The Night I Met You

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jacob

I was sent on a strenuous journey to find a missing person among the crowd. It would have been an easy task if not for the fact that the bar was packed. Drunken people were dancing here and there, splashing drinks everywhere and grinding bodies with each other. Ryan's place could always get so crowded on holidays or during semester breaks. I would admit that it was actually a good place to hang-out, at least for people our age. And to be honest, even if we don't know the owner of the place, we will still be regular customers of the place.

I had no idea where the person went so I had to go around the whole bar to find him. I was just wishing not to see my dear cousin who showed herself to me earlier. She knew that I was making compositions every now and then but I never let her hear the song complete with lyrics and melody. It just happened that she had to be present on the night that we decided to play my music. Had I known that she would be coming, I wouldn't have agreed on our lineup of songs. I can already hear her nagging at me about how sappy the song was. The worst part, she knew about Angel and it was pretty much obvious that the song was for her.

When the familiar back of my friend came into view, I immediately quickened my pace towards him trying to avoid bumping into as much people as possible but to no avail. "Chris!" I called out to him through the blasting music and noisy crowd.

H glanced over his shoulder with a grin on his face. He seemed happy which made me wonder who he was talking to. But when I came to where he was, there was no one with him. "Are you high?" I asked incredulously.

I'd be honest. Our little group may appear to be the cool and hot guys next door but we have our dark secrets as well. Illegal race, minor drinking, sex, and even drugs. And the list could still go on with our little escapades. We're just lucky that we have never been behind bars. We would not be wishing for that to happen though.

"Yeah, but in a different sense." He answered and there was a happy note in his tone. It was starting to creep me out.

"What's with you?" I asked again, confused about his mood.

"Just met a girl. A hot babe to be exact." And there was that dreamy grin again. Maybe he was possessed by some kind of spirit?

"Alright, dude. You're hot babe's not here anymore, so let's go back." I'm a little wary of his elated state because it was really worrisome. He was usually like this after an intake of some chemical. But since he had been gone for just a while then it would be impossible.

"Fine." He answered begrudgingly and looked over his shoulder as if looking for someone. I followed the direction of his gaze but saw nothing, or no one worth mentioning.

"Ah! She was with your cousin, so maybe you knew her." He said all of a sudden, sounding a little hopeful.

So she brought a friend here with her. "Sorry, bud. All her friends I knew had their guys."

"Maybe you haven't met some of them yet." He answered.

"I actually haven't met any of them. I usually keep out of her circle." I answered honestly. My cousin and I were close but I just don't feel like hanging around with her friends. But she always hangs around my group. I don't mind it though as long as she was fine with it. "Anyway, they're looking for you. Let's go."

I turned on my heel to head for our table just in time for a girl in little black dress to pass by. She was holding a glass of frozen cocktail in her hand. As you would have expected, the drink spilled on me. Luckily for me it only splashed on my arm and not my shirt.

"Oh my God!" She said in panic. Let's forget about the little black dress that clung nicely to her curves. Her voice was so sexy that it could turn you on. "I'm really sorry about that."

I watched her for a while as she tried to go through her purse, probably looking for something to wipe my arm off. Then I shifted my gaze to the pink frozen cocktail in my arm before putting my game face on. Smile. Be charming. I reminded myself. This is your game.

"No worries. It's a little hot in here anyway, so this was a great help." I answered, flashing a smile that most girls I knew describe as attractive. I noticed her eyes went wide for a while. She was probably cursing herself right now. I knew it. My charm was still there although it doesn't seem to work on a single girl.

"No, really, I'm sorry about it." She apologized again. "Just give me a minute; I think I have some wipes here." She continued to look through her purse. Looking at her carefully, she wasn't so bad. Pretty face, nice body, sexy voice. That should be fine for a little bit of a fling.

"I can just wash it off. Restroom's just nearby anyway. But I wouldn't mind if you wanted to help me remove it though." I answered pretending to look innocent. If she got my message, then we both can have a good time. And I can prove that my charm still does it wonders on girls. If not, I'll leave her alone.

"And I could probably repay you for the casualty?" She answered, giving me that sexy, little smirk of hers.

Yep. The game is on.

After a little make-out session in the restroom, typical I know, I headed for the bar. We parted but not before she wrote her number on my wrist though. I'm still wary of my cousin because I know that she could just be hanging around somewhere in the place. I really don't want to see her now after she purposefully went upfront to show herself to me while we were playing my song.

