Twinkle, twinkle little star…
As we walked our way to Hatfield’s Saloon, which was my absolute favorite dive bar in Santa Monica, I decided to inform Bails about our plans. Everything in Hatfield’s suited my taste and believe it or not, even those stereotypical blonde's with fake boobs were the funniest and most awesome people I’ve ever met in my entire life.
change of plans. going to hatfield’s. I wrote and hit the ‘send’ sensor button.
"So I assume you’re an often guest at Hatfield’s." Dev stated, kicking away the cigarette butt. It was already the second smoke in the last ten minutes. He poisoned himself even more than I did, which left me surprised.
"I’m there now and then," I agreed, fixing the strap of the bag.
"Have you tried Dirty Echo?" Oh I knew what he was doing. He wanted to see if I wasn’t lying. Only the veterans willingly ordered something as stiff as the Echo. I knew, that’s my drink.
"Are you serious?" I looked up at him, "I invented it. That’s my ju-ju."
"You came up with the thought of mixing absinthe, tequila and jagermeister in one glass..." He acknowledged getting a bit incredulous.
"Don’t forget a drop of JD." I added.
"Why would anyone think it’s a good idea to mix them all together?" He questioned. I could already see the square where all the alcoholics gathered.
"Well... I was bored."
"So you decided to make a legal killing method. Last time I drank that shit, Jason was forced to carry me out of there."
"Well that’s the point." I said, rethinking why did he bring it up in the first place? If I would’ve made myself seem completely clueless, would he have insisted on me drinking it? The phone vibrated in my pocket.
we’re at chris’s now. will finish up our drinks so don’t hold on with getting drunk. we’ll probably arrive already shitfaced.
Cool. That means I’ll have to spend my time with this specimen. All alone. With booze. What could go wrong? "So is Jason coming?" I asked curiously.
"He’s got some stuff to take care of, but yeah, he’ll be there." We crossed the road and I noticed a couple of regulars who we passed by. Couple of them greeted me, couple of them greeted Dev, but the most couple-of-them drooled all over Dev’s existence. You can take a wild guess what gender were they. Fine, I get the dude’s devilishly handsome and looks like sex, but… he smells like bad decisions. Girls, come on, only because he’s a goddamn rockstar, doesn’t mean you have to throw your lady downstairs at him. Have some dignity, jesus.
"Hey Dev," A blond girl I’ve drank before with greeted him with a naughty grin. He just winked, placing his hand on the small of my back, guiding me in the crowded place. The bouncer- Rickey, nodded, greeting us.
"How come I’ve never seen you here before?" He leaned closer, questioning in my ear. It was extremely difficult hearing even my own thoughts over the music and the loud chatter. The place was pushing it’s limits.
"Probably ‘cause you’re always too busy faceplanting some chick’s tits to acknowledge the mere drunks sitting at the counter," I was not going to pretend I hadn’t seen him here, hooking up with other girls, when in fact being married.
"PJamesiously you told me you do stupid shit when you’re drunk," He guided me to the counter.
"yeah?" I questioned, not really understanding what he’s getting at.
"What’s the stupidest thing you’ve done?" We squeezed through the crowd, finally managing our way over to the bar.
"Just the usual. Flashing the bartenders and dancing on the counter."
"Hey Ryan," The bartender, Wayne, who everyone happened to know by the nick- pretty boy, greeted him going into one of them guys handshakes. I just rolled my eyes. "And you brought Twinkles." He boosted himself on the counter. "What’s it gonna be?"
Dev pulled me so I’d be standing in front of him, "Twinkles?" He laughed in my ear.
"Shut up," I elbowed his stomach, "Wayne, be a dear and make two echo’s."
"Coming up," Two shot glasses flew up and he lost himself in making the two stiffest, most compelling shots ever known to man.
"If you think I’m going to drink that, you—"
"—have another thing coming. I know. I figured I’m going to insult you soon enough, so..."
"And you decided to go with two echo’s..." I looked back at him to see him confused and surprised at the same time. "Your night will end sooner than our friends will arrive and you can forget I will carry your bony ass home."
