“This is SO much fun!” I yell to Jade over the loud music and she nods in agreement.
The guys have the night off and it had been my idea to hit this club. I have read pretty good things about it and so far it is living up to the hype. It has a wicked VIP area with black leather couches and zebra print rugs. AJ has set up home in there and is refusing to come out. Jade and Brian got back from Atlanta this afternoon. They seem to have had a great time and Jade’s family love Brian already. Apparently Brian and Jay had gone on a male bonding trip and did a little fishing in the process. I can just imagine that – it makes me giggle. The music changes to drum and bass and we decide to go grab a drink and sink into a leather couch. I follow Jade back into the VIP area. AJ is on one couch with four girls, looking like a king on his throne. We give him a wave and then find our own couch.
“Wonder where the other guys are?” muses Jade.
“Around I guess,” I shrug and look around the room. “Hey, isn’t that Brian over there?”
“Where?” Jade looks. “Yeah. Who’s he with?”
Brian is sat on a couch across the room with a blonde girl. Their bodies are turned towards each other and he is chatting animatedly. She is laughing.
“I hate her already,” Jade turns back to me.
“She’s probably just a fan and he’s bein’ polite.”
“Nup, Brian polite is NOT like that,” she states.
“Go over then. Get him to introduce ya,” I suggest.
“No, it’s cool,” she shrugs and turns back to me but I can tell it’s really bothering her.
“Jade, go find out!”
“Well ok, maybe I will just go say hello,” she stands up with her drink. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“I’ll be here,” I tell her as she walks away.
I walk slowly over to where Brian is laughing with a blonde girl. She is real pretty I guess. Long blonde hair, blue eyes and a dress that shows off her long toned legs. I really hate her. I plaster a smile on my face as I reach them. Neither looks up so I clear my throat a little.
“Hey,” I say and they look up.
“Oh hi Jade,” Brian smiles. “You ok?”
“Yeah, I’ve been dancing with Ali.”
“Cool,” he makes no move to introduce me to his partner so I decide to do it myself.
“Hi, I’m Jade,” I hold out my hand and she takes it with a smile.
“I’m Sarah,” she says in a heavy Kentucky accent.
“Good to meet ya,” I smile. “So, you guys just met?”
“No,” she laughs. “We’re old friends. We actually used to date but I haven’t seen Brian for so long.”
“You dated?” I look at Brian.
“Yeah,” he nods. “It is so good to see you again Sarah,” he turns to her. “You look so good.”
“Thank you,” she giggles. “You do too. I wish you’d experiment with your hair sometimes though…”
“Hey, leave the hair alone!” he laughs. “Why mess with perfection?”
“Oh jeez, perfection?!” she laughs hard. “You’d look good all spiky…”
“I would not!”
“Ah maybe not,” she giggles. “You look pretty cute the way you are.”
“Why thanks,” he grins. “Say, you remember that time I took you to the record company party and…”
“I got this sudden urge for a margarita and you tried to make me one but you threw the olives across the bar by mistake!” she laughs and he joins in.
“Well, I guess I’ll…” I start off.
“Ok, bye,” Brian says without even looking back at me. “And that time we…”
I walk back to Ali feeling incredibly mixed up. I know I shouldn’t feel threatened but I do. She’s his ex for God’s sake. And very pretty too. And he is obviously very pleased to see her again. I know I have no right to be jealous, after what I did to him with JC, but I do. I down my drink and put the empty glass down.
“Wanna go dance?” I ask Ali who agrees and follows me out of the VIP area.
“Well?”
“She’s his ex-girlfriend,” I tell her. “And they looked pretty damn cosy. I felt like the stranger there!”
“They’re probably just catching up,” Ali tries to make me feel better.
“Re-living their relationship more like,” I mutter.
“You’re jealous.”
“I am NOT!” I say and Ali gives me a look. “Ok, maybe I am. But how would you feel if that was Nick?”
“The exact same way,” she admits. “It’s human.”
“It’s a sucky feeling,” I whine. “And I can’t do what I want to do!”
“Which is?”
“Go and grab Brian!” I say. “I just want her to know that he’s my guy and… I guess I wanted him to introduce me as his girlfriend to her or at least invite me to join them!”
“Go tell him that then,” Ali says. “Just go ask him for a minute away from her and tell him how you feel. It’s a helluva lot better than beating yourself up about it.”
“No, he’ll think I’m dumb.”
