Karaoke Bar Romance

“Veronica, are you almost ready?” Rings the high-pitched voice of my best friend Amy as she barges into my bedroom.
“HEY!” I screech yanking my dress down over my body frantically. “I’m almost done! But don’t you know how to knock?!?” Amy is my best friend of two years now and she’s always pushing me to get out of my shell. For instance tonight she’s taking us to a karaoke bar/club, I have no idea why, well actually I do it’s her cousins and the grand opening is tonight but that’s beside the point I’m not much on the club or bar scene but she says we’ll have a blast.
“Not when I’m here I don’t, besides I wasn’t looking at you so don’t go panicking. I was looking at how you rearranged the room again.” She says laughing.
“Do I look okay? Are the boots with the dress alright?” I ask doing a quick twirl.
“You look great as always! And did you do your makeup?” she asks skeptically.
“No, I just washed my face. And thank you Amy you look amazing too!”
“You’re saying you just washed your face and you look that amazing? Omg girl, let’s get you outta here before your brother and dad decide they don’t want their angel face to go!”
“Stop that,” I say laughing and we head out for a night of unknowns.

We get to the place at about 7:45 a bit before everything starts so we can go into the club and get a table. Our table I should say because it’s Amy’s cousin Andrew’s club. So here we are two 21 year old girls. One the stereotype tall beautiful blonde, with baby blue eyes, wearing a black off the shoulder knee length dress with combat boots, the lightest amount of makeup though she doesn’t need it, and without the attitude unless you provoke it. The other, me. An average height brunette with brown doe eyes, also wearing a black off the shoulder dress but with a denim jacket over it and my signature blue tan and white Durango boots. And to top it off Amy owns a Challenger, destroyer grey. So the pretty blonde with the sports car and her weird friend right? This night should be fun.

“Hey Veronica!” Andy basically screams running up to his cousin and I. Now is probably a good time to mention Andy is a decent guy and actually how I met Amy. I dated him but things didn’t work out and now we’re good friends, which we always were.
“Wow no love for your blood?” Amy says giving him a hard time.
“Hey don’t forget he linked you and I, Ams!” I say laughing while hugging my best friend, as Andy shows us around his new place proudly.
“Yeah, never forget that cuz! Now look girls I have someone I want you to meet before everything gets crazy and I don’t want you all to be um how you say it considering one of you is my ex… well let’s just rip the band-aid off I guess. Brandon!”
“Ha! Andrew we already knew if you’re tryna tell us you bi!” True. Amy has no chill though.
“Yeah? What’s up babe?” Brandon comes from behind the bar and I actually recognize him, just can’t place it.
“I just wanted you to meet my cousin Amy and our friend Veronica. Amy and V I want you to properly meet my boyfriend Brandon.”
“So nice to meet you!”
“How’s it going?”
“Nice to meet both of you, I’ve heard so much about the two of you.”

For the next little while it’s listening to the singers, and chat with each other.
“So how do you feel about seeing him with a guy?” Amy asks knowing her cousin was my first actual relationship.
“We both made a mature mutual decision on the relationship. It’s all good.”
“Yeah but you haven’t even tried to get back out there and it’s been almost two years now?”
“I know. But guys are just ughhhh…” I say grabbing the sleeves of my jacket and pulling them down and reaching for my drink.
“You’re gorgeous V guys everywhere stare at you and are floored by your beauty. Just give it another shot.”
“Amyyy” I say hiding my face in my palms.
“Look, look, look! Wait no don’t look but there’s a really cute guy looking at you!!!”
“He’s likely looking at you, TSA!”
“Nope definitely not.” She says getting us both a Rum and coke. Up until now we were just drinking soda but my best friend knows me and so does Andy. I catch a glimpse of him looking at our table when he’s making the drinks.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you” Amy took the lead on this one. She is so much better at this than I am. All I can manage is a smile.
“So how about you? Any plans? With any guys?” I ask.
“No…not unless you count the study date with Clay tomorrow.” She says laughing.
“So why isn’t he here tonight? With you so you aren’t alone?”
“I’m not alone. I have you! Plus we’re trying to get you hooked up!”
“And the way to do this is to take me to my ex’s club on opening night and?” oh boy what have I gotten myself into I think downing my rum and coke as another shows up?

