After the close of work that day, Zara made her way back to her house. Zara was more eager for the club party as the night wore on. She was thrilled and guilty at the same time because she had picked a magnificent red dress that brilliantly highlighted her form. Devon had eagerly scheduled a dinner date for them, only to be let down by her earlier engagement with Lily and her coworkers. She couldn't help but think about Devon.
She received a text from Lily with the address and start time of the party before she left her house. Zara swiftly put on some cosmetics to draw attention to her best features. Her thoughts were split, caught between the need to enjoy herself with her friends and the awareness that she had disappointed Devon.
When Zara entered the club, it was hopping with activity. The entryway was illuminated by neon lights, and the walls were permeated by the music's pulsing beat. She waved her over after spotting Lily and her coworkers seated at a corner table. They cheered her in and clinked glasses as she joined them.
Dancing, laughter, and energetic discussions kept the night moving. Zara made an effort to enjoy herself, but her mind kept wandering to Devon. She began to feel uneasy as she realized that he might be harmed by her absence. She found it difficult to really enjoy the party since the guilt gnawed at her.
The club environment grew increasingly livelier as the hours went by. Zara unwillingly agreed to Zara's friends' requests to let loose and forget her problems while dancing enthusiastically to the music. Her phone vibrated in her purse just as she was about to put her worries aside. She stood up from where she sat and walked away from the group.
When she pulled her phone out of the purse, she discovered Devon's text her. He wrote,
"I hope you're having a great time."
A picture of a dining table for two with no one at it and a single red rose in a vase accompanied the caption. Realizing how much time and work he had spent organizing their evening, Zara's heart sunk.
She picked up her phone and quickly called him.
"Baby, once again I'm really sorry. I promise we would go on a date some other time. I'm really sorry," she said.
"It's fine babe; I'd hold you to your word though. Just call me when you get home and if you get too drunk, call me. I'll come pick you up," Devon said.
"No that wouldn't be necessary. Remember, I'm out with colleagues from the office. It would be suspicious if you came to pick me up," Zara replied.
"Not if I come in pretending to want to have a drink and pretend to be shocked to see you guys at the club," Devon said.
Zara chuckled and said,
"Don't worry babe. I'll find my way home and I don't plan on drinking too much. I've got to go; we'll see at the office tomorrow."
She had seen Lily approaching her and knew she had to end the call.
"Hey Zara, what are you doing here all by yourself?"
"I…I'm trying to get a drink," Zara replied as soon as she saw that she was standing by the bar.
"But we have lots of drinks on our table," Lily said.
Zara looked back at their table and saw it was filled with drinks. Now she has no more excuse to give
"Anyways, the celebrant asked me to get you," Lily said smiling.
"And why would he ask you to do that?" Zara asked confused.
"Oh C'mon, stop acting like you don't know what's going on. You know Michael likes you; he's been staring at you since you got here, you can't deny that," Lily answered.
"Lily, I'm not interested in your friend Michael. I'm sorry," Zara answered.
Lily raised her eyebrow, evidently taken aback by Zara's reply.
"Really? You have absolutely no interest in him?" She pushed.
Zara quickly turned to look at Michael, who was beaming and chatting with his companions.
"He seems like a lovely guy, but I'm just not looking for anything right now," she replied.
Lily shrugged as she accepted Zara's response. Good enough. She grinned mischievously and continued,
"I just wanted to make sure you weren't losing out on a potentially terrific guy."
"Thanks for your concern friend but I'm good," Zara replied with a smile.
Lily took a sip of her drink and together they looked back at the group of Michael and his friends. Suddenly, Lily turned back to Zara a big smile on her face.
"Guess what I saw this morning?" she asked.
"What?" asked a curious Zara.
"It seems like our boss is back to his old ways. You know, for some weeks now, he hadn't been caught with women like he used to be. But today at your office, I came to remind him about the meeting and he had red lipstick on his lips. I guess our boss was busy sucking the life out if that poor woman's lips" Lily replied laughing.
"It was so funny seeing red lipstick on his lips…your lipstick color was just the same as the one on his lips," she added.
Zara suddenly choked in her drink, which she ended up collecting from the bartender. Lily asked her if she was okay and she replied affirmatively.
"What are you trying to say?" Zara asked pretending to be upset but her heart was bearing really fast.
"Calm down; I'm not insinuating it's you. You just tell me about his new plaything. Is she a popular person?" Lily asked.
"She's not a plaything," Zara answered.
"How do you know?" Lily asked.
In order to escape the question, Zara yawned.
"I have to go now; I have a early day at work tomorrow. Bye," she said
She quickly walked out of the club, as she tried ordering for a ride from her phone.
"Hello Zara," a voice said to her.