Chapter 1 - Dahlia

Tying the knot of my boot, I walked to the mirror in my closet door. Opening the door, I turned, admiring the new look. I had not been out into the world as much as I had hoped. Between my studies and side jobs, my time was quite focused. But tonight, I was letting my hair down. I was cutting loose.

The dress was a loaner from one of my friends. It wasn't something I would wear. But they insisted that if I went out with them, I should at least look the part. Anucha assisted me with my make-up and hair earlier.

Recalling my chat with my cousin from overseas during the day, I was intent on making him proud. I wanted to show him he didn't waste his time and money assisting me with my college tuition. Or the extra money he sent to tie me over until I got a permanent job.

He even went so far as to get me my current part-time job. I didn't know how I would have coped without the extra income. I was fortunate enough not to have to work from the office all the time. I had only been in a couple of times, but most of my work I could do online from anywhere.

This gave me ample time to work and study, for which I was grateful. But now that I had graduated, it was time to find something permanent. I had always been good with numbers and had keen analytical skills. I would most likely look for work in those fields now that I have my bachelor's in finance and business analytics.

Smiling, I took another turn, watching as the skirt flared up and settled back against my thighs. Pushing my thoughts aside, I focused on my evening. All I want tonight is to unwind. I want to drink with my friends and have fun for a change. Staring at the stranger in the mirror, I felt my stomach churning.

Shaking my head and grinning at the new me, I stomped my boots and headed for the door. The evening breeze was cool but welcoming as I stepped out into the street. Instead of going to the college bar they usually hang out at, Anucha let me know to meet them in town. There was a bar not too far that they had always wanted to try. She said, seeing as this was my first outing with them, it had to be special.

Luckily, it was only about five blocks from my place, so I decided to walk. Heading down the street, I greeted the guy on the corner walking his dog. Even though I had seen him many times before, and always greeted him, I still didn't know his name. I knew his dog's name, though. It was an old English Bulldog called Ruff.

Ruff licked my hand as I passed and barked after me. Turning at the next corner, I looked back. Ruff and his owner were still standing on the curb. I wondered if everything was okay but didn't turn back. Anusha said they would be waiting for me and not to be late.

I arrived at the bar just after eight. To me, this sounded very early, but not according to them. The place seemed decent enough. At least it wasn't one of those rundown scummy bars. On one side was a pizza place, and on the other side was a chicken joint. It was an older-looking establishment.

On the street were a couple of cars, but not too many. I was sure the place wouldn't be packed like some other bars I passed. I didn't like crowded places.

The sign on the wall read, ‘Tomorrow's Dawn'. It was red with tiny white lights illuminating it. The building had three floors, but the bar was at the bottom. Outside were some tables and chairs. These were under the wide canopy that extended almost to the full capacity of the curb.

Entering through one of the three archways, I opened the door leading to the bar. Inside, the place looked completely different. The outside spoke of a calm, almost serene atmosphere. Inside was a big dance floor with tables around the sides. To the back was the bar area with more seating.

I noticed Anucha as she stood and waved at me from the bar. She was accompanied by three other girls. Two I knew from class, but the third one I had never seen before.

In the middle was a giant disco ball lighting the dance floor, and to the sides at every table was a different color light shining down on it. It was breathtaking. The bar counter and the chairs appeared to have been made of wine barrels.

The dance floor looked like it was made from dark redwood. There were two stages to the sides of the doors, and on one, a band was playing. Smoke hung in the air, which I would have thought would make the place smell. But the odor was more like cherry and chocolate. Most of the tables were empty except for three.

A bunch of young men filled a table by the stage. They were quite rowdy. I felt sure they had been drinking from early on. To the back were two couples seated at one table, enjoying each other's company. On the opposite side, about in the middle, sat four elderly men in suits. As I walked toward the bar at the back, they looked at me and greeted me.

It seemed like they were playing cards, which was a bit odd. But then again, I hadn't been to any bars and didn't really know what was normal. I lifted my hand and waved back. Passing the table with the two couples, they didn't even seem to notice me.

