slow dancing in a burning room

“Surprise!” Tayla shouted towards the other as they entered the room. She’d been keeping this a secret from them for weeks. “We’re going on holiday. I’ve packed everything for both of us. I wanted to give you a surprise to cheer you up.”

She felt the collide and looked up to view the face immediately. “God, I swear I’m not stalking you,” Tayla spoke after running into the other - quite literally, after already passing him three times on the same day. “And sorry for walking into ya quite literally too. That was embarrassing.”

Tayla noticed the other looking at her in the street. She narrowed her eyes and shone a concerned look before walking over to speak to them. “Sorry, do I know you?” she asked, in a friendly voice. “I noticed you were looking at me as if we’ve met before.”

Tayla peered into the direction of the other person. It was a ridiculous time of the morning and it was obvious they were both in the same situation. The dark haired woman wasn’t the type to have a one night stand but sometimes her needs got the better of her and she ended up giving in. “Good night?” she questioned, trying to make conversation. Apartment blocks were too lonely if you didn’t make friends with the others who lived there. “I’m sure I look terrible this morning, so please ignore the face.” Whilst mid-sentence she heard a loud sound and suddenly they’d stopped moving.

When Zane wasn’t working, they were normally hanging out at the club anyway making sure that the other tenders didn’t mess the bar up. Plus they were there as a just in case. Having noticed that Tayla’s friends up and left her (so to speak), the blonde didn’t mind speaking with her, offering her a smile as they discussed things like art and business and well, everything that they couldn’t discuss with their other friends. “It’s been a pleasure - it’s refreshing to have a conversation about something other than things that don’t really matter.”

“Hold up, who said I was a fan? I did not even know who you are, until you called me out on my choice of jeans and sneakers to a corporate event.” Anthony defended, eyes widening as he retracted back in his seat with arms folding over his chest, but soon a small smile appeared on his face. If it wasn’t for his brothers who dragged him to attend events he had no interest in, Anthony wouldn’t have had constantly met the brunette. There was a couple of seconds of silence after she spoke not knowing what to reply. “Why are you being awkward?” He finally said with an uncomfortable laugh escaping his lips and a quirk to his eyebrows.

“Sorry, I was on the phone. None of that was to you,” Tayla explained when she caught the man’s eye. “I have these things in my ears... I knew they’d cause confusion one day.” Tayla lifted her long, dark locks up from her ear to show him. “I didn’t call you out, I said I liked that you were wearing something different; making a stand that not everybody should have to dress up.” Tay wasn’t the type of person to call anyone out on anything, she wasn’t like that at all. She sighed, slightly confused by the whole conversation. “Are you okay? Do you need a drink?” 

“Well thank you,” Helena said with a smile before looking around the room they were in, feeling a bit awkward given her attire. She’d just gotten off work when she stopped by, a mistake she realized too late. “I should have changed before coming, sorry for the outfit.” She glanced down at the burlesque outfit which was covered with a coat thankfully. “I’d love to, but people in the past have said that and it was a lie.”

“I’m fine, I’ve just had a long day,” Tayla breathed out. She was lying, but when did she ever admit to feeling down? She wasn’t somebody who looked for sympathy. She looked across at her friend and shrugged. “One of the puppies at the animal shelter I volunteer at was put down today and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s silly.” She sighed and shrugged it off. “How has your day? I’d rather hear all about that.”

Tayla wasn’t a very dramatic person but she had taken her recent break up hard. She’d been with the person for some time and they’d broken her heart, left her crumbled in pieces. She still forced a smile on her face for everybody else, but deep down she was completely shattered. The dark haired beauty had been taken out for the night by some of her friends. They’d ended up with other people and she’d ended up talking to this other person who seemed much more on her level intellectually than anybody she’d ever met before. “Even though we’re in a club, it’s nice to finally be able to have a proper adult conversation.” She was thirty two and felt too old to be out at this time of the night. “I’m glad I met you tonight.”

“Don’t be silly, darling. You may have started off as a fan but you’re way more to me than that now.” The other had met her at various events after she’d been on a few British reality shows. Now they met up as it they were friends, and in Tayla’s eyes that was exactly what they were. “You mean a lot to me, you know. I wish you would believe it.”