One Tequila, Two Tequila

**Bonus post, hope you're enjoying your weekend! Just had to fill you in on Dani's Friday night :) **

Thursday morning I got to Blast for my interview 10 minutes early. Their offices were in an older building in Tribeca above an adorable boutique where I could imagine myself blowing paychecks. The company was fairly small, from what I could tell about 30 people total. The whole place had a very open feel, the floor was comprised of uneven hardwood planks and there was artwork and plants everywhere. There were no cubicles, just sporadic, mismatched desks with a Mac on each one. Since my interview was at 8 a.m., not many people had arrived as I waited on a leather couch in the foyer area. A young receptionist was yaking away on the phone that seemed to ring endlessly.

From what I knew, I was meeting with Renee Carr who was the Director of Communications. The open position was a Communications and Event Coordinator, so I assumed I would report to her. Around 8:15, a stylish woman in her mid-30s approached me.

“Danielle?” she asked, extending her hand in my direction.

“Yes!” I said a little too enthusiastically, shaking her perfectly-manicured hand. She was dressed in leather pants, a half-tucked in blouse and had loads of bracelets up and down her arms. Her hair was short and almost black hanging stick straight just to her shoulders. She didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, and looked flawless. Please god, let me have skin like that in ten years.

“Follow me back. Glad you could make it in this morning! Kristen had a lot of great things to say about you,” she said leading me to an office in the back. The offices were separated from the open middle by large glass walls. I took a seat directly across from her desk.

“So, tell me a little bit about you, Danielle,” she asked, leaning back in her chair. God I hated this question.

The beginning of the interview passed easily, with the typical interview-y questions. As far as I could tell, I would make a really good fit for this position. However Renee’s earlier warmth had disappeared, leaving me with an ice queen as an interviewer. Almost all of my jokes bounced off of her motionless face and hung in mid-air, with not a chuckle in sight.

“So, why Blast?” she asked after covering the basics.

“Well, Kristen has always raved about the company, and I have been to two events that you’ve produced, which were amazing. But mostly I just want to work somewhere I’d be passionate about. And I am passionate about marketing, promotions and event planning, which is what this company is all about. Your client list is extremely impressive and I would love for the chance to show you what I’ve got,” I said only deviating slightly from the answer I had rehearsed twenty times. I wasn’t the best interviewee, but I was a a damn good employee.  

“Well,” she started, giving my resume one last look-over. “Starting salary would be around $70,000 excluding the quarterly bonuses. Benefits and 401k are all outlined in the employee handbook.” She started rifling around in her desk, presumably for said handbook. Was she offering me the job.. right now?

She thrust the handbook in my direction. “We’ll give you a call,” she gave me a tight smile. All I could think in my head over and over was that $70,000 divided by 26 paychecks was roughly $2,000 a paycheck after taxes. I’m rich, bitch!  Okay, settle down Dani. No one has offered you anything.

I said my goodbyes and got her business card before leaving. I had to stop home and make a quick outfit change - Platform would definitely know I was not at a doctor’s appointment like I’d said if I showed up in a suit - before heading to work.

Thursday and Friday passed with no word from Blast, but I sent Renee both a thank you email and handwritten note - better to be overkill than underkill, I always say. On Friday night, I was standing in front of my mirror as Ashley tried to convince me that a crop top and skirt was totally acceptable in March, since said crop top had long sleeves. I turned on my heel and examined my outfit from the side. I had on a long-sleeved black crop top with a high-waisted white skirt which showed off about 2 inches of stomach in between. My hair was straightened, which made me acutely aware of how badly I needed a haircut.

“You look great,” she said, applying highlighter to her cheekbones. “Seriously, it doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard. And the fact that you’re worried about what he thinks, worries me,” she said giving me a stern look. Truth be told, I had felt nauseous all day about tonight. I had told Ash about hooking up with Nick, and she was standing firmly in camp Bray.

I gave a sigh and reached for my bag, “I just don’t wanna show up all decked out if everyone else, including you, is in jeans,” I said. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she said grabbing her own bag and coat. “And I’m in waxed denim - totally different.”

I laughed and tugged her arm, “Let’s go!”.

I texted Haley while we were in the cab to let her know we were on our way. Haley and I had been close in college, but close in the way that girls are when they go out and drink together a lot, sharing lip gloss in the bathroom and borrowing each other’s clothes.

Wooo!! So excited. We’re at tables near the back, just say my name at the door. See you soon!! xoxo

I put my phone in my bag and turned to Ash. “So what’s Steve doing at home this weekend?”

