Chapter Two
1156 Words
“Hey babe, let's go to the bar tonight,” Clara said as she reached Madison's desk.
Madison raised her head at the sound of her friend’s voice. “It's not the weekend,” she replied.
Clara rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a sourpuss. You can go to the bar any day—it doesn’t have to be Friday.”
Madison sighed. Clara always had a way of dragging her into things. “You’ll have to go without me. I have a lot to do.”
“So do I. I just need to hit the club tonight. Please go with me,” Clara pleaded, making a puppy-dog face. When she saw that Madison wasn’t budging, she asked, “What case are you even working on?”
“I have a…” Madison trailed off. It was a secret investigation, and she wanted to prove she could handle it on her own.
“What?” Clara attempted to peep over the counter.
“Nothing.” Madison quickly shut the file on her desk.
“Award winner of the year,” Clara teased. “One night out won’t kill you. Just come with me. You don’t have to drink, I promise.”
Madison groaned. “Don’t you have other friends?”
“Nope. You’re the only one I have. My friend since forever.”
Madison laughed. “Is this supposed to convince me? You look ridiculous.”
Clara gasped. “No way! I know I look good. Have you seen this?” She twirled around, sticking her ass out.
“I only see someone who’s full of herself,” Madison replied, knocking her friend’s ego down a notch. Clara was beautiful by all standards, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t tease her.
“I know a hater when I see one.” Clara waved her off. “So, is that a yes?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Meet me at Desires at 7 PM.”
“I haven’t agreed to this,” Madison protested.
“I love you too. Muah!” Clara called as she walked away.
Madison shook her head. Clara was a handful. There were a lot of things she could do, and this wasn’t one of them.
She turned her focus back to the file in front of her—The Murder of Mr. Shawn. As she skimmed through the statements, a name caught her attention: Desires Bar. It was highlighted.
Desires Bar? The same one Clara wanted to go to tonight.
She exhaled. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
"I’ll meet you after work," she texted Clara. Her reply came almost immediately, and Madison could practically see her grinning.
"I am the most persuasive person. It’s no wonder I always manage to get information," Clara wrote.
Madison rolled her eyes. If it weren’t for her agenda, she’d be at home right now, sipping a drink and relaxing. That was the original plan.
---
At 7 PM, Madison arrived at the bar. A bouncer opened the door for her—expected, since it was a private club.
She scanned the area. It wasn’t too crowded. Music blared from the speakers, and the atmosphere had a posh feel. People sipped their drinks, chatting in low tones.
Clara waved when she spotted her. Madison walked toward her, noticing that she was sitting in a secluded area—with two other friends.
Of course. Trust Clara to turn a simple night out into a whole gathering.
“Hey, girls,” Madison greeted cheerfully as she reached the table. She exchanged cheek kisses with the two women—Amy and Ava—who smiled in return.
“Hey, darling. I think you missed me,” Clara replied, her tone slurred.
Madison narrowed her eyes. “You’re drunk. When did you even get here?” She sat on the sofa as they made space for her.
Clara shook her head, trying to recall. “An hour ago, or so. I’m fine. Just a little tipsy. I can still walk perfectly in heels.”
“Right,” Madison replied, unimpressed. The other two girls laughed.
“She dragged our asses out here,” Amy added.
“So, what are we celebrating?” Madison inquired.
“Life, love, happiness,” Clara said dreamily, her eyes hazy.
“Gosh, you’re a mess. You need to go home,” Madison suggested.
“No way. I called this meeting. My only mistake was drinking before you girls arrived,” Clara refused.
“Okay, I’ll leave you alone,” Madison said, turning to the other girls. They chatted about everything that had been going on in their lives.
“You abandoned us,” Amy teased after a while.
“Of course not. I would never,” Madison replied. “I’ve just been busy with—”
“Work. We know. We’re the jobless bunch,” Ava teased with a smirk.
“You should know that’s absolutely not what I meant,” Madison defended.
“Yeah, we’re just kidding. Aren’t you going to drink anything?” Ava asked.
“No. One of us has to be sober enough to take her home.” She nodded toward Clara, who was now struggling to keep her eyes open.
“True,” they chorused.
By the time Madison turned back, Clara had collapsed against the couch. Madison sighed. Of course.
---
The Next Morning…
“Oh my world, I feel so drained,” Clara whined when Madison walked into her office.
“You didn’t complain when you were chugging down that bottle of beer last night.”
“Well, I enjoyed every minute. Didn’t you?” Clara asked.
“No. I am well, sane, and not having a hangover,” Madison replied, handing her a sachet of Tylenol.
“You’re lucky the boss isn’t in. What excuse do you have for this tardiness?” Madison asked, eyeing the unopened files on Clara’s desk.
“Stop yelling at me.”
“Are you kidding me? You’d better get to work before the boss arrives.”
“Why are you here, anyway?” Clara asked. Madison rarely left her workstation unless it was for an official assignment. She was known for diving into work the moment she stepped into the office.
“I’m a good friend, obviously. I came to check on someone who doesn’t know her alcohol limit and made a fool of herself last night.” Madison laughed.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. And I’d like to say… I told you so.” She smirked evilly.
“Rub it in my face, why don’t you?” Clara huffed, bowing her head dejectedly.
Madison smiled. “I got it on camera.”
Clara’s head shot up like a bolt of lightning. “No way.”
Madison held up her phone, showing her a video of herself dancing with a bottle, mumbling complete gibberish.
Clara gasped. “You wouldn’t…”
- Writer
