The One Who Holds It All

Maximus

Maximus

Trying to get through the crowd was becoming a nuisance. There were just too many people crammed into this bar. The music is too loud, the people are getting out of hand and, not to mention, it’s hotter than Hades in here. If one more girl grabs my arm, I think I’m going to explode. Why am I here? It’s not like I’m being forced to stay. The guys are all preoccupied with what looks to be a rather drunk slew of sorority girls. Just then, a tall, scantily-clad blonde stumbles onto me, grabbing on to my biceps with what appears to be a mix of support and admiration.

“I’m Candace,” she says with a sly grin. “Want to dance?”

I let out a big sigh. The things I do for my guys. These celebratory nights out are getting old, almost as old as me.

“No thanks,” I removed her hand from my arm. “But I can see that guy over there wants to.” I pointed in the direction of James, the tall guy in the corner.

She gives a frown as she senses my no-nonsense glare and stumbles away.

Where is Xavier, anyway? He is supposed to be the liaison between me and those who want to reach me. I haven’t seen him in a while.

Just then, a large hand clamps on my left shoulder, causing me to tense.

“Why do you always turn the cute ones down?”

I relaxed and started to turn around at the sound of Xavier's voice with a grin. “Because I know the one I want is out there somewhere, and when I find her, I won’t have any regrets.”

Just as Xavier starts to speak, I inhaled the most amazing smell I have ever smelled in my entire life; which is a pretty long time, considering my age. I put my fist up to his chest and started looking in every direction for the source of the smell.

“Xavier. Do you smell that?”

“Uh yeah, sure boss, we are pretty close to the most disgusting bar bathrooms I’ve ever encountered,” he replies, scrunching his nose and eyebrows. “These college kids are the most disgusting creatures I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s saying a lot, considering what you’ve encountered.” I laughed. “But no, not that. It smells like, I cant quite explain what it smells like exactly. It's just, intoxicating.”

“Is this the same smell you have smelled before? A few months ago at the football game? Remember you had to leave because it was driving you crazy. You missed the entire second half of the Buckeyes because of it!” Xavier whines.

“Yeah! That’s right, it, it is the same smell. Do you think it could be her?” I asked, wearing a slight frown. “I’ll never find her in this place.”

“If I could smell it too, I would be able to help you,” Xavier smirked.

“If you could smell it too, I would have to punch you right in your beautiful, chiseled jaw. You know I don’t share.”

The sternness of my voice and the serious look on my face deterred him from taking the joke any further. Xavier knows how long I have been searching, longing for the closeness of my one and only.

I started to walk towards the scent. It came from the bar in the middle of the room. It wraps around in the shape of an oval, with a dividing wall in the middle covered with mirrors. I hurried to the left, looking around at every girl I saw. I’m getting closer, the scent is getting stronger with each step I take. Just ahead, I saw a group of girls standing by the far end of the bar. The scent is so strong, I want to run and jump in the middle of the group. Straight ahead of me I saw one of the girls, a beautiful backside dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, a pair of heels on her feet, making her stand a few inches taller. Her black blouse and long, deep brown hair had me in a trance.

It's her.

The girl I have waited my whole life for.

The lights shut off. The music shuts off. Laser lights above the bar turned on and all the girls in the bar start squealing, making my eyes squint and my ears ring from all the noise. I look up to try to make out where she was, but I couldn’t see anything. Just then, the side lights turn on and Aerosmith starts blaring on the speakers. Girls start running towards the bar, and the bar becomes a dance floor. I started looking around frantically to see if she made it up on the bar. I tried for her scent but it has faded. I follow it, as it leads right out the door. I saw a group of girls getting into a car by the curb. I run out and try to catch them but as the last girl climbs in, the door shuts in my face and the car speeds away. I’m left alone on the sidewalk as I stare at the car speeding away. I made a note of the license plate and the make of the car.

At this point, if I have to hunt her down, I will.