"That’s because you’re a dick."
"That’s two shots, doll." He grinned at the exact same time when Wayne returned with the shots.
"Anything else guys?" Wayne’s blue eyes scanned us.
"One Corona for me," Ryan told as I took one of the shots in my fingers. I could already taste the tequila in my mouth, not even getting it to my lips. I despised the taste, but as long as it gets the job done, I’ll go with practically anything.
Wayne nodded, grabbing a bottle from the fridge, "hey Twinkles, is Bails coming over?" Wayne took the money from Dev for the drinks.
I sniffed the shot, instantly regretting it. Dev was pressing me against the counter, hard, I think I could even extinguish how much of abs did he posses, "I think so. They’re at Chris’s, warming up for the night. Why do you ask?"
"That whiskey bottle she ordered just came in," He replied, before getting to another two girls. She ordered a bottle? Yeah, seems like Bailey. I looked back up at Dev to see his eyes glued to some girl and I even believe he was flirting with her, if it is possible to flirt with girls from afar, but to Devious Knox? Hell everything is possible. I downed those two shots, placing the glasses upside down on the counter. The shots were pleasantly burning my throat.
"You’re unbelievable..." I sighed, making him shift all of his attention to me.
"What? A man has his needs." He turned out to be everything I thought he was. But somehow I didn’t care for him hooking up with other chicks even tho he was married, until it didn’t get me involved in anything i don’t have to be involved in.
"Then go and talk to her," I encouraged, holding out another two fingers to Wayne.
"Nah. Not tonight. I’m here with you." Dev’s blues narrowed on those two shots Wayne was pouring, "Are you going to insult me again?"
"I’m not quite certain yet..." I squinted my eyes, rethinking his offer, "but those shot’s aren’t for me alone. You’re drinking too."
"I already told you I won’t—" He cut himself off, seeing the shots Wayne was making aren’t dirty echo’s. "What’s that?"
"The good old Jagerbull’s." I said looking back at the girl Dev had been flirting with. She was good looking. The complete opposite of myself. She was wearing a black dress, some killer heels with spikes and she was super blond. I figured her bright red lips were the ones to do the trick on him.
"I don’t get it... You just held two fingers up and he knew you wanted Jagerbull's instead of echo’s?" You know chump, I don’t get how you get a girl to suck your dick just with a look, but that’s just me.
"It’s quite simple actually," I said taking the shots and handing him one right after he had given Wayne the money. "My fingers stand only for one mere drink." He took the shot and I raised mine pointing to the drink, "Jagerbull shot. If I want something else, I have to shout my request like every other mortal."
"And every bartender remembers this request?" he questioned, wetting his lips with the shot. Judging by the grimace, he also didn’t like jagerbull.
"Why wouldn’t they? I drink only Jagerbull. It’s like remembering my name. Jagerbull is who I am." I explained, clinking my glass to his, before throwing back my head and downing the shot. And yet again I placed the glass upside down very well knowing none of the bartenders liked it. Just then I noticed Dev looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe I should give the 911 a call? Just in case." he downed the shot although I could see he didn’t like it very much.
"Have you met Bailey?" I questioned, making him pucker his eyebrows.
"Who?"
"You should’ve seen her at least. She’s here every other day." I explained and she was truly hard to miss.
"How does she look?"
"Like lost dignity?" He seemed surprised to hear the remark, "She’s the one who’s everyone talking about. The one who smacked a guy with a cue?"
"That’s her?" His eyes went wide. "Doll, I saw the fight and I wouldn’t call it smacking. She nearly killed the dude. Me and Scott barely tamed her, while Jason checked if he’s alive."
"Then you’ll like this. She’s my plus one tonight."
"You’re joking."
"I’m not, but that’s not why I started this topic. That night she downed at least ten echo’s."
"I’m not surprised of the outcome knowing what you just told me. Who was the unlucky bastard?"
"Her ex-husband."
