G ripping the light pole for balance, I pulled one heel, then the other off my feet and flung them into the deserted street. “I hate these damn heels. Who can dance in those things?” The pebbles bit into the soles of my now bare feet, but I hardly noticed. Looking around, I took in the wide eyes and judgmental faces around me. One girl scanned me from head to toe before taking a long drag of her cigarette and rolling her eyes. Bitch, at least I don’t smoke. I turned to the right and began my trek to the parking lot. I needed to get the hell away from the bar, and it’s musty smell. My stomach rolled as the urine and cigarette smell from the street hit me.
Moving here to go to school seemed like a good idea. I thought Duluth was a sparkling clean place. Boy, was I wrong. The bar and club district were like any other city. It reeked of death and debauchery. Okay, really it was rot and urine. I wondered how many people had to piss on the street for it to permanently smell. I made it to the next block and still had enough sense to look both ways before crossing the deserted street. I didn’t even know the official time, I just knew it was home time for me.
“Zoe, wait up!” Theo called behind me. I wasn’t exactly ditching him when I fled the bar. I was just annoyed with my damn shoes and the way the floor swayed during my last dance. Drop it like it’s hot had a whole new meaning when the floor came up a little faster than I anticipated. My knees certainly didn’t appreciate the way I landed on them. I blame the shoes. “Zoe, what the hell? Why didn’t you wait for me?” he asked, out of breath.
“Well, hello, Theodore. What brings you out on a night such as this?” I asked in my best British accent. I swayed a little when I turned, sweeping my arm across the night sky.
“You, dammit! Will you please stop walking and put your shoes back on?” He held out my shiny black heels. I scoffed and turned back around to continue my stroll. “Where do you think you’re going anyway? I took your keys an hour ago.”
“I was just enjoying a pleasant stroll through a beautiful city. Don’t you just love when you can feel the ground beneath your feet.” I swayed my hips as I continued my walk.
“Zoe, please stop.” He took a deep breath.
“Why, my dear Theodore, are you unable to keep up with a lady such as myself? Is it not you who wakes up ungodly early to go to the wretched gym?” I looked over my shoulder to smirk at Theo before I took off in a dead run toward my car.
“Holy fuck,” I heard Theo say as he ran after me.
I stopped at my car and jumped onto the trunk. Crossing my legs I smiled wide at Theo. “Are you going to take a lady home?” I continued with the accent even though it was more drunk Irishman at this point.
“Oh my God, Zoe, you’re going to give me a heart attack. Yes, I will absolutely take you home. Although, I’m not sure I’m leaving you alone.” I watched as he dug the keys out of his pocket and handed me my purse and shoes.
“Why thank you, kind sir.” I hopped down from the trunk and waited for him. He held the passenger door open for me. I cupped Theo’s cheek and slid my thumb over his cheekbone. I gazed into his ocean blue eyes for a moment. “You’re too good to me.” I watched as a reluctant smile forced its way across his lips. I knew I may have gone too far tonight. He had amazing patience with me over the years.
“I know, now are we going home, or what?” his eyes were annoyed yet playful as he looked at me.
“Wishing you would have gone to another school, yet?” I wiggled my eyebrows and lowered myself into the seat. I yanked my auburn hair off my sticky shoulders and neck. Theo got in and threw my shoes and purse in my lap.
“You should probably hold onto those.” He rolled his eyes at me.
“No, I hate these shoes. I’m never wearing them again.” I rolled down the window and chucked them as hard as I could.
Theo blew out a breath. “Zoe!” he stopped the car and got out. When he returned he threw the shoes in the backseat and gave me a hard look.
“What? I told you I’m never wearing them again. What’s the point of keeping them?” I pulled a scrunchie out of my purse and smoothed out my hair to put it up. I hated the feeling of hair on my neck when I was all sweaty.
“Well, then I’ll just leave them in the backseat of your car until you’re sober and can make those kinds of decisions.” His eyes flicked over to me before returning to the road.
“Whatever, I’m not that drunk. I think I can decide when I’m over a pair of shoes. Besides, I’m never wearing heels again. Who thought it was a good idea to invent heels. It was probably some guy who wanted women to be taller. Every stupid invention that women have had to endure since the beginning of time has been invented by a man. Like this stupid constricting dress and bra. Who invented them, a man? Well, I’m not going to put up with them any longer.” I began pulling down the straps of the dress. Theo’s hand whipped over to stop mine. His hand locked around my fingers, gripping so I couldn’t move.
“Zoe, you are not getting undressed in the car right now.” His words were stern, but there was something else behind them. He sounded a little throaty when he spoke.
“Why not, I thought all men wanted to see women naked?” I tried to pull the strap down, but his hand was like iron.
“Oh, we do, I just want to get you to your apartment first. I don’t think you want the entire town to see you naked.” He held his hand over mine and tried to make a left turn with one hand. I was impressed with his skill.
