Ahead of the Darkness Read Online Free

art, all the multi-coloured liqueurs glowing.
    I walked around to confirm that it was replicated on the other side, and that’s when I saw him. The guy from the gym. I quickly moved back into the crowd before he could see me and watched from afar. The image I had in my head from when I had first, but rather briefly, laid eyes on him did him no justice. I hadn’t realised how very tall he was until seeing him towering over everyone else. A good head taller than the rest of the staff, he looked at least 6’1”.
    What I had originally thought was thick, golden chocolate-brown hair seemed almost black in the dimly lit club. His face was much more masculine than I remembered, with a strong, almost hard jaw. His eyes lacked the mischievous twinkle I'd seen but there was still a hint of amusement, most likely from all the drunken trollops throwing themselves at him. His full pink lips were in a perpetual smirk as he flirted shamelessly with them. Yet, there was no sign of his playful dimples. I frowned at my mistake, they didn’t exist.
    I gave up on my perusal when I realised his white button-up shirt hid his form a little too well. The rolled up sleeves and thin black tie were a nice touch, though, and I couldn’t help but compare the carefree guy from the gym to the more professional bar guy. Both were equally dreamy, and together were a little much.
    With all the warm bodies around me, I felt hot and sweaty. Well that was what I told myself at least. I steeled myself off in preparation and headed to the bar for a much needed drink. It wasn’t like he would remember me. I really needed to stop lying to myself.
    “Aye, what’ll it be, then?” His eyes grew wide as recognition hit him. The dimple I’d thought imaginary wasn’t, after all. “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s arse. If it isn’t the wee lass from the gym. I dinnae fancy seeing ye here, like.” His eyes slowly travelled the length of my dress, all the way down to my toes. His height gave him the perfect advantage and my body broke out in gooseflesh. I felt a little exposed, and vulnerable.
    “You have quite a collection here.” Get it together, A. It’s just a boy, a tall, Scottish boy, who’s looking at you, quizzically. “Yes, that was me. I am not usually so, clumsy. I apologise, again, for falling on you.” Twice ...
    “Aye, it was nae bother like. I’m glad I was there to catch ye. The name’s Drew. Ye’re new round these parts, aye?”
    “Yes. I just moved here, today to be precise.” I mumbled.
    “Do ye have a name to go with yer pretty face?”
    “Yes... Amelia.” MERDE! “I mean, um, Mia. No one calls me that ... Not since I was six... Mia, just Mia.”
    “Well alright, just Mia, what’s yer poison?”
    “Oh, I, hmmm, rum?”
    “White rum? How do you like?”
    “Simple, I guess. Rum and coke.” His dimple winked at me again as he made my 'poison’.
    “This club, it is something else.”
    “Aye, it took a while to get here, like, but now it’s the only place the folk wanna be.”
    “You work here full-time?”
    “Ye could say that.”
    “Oh.” Vague.
    “There ye go, doll face.”
    “Thank you.” I fumbled with my cash as I handed it to Drew. His fingers sent shivers through my hand as they touched. I smiled what I hoped, was sweetly and walked off, leaving him with my change. Twice in one day, but at least this time was a little more polite.
    I found an empty table and watched the crowd dance to the thumping beats. It was hard to fight the urge to watch Drew as he worked, but every time I looked over at him he was either looking at me already, or caught me looking at him.
    I finally had enough of the who-looked-first game, downed my drink and headed into the crowd. I used to love to dance, lose myself in the music and just feel. It was one of the only times I let myself go, especially in public, but with a crowd like this, no one watched you. Everyone was just in his or her own world, dancing to the thick beat.
    It took