Stories at Happy Hour. A.M. Hoot
where everyone in the family got extremely sick after dinner, but Sharon was not as sick as everyone else, Alex and Brax thought for sure Sharon was poisoning them. Sharon would talk about the pastor preaching about the evil in the world, and how they needed to protect themselves from evil. Brax and Alex could see Sharon offing the family to “protect” them from evil. Her mom was so warped. Alex hoped the craziness didn’t run in the family. Darius chuckled. Alex assured him she had worse stories, but she didn’t need to bitch about her mom all night. She loved her parents. They were her parents. It was just tough being their kid sometimes. She knew her dad loved her, but her mom, that love came with conditions and it hurt.
Alex asked Darius if he had any horror stories about his parents to turn the focus off of her and her tortured childhood. Darius said that he actually had a great relationship with his folks. They were chill. Not religious or anything, and very supportive of him, which was cool because the lifestyle he chose with wanting to go into motocross was not exactly a sure thing. It was a dream of his to go pro, and his parents supported it. Of course, he had a real job working with his dad and he enjoyed that too, but he wanted to make it big in Motocross. It was nice hearing him say so many positive things about his parents. Alex could tell he was being sincere and when he talked about his parent’s he was joyful.
Alex heard one of her all-time favorite songs come on. She couldn’t believe it. It was Possum Kingdom by The Toadies. She hadn’t heard that song in ages. She started dancing in her seat a little. Darius said, “You like the Toadies?” She was shocked! He knew who they were? Alex nodded her head and said the Toadies were one of her favorite bands and the song playing was her favorite song. He agreed and called it a classic. He told her she should get up and dance. If she feels it, she should FEEL it. He said, “Take in all the feels.” She laughed at him. There was no way she was going to get up and dance at Outback. There was no dance floor and there were people there trying to enjoy their dinner, they didn’t want to see her dancing around. She told Darius it was kind of a dark song; people don’t usually dance to it. He told her that she was dancing to it in her seat; she needed to get up on her feet. Darius could see that Alex was not going to move. She stopped dancing in her seat. He stood up and offered his hand. She grabbed it like she was in a trance. She instantly stood up without thinking, and they started dancing right by their table. The other customers looked up at them, and the bartenders glanced at them. Alex was nervous, but Darius was solely focused on Alex. Suddenly the music got louder, and Alex just kept looking at Darius, he was crazy, but he was fun and exciting. Alex and Darius sang and danced to the song as if they were out on a dance floor. Alex was mesmerized looking at Darius, he was hot, he could dance, and he didn’t care what other people were thinking of them. Alex found that so refreshing. She felt like her whole life was a lie.
Alex’s parent’s church preached about God and God’s love and forgiveness, but she didn’t see a lot of that. From her experience, people from the church ended up being the worst people ever. They hid behind religion to control people. They did not show love or forgiveness, they judged and shamed people. She felt like she had to pretend to be something she was not to please everyone else. Whenever she thought about the church or religion, she always got in the mood to listen to Nine Inch Nails, Terrible Lie came to mind at the moment. She usually drank to numb all the feelings of hurt, pain, judgments, and rejection.
She wasn’t numbing the feelings tonight though. She was feeling all the feels and she liked it. She liked being with Darius, she felt safe, confident, and free. Their song ended and as Alex and Darius went back to their booth, the bartenders and some of the patrons clapped. Alex’s face turned red. This time instead of sitting opposite Darius she sat right next to him in the booth. She just wanted to be near him. She felt like there was this force pulling her closer to him. She had no control. When she sat next to him, he smiled at her and rubbed her leg gently. She touched his hand and they smiled at each other. From that moment on, they did not stop touching. They could not keep their hands off each other. Darius told her that he thought she was a great dancer and that she should dance whenever she feels it move her. He thought she danced like an angel like she was making love to the music, it consumed her and that turned him on. He told her whenever the music moves her to go with it. Don’t worry about what other people are thinking and stop trying to please other people. You cannot please everyone all the time, the only person you have control of is yourself, so please yourself. If you feel like dancing, dance. Alex blushed. She always thought she was a crazy dancer, but maybe he liked a little crazy.
They ate dinner and had a few more drinks. They talked as if they had been friends forever, friends that couldn’t keep their hands off each other that is. The night was ending, the restaurant was closing, and it was time for them to say goodbye. Darius holding Alex’s hand walked her out to her car. He told her he had a really good night, maybe one of the best nights he has ever had. Alex felt the same but didn’t want to admit it. She just smiled and nodded her head in agreement. He leaned in and moved a piece of hair that was stuck to her bottom lip and then he kissed her. It was gentle, sweet. She kissed him back and then she kissed him more deeply and then kissed him again and again. Finally, she let go of him. He smiled a big smile and said, “Correction, this HAS been the best night of my life.” She laughed at him. She was embarrassed and laughed a little more, “Yeah, I really like the steak here” she said with a wink and got in her car. Darius said he would call her later. He told her to drive home carefully because he wanted to see her again.
She started driving home and screamed out loud to herself. That was the best date she had been on and the best night of her life. She felt like she was in a movie. He was so cool, so dreamy, she couldn’t get enough.
Chapter 5
Six months later Alex and Darius were still dating. It was a Friday night and Darius and Alex just got home to Alex’s place. They were dancing at the Starlite bar all night. Alex was famished. She told Darius she would put a pizza in the oven, he nodded his head. Alex started the oven, picked a pizza out, and saw a bag of plain potato chips sitting out. She ripped open the bag and put a huge handful of chips in her mouth. She turned around to offer some to Darius and as she turned around, she saw him down on one knee, with a jewelry box open. There was a 3 stone, princess cut diamond ring in the box. It was gorgeous. Her mouth still full of potato chips, Darius says, “I bought this ring three months after I met you. I thought the three stones were fitting. It stands for the past, present, and future. I can’t remember my life before you, and I don’t want to. All I know is what we have here and now, and I want it forever.” Alex still had a mouthful of chips; her eyes were bulging out and she wasn’t moving. Darius started to sweat a little, he was happy he didn’t purpose to her right when he bought the ring, if she is freaking out now, he would have totally scared her away three months ago. He nervously laughed and continued talking, “I know it’s only been six months, but there is never going to be another love like ours, so why not?” Alex’s eyes welled up in tears. The tears rolled down her cheeks. All she could think was holy shit, he wants to lock us in. He wants to marry ME??? She was all in from the first time she laid eyes on him. There was no question in her mind. She started nodding her head, yes, trying to quick chew the chips in her mouth and swallow, so she could scream yes, YES! YES! hysterically. He nodded at her to confirm, “Yes?” She was laughing and crying at the same time and screamed “Yes… yes, I’ll marry you.” He stood up and picked her up, and swung her around the kitchen. He hollered “Yes!” and said she just made him the happiest man. She was still crying. She was in shock, but deliriously happy.
They got married six months later. They were married before they even knew each other for a full year. Their relationship was ignited and fueled by passion. Darius made Alex feel alive and Alex excited Darius. Darius was protective and supportive of Alex, he loved her unconditionally and she knew it. She never felt a love like that and knew they were lucky to have what they had. Darius taught Alex to feel all the “feels” in life. Not to walk through life numb. He didn’t want her to have any regrets. He wanted her to pursue her passions, talk freely, dress freely, find herself, be herself, and feel herself. She loved that he truly cared so much about her, he was so nurturing. Alex loved Darius so much it scared her. She almost felt like she wasn’t a whole person until she met him. He made her whole, and ALIVE.
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