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“What, you mean like Latino?”
“Yeah, kind of like that but salsa is faster. I know a great place near here, a club. I say we go get ourselves a margarita and shake our hips!”
Josie pondered. Should she? How would Max react to her boogying on a dance floor without him, especially now they were engaged? She twisted her sapphire ring around on her finger.
“Come on, you’re allowed to have some girlfriend down time and a bit of fun. Lighten up!” Sandy hooked her arm through hers. “Yeah?”
“Yeah!” she agreed. What the heck, she did deserve some fun! Sandy was right.
“The car’s parked in the direction we’re going so let’s dump our packages in it on our way over there.”
The club was only a quarter full but a surprising number of people were on the dance floor. They slid into a booth. The waiter came over and Sandy ordered for them both. Josie tapped her foot in time to the music while she watched one particular couple as they smoothly slithered around one another, hips rocking, feet moving at high speed in time to the catchy music. They had the dark glossy hair and good looks that she associated with people from a Spanish heritage. She sipped her drink, enjoying the relaxation. It was wonderful to simply focus on her own leisurely enjoyment.
* * *
“Miss? Miss?”Josie came around slowly. Her head felt full of cotton wool.
“We are closing up now. Shall I call you a cab?”
“What?” She shook her head, indicating no. Where the hell was she? Why did she feel so goddamn awful?
“You have to leave now.” The voice sounded harder, more insistent. Groggily she pulled herself up into a sitting position from where she lay, sprawled flat on a couchette. She peered about her owlishly, realization slowly dawning. Where was Sandy?
“Where is my friend?” she asked, her mouth so dry that she croaked the words out with difficulty. The waiter who had woken her shrugged.
“She left a couple of hours back,” he replied.
Josie frowned. “She did?”
He didn’t bother to reply but began to polish the table in front of her rather pointedly. Josie scrabbled in her pocket for her phone. It was switched off. Shit! Max would be frantic. She turned it on and waited for it to buzz into life. Sure enough, the ‘pings’ flew in one after another. She scrolled down the list to the latest message received.
If you don’t reply in half an hour I am calling the cops!!!
The message was timed half an hour ago. Quickly she hit dial and waited. The call was answered almost immediately.
“Josie? Are you okay?”
“Shall I call a cab?” the insistent waiter interrupted.
She waved him away. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry, I don’t really know what happened.” Her voice sounded husky and not like her own.
“Where are you? You sound awful! What d’you mean, you don’t know what happened?” Max fired questions at her, his voice sharply anxious.
“I’m fine, I think. I’m in a salsa bar in Denver, somewhere near Latimer Square. Sandy’s gone and I just woke up. They’re closing up and I don’t know where to go.” She sounded pathetic and she knew it, but she couldn’t make sense of much. Her head pounded and she was beginning to feel nauseous.
“I am coming to get you right now. Stay put right where you are. Is there a manager or someone there I can speak to? If so, hand them your phone. I want to speak to them.”
She stood on wobbly legs and gestured to the bar guy who hurried over. “My fiancé wants a word.” She held out her phone, he took it somewhat reluctantly.
“I want to close up, yeah, yeah, well how long will that take? Yeah, I guess so. Okay. Yeah, I will. Yeah I promise.” He began to walk toward the bar. Josie overheard him reeling off an address and a Zip code. He walked back and handed the phone over to her. “Your guy said he’d be here to collect you in about forty minutes. I’m Ted, the manager. I agreed you can wait here for him. I’m gonna lock up and pull the shades. Then I’ll make us some coffee, all right?”
She nodded, a sense of relief washing over her. Max had made everything good and he was on his way. “Thank you,” she replied with a wan smile.
He nodded and went to lock up. As good as his word, he placed a mug of coffee and a jug of water with a drinking glass beside her. Josie downed two full glasses of water. She then studied her messages. Ah, good, there was one from Sandy.
I hope you got home safe. Text me! God, you’re a stubborn cow when you’ve had a few! I couldn’t shift you but since I have to work an early shift I had to leave you there! Sorry!
Really, she’d refused to leave? That didn’t sound like her at all—too much alcohol or not. She called out to Ted. “How much did I have to drink since I arrived here?”