“I don’t know I think he just wanted to get out of the city, but I didn’t feel like going with him,” her gaze remained away from my face and staring out the window at the passing storefronts. “Truth is… we haven’t had sex in more than two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” I said, incredulously. “How is that even possible when you’re sleeping next to each other every night?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, but it’s awful. And it’s gotten so bad that I’m like, scared to initiate it. Because we just don't discuss the fact that we have. not. boned.”

“Well, that’s the only way to get past it. Maybe when he comes home Sunday, just be casually waiting in lingerie cooking dinner or something,” I offered.

“Maybe,” she continued “but it’s not even that, it’s like I don’t want to you know? I used to look at him and literally jump his bones. And now - nada.”

I gave her a sympathetic look. I couldn’t really relate, since I had never lived with a guy. But I can’t imagine keeping the spark alive 24/7 when you’re sharing a bathroom is all that easy.

“Well don’t freak out yet, it’s probably just a phase,” I offered in support. I had no idea if it was a phase, but what else do you say? Two weeks wasn’t that bad, it could have been two months.

She shrugged as we pulled up to the club. “Let’s just have fun tonight!” she grinned at me. We spilled out of the cab and got into the club with no problem, and I scanned the already crowded bar for our group.  I heard Haley before I saw her.

“It’s my birthdaaaaaaaaaaay bitches!” her voice carried across the room. I laughed, some things never change. I found Haley perched on a guys lap, looking very drunk with a bottle of champagne in her hand and crooked crown on her head. I walked over and said hello, introducing her to Ashley.

“I’m so glad you came,” Haley slurred, hoisting herself up from the guy’s lap and upright on her four-inch heels. She tossed her arms around me and allowed the full weight of her body to rest on mine. Homegirl was drunk.

“Me too!” I replied pulling away and making sure she was standing firmly on both legs.

“Nick is already here,” she said pointing in a direction behind my left shoulder. I didn’t turn around. “I’m surprised you two didn’t come together.”

I guess she hadn’t heard about our breakup. I took a deep breath, this was largely why I had avoided our college crowd lately. Explaining the breakup always felt like I was announcing my own failures.

“Yeah, we uh, broke up a little while ago,” I said shrugging to portray that it was no big deal. Her eyes widened.

“Noooo! You two were like, the perfect couple!” she whined. We had spent many a college party fighting, so it’s hard to believe she thought we were the perfect couple.

“It was for the best,” I heard myself saying. “We’re totally friendly though so don’t worry!” I tried to sound chipper, not wanting my relationship drama to put a damper on her birthday. She seemed satisfied with my answer, and looped her arm through mine leading me towards the bar. I glanced over my shoulder at Ash to make sure she was following.

Twenty minutes and three tequila shots later, Nick and I finally found our way over to each other.

“Hey D,” he said smiling down at me. The bar was so packed that even just speaking to each other required our bodies to be standing about six inches apart.

“Hi,” I said, the alcohol causing me to grin up at him like a fool.

“I hoped I’d see you here,” he said. “Trevor mentioned he ran into you and a friend of yours the other night at Frames.”

“That he did,” I replied, taking a large gulp of my beer. Without warning, his hand was on my waist, pulling me closer to him.

“Lets dance,” he said into my ear. I shook my head no, smiling up at him. I may be drunk, but he wasn’t going to have it that easy. I turned around and walked away to find Ash, who was looking very cozy with one of my college friends James. I plopped down next to her at the booth, giving her a look.

“What?” she hissed at me.

“Whatcha doin?” I teased, looking from her to James’ hand on her thigh.

“Two weeks, D,” she replied, as if this was some sort of justification.

“Monogamous relationship, Ash,” I said back. I may not be Steve’s biggest fan, but I wasn’t about to condone where this was about to go. She gave me a defeated look back and removed James’ hand. Drunk Danielle assumed her job was done, so I got up and found Haley for more shots.

Twenty minutes later, I found myself on the dance floor with Nick. We were facing each other, his hand pulling my lower back into him and moving with the music. I turned around so that my back was to his chest and started moving up and down. This continued for about two songs before neither of us could take it anymore.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked breathlessly in my ear. I nodded, scanning the room for Ash. I couldn’t find her anywhere so I sent her a quick text.

Hey I’m heading out, where are you?

I took Nick’s hand and followed him out of the club and into the cool air of the street. He quickly hailed a cab and gave it his address. Within seconds we were all over each other in the back of the cab Nick pinning me between him and the door, his hand already finding the bottom of my skirt and inching up. A small part of me felt bad for the cabbie, but a much larger part was willing this car to speed the hell up.