The room in which the party was being held was frickin' HUGE. I swear the ceilings were 40 feet above my head, and the other end of the room seemed a football field's length away. A slow waltz was playing, and the patrons of the Hotel were moving in graceful circles. I saw Serena eyeing the dance floor, then eyeing Nick, then the dance floor, and so on, until he'd met all the people he was required to and carted her onto the dance space. I was so happy for her. She'd always wanted to dance with him. Brian, AJ and I went back and forth across the room, talking to familiars, introducing ourselves to those that weren't. Each couple or individual looked me over once or twice, trying to guess as to why I was there with the both of them. AJ cleared it up for them with 'she's our date for this evening' and a little laugh. Once we'd circumnavigated the area at least three times, I had to excuse myself and plop down on a chair at the table we'd reserved. I didn't get much rest, however, as a large, powerfully built, older man came up to me. "How are you enjoying the party so far?" he asked me, pulling out the seat beside me and making himself comfortable. I smiled faintly and looked longingly after Brian and AJ, wishing one would ask me to dance. I was ready to take AJ up on his rooftop escapade offer. "It's a little more... well, just more than I'm used to," I said truthfully, "but it's very nice. I was hoping one of my escorts over there (I pointed to AJ and Brian) would offer a dance, but they're occupied at the moment." The man stuck his hand out to me, and I shook it lightly. "Armand Ephisias," he said. "Elizabeth Shackleford," I replied. He still held my hand. "If you'd take it, I'd offer you a dance," he smiled. Older men... that much older, weren't my thing, and his very friendly attitude was making me a little apprehensive. "Sure I will," I answered, against my better judgement, and walked out onto the floor with him.
*Third person perspective* "Hey Brian," AJ said, nudging Brian's attention from the people with whom he was conversing, "Is that Liz with Ephisias?" he asked, concern in his voice. Brian nodded in affirmation, and AJ's concern level rose. "I'm going to go cut in. I'll meet you a little later," he said quickly, then strode off into the crowd, leaving Brian to fend the chatters off by himself. When he reached Liz and Armand, AJ's voice cut across the music. "Can I cut in?" he asked, puting his hand posessively on Liz's shoulder. Armand looked the skinny man over and smirked. "Sorry, junior... this is my dance, my girl." Liz was taken aback at the harsh tone of his words, and suddenly became frightened. "Do you two know each other?" she asked, silently pleading with AJ to take her away from this man. "Oh yeah we do," AJ nearly growled, gently pulling Liz to his side. "Hey, asshole. The Hell you think you're doing?" Armand demanded. He towered over AJ, and Liz did not want to see anything become physical between them. "What makes you think you can take her away from me, huh, little boy?" he asked, his tone condescending as he leaned nearer to AJ. AJ simply pointed to the wall nearest them, where a man nearly twice the size of Armand, who was huge himself, was leaning. The man waved to AJ and resumed his conversation with another body gaurd. "Vito and James over there give me the capability to take her away, and second thing, she ain't yours, Ephisias," he said calmly, locking eyes with the larger man. Armand glared at AJ briefly before turning around and stalking out of the hotel.
*Back to Liz's perspective* "Ok, how do you know him?"I asked AJ as we headed to the lobby of the hotel. "It's a long story,"he sighed, adjusting his shirt. "Well, I got nothin' but time, honey, and if we're going up to the roof, I'd say you got plenty of time to tell me the story," I replied. We walked straight into the elevator and AJ hit the button marked (30). When the doors closed, AJ turned to me and put his arms around me in a hug. My surprise was totally evident as I didn't even reciprocate the hug. "Jeez, we guys need hugs on the occassion, too," he said, smiling. I rolled my eyes and hugged him back. He leaned his head on my shoulder and sighed. "You have a nice shoulder to put a head on," he said, and I laughed. "What?!" He clarified. "Your shoulder. It's not all bony and stuff. It's nice to put my head on it," and he put it right back. Oh yeah, I could tell he'd visited the bar a few times already. I rolled my eyes yet again. "Ooh-ho-ho-kay there... Now," I said, prying him away, "You're gonna tell me why you nearly got your ass kicked by an old guy, and you're gonna do it before we get to the top." AJ scratched his head and leaned against the wall. "Ok. Well... shit. Ok, that guy, Ephisias, he was produing a track with Amanda, you know, when we first got together. So, he was Mr. Big and everything, and Amanda... he... aww, man, I hate sayin' this... She, um, she kinda slept with him this one time, and uh... Well, I guess you can see why we don't get on too good," he mumbled. I sympathized with him. A few years ago my boyfriend had cheated on me, and afterward I really didn't like the girl he'd done it with. The story came to an end just as the elevator bell signaled that we'd arrived at the thirtieth floor; the roof of the building.