“Oh?” My eyebrow rose. “Does ‘we’ include you? You told me we were just friends, Theodore. How scandalous of you.” My hand flew to my chest, and I gave my best Scarlet O'Hara impression.
“Well, my lady, I do have my reasons for holding you back. A good gentleman must court a lady first. It wouldn’t be proper of me not to protect a lady's modesty as I escort her home,” he said in a fantastic British accent.
“Oh, Theodore, I adore you.” I clapped my hands together and turned in the seat to smile at him. I loved when he was playful with me. I was one of the few people who got to see his less serious side.
“If you adored me so much, you would stop pulling these shenanigans every time we went out. It’s good I don’t drink when you do. Could you imagine if both of us were this drunk right now.” He rolled his eyes and pulled to a parking spot at my apartment complex.
“Oh, my God, that would be fun. Next time we get an Uber, and we both get ridiculously drunk. That way you can be in the same mindset as me.” I beamed at him. He was fun when he was drinking. He always went along with my crazy ideas. On the other hand, that would mean we might both be walking around Duluth naked and drunk.
“We would end up arrested. I think I’ll keep my drinking a solo affair.” He shook his head and got out of the car. He held the door open for me to get out.
“I’m not sure I’m ready to go home yet,” I whined. “We were having so much fun.”
“Zoe, you need to go to bed. I think you’ve had enough fun for one night.” He positioned himself in front of me. I think he knew I was thinking about running again. I liked running. It was so freeing.
“One more run through the grass, then I’ll go to my room, I promise.” When I said the word run, he used his arms to encase me between him and the car.
“No more running, Zoe.” He bent and threw me over his shoulder. “You are going into your house. I am not chasing after you again.” He shut the door and walked up to our building. Theo rented the apartment across the hall from me. I didn’t know why he bothered. We could have shared an apartment, but he insisted we live in separate spaces. He was a little old-fashioned sometimes.
I screamed, “Whee,” as we walked up the steps.
“You are going to get us kicked out of here one of these days.” Theo unlocked the door.
“Have a good night?” Jamal asked.
“It was such a good night,” I spoke as I tried to angle myself, so I could see him.
“I can see you had a good night.” I knew his tone was sarcastic, but I ignored him. “You need any help with the door to her place?” he asked.
“Yeah, could you unlock the door, so I can get her inside. She kept trying to take her dress off in the car.”
“And you stopped her?” he asked.
“Yes, because he’s the fun police. You’ll let me have fun, won’t you Jamal?” I asked, gripping Theo to push myself to the side. “I think Theo just picked me up, so I’d have to admire his ass.” I smacked his ass with my hand, and he bucked, trying to get his ass away from my hand.
Jamal started laughing hard. “That’s priceless.”
“Will you let me into her apartment? Please?” Theo hoisted me further up on his shoulder. I could feel his hard muscles as he held me.
“Umph, Theo you don’t have to be so rough.” I wiggled my eyebrows realizing a little late that no one could see me do it. I smacked his ass again.
“Zoe, will you please stop?” he asked. I could hear the restraint and annoyance in his voice. He held me firm against his shoulder and began climbing the stairs.
“Why? Don’t you like to be spanked? I promise you can do me next.”
I heard Jamal laughing all the way up the stairs. “You want to help me with her?” Theo asked. Theo trudged up the stairs with me still slung over his shoulder.
“Oh no, honey, she’s all yours.” He gripped his stomach. He bent over to look me in the eyes. His long dark braids hit the side of his face, and he pushed them away to look at me. “Now, you be a good girl for Theodore here. You know he can’t resist your feminine wiles like I can.” He winked.
“Oh Jamal, I adore you, too.” I yawned.
“Oh honey, you do look like you’re ready for bed. Now, Theo, you be good. Put her straight to bed, no funny business.” He smirked.
“Jamal,” I whined. “Now, you’re being no fun.” I slapped toward him but only hit air.
“I know, sugar cakes, but you need to go to sleep. Midterms are this week. I know you want to pass all your classes since it’s your last year. You were complaining to me about it yesterday.” He smacked me lightly on the ass.
“Hey,” I smacked at the air again.
“Thanks, Jamal. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He shut the door behind us. He carried me into my bedroom and dropped me onto the bed. “Now, you can take all your clothes off if you want. I’m going to bed.” He turned and took a step.
I flew off the bed and stepped in front of him. “Have one more drink with me before you go home.” I stuck out my bottom lip.
“Zoe, it’s been a long night.” He gave me his, ‘I need to be the adult here’ look.
“Okay, I promise I won’t take off my dress, or try to run out of the room. We can put on a cartoon and sit in front of the television. It’s late enough that I might even have the new Rick and Morty recorded.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him.
“You’re insufferable, you know that.” He shook his head.
“I know, but you love me.” I pushed a piece of his hair back behind his ears.
“Fine, I’ll stay for one drink. But I know you want to lose the dress, so you change and I’ll make us some drinks.” He stared back at me with those baby blues. I fawned over those beautiful blue eyes of his.