Jade mulled over her thoughts, a frown creasing her brow. "Yeah, I know that's what happened because I got depressed," she thought to herself before voicing out loud, "Rosa, you sure?"
Rosa nodded confidently, "Yeah, maybe she was ssing with you. But I'd say wait to see her again or check with the director next ti you see him because that doesn't sound like sothing they'd do. Where do they even live?"
Sipping her Margarita, Jade replied, "They both move around often, but they ntioned they wanted to retire in Japan in a few years, the last ti we talked about their future."
"Aww, that sounds fun. Have you ever—" Rosa was cut off as a finger tapped on her shoulder. They both turned to see a man with an open white shirt revealing a toned abdon. "Hello ladies," he greeted with a confident grin, "I couldn't help but notice you sitting here all by yourselves. Do you mind if I offer you a dance?"
Jade shook her head at the man's offer, "No thanks, I'm just here for a drink," she said firmly. anwhile, Rosa, with an enthusiastic sparkle in her eyes, accepted, "Sure, I don't mind a dance."
Bounding from her chair, Rosa stumbled slightly, but quickly regained her balance, throwing her hands in the air with a loud cheer, "Yay, I didn't fall over!" A hiccup punctuated her triumph.
Jade couldn't suppress a light laugh as she observed Rosa, slightly unsteady, make her way onto the LED-lit dance floor, which pulsed and changed colors under the feet of the dancers.
Rosa and the man began to dance, their movents drawing a crowd's attention. Jade's amusent was replaced with concern when she noticed the heat radiating from Rosa's feet, the LED lights flickering erratically in response. "She's not going to set sothing on fire, is she?" Jade wondered to herself, taking another sip of her Margarita.
Rosa's feet began to move with an intoxicating speed, her movents becoming a blur as sparks of fire flared from her feet, transforming her solo act into a spectacle of light and heat. The man's smirk vanished, replaced by an expression of surprise, as he stepped back from the heat emanating from Rosa's fiery dance.
Rosa taunted, "What, a little bit of heat making you back off, muscle boy?"
Jade observed as the man's ego seed to waver under Rosa's challenge. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he tossed his shirt aside with a defiant look and rejoined Rosa, proclaiming, "A bit of heat never stopped before."
The dance floor cleared, creating an arena for their display, the lights focusing on the pair. As Rosa touched the floor, the LEDs mirrored her fiery energy, blazing in shades of red and orange. The man, now shirtless, moved with a rhythm that caused the lights under him to burst into cool whites and blues.
Jade watched the energetic display with a mix of admiration and bemusent, muttering to herself, "How long are they going to keep this up?"
She leaned back, taking a mont to appreciate the respite from their usual hectic pace. "Though, I suppose it's nice to have a break from the constant sprinting," she mused, her thoughts drifting. "I wonder if Ty would've brought that wine glass if all of this hadn't happened," she pondered, swirling her icy Margarita, her mind wandering to what he might be doing on a day like this.
Her attention snapped back as she noticed Rosa and the man stepping off the dance floor, both looking slightly flushed from the heat of their dance-off. Jade squinted, questioning whether those were sunburns on the man's skin from the intensity of Rosa's fiery moves.
Rosa approached her, breathless and exhilarated, "You gotta try dancing soti; it really gets all the stress out." The man followed, a noticeable blush tinting his cheeks, "Hey, you're a really fiery girl. Do you mind if I get your number and maybe buy you a drink in the future?"
The music and chatter in the bar grew louder, so Rosa asked, "Can you co outside with real quick so I can hear you better?" The man agreed, dabbing his forehead with a napkin before slipping on his white shirt, leaving it open.
"Hey, I'll be right back. Just wait here, it's a bit loud," Rosa said to Jade.
Jade, having just finished her drink, replied, "Sure, take your ti."
As Rosa and the man stepped through the neon-lit door into the bustling streets of New York, Jade remained at her table. She watched as couples danced and shared kisses around her. Thoughts of concern for a friend surfaced. "I really hope he's okay," she thought. "Does his loyalty to make it hard for him to build trust with others?" Jade pondered, her gaze drifting across the lively scene.
Her thoughts wandered, getting lost in the maze of her own musings, until the music halted abruptly, snapping her back to reality. Jade's hand instinctively found the crystal in her pocket, its center adorned with a single pink ray, sparking curiosity about the unexpected appearance of that crow.
However, her train of thought shattered as swiftly as the silence, disturbed by a pecking sound at the nearby window.
The crow, with its red-eyed glare, pecked persistently at the glass. Startled, Jade instinctively jerked her arms off the table, knocking over her glass in the process, which crashed to the floor and shattered.
The bartender hurried over, concern etched on his face, "Is everything okay?"
"Y-yeah, sorry, I got startled," Jade stamred, her heart still racing. "Let pay real quick, and then I'll help clean this up." She double-clicked the side of her watch, bringing up a paynt icon. "You guys take digital cash, right?" Jade asked, hoping to settle the matter swiftly.
The bartender quickly paired a device with Jade's watch, which glead green to signify the transaction's acceptance. "Sorry," Jade murmured, her apology almost lost in her rush to exit.
Outside, she hurried to the spot beside the window where the crow had been, but it had vanished. Below, an open corridor alleyway revealed a man passed out against the wall.
"Shit, what's going on?" Jade muttered, her concern growing as she approached the man. He was slumped over, a slow trickle of blood staining the side of his face.
Kneeling beside him, she gently placed her hand on his palm. "Hey, are you okay? Can you hear ?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
The man stirred under her touch, his head shaking awake slightly. "A bunch of n in black suits... they surprised us while we were making out in the alley," he mumbled, trying to piece together his thoughts amidst the confusion and pain.
User Comments
0 comments from readers