“Maybe but he’ll be damn flattered ya got so jealous!” Ali grins. “It’s cute when Nick gets jealous of me. And I bet you think the same of Brian.”
“Well, yeah…” I grin. “He gets this cute pout going.”
“Hell, you can pout with the best of ‘em!” Ali giggles. “So go work it.”
“Ok, I will,” I decide and walk back into the VIP area. Brian and Sarah are still sat together and I walk over. “Uh, sorry to butt in but… Brian, could I talk to you? Just for a minute or so.”
“Sure,” he looks up at me.
“In private?”
“Oh, ok,” he nods and stands up. “I’ll be right back so don’t go anywhere,” he tells Sarah who giggles in response. He follows me to a quiet corner and I lean against the wall. “Ok, what?”
“Ok… Uh, I’m kinda feeling a little weird here,” I stutter slightly and he looks confused.
“Weird how?”
“About you and Sarah. I guess I’m a little jealous,” I admit and he stares at me.
“Of Sarah?! Why?”
“Well cos you guys dated once and you obviously still get on real well. And you didn’t introduce me as your girlfriend or ask me to join you. You just kept talking about dates y’all had like you wished they weren’t over,” the words come tumbling out of my mouth.
“You done?” he sounds amused and I nod.
“And it’s not funny!”
“I didn’t say it was. Ok, so we dated. Jade, you can’t get jealous over EVERY girl I’ve ever dated. Just like I can’t for every guy you dated. We dated but we also broke up and there was a very good reason for that. It had just run its course and this is the first time I’ve seen her since. And she knows you’re my girlfriend. I told her about you right after we said hello, practically! And you could’ve just sat down instead of waiting to be asked.”
“No I couldn’t,” I whine slightly. “You were practically ignoring me!”
“I was not,” he defends. “Jade, don’t be so dumb about this.”
“Ok, fine!” I say angrily. “I won’t be dumb. You go back to your ex girlfriend and I’ll go back to Ali.”
“Jade,” he says wearily. “You are very welcome to join us.”
“I know where I’m not wanted,” I say and flounce off.
Yes, I know. Flouncing is more suitable for a three year old than for me but I just couldn’t help it. I want him to run after me but he doesn’t and I end up by the bar ordering a drink. I know I’m being childish but I just kinda feel like I need him to give me some dramatic show of how much he prefers me over her. I guess I’ve read too many trashy novels in my time. You know the type, girl meets square-jawed man with flashing eyes, hates him on sight, falls in love gradually, sees him with another woman, flounces off, he follows and pulls her to his heaving chest roughly and tells her she is the only one for him before proceeding to ravish her. I down my drink in one and watch Ali dancing with Nick. They look like they’re in a world of their own so I decide against joining them. I spot Howie dancing with a group of people and decide to join him. I head over but before I get there, Brian finds me.
“Jade,” he yells over the music or maybe he’s yelling anyway.
“What?!” I yell back, not sure if it’s cos of the music or the way I feel. Probably both.
“Come with me!” he yells again and pulls me outside the club.
“What?” I ask and lean against the cool stone wall.
“You know what,” he says. “Look, I’m sorry if I didn’t take your feelings seriously but I just can’t believe you would be jealous. She’s my EX for a reason, you know. And you’re the one I’m marrying on Saturday.”
“I know,” I mutter. “I guess I’m jealous of the history she has with you. Like that margarita thing.”
“WE have a history too,” he says. “We also have a present and a future.”
“I know,” I hang my head slightly. “Sorry for gettin’ so dramatic on you.”
“It’s ok. I’m glad you told me,” he hooks a finger under my chin and makes me look at him. “And it’s kinda cute.”
“Well it didn’t FEEL cute,” I tell him.
“I love you,” he chuckles and kisses me.
“I love you too,” I say as he steps away from me slightly. He starts to wind my hair around his finger. “You told her she looked SO good,” I mutter, still feeling a little jealous.
“Well she did!” he laughs.
“I know,” I pull a face. “Brian, I look NOTHING like her! I don’t get how you can date HER and then ME. We’re total physical opposites.”
“I always dated blondes before I met you Jady. And I also never fell in love before I met you,” he smiles and entwines his fingers with mine. “And I’m not dating you anymore.”
“Don’t be funny,” I mutter.
“It’s true!” he exclaims. “As from this moment, we are not dating.”
“What are we then?”
“We’s gettin’ MARRIED,” he says with a big cheesy grin on his face.
I giggle and pull him close to me again for a long kiss.