I greeted Martin, one of the bartenders. He's about the same age as me so he usually hangs out with us as well.

"Hey, Jay! Nice song there!" He complimented.

"Isn't it too simple?" I asked.

"Nah, it's fine. Mellow tune and sad lyrics complement each other, I guess." He explained briefly. "Why suddenly play an original by the way?"

"Shit happened bro. That's why." I answered simply. I'm torn between wanting to talk about Angel to my circle of friends and not. I just decided not to for now. I mean, there was really no reason to tell the entire world of her existence right? Although my three best friends plus my cousin knew about her.

"Excuse me? Can I have another one of this?" I heard a familiar voice say. I turned to my side to find a girl sitting in the second bar stool away from mine. Her back was facing me but I recognize every bit of her. Besides, who could forget such a voice?

"Right away." Martin answered enthusiastically and proceeded to make the drink.

So she was really fine after last night like what Nate had told me. At least now, I was certain of the matter. I stood from my seat and paced casually towards the girl. I was certain that it was her. I sat on the bar stool on her other side, trying hard to hide the big grin that was threatening to kill my cool and casual act.

Few seconds have passed but she did not even mention a word. She probably did not notice me. When Martin returned with her drink, he immediately smirked at me. I know what he was thinking but he was only half correct.

"Miss, here's your drink." He said.

"Thanks." She remarked giving him that sweet smile of hers.

"Can I also have a Whisky-Cola?" I called out to him immediately.

"Certainly." Martin answered and walked off again shaking his head a little.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Jacob?" I heard her say after a moment. I tried to look innocent and non-expecting as I turned my head to hr direction.

"Hey, Angel?" I answered, pretending to be shocked. I am anyway. "Never expected to see you here." It wasn't a lie either. I would never have thought that she would go to a bar. Nor drink for that matter. Maybe she came with someone?

"You wouldn't really. I was just dragged here." She shifted on her seat to face the counter. "I'm sorry about yesterday for just disappearing."

"Oh, it's okay. I never expected that there would be that commotion. I shouldn't have brought you there. I'm sorry." I apologized. If something bad happened to her last night it would entirely be my fault for bringing her there. Worst part, I wouldn't have known about it.

"Don't be. I really had a lot of fun yesterday. Thank you for that instead." She said in a cheery tone. "Moreover, it's not your fault that there were some guys there like that, right?"

"Well, yeah. But still if something happened to you-"

"I'm in one piece and perfectly fine. Don't worry about it." She cut me off. I was quiet for a while and watched her as she stirred her green drink in a high ball glass.

"Alright then. At least now I know that you really are safe. And that you had fun." I tried not to sound too relieved but it failed. "Ah, I heard what happened to your phone. Did you manage to get a new one?" I inquired.

"Not yet." She answered with a slight shake of her head.

"Oh." My reaction did not come out right. It sounded too dejected which I never really intended. It was just that I wouldn't have any way to contact her for the time being. "That must be very inconvenient for you huh."

"It was. Very much. But you know my day has been pretty packed." She started. "I woke up late and I went shopping with a friend. I didn't have the time to get a new phone today even though I had originally planned to do so."

I listened to her as she continued to tell me about how she walked through the entire mall shopping for clothes with her friend, how it was tiring entering and leaving boutiques and trying on different clothes, and a lot more of girly stuff that she did for the day. I wanted to think that she was complaining about her friend but it was not like that. She seemed like she actually had great fun with this friend of hers as to the way she was smiling happily while talking about her.

"And then she brought me here. Out of all the places she could bring me. I'm a freaking under-aged girl for heaven's sake!" She continued and I couldn't help but notice that there was something different about her.

Maybe it was that fact that she was initiating a conversation with me. Or her manner of speaking, which was somehow different. I looked her up and down as she sat on the bar stool. It could also be the short navy blue dress that was embracing her curves perfectly and was riding up to her mid-thigh, paired with a pair of black heels. Looking at her, I can only describe her in one word. Gorgeous.

I watched her as she took a sip from her drink. I wondered what that green colored drink was. A kind of lady's drink perhaps. After she drank half of it she suddenly turned to face me. "I know! As thanks I should bring you somewhere too. Say, tomorrow?"

I was quiet for a while as I took in her words. If I got her right, and I really wished that I heard the right words, it only meant that she was inviting me out right? I felt my grin getting bigger by the second. She is seriously asking me out right?

"Sure. I'm free all day tomorrow." I answered, trying to hide all the enthusiasm I was feeling inside.