Cool air rushed into the elevator shaft as the doors opened to the night sky. I gasped in surprise, and AJ laughed at me, stepping out of the enclosure. "It's not so bad once you get out here," he said to me, taking my hand and pulling me out before the doors closed. "Been up here a few times, huh?" I asked, the wind dying down to where I could hear every noise of the night. "Oh yeah," he replied, "I bring all the pretty girls up here." A smile formed across his lips. "Just kidding." I smirked at him and then leaned my head back, looking up at the stars. "It's really nice," I said. Just then a feeling of loneliness came over me. It took hold of me so strongly I thought I was going to fall over. I thought of Serena and Nick downstairs, obviously caught up in each other, and I thought of AJ, who was free to pick and choose given his new found status as a single man. I thought of Kevin and his wife, and Brian and... wait. Brian. He was alone too. He was alone down there and I was alone up here, figuratively, that is. So, if we were both alone, then... why was I still up there? "I have to go!" I almost wailed. AJ grabbed my arm before I could get a running start, and looked into my eyes. "What's wong?" he asked. I shook my head and wiped the begginings of a tear from the corner of my eye. "I don't know, I don't know! But I have to go downstairs! Please let me go!" I was almost hysterical now. AJ kept his grip on my arm. "No. You tell me why you just burst into tears, and I'll let you go." I breathed hard, but couldn't stop the tears. So, I told him why I was crying...
"I was just thinking about everyone, and how they all have, you know, some one special... but I don't! I mean, I haven't been on a date in over a year! Is that normal? In high school I was... oh God, all the younger girls wanted to be like me because I could have any guy I wanted. I was pretty, popular... but I never thought about when it would end! So when it was over, and I had nowhere to go, I drifted into the place where I was working until a few weeks ago, and set myself up. But I was alone! I was alone then, and I'm alone now! I'm not used to that, and I don't know how... I don't want to be alone forever! You have to let me go, I have to get downstairs! I need... I need to talk to Brian!" I cried, and my eyes filled up once again.
I think AJ realized what I meant, and he looked down at the ground. "Well, shit." I peered up and dried my eyes somewhat. "What?" He repeated his line. "What was that for?" I asked. He looked at me and took my hand in his. "Liz... I don't have anyone either. I was hoping that we could stop being lonely together. I was hoping you'd take me up on it, but... I guess I'm a little late." My stomach dropped to my knees. "Too late?" I wondered, choking on my words. He kissed my hand. "Yeah. If you like Brian, then..." he trailed. I realized what he was thinking, and I gasped. "Oh! Oh no! No, me and Brian, we aren't... I mean, I don't like Brian like that! I did until... well, let's say he and I are just friends now." A spark came into AJ's eyes. "Then why did you need to rush downstairs?" he asked, obviously confused. "I was going to talk to him! Really! He's alone down there, and I just thought I should talk to him about this." I heard an almost relieved sigh come from AJ's lips, and he smiled at me. "So, are you going to take me up on this, or what?" he asked, stepping in closer to me. I did like him. He liked me. Oh yeah, I was gonna take him up on it. I didn't verbalize my answer, I just grinned and nodded. AJ looked around, then grabbed me and bowed me down low, like in a dance. "Wonderful," he said, then kissed me so passionately I thought my knees would give out.