FATE REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 2

She opened her eyes, and her eyes flicked at the neon sign in front of the bus stop. As she stared at that neon sign, an impulsive thought took over her mind, and for the first time in her twenty-one years of life, that impulsive thought won. She got up and walked to that nightclub; for a while, Lucy just stood there and stared at that club's building; as she approached, the vibrant energy of the nightlife district became palpable; the music was so loud that she could hear it even though she was standing outside. The club was a combination of rustic and modern flair, with big wooden double doors at the entrance with huge glass. Two large windows at either side of the door, bright, colorful lights, a disco, and shadows of people dancing could be seen through the frosted glass. Lucy advanced towards the entrance; she placed her hand on the large vertical door handle, the metal handle cold to touch. Pushing it, she finally entered the club.

As she entered, an entirely different life was going on there. The club was crowded; the air filled with a mix of scents – the tangy smell of freshly squeezed fruits, the bitter-sweetness of cocktails, and a light hint of perfume or cologne worn by people. A myriad of neon purple, blue, and pink lights cast a glow over the entire venue. The beats of music weaved through the club; girls in shimmery dresses danced and shook their bodies on the dance floor, carefree and happy as if they never had any sorrow or grief in life, as if they didn't have any tension. Some couples stood kissing each other so passionately in a corner as if there were no tomorrow. The bartenders were busy serving everyone drinks. Boys sat on the bar stools and flirted with girls, buying them drinks. The DJ was busy mixing and blending music and beats; spotlights and laser lights swayed through the club.

Lucy walked, pushing people and moving forward. She was never the girl who went to parties or nightclubs, but tonight was different. Lucy walked towards the bar and sat on one of the empty bar stools.

"A shot of tequila," she ordered the bartender.

A boy sat beside her as the bartender went away to get her order. He was muscular and brawny, he wore a half sleeved tee with ripped jeans, and he wore a ring as a necklace and had light stubble.

"Hi," he greeted.

Lucy offered him a smile and nodded slightly. The bartender poured the tequila into the shot glass and slightly pushed it towards her. Lucy picked it up and stared at it for a second, and then she gulped it down in a breath. She squeezed her eyes and shook her head as she swallowed the tequila.

"May I buy you a drink?" asked the boy.

"No, thanks. I can buy the drink myself," said Lucy, ordering another tequila shot.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone," said Lucy, looking into his eyes. As he heard, he grinned and left Lucy.

Lucy kept ordering tequila and gulping down shots one after another. Then, she got up and joined the people on the dance floor. She started dancing, swaying her body and hair with her closed eyes and extending her arms upwards. She danced, syncing her moves with the electrifying music; the hem of her dress twirled as she rotated her body lightly. The tempo shifted, and the music took a new turn, and she changed her movements and twerked, drawing attention to herself. The boys around the dance floor started gathering and dancing around her. As she danced and danced, Lucy felt a hand coming from behind and grabbing her waist, and slid up towards her chest, caressing her breast. She turned towards the man, letting him hold her waist, and continued dancing. The man danced, too, grabbing her by the waist and sliding his hand downwards towards her hips. Lucy willingly let that man do it; he rested his hand on her hips, running his palm all over. Another man came from behind and s*****d her lightly as she twerked. Lucy stopped and looked at that man, then moved forward, cupping his face. She kissed him suddenly, locking her hands around that man's neck; that man kissed her back and ran his palm on Lucy's hip, cupping and squeezing it. After a minute of kissing, Lucy moved away slightly and danced so much that her leg almost gave up.

Lucy got out of the club clumsily, stumbling in her own footsteps. She staggered unsteadily and blinked her eyes rapidly with heavy eyelids, struggling to maintain a clear gaze. As Lucy walked towards the road, she felt a firm grip on her wrist pull her back, and just right then, a truck crossed the road, brushing her body.

"Thaaa…nk, you," thanked Lucy and looked at that man. He was a bodybuilder, a foot taller than Lucy, his left bicep covered in a dragon tattoo, and his bald head shone lightly in the street light. The man smiled and held her by her shoulders to steady her.

"You… you are the same man… the one I kissed," said Lucy in her drunken voice and grinned widely. Lucy stumbled again and fell, colliding with that man's chest.

"Oops, sorry."

"No problem, darling," said the man and grinned.

"I am Jonathan," introduced the man.

"I… am…. Lucy," told Lucy.

"Let's stand on a side," suggested Jonathan. Lucy nodded.

Jonathan grasped her wrist and led her to the car park; the parking area had an eerie silence, and no one was in sight. Lucy followed Jonathan, and he led her to his car, a black Corolla. As they stopped there, Lucy rested her back on the car's bumper. Jonathan started kissing Lucy again, trying to get his tongue inside her mouth. Lucy parted her lips, inviting his tongue in, and Jonathan forced his tongue down her throat while running his one hand on her back and squeezing her hip with the other.

"Your place or mine?" asked Jonathan. Lucy stopped kissing and took deep breaths as she looked into Jonathan's ocean-blue eyes. She shook her head in denial. Jonathan stared at her for a while and rested his hand on Lucy's thigh, and then he started sliding his hand up and under while resting his other hand on the curve of her hip.

"Hey!" As someone shouted this, Jonathan whipped his head in that direction. The boy came forward and near Lucy and Jonathan.

"Tryna take advantage of a drunk girl, huh?"

"It's none of your business, intruder," said Jonathan.

"Do you know him?" he asked, looking at Lucy. Lucy shook her head.

"Listen, bastard. Go away from here before I call the police."

Jonathan looked at him and then at Lucy, then let go of Lucy and walked away. Drunk Lucy fell forward, saved by that boy. Lucy vomited and then passed out on that boy's arm. The boy sighed for a while and thought about where to take her.

"Let's go, girl."

He picked her up and made his way toward his car. Opening the car's door, he put her in the back seat; after sitting in the driving seat, he drove off.

***

Lucy changed her position from left to right and slightly opened her eyes, looking at the window; the sunlight entering the room through the window lit the whole room. She sat up and rubbed her bleary eyes, blinking rapidly, looking here and there around her, her hair dishevelled.

"Good morning," said that boy holding a cup on a saucer.

Lucy finally regained consciousness and looked at that boy with furrowed brows, clutching the blanket to her chest. The boy sat down next to her. Lucy stared at him and then peeked inside the blanket; she was shirtless, only in her bra, and her underwear was half down. A wave of shock and confusion passed through her face, trying to remember last night, but her mind refused to work. In contrast to that, that boy's expression was quite relaxed.

"Did we…?" asked Lucy. The boy said nothing and just laughed, increasing her confusion.

"Wait… what the hell happened last night?" she thought.