"Pick me up?" She asked with a tone of cutesy pleading, batting her long lashes at me. There really was something different about her. She seemed a bit elated tonight. Well she was drinking, so maybe she was already tipsy? I really never thought that she would be the type to drink. One was because she was not of legal age yet. And to tell the truth, she seemed like the type that wouldn't break the law no matter what.

"Here's your order." Martin interrupted placing the glass of drink in front of me.

"Thanks." I shooed him away surreptitiously. He only gave me a cheeky smile before leaving us alone.

"Will you drive to my place if I don't?" I asked her teasingly.

"I will never drive." She answered, shaking her head. I noticed that there was a drop in her cheerful tone.

"And why is that so?' I asked, purely curious for her reason.

She turned her head in my direction and looked at me in silence. She was watching me as if I was some creature she had never known before. Her eyes, the same lonely pairs since I have met her, were filled with curiosity. It felt like they were asking me questions, but no words were coming out of her lips. It made me wonder about her thoughts as she looked at me.

"Nothing. I just don't like to drive." She said after a while. I noticed a sad smile cross her face before she downed the rest of her green colored drink. I'm also still curious about that drink.

"Angel, ar-whoa!" I was cut off from speaking when she suddenly grabbed my wrist. I managed to maintain my balance and not fell out of the stool.

"You had a tattoo?" She suddenly asked. I can feel her cold, damp hand against my skin. Her finger was slowly tracing the numbers written on it. It felt a little ticklish.

"No. My friend wrote it there." I simply answered. Yeah, right. As if she would believe that. A guy having a number written on his skin could only be from a girl right?

"Eh?" She remarked, her gaze still glued to my ink-stained wrist. She suddenly let go of it, leaving traces of her cold hands in my skin. I watched as she rummaged through her small bag and took out something.

"Then me too." She simply said as she grabbed my wrist again and started to write in my skin. I could feel the cold tip of the pen against my skin. She scribbled on the same part over and over again to make the characters visible. Her gaze was focused on my wrist. I watched as she slowly wrote numbers on it.

"Angel...are you-" I was cut off once again. This time, it was by a loud sound suddenly blasting out of nowhere. It took us a moment to realize that it was her phone ringing. It was a different one from the one she lost.

She let go of my hand and took a phone from her bag. I thought she told me she had not bought a new one yet? Maybe it was a spare or she borrowed it from someone? It would be too much of a hassle anyway if she cannot be contacted by her family. That makes perfect sense.

I once again looked at what she had written on my skin as she fumbled with her phone. There were eight numbers scribbled on my wrist, just below the one the other girl gave me. Eight figures were not enough to make a full phone number. The set was lacking two more numbers.

"Oh God!" I heard her remarked, sounding alarmed. I shifted my attention back to her. She was biting her lower lip as she looked at the caller ID. I can see that she was in a panic. What could be so wrong with a phone call?

I tried to sneak a peek into her phone and saw 'Jed'. Who was calling her at this time? Her ex? I don't have any basis but it was possible. I don't remember her ever mentioning the name of her ex anyway. So they still contact each other huh? But why does she look so nervous-stricken? She doesn't feel like talking to him? No, that was not quite right. I don't understand why she seemed too alarmed for a phone call. If she doesn't want to talk to him, then she could just reject the call. No need to create so much drama over it.

"Sorry, I need to take this call." She said and immediately stood up to leave.

I watched her as she go through dancing bodies on the floor. I kept my gaze glued to her back until it completely disappeared from my sight. I wanted to follow her but I don't really want to act as if I was being over-protective of her. I convinced myself that she would come back. After all she did not say a farewell of any sort. I think she wouldn't just leave when she was engaged with someone. She even apologized to me for just disappearing without a word yesterday.

I thought that she would come back after the call so I decided to wait for her in the bar. I waited for her even after I downed two more glasses of the same drink. I waited for her even after several minutes had already passed. But my assumption was wrong. She left and never came back.

When I finally saw her, I was relieved to see her fine. But just when I get the chance to see her again, she had to disappear from me again. She left for a phone call from a person named Jed and never came back. Just who was he? Why was she so panic-stricken from receiving a phone call from that person?

I really don't understand her. Rather I really don't know her. I knew nothing about her besides a few facts...her name, address, and that her boyfriend cheated on her. I wanted to know more about her to be honest but she doesn't allow me to. It was like she had closed her heart from opening up to me. I could understand that though. It's due to the pain of being broken-hearted. So, it's like that eh? We're still strangers to each other.


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