I couldn’t sleep.” It was a pathetic answer and Flora knew but it was all she could think of to say at that moment.

Karen looked at Flora worriedly. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be with Bowie tonight? What happened?”

Flora gestured nonchalantly with her hand rather than answer Karen’s question.

Karen eyed her curiously but decided to let the matter lie. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you to my friends,” she said.

Among her group, there was a particular someone whom Flora thought looked rather familiar. She couldn’t quite place him though.

“Flora, this is Steven. Steven, Flora.” Karen introduced them.

Flora swore that Steven looked at her rather strangely too and hesitated somewhat in saying ‘hello’. She would soon know why though.

Hayden appeared not too long after and threaded his arm through Steven’s. “I like this song. Let’s go dance,” he whined.

Steven tugged at Hayden’s sleeve and indicated towards Flora. They both froze at the sight of each other again. Hayden panicked. She was really stalking him!

“Do you two know each other?” Karen asked.

“Err…erm…yea,” Hayden stammered a reply. Flora attempted a weak nod of her head. Karen smiled.

“Oh good…then we don’t have to worry about ice-breakers.”

Hayden forced a grin and hastily mumbled some excuse and pulled Steven along with him towards the dance floor. It was then that Karen noticed the discomfort between Flora and the two guys. She leaned over and whispered to her. “Is everything okay?” she asked with concern, pointing first at Flora, then at the fast disappearing figures of Steven and Hayden.

Flora just smiled and nodded. There was no way she could tell Karen. It was way tooooo embarrassing!

“So, how do you know Steven?” Karen asked.

“Oh, I don’t know Steven. I know Hayden,” Flora replied cautiously. “He’s one of the models in my agency. Ermm…actually, he was one of the models in my agency.”

Karen nodded her comprehension. “Ah…I see,” thinking that that was the reason why they were so uncomfortable with each other. Flora probably terminated his contract or something like that…

“What about you? How do you know them?” it was Flora’s turn to be curious.

“Through mutual friends and through this place,” Karen grinned and gestured around her.

“Karen…” a female voice whined as a body brushed up seductively against Karen’s body. “I wanna dance. Let's go...”

Karen turned to see who it was. “Amanda…” she said, recognising her. “No, I’ll skip this dance. I don’t feel like it,” turning her down flatly and returning her attention back to Flora.

Amanda shot Flora a hateful glare. Flora noticed and stared back nonchalantly. Then feeling a little naughty, she purposely edged herself closer towards Karen and smirked at Amanda triumphantly. Amanda never took her eyes off Flora and Karen. Karen was very obviously giving all her attention to Flora and ignoring Amanda’s whims and whines. Flora, on the other hand, delighted in annoying Amanda by sticking close to Karen all night.

When Karen excused herself to go to the ladies, Amanda – not being able to stand it any longer – walked up to Flora and gave her a rough push on the shoulder. The force of the push as well as its unexpectedness, caused Flora to take a few steps backwards.

“Karen’s mine. Stay away from her, you slut,” Amanda growled at her.

Flora was a little taken aback. She hadn’t expected Amanda to get ‘physical’ but she kept her cool all the same. She had handled hundreds of little pests like her before. One puny little Amanda didn’t scare her a single bit.

“You’ve got it wrong,” Flora smirked. “It’s Karen who can’t stay away from me, not the other way around.”

“Oh, and another thing,” she continued. “You know, better a slut than a bitch. After all, people prefer and will talk to sluts which is more than I can say about bitches,” she said, placing extra stress on the last word.

Amanda stood there, mouth wide open, trying to think of a better comeback to Flora’s insult. Before she could say anything though, Karen returned. “What are you two talking about?” she asked.

Flora smiled. “Oh, we were just getting to know each other better.”

Amanda scowled and stomped off in a huff. Karen frowned at her and then looked at Flora curiously. Flora just shrugged.

“Women, who can understand them?” she chuckled.

By the time they got out of the club and into Karen’s car, it was close to five in the morning. “So, do you want to talk about it,” Karen finally asked Flora.

“Talk about what?”

Karen sighed. “Talk about what happened between you and Bowie. About why you were here tonight when you should have been with him.”

Flora shrugged. “Nothing happened. Literally. Bowie and I had a good time and when I got home I couldn’t sleep so I went to the club.”

Karen stared at her suspiciously. “I didn’t think you’d go to such a place again…and anyway, the club isn’t a place you should go to anymore either.”

“Why?” Flora argued. “You go there.”

“I’m different,” Karen reasoned.

“But I came to look for you…” Flora mumbled without thinking.

“Huh?” Karen stared at her.

“You know,” Flora quickly muttered, changing the subject. “It’s not such a bad place. There are lots of interesting people that go there.”

Karen frowned at Flora’s remark.

“Err…I don’t mean it that way,” Flora stammered when she realised what she just said didn’t turn out like she intended. “What I mean is that the people there are very different.”

Karen again frowned.

“Oh, err…nevermind,” Flora gave up trying to explain further lest she put her foot deeper and deeper into her mouth. “Look, forget all my earlier mumbo-jumbo,” she grinned sheepishly,

Karen grinned back and shook her head. “How much did you have to drink? You’re drunk.”

“I am not drunk,” Flora protested.

“No, of course not…” Karen laughed. “Talking gibberish is what you normally do anyway.”

Flora pouted childishly. “You’re so mean to me.”

Karen chuckled. “C’mon, it’s time you got home. Keong,” she tapped her chauffeur on his shoulder. “We’ll take Miss Lau home now, thanks.”

“No,” Flora argued. “I don’t want to go home.”

Karen raised her eyebrows. “You don’t want to go home…” she pondered. “Where do you want to go then?”

Flora curled herself up into a ball and leaned towards Karen. “Let’s go to your place instead,” she slurred. The alcohol was really taking an effect on her.

“My place?” Karen asked with surprise.

“Mmm…” Flora mumbled. “Haven’t seen your place yet…”

Karen looked at the balled-up, eyes-closed Flora leaning next to her. She couldn’t resist tracing her fingers over Flora’s face. Flora stirred at her touch and absent-mindedly grabbed her fingers, gripping them like some security blanket. Karen sighed at the look of Flora’s sleeping face.

“Keong, home please.”