Unexpected Love

Midnight

Emma's POV

I have the best friend ever.  We then get into her car and leave to go to dinner.  After dinner we check into the hotel.  She got us 2 nights, so we don’t have to worry about anything till Sunday!  We go up stairs and change into our bathing suits, and then head down to the pool.  They have an indoor/outdoor pool, and the hot tub is outside.  Even though it is July we still planned on getting in that hot tub!  We arrive and are the only ones in the pool area, which is very odd, but it is also almost 9:00 at night, so we don’t think much about it.  Bella jumps in first, and I follow, she comes up, and then I do.  We both look at each other laughing!  We didn’t remove our make-up, so much for waterproof. We swim for a while, and then these guys enter the pool.  

“Be cool, and don’t embarrass me Belle” I whisper at her.

“Hey how are you guys?” I hear Bella yell. 

“Great now they will want to talk, and the two drinks we had at dinner are wearing off.” I hiss at her.  I’m very shy, and don’t like talking to people that I don’t know.  

“Hey girls, how are you doing?  Too young to be on the floor, so mommy and daddy sent you to the pool?”  One of the boys asked.

“We are 26 if you must know.” I bark out

“Sorry about him, he gets this way when he has had too much to drink.” One of the other guys apologized for him.

“I’m sorry about my friend as well.” Belle speaks up.  “So what are your names, and since she told you how old we are, how old are you?”

“I’m Scott, and I’m 29, this is Frank, the one that called us young, and he is also 29, and this is Ryan and he is turning 30 tomorrow, and that is why we are here, for his birthday weekend.  What about you, what are your names?”

“NO WAY” Belle squeals.  “Tomorrow is her birthday too!  She will be 27 in a few hours, and I’m Belle, and that is Emma.  Nice to meet you guys.”

“Oh so birthday buddies.” Scott says, trying to make small talk.

“I guess so.” I say while trying not to roll my eyes.  

I just want to hang out with my friend, go up on the casino floor right before midnight, and have a drink in my hand at midnight.  I don’t need extra people tagging along.  I know how Belle gets when guys are around, she is so outgoing, and flirty, and I’m just awkward when it comes to talking to people outside our friend group.  Hopefully they don’t tag along all night.

We all swim for a while, and then I get out to my phone going off, it is 11:00.  “Belle, time to go.” I yell at her.  

As she gets out, I hear her say, “by the way we are in 17134.”

“Belle, why did you do that?” I whine, as soon as we are out of the pool area. “Didn’t you hear how one of them talked to us, he basically called us babies, do you think I want to be around that all weekend?”  

“Don’t mind him, what about Ryan or Scott, do you like either one of them?”

“I mean, yeah, half naked they all look good, but it isn’t about looks all the time Belle, sometimes it is about how they act and stuff, you know their personality.” 

“Let's head up to the room, so we can shower right fast, and do our hair and make up again, and get you that birthday drink!”

We manage to make it down stairs and to the bar by 11:58.  The bartender asks what she can get us.  “Two Grey Goose and cranberry with a splash of sprite.” Belle responds.  She pays, and hands me my drink.

“Here's to 27, Happy Birthday bestie.”  

“Thank you.”

We walk around and find a table to sit at.

“100.00 for each of us.”  Belle says with a smile to the dealer.  “After that, it is up to you!”

“Thank you for a great birthday.” I whisper.

After we have been playing a couple hands, and starting to have a convocation going with the dealer, Belle and her loud mouth tells her that it is my birthday, so of course, the dealer tells the pit boss, and he comes back with a t-shirt and a water bottle.  Now everyone knows it is my birthday, or they will by seeing what I’m carrying around.  

After we played 2 whole decks, and had a few more drinks, we headed over to the slots.  We just had fun that it was just the two of us, and I could tell that both of us were starting to let the alcohol get to us.  We look at the time, and it is 3:00 in the morning.

“I’m about ready to get these heels off, and go upstairs.” I say to Belle.

“One more drink, please.”

She gets up to go and find a cocktail girl, and just about falls getting up.

“I think we have had enough for tonight.  We will be here all day tomorrow, plus we have some in the room.”

We make it in the room, and we keep giggling like we did in college.  The way up to the room was funny though.  She heard the beep the elevator makes when it stops, but instead of going to the door that was open, she walks into the door she was in front of, which was shut.  Then we start singing while in the elevator, then when the elevator stopped and dinged again she yells, foods done!  Once in the room we can’t stop laughing, and we get undressed and get ready for bed.  I make us a drink, I don’t trust her. She will give you a glass of alcohol with a little bit of cranberry, and say she got it backwards, she made it with sprite and a splash of cranberry, when she didn’t add sprite at all!  After we finish our drink she doesn't ask for another one, and we just lay in bed talking.