Salsa in the City

Episode Three: 'An old friend'

The girls ambled their way out of the Copa closely followed by Estavan and Ricardo. With the passion from some of the hottest dance moves ever to grace the floor of the Copa Cubaña still burning, Emma’s suggestion to continue the swing of the night onto another club was welcomed by the rest of the girls.

Estavan and Ricardo accepted their invitations to tag along but Angelo declined, as he had an early start at work the next morning.  They flagged a couple of taxis and journeyed the very short distance to the night clubbing district of the city centre. 

They started in a tequila bar, the atmosphere was pretty dull - but the tequila shots were cheap and readily available due to the lack of competition at the bar. The two couples were getting better acquainted which left Kat and Ava a few paces behind of all the good times that were being had. The pair became more distant as the night progressed into the more vibrant night scene were the RnB and Funky House was glaring out of the speakers.

Estevan and Ricardo were seemingly taking a back seat on this wild ride. Perhaps they felt slightly uneasy in what might be said as the girls more natural habitat. Maybe this is where the girls cold teach them a thing or two.

Whilst in the club the girls bumped into a few regulars from salsa, namely Derek aka ‘D-Rock’ and his friends or "affiliates" as he puts it. These were the type of guys who attended salsa purely to get up close and personal with as many women as possible and hopefully seal the deal at the end of the night.

Perhaps, not surprisingly the guys were a lot happier to see the girls then the women were to see them. The females would probably have shunned them almost completely following the initial pleasantries if it was not for the offer to buy a round of drinks that arose almost immediately.

Once their glasses were empty Lauren and Emma dragged Estavan and Ricardo onto the dance floor to give them a quick lesson in two- step, bump n grind and of course, drop it like it’s hot. Kat and Ava were at the bar with D-Rock and the guys, whom working on the hope of a possible raunchy rendezvous  persisted in pouring drinks into Kat and Ava like there was no tomorrow. 

Ava, always the loyal friend wanted to stick around for the girls but was growing tired of the company, with a tilt of the head and a pointing of the eyes she summoned Kat to journey with her to the bathroom.

“You know what? Ava asked Kat. “What?” Kat replied, “I actually thought for a second that you went home with Tim last week you know.” “What!” Kat said, after gasping in disbelief  before letting out a barrel of rolling laughter.  “No way, me and Tim, Imagine?” she said as the pair laughed together. “So, what really happened then Kat? Come on out with it...” Ava said light heartedly. “I told you, nothing. I just bumped into an old mate outside, you know Darren right? He lives down the road from me so we shared a taxi, my phone was dead - so I could n’t call anyone, remember??” Kat explained. “Really? Cos it looked dodgy to us.” Ava replied. “Honestly,” Kat replied. “Ah whatever anyway...” Ava said, as they headed back into the busy nightclub’s atmosphere.

As the plethora of un- requested drinks ensued so did the sordid chat up lines in Kat and Ava’s direction.   “Are you ladies gonna join us at the after party?” D-Rock asked. “We can’t... we’re both working tomorrow hun.” Ava responded in a slightly sympathetic tone. “Ah...come on, Derek smiked. “Our apartment is around the corner, we’ve got bottles of champagne and grey goose on chill.” “Ooh...the grey goose!” Kat said excitably, before being silenced by a piercing look form Ava. “Really, we can’t.” Ava reiterated, this time slightly more sternly.  “Can I get a number or something at least?” He pled to Ava in his smoothest chatting up voice.

By this point Ava had had enough and just wanted to get rid of these mithering hangers on. “I don’t give my number out just like that but I’ll tell you what, you give me yours - and if I change my mind about the after party I’ll call you OK hun.”  “Sweet,” Derek replied, as he tapped his number into Ava’s phone, saving it under his alias ‘D-rock’ with an addition of (call me), just for effect.

As the music wound down and the lights came up Kat and Ava made their way outside closely followed by Lauren and Emma who were still encapsulated the bubble of flirtatious exchanges and provocative dance moves with the two Hispanic hunks, Estavan and Ricardo. Needless to say, at this moment in time the four girls were definitely not singing from the same hymn sheet concerning the contingency of the night. Kat and Ava were more than ready to get into a taxi and head home whilst Lauren, Emma, Estavan and Ricardo were ready to let their hormones and urges run away with them and continue the excitement and romance that the night had already provided right into the wee hours of the morning.

“Where we go now?” Estavan asked playfully in his sumptuous broken English accent. “Yes, where?” Ricardo reiterated sounding slightly horse and definitely tipsy. The girls huddled in a sort of team talk of formation. “What do you wanna do?” Lauren asked openly. “I just want my comfy bed.” Ava said. “Yeah, me too...” Kat agreed. “Do you wanna stay out for a bit Emsy? Lauren asked suggestively, as Estavan and Ricardo lurked in the backdrop laughing and joking with each other, chatting away in their native tongue. “I think so.” Emma replied. “Where can we go though? It’s late, everywhere is closing.” Emma added. “D-Rock and that have got an after party thing going on and I'm pretty sure the invitation was extended to you two as well.” Ava suggested. “You think D-Rock would be cool with Ricky and Estavan coming?” Emma asked. “That’s D-Rocks problem.” Ava stated in a sassy and unforgiving tone. “Take his number and find out where the apartment is, he gave it to me before, hold on a second, while I find it in my phone.” Ava said as she scrolled through her contacts looking for a D-Rock (call me).

“Yeah, this is it... hang on, 0798323... Hold up... I know that number from somewhere… no way...” Ava paused, “What’s up Av? Lauran asked. “Kat, I cannot believe you!” Ava's tone became a little angry towards Kat. “What do you mean? Kat asked. “You know exactly what I mean Kat.” Ava snapped back at her. “Don’t play dumb with me, I’m not stupid and I don’t care that you went home with Derek on the first night you met him - but when I asked you to your face you looked me in the eye and lied to me, didn’t you? DID N’T YOU?!” She glared straight at Kat, Kat began to sob and whimper “I’m sorry Ava, I didn’t want you to think bad of me, any of you.” “You know what - I don’t want to hear it.” Ava closed with as she stormed off to the nearest main road to flag a taxi.

Lauren shook her head at Kat and gave her a look that suggested disappointment; she turned to Estavan and Ricardo and explained that they are going to head home as their mood for partying on had faded somewhat considerably.

The euphorically wilted trio headed to the main road, stopped a taxi and headed home. “ I'm sorry girls I should of said something.” Kat mumbled as she wiped tears from her cheeks. “It’s not us you need to apologise to really, Ava is obviously hurt that you lied to her and you know as well as I do how much she hates being lied to.” Lauren said. “Yeah, make sure you call her tomorrow and talk to her.” Emma added. “Come here babe.” Lauren said sympathetically as she embraced Kat who then felt Emma’s hand pat and rub her arm.

The taxi pulled up for Kat to alight right outside of her house, the slam of the taxi door resonated through her like a bolt of lightning followed by a roll of thunder as the taxi 's engine revved up and drove her two friends away. Still sniffling and with mascara running down her face Kat headed up the front path and into the house, she heard the sound of the taxi’s engine grow fainter in the distance.

Kat threw her bag and shoes to the corner of the room and collapsed in a heap onto the couch were she lay, still in tears and questioning herself as to why she would behave in such a way until she eventually cried herself to sleep...

David, TCC