"Hey," Anucha exclaimed as she got up and put her arm around me. "We're so glad you could make it. I almost thought you weren't going to come."

"I made it," I replied as we sat down at a table close to the bar.

"This is my cousin, Alichia. You know Mary and Sophia," Anucha added as she waved at the waitress. "What would you like to drink," she asked, looking at me. "I'm buying the first round."

Her family was wealthy, and she could afford to buy for everyone. At first, I wanted to decline as I wouldn't be able to buy a full round. "I… I don't know, I'll get something in a bit," I replied hesitantly.

I truly didn't know what to get. I hadn't had alcohol before and didn't know what I would enjoy. I scanned the counter behind the bar, trying to see if anything jumped out at me.

"I'll have a shot of wine," I stated hoping to sound more knowledgeable than I felt. I had seen people order shots in movies and most women appeared to enjoy wine. So, I decided I would try it.

The girls burst out laughing. Anucha took my hand as she spoke. "Dear, you have no clue, do you?". "Tell you what," Anucha said, leaning toward me. "Let's get a round of everything, and you test them. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Before I could reject the idea, she started rambling at the waitress. "First, I want a round of shots. Make it Tequila. Then, bring us one glass of vodka, one whiskey, one rum, and a brandy. Also, bring us two kinds of beer, a Martini, a Manhattan, and a Cosmopolitan. Make them all single and add the usual mix."

"That's way too much," I protested as the waitress hurried back to the bar.

"Nonsense," Anucha replied, giggling with the other girls. "You want to let loose, don't you?"

"Yeah," I replied, glancing at the others. It felt like my insides were suddenly doing summersaults. They were all smiles. Yet, I couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. Glancing back at the door, I considered running.

Before I could decide, the Tequila shots had arrived. It looked very fancy and interesting. It was served in small glasses. The rim on each was covered in what looked like salt, and a wedge of lemon rested on top. They were accompanied by a bowl of lemon wedges and five small salt pots.

"Right," Anucha said as she handed each of us one and a saltshaker. I took it and could only hope the drink wouldn't be too strong.

As she continued to explain, she stared at me. I felt sure the others had done this before. Her explanation was purely for me. "Now you lick the salt from your hand, swallow the content of the glass in one go and then suck on the lemon."

Nodding, I glanced at the others. They were all waiting for me. Deciding there was no turning back, I licked the salt, tipped the contents of the glass into my mouth, and swallowed the hot burning liquid. Instantly, I started coughing as I drank. But I didn't want to look like I didn't belong, so I stuck the lemon wedge into my mouth, hoping the burning would subdue.

It eased a little, but my face disagreed with my choice. I felt all the muscles in my face pulling in all directions. Dropping the lemon into the glass, I took a deep breath and wiped my mouth. The girls around the table laughed.

"Alright," Anucha shouted as she rose and gently slapped my shoulder. "Let's get down, girl," she added.

Smiling up at her, I felt a small sting in my stomach. The waitress placed another tray down. This one was filled with a variety of colorful drinks in glasses of different sizes.

"These are cocktails," Anucha said, placing them before me. "These are beers," she added, placing two long glasses down. One was a light color, and the other one was dark.

On the tray were four more glasses. Lifting my hand, showing her to stop, I spoke up. "Wait, let me first taste these before you add them."

Anucha shook her head. The girls all sat staring at me, waiting for me to taste the drinks. I started with the two tall glasses of beer. One was very bitter, and I almost spat it out. The other one had a lighter taste, but it wasn't something I would drink.

Moving them to the middle of the table, I shook my head as I spoke. "No, I don't like beer."

Smiling, Mary and Sophia each took a glass. "No worries, we prefer beer," they added, clinking the glasses before sipping.

The cocktails, as Anucha called them, were much better. The one with the olives was quite strong with a slightly sweet herbal taste. After taking a sip, I moved it to the middle of the table, shaking my head.

Next was the dark red one. This one tasted stronger than the other one, with a bitter aftertaste. "Nope," I said, placing it in the middle of the table.

