"Valerie parked the car in the parking garage then she got on the elevator and pushed the button for the twelfth floor where the Silver Star Lounge was located. Hmmm, this is the club Aaron used to go to all the time. Now finally I will get to see what the big deal is. The big deal that helped drive my husband away, she thought. She hated going into a club alone, but after all it was New Years Day. Valerie tried to convince herself it was OK again to go to the after-party alone. "April had gone home with Alexander and she did have on a beautiful new dress." "What about these gorgeous shoes I am wearing?" In fact, they were, pinching her toes again she panicked. "What if Mitchell wasn’t there?" She had only met him a few hours ago. "We were caught up in the spirit of the New Year’s Eve celebration", she thought. "Everyone had been drinking". "He may not even remember that he had invited me to the after-party." "He might be married or going with someone?" "He might be a crazy person?" "What was she doing here?" she asked herself
She stepped off the elevator and immediately spun around and stepped back onto it. Before she could turn around, she heard a man ask,
"Weren’t you even going to look to see if I was in here waiting for you?"
Valerie turned around and it was Mitchell.
Valerie broke out in a deep grin and said, "Oh I forgot something in my car". "Then please let me go back down with you to get it." "I can keep you company".
"OK."
Valerie was full of butterflies and giggles as her and Mitchell took the elevator back down the parking garage. "I have been waiting here like a little boy on Christmas morning waiting for you to arrive ever since you called me."
"Called you? That call actually went through?"
"Yeah, but when I picked it up, there was no one on the line." I saw your cousin’s name on the caller IDI figured you were just calling and letting it ring to tell me you were on your way." "Were you having second thoughts?
"Well, to be honest, I did feel uncomfortable coming out here alone. Especially, after April and Alexander changed their minds about coming".
"I got someone to take my place at the bar while I waited by the elevator for you." I wanted you to know that I was here". I didn’t want you to go into the club and have to look around for me." "That was nice of you."
Well, I try my best."
When they got to the car, Valerie opened the door and then she opened the glove compartment and pretended to take something out and put it in her purse. Mitchell was looking the other way, so she thought he may not have seen what she did. Anyway he did not ask her what it was.
By the time they made it back up to the party, it was jumping. When they got to the door Mitchell paid ten dollars for Valerie to get in. He walked her to the bar, where he would be working and pulled out a stool for her to sit down on.
"Do you want anything to drink?"
"No, I am driving now and it is kind of late."
Valerie could not believe she was enjoying herself so much. Maybe this was not a mistake coming here. The music was sounding good and she was feeling good too Valerie did not want to sit there, staring at Mitchell the whole time. She did not want him to think she was insecure as far as other women were concerned. She turned her stool around to watch the dance floor for a while. People were on the floor doing the "Electric Slide" and all those other new line-dances that were out now. Valerie did not mind that she was not dancing. She was happy sitting right where she was. When she turned her stool towards the door, she saw Tonya standing there with Jack. Oh, my goodness do I have to look at these two people for the rest of my life? She asked herself. Jack and Tonya went straight to the dance floor and joined in on the Electric Slide. Neither one of them were smiling. They were both looking around as though they were looking for someone. Valerie knew they were looking for Alexander and April. She was glad they were not at the after-party now. Even two idiots like Tonya and Jack should be able to put one and one together to come up with two.
Mitchell touched Valerie on her shoulders. "I only have thirty more minutes to go", he said. "Do you want to stay here for a little while or leave?" he asked.
"Stay here I guess, because I can’t think of anywhere else we could go at this hour of the morning", said Valerie.
Mitchell stared at her for a minute thinking about how sweet and refreshing she was, then he, smiled and said, "here will be fine".
When he was done, he came from behind the bar and pulled Valerie towards the dance floor.
"Oh no, not this time", she said. "I really do have to sit down, or I will have to take off my shoes".
"Then take them off!" he said. "This is a celebration and everyone is having a good time". I do not know if you have looked around or not, but you won’t be the only lady here with her shoes off".
