A Novel in Action

The streetlights dimly illuminated the blackened icy road below almost as if interrogating each vehicle that entered its scope. The street that night was strangely quiet. Especially for a Friday. The only sound that seemed to echo were the particles of snow that filled the city's stomach as each hit its hungry ground. A man emerged from a local bar at the corner of the street only to puff his stress from work earlier that day. The music of a live band inside filled the air for a moment as the door opened and closed. After about two hits, the tall figure looked at his watch and threw the cigarette into the street for the next incoming taxi to flatten it. He wasn't in any sort of rush, but had an energy that screamed, "I need to be somewhere." He proceeded walking alone, stopped for a minute to tie his left suede boot that had come undone. Continuing on, the man passed a few cats eating out of a neighbor's trash, three young kids picking icicles off houses, and a couple seated on a metal bench holding hands staring at the moon. Nothing seemed to faze him as he walked in his leather jacket and knit scarf. He briefly stopped during his journey at a local bodega to buy a Milky Way and Slim Jim. While inside, he received three phone calls in a matter of minutes. However, he was caught up talking with a friend and selectively chose to ignore, without even glancing to see whom it was. His same aura continued to light up the street that night, just as each streetlight did. Dim, yet ever present. He soon reached his destination. "Champagne?" The first question he was asked as his entered the hotel doors. He nodded and thanked the server. His coat and scarf were taken next to reveal a nicely tailored navy blue suit. The tall man beneath the shell of outerwear seemed to finally come to life. His slick brown hair, full beard, & black shoes completed the look. He was one of those where that "no black with blue" style rule did not apply. The next room included bars in all four corners and an assortment of hors d'oeuvres. His first smile at this sight quickly faded as he realized his glass was empty and every bar was overflowed with people. After picking at the mini burgers and crab cakes, he proceeded to the bar. Before even getting halfway there, he could distinctly hear his name. "Luke! Hey Luke! Luke, over here!"

Two of his friends, Jared and Taylor were at a nearby table waving him to come over. Jared was a good looking guy about 5'9 athletic build from his swimming years, slight facial hair, always a bit disheveled, and was someone who loved to have fun, perhaps too much. Jared was a guy who always answered 5'11 and 3/4 to every "How tall are you?" type question. He and Luke met in the 3rd grade. Taylor, opposite to Luke, was actually around 6'1, a bit more quiet and reserved. The dry sense of humor and classic attitude you would expect a guy like that to have. Hadn't had a sip of alcohol till his 21st birthday, never had been out of the country except for his mission trip to Ecuador one summer. They both met Taylor on their school's travel soccer team in 6th grade. Growing up, the three seemed inseparable. Despite college and a few things here and there, the three remained close.

"We called you two times!" Jared exclaimed before letting Luke even muster a hello.

"Is everything alright?" Taylor added.

"Damn guys, I just want a drink. I was running a bit behind with some work stuff. I'm here now." Luke responded.

"Better catch up, Luke. I'm on my fifth Vodka Tonic." Jared retorted.

"Ok. I'll try my best. I need it more than you." Luke calmly answered.

Luke left the two to talk and again headed in the bar's direction, where it was seemingly less crowded than the last time he looked. Stopped every 30 seconds for a version of, "Oh my god, it's Luke. Look at how handsome he has become. You're all grown up." Each time, he mainly nodded and laughed till the conversation stopped before it could start. In finally reaching the bar, he ordered two dirty martinis, one for himself and the other for the woman at the end of the bar he had noticed immediately as he walked in. The woman was in a blue toned dress that gently hit the floor as she seemed to glide throughout the room. She had a beautiful smile with a dimpled chin and two slightly noticeable beauty marks on her left cheek. Her brown hair was curled and neck covered with a simple diamond necklace as if it was a gift. She appeared confident, yet friendly as she played with her hair while unknowingly flirting with the second bartender.

As the drink was placed in front of her, a look of confusion and surprise came across her face. She frantically looked around the room as if she had lost something, unable to find it. The music stopped and an announcer on the microphone asked everyone to take their seats before she could react further. Luke, however, remained at the bar. He forgot to browse for his name at the seating chart located at the door he had previously entered through. Luke began to spin his martini glass, almost as if a nervous energy enveloped his entire being.  He checked his phone more times than he ever had since leaving the corner bar. Still avoiding his three (now one) missed calls, he checked his text messages. No new ones. Checked again. Still nothing.