Picking up the last cocktail, I could feel a buzzying in my head. This one tasted much better. It was sweet with a hint of tanginess. Placing it down before me, I nodded at Anucha. "I'll have this one, thanks."

Grinning at me, she placed the other four drinks before me as she spoke. "Right, but you still have to taste these as well."

I wanted to attest, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. Moving the cocktail to the side, I looked at the four drinks. One looked like orange juice and tasted sweet. "Yes, this one can also do," I said, shaking my head as I placed it down.

The next one was in a small, thick glass. It appeared quite interesting. It had a sweet, woody taste but was way too strong for me. Couching a little, I placed the glass in the center of the table, shaking my head.

Once again, the girls laughed, but it was a friendly laugh. Catching my breath, I looked at Anucha as I spoke. "Do I have to continue?" My throat felt like it was on fire and then cold, I wasn't sure why, but my head also felt light.

"Yes," she said excitedly. "You have to try them. This way, you will know what you like if you go out by yourself."

The last one was in a short, fat glass again. It had a soft, spicy taste, which was interesting. Placing the glass down, I shook my head in agreement. "I might drink this as well," I said, glancing at the others.

"Excellent," Anucha stated as she and her cousin took the other drinks from the middle of the table. "Now we can get down to drinking."

They shook their heads, screaming excitedly as they clicked their glasses. They seemed to be connected. Grinning at them, I hoped to become part of their circle. I had spent so much time studying and working, I had never connected to them socially.

Yet, I was determined to change that. Looking around as more and more people arrived, I wondered what they were thinking as we appeared to be out of control. We had another couple of shooters. These were called a Jagerbomb or something in that line. It tasted quite horrible but made me feel more relaxed.

"How many guys have you slept with?" Mary asked out of the blue.

Glancing at Anusha, I felt my cheeks heating. "None," I replied softly.

I heard the astonishment in the other three's voices as they spoke almost like one. "What, never?"

"Nope, I was focused on my studies, there wasn't time," I replied.

"Not even first base?" Sophia asked.

"In high school, there was this one boy," I replied. "We kissed once under the bleachers."

"Well, that's a start," Anucha added smiling. "Let's see if you can go all the way?"

Shifting in my chair, I considered her words. Looking from one to the other, I agreed.

They looked at each other nodding as they mumbled. "Let's play a game," Alichia said grinning. "Truth or dare."

I had heard of it and seen movies with it in. But focusing on my studies even at a young age, I had never played it. It was a fun way to get to know the others. Suddenly, I felt like one of them. It was amazing. However, my head felt light, but it was exhilarating. It was like forgetting all the things that plagued me daily.

A group of young men entered and sat down at the bar. Anucha leaned closer as she spoke, glancing at them as they ordered a round of beers. "Dare," she whispered to me.

"I accept," I replied. I wasn't sure what she had in mind, but I wanted to fit in.

Looking me in the eyes, she pointed over her shoulder as she continued. "Pick one," she said.

Glancing around her, I studied the men at the bar. "The one with the hair and leathers," I replied excitedly.

"I dare you to seduce him," she whispered.

Looking at the others, I realized this was serious. "Another round of shots first," I said, accepting the dare.

The air filled with their joyous screams as Anucha waved at the waitress. "Irish Car Bombs all around," she uttered to the skinny woman.

The waitress nodded and returned soon with a round of shots and half a glass of black beer. We all stood as we prepared to down our drinks. Shaking my head, I wondered how long I would still be standing as I felt quite dizzy from all the alcohol.

Looking at each other, we picked up the shots and held them halfway into the beer glass. "Ready?" Anucha asked, glancing at us.

In unison, we all replied ‘yes,' then dropped the shot into the liquid. Picking up the glass, I leaned my head back and drank. It was the best drink I had all evening. Placing the glass down with everyone else, mine was the only one not completely empty.

"Come on, drink, drink, drink," they all ushered me on. I drank the last bit and placed the glass down hard. Looking at the others, we all laughed. Straightening my dress, I turned and headed toward the stranger at the bar.