The Search for Fireworks (ONGOING)

15 ~ The Bar

The music was so loud that to Reilly it felt like it was recalibrating her heartbeat. She looked around the club fascinated by the strobing lights and pulsing bodies, moving to the music. Now and then they would stop dancing and nod or wave at her.

"I hate that you made me wear this!" Reilly shouted to Tianna, over the music, fiddling with the glow-in-the-dark sash over her shoulder. Big, bold, pink letters screamed, to whoever looked at it, that it's her birthday. Tianna just shrugged and pushed through the crowd to the bar.

Tianna ordered for them and they sat on the stools and watched the barman pour them. Reilly couldn't help but notice how sexy he is, taking in his too-tight white shirt and tattoos snaking down his arms and up to his neck. When he looked at her and smiled, his blond hair fell over the side of his face and she fought the urge to brush it back behind his ear.

"Happy Birthday," he shouted when he gave her, her drink and Reilly blushed.

"Thank you! How did you know?" she responded. He laughed and pointed towards her sash and Reilly blushed even deeper looking at Tianna who was shaking her head.

Reilly downed her drink as well as the second one that appeared in front of her, wearing the Birthday sash had its perks in situations like these. After she downed her fifth drink, she joined her extroverted friend on the dance floor, still half cringing at the number of people paying attention to her.

A random guy moved towards Reilly and put out his hand, asking her to dance. She cocked her head at him but decided to take him up on his offer and took his hand. Smiling, he pulled her closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Together they danced, their bodies moving in sync with each other as well as the beat of the music.

Reilly felt herself relax as the music progressed, she let her eyes drift away from his smokey eyes to assess him. His dark hair was styled with care and he was tall enough that she had to look up into his eyes. She concluded that he wasn't devastatingly handsome, but his smile reached his eyes, which counted in his favour.

"I'm Tyler," he said into her ear as they danced. Reilly frowned as she expected his breath to cause tingles to flow down her neck. It didn't.

"I'm Reilly," she returned smiling up at him.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked nodding towards the bar. Reilly hesitated but nodded and they made their way to the bar, Tyler's hand on the small of her back. He placed their order before turning towards her leaning on the counter.

"Happy Birthday by the way!" he said into her ear, again not initiating tingling down her neck. When the drink hit the counter, rather loudly, they reached towards the glass at the same time, their hands bumping into each other. Tyler took her hand in his and pushed the drink over to her with his other hand, smiling. Reilly looked down at their entwined fingers and marvelled at how warm his hand was compared to hers, before drinking the cosmopolitan he got for her. It wasn't what she was used to drinking but still tasted quite decent. She was surprised when the second one came and instead of passing it to her, he drank it. He widened his eyes at her as if saying: "What?" and Reilly shook her head, smiling.

When they finished their drinks, Tyler pulled Reilly back onto the dance floor. The two of them danced again, but this time it felt different. Hotter. Both his hands were resting on her hips and Reilly struggled to keep focused. Her head spun.

The dance floor got more crowded, causing Tyler to pull Reilly even closer, their bodies grazing each other with every movement. Reilly could feel the heat of his body radiating through hers, she wanted to move away but didn't know how to without falling over.

His eyes fell to Reilly's mouth and without a second thought, his lips covered hers. They stopped dancing then, immersed in each other, Tyler's hands making their way to her butt.

A commotion broke out next to them, forcing them to part and pay attention. It was Tianna and from the looks of the guy sitting on the floor holding his bleeding nose, she must have punched him. When the bouncer dragged Tianna out of the club, Reilly didn't have much of a choice, but to follow her. Leaving Tyler standing in the middle of the dancefloor with nothing more than an apologetic smile and a shrug before disappearing after her friend.

"I'm sorry," Tianna whined as we got into the car, "You should at least go back and get his phone number."

"Really?"

"Yes, go!" she screamed, practically pushing Reilly out of the car. So she went. Fighting her way through the crowd, looking for Tyler, smiling when her eyes find him.

She wasn't sure she even wanted his number. But, she needed to prove something to Tianna. Prove that Blake meant nothing and she's already over him. More lies.

Reilly made eye contact with Tyler and she moved towards him, he looked like a deer caught in headlights and when Reilly came closer, she saw why.

He has moved on already. A dark-haired girl was dancing with him, his hand on her hip, exactly where he was touching her just moments before. Reilly turned around and left, disappointment crawling over her skin and warmth creeping into her face.

It's not that she wanted him. It just hurt that she was so easily replaced.

Tianna didn't say a word, guessing the situation accurately with one look towards her best friend and drove them home.

They got ready for bed and Reilly laid awake and thought about the day she had.

She replayed the kiss over and over in her head, and she couldn't help comparing it with the one she had with Blake. She felt a sort of intensity, but with no tingling and quite slow-burning, in stark contrast with the exploding need, she felt with Blake. It was far from satisfying.

Although the night didn't quite end off how she thought it was going to, Reilly felt content. She might not have found her fireworks, but she has found something new, something worthy of exploration.

Reilly drifted off to sleep, her last thought on Blake. On that last moment. When she felt a spark deep in her core. The moment she felt most alive.