"Please help me to welcome for the first time: Mr. and Mrs. Platten!"

The applause was enough to shake the overhanging chandeliers above that ornamented the high ceilings of the room. A man and woman walked out behind a large satin white curtain. The man was in a black Tom Ford three-piece suit, bow tie and the whole nine yards. Dapper from head to toe. The woman was truly stunning. She was dressed in a gown of white with intricate embellishments of crystals strategically placed to accentuate her toned figure. She was adorned in the most beautiful diamonds and carried herself in the most pleasant manner that you could not help but smile when you saw her. This was the second time Luke smiled that night. The new couple began their first dance while the party clamor continued and returned to its normal uproar.

Luke was still too distracted by his phone. He stepped outside for a moment. In dialing, he murmured to himself, "C'mon pick up." No answer on the other end. Before he could leave a message, he was splashed with his earlier drink order, a dirty martini.

"What the..." Luke raised his voice as he turned around to see the culprit.

"Lukey! Don't ever surprise me like that again! You know what happened last time I had one of these." said the dimpled chin beauty.

"I see the dramatic introductions and flirting with bartenders still hasn't changed." Luke sassed back.

"Says the guy who doesn't even tell anyone he is showing up." she spiked right back.

"Good to see you, Ivy."

"You too, Luke. Clean up nice enough for me to actually call you my brother."

Before anything else could be said, Ivy interjected again, "So, have you congratulated the newly married couple?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answers to." he quickly responded.

As the clouds brushed the moon in the night air, stars intermittently twinkled almost as if in their witty conversation, going back and forth with opposing comments. The night was just as quiet as Luke remembered on his original walk over. The brief silence between the two was not awkward in the slightest, but more of a comforting presence. Music inside could be heard through the stainless doors of the balcony.

"I'm cold!" Ivy exclaimed.

"Let's go inside I suppose. I need another drink anyway." Luke answered.

"Why are you even out here in the first place?" Ivy finally questioned.

With that, Luke stepped pass Ivy only to give a simple look and walked back into the party. She followed after. In returning back to the party, the crowd seemed to move from the bar to the center dance floor where Luke had watched the sole couple before. He didn't care to dance, especially here, and returned back to his spot at the bar with Ivy next to him. Jared and Taylor joined too.

"Gang is all almost here, huh? Let's do shots! Four Tequilas please." Jared screamed.

In finishing the shot, Luke glanced at his phone to see a text. He quickly opened the message to read: 11:45. He then looked at his watch with the time being 11:30.

"I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back."

"Ok Luke! Hurry back!" the three said in unison as they continued laughing and drinking.

He stepped out into the lobby to coat check. While he put on his coat and scarf to enter the cold for a third time, he seemed to evoke that similar "I need to be somewhere" aura about him.

The snow welcomed Luke back with open arms as he begin his journey the same way he came. As the doors closed behind him, he felt his pockets to make sure he had his wallet. His right jacket pocket seemed to have something in it that it did not before. A note. Unfolding the note, Luke was questioning whether he picked up the right jacket.

In black sharpie the note read: 11:45, huh? Interesting.

Luke slowly turned around at the doors of the hotel as if someone would be directly behind him. No one. Just himself heavily breathing his adrenaline away as the snow hit his warm nose. Was he really that drunk? Did he write this? Was this in his pocket the whole time? Questions surfaced faster than the bubbles of his first glass of champagne. Caught extremely off guard, more so than his sister throwing her drink at him, Luke hastily continued on his way. This time he did not stop at the same general store he did once before. The walk helped him forget a bit about the strange note. The couple on the bench had moved upstairs to the bedroom as Luke saw the apartment light above on. The kids were no longer outside and the cats were still furiously digging through the trash as Luke walked by. Again, he stopped for a minute to tie his shoe; this time it was the right suede boot undone. After another minor frustration, Luke approached the corner bar. He peered at his wrist to see 11:42. He pulled out a cigarette. He received two more phone calls that were wholeheartedly ignored. Took four long drags. Looked at himself a bit in a car's side window to serve as a mirror. Once finished, he took the note crumbled it with the cigarette and threw both into the street only for it to be hit by an incoming taxi seconds later. He exhaled, stepped back, and entered the bar as music filled the air, if only for a moment.

-JackofAllStories