---

POV Zachary

“Dude I don’t know why you’re dragging me to this, you know I hate crowds!” I say knowing he’s not going to let up unless I go to this grand opening.
“I promised your mom I’d keep you sane and this is how I’m going to do it!” Alex, my best friend says.
“Really you’re dragging my mom into this now?” My mom moved to London after my dad dying two months ago and she didn’t do it lightly, she swore I couldn’t deal on my own, why I don’t know.
“What bro, she asked me to keep you sane! So I’m gonna do it come on!”
“Fine but you’re the designated driver if I get wasted.”
When we get there I’m shocked to see the place this packed. I mean it’s new but I didn’t think it would be that special? I know that’s rude as fuck but it’s how I feel. Anyways right away my eyes land on these two girls in the center of the room at a small table pretty close to the bar but not to close, the bartender definitely had a great view! If you ask me he probably seated those girls there on purpose because it looked like he was checking upon them. Or checking them out, who knows? Anyways these girls were knockouts. A blonde and brunette sitting there drinking together. Where Alex and I were sitting I had the perfect view of the blonde without being detected but to see the brunette was more of a dead give away I was checking her specifically out.

“See it was a good idea to come here.” Alex snaps me away from analyzing the situation with the girls.
“What? What do you mean bro? Don’t get any ideas I’m still mad at you.”
“Oh shut up! You know you’re glad you came.”
“Yeah maybe but I still have the crazy ex as evidence of our last night out.”
“Ah you got one good thing out of the deal.”
“Yeah besides the fact her mom has the kid and won’t let me see her at all. Unless my mom was there.”
“Look we aren’t here for you to be depressing! We’re here for you to throw back a drink or two and have a little fun plus Elijah is meeting us soon and it’s his friend’s bar! SPEAKING OF HEY MY MAN!”
“What’s up boys?”
“Not much Elijah, just watching your brother drool over that little brunette over there…”
“Stop just stop both of you don’t even!”
“Oh come on why not just see what she just downed order her another. Poor girl looks tense!” Alex says laughing. Elijah joining in. Fuckin morons.
“Alright, alright. Hey Mason, what’s she drinking?” I ask kind of leaning towards the brunette and he asked “V? You want to know what V’s drinking?”
“Well yeah if that’s her name? Whatever she’s drinking get her another?”
“Um I think it’s a rum and coke and her names Veronica.”
“Thanks Bro.”

---

POV Veronica

“Here you go V.” Mason our waiter says with a smile. He and all the others have been informed Amy and I are VIPS.
“But… Amy?”
“Don’t look at me Hun, I think I know who did though!”
“What are you..” She tapped my hands away from my face and there was a guy who was probably 5’6, 5’7 and green eyes blue jeans and a button up with some cowboy boots and black hair in a military style cut. Gosh he’s gorgeous! Why’s he standing here?
“Uh – Veronica?” My hands automatically go to hiding myself again but Amy has other plans for me.
“Hi I’m Amy! And you’re right this is Veronica but her friends call her V. You bought the drink?”
“I’m Zac and yes I did. Your friend here must be shy?”
My face is burning up and Amy knows it which is why she excuses the both of us and tells Zac? We will be right back.
“Excuse us for one moment Zac.” She says grabbing my hands and pulling me out of my seat pulling me past Zac and I don’t have the safety of my hair hiding my face, and I catch his gorgeous green eyes with mine.
“V! I told you he was eyeing YOU! Now look you can’t keep hiding yourself, give him a shot!”
“I I don’t know?”
“Hey V and Ams everything okay?” Andy comes over and checks on us eyeing the guy back at our table.
“Yes everything is fine! Someone needs to lighten up!” Amy says that eyeing me and laughing.
“Alright, but if you two need me just holler okay? Okay V?”
“I know.” He is still as protective of me as when we were together. And the way he said it sounded like the way he talked to me one other time.
“Look I’ll stay but give the guy a chance. How bad could he be?”
“Um really bad? But you’re right he’s cute and you’ll stay with me right?”
“Of course! I’m not going to leave your side unless you tell me to Hun!”
“Okay. Let’s go back then.” I say smiling.
“And the verdict is?” He asks in a deep voice I hadn’t noticed before because of trying to disappear.
“Why don’t we let the judge tell you herself?” Amy says in her flirty tone I’m sure there’s a wink following it. As she moves out from in front of me. I took my hair out of the ponytail it was in but I was now playing with the ends of it nervously while they both looked at me.
“Well V?” Amy says tapping her nails on the table.
“Z.. Zac right? Would you like to join us?” I’m stuttering like an idiot he probably wants to leave now!
“I’d quite like that if your friend and you wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all!” Amy jumps in.

---

About a half-hour later his friends walked over to let him know they were leaving and see if he was coming with but he stayed with me and soon enough Amy was calling Clay and chatting with him and it was just the two of us. We talked for what ended up being hours and by the end of it we were making plans for another night. But this time just us.