"Remind me not to mess with her," He raised the Corona bottle to his lips. Dev’s eyes slid to the entrance and he smiled. Jason and Scott joined us soon after.
"Before I’ve started drinking, here’s your keys," Scott handed me keys to dad’s Impala. "That baby can surely kick."
"I wouldn’t know, I haven’t taken it for a spin yet."
"You should. It’s something beyond this world." He smiled, before he and Jason both shook hands with Dev.
"So how come you’re with this douchebag Meg?" Scott questioned and for a moment I thought he would condemn me for spending time with a married man and even worse if this married man was his friend.
"Yeah, we thought you’re better than this, Twinkles." Jason laughed.
"Okay now when even Jason, who I thought doesn’t know you, called you Twinkles, you have to tell me the story, doll." Dev urged, his blues inspecting my face.
"Who doesn’t know Meg, man?" Jason questioned ordering some scotch.
"I guess I didn’t. Until today."
"That’s because you’re stupid. Twinkles is the coolest chick." Jason made me laugh.
"Okay, the story... someone? Why are you called Twinkles?" Dev looked at me, wrapping his arm around my waist. Uhmm, hello? Why are you touching me?
"She got totally drunk and started playing Twinkle Twinkle little star at one of the live events here." Scott explained, ordering a beer.
"Why?" Dev questioned.
"Cause Boyd, your Boyd, had passed out, I had the idea and I went with it."
"You’re not the only one who makes fun of short-shit, Knox." Scott added, thanking Wayne with a generous tip.
With the corner of my eye, I noticed Wayne raising his hand in a gesture of greeting someone.
"Give me two shots and a Jagermeister. You can leave the bottle here, hot shots," I knew that voice oh too well, if it wasn’t for Jason standing in front of me, I’d probably seen her.
I got out of Dev’s grip and squeezed through Scott and Jason, seeing Chris and Bailey emptying two shots of pure Jagermeister.
"You’re complimenting Wayne, what’s wrong with you?" I raised my eyebrow as she turned around greeting me with a hug.
"Meg, I missed you..." Umm, what? I saw her … five hours ago?
"She’s totally hammered," Chris mouthed, nodding behind her back. Well, wasn’t he the most sober person out there.
"What did you both drink?"
"Just... stuff." Bailey replied. Suddenly I felt like I was at the center of everyone’s attention. But of course, Jason who had stood behind me had taken his place beside Dev and their attention was clear as hell on both of us. "Jassy bear!" She exclaimed. Oh boy.
"Uhmm, hi?" She threw herself around his neck. "Last time I met you, you threatened to kill me."
"I was just fooling around," She replied, pecking him on the lips.
"What to do with you Bails, huh?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"I’d say we should take a shot." She smiled, trying to pull Jason along her to the counter, where a bottle of Jagermeister were awaiting.
"I’d say you’ve had enough." Chris refilled their glasses.
"Sshhhh..." She shushed him holding out a finger. If it wasn’t for Jason, who was holding her, I’d say chances were high of her kissing the floor. She handed one of the glasses to Jason. "Now we drink."
"And later?" He was very much amused. "You pass out and I carry you home?"
"Of course not." She downed the shot, "You call the cab."
I rolled my eyes on them, returning to Ryan and Scott. I’ll just never understand them two, I mean after Jason divorced his pJamesious wife, he and Bailey started hooking up, they aren’t anything official. Sure it’s cute to look at them both, as long as Bails doesn’t get pissed over something and doesn’t threaten to pulverize Jason’s ass.
"I feel like you all know one another, but I don’t know shit. Why’s that?" Dev questioned looking over Jason and Bailey.
"Cause you wish to know the chicks with fake tits, instead of chicks with real guts." Scott took a big gulp, "Once I drank with Bailey and Twinkles... never again man."
"It wasn’t that bad," I shrugged, although I remembered him not being able to come out of the toilet for quite a while. I noticed a devious spark in Dev’s blues. He was up to something. To something no good.
"You’re kidding right? That was the worst night in my life, as far as I remember at least, and now excuse me, I believe I’ve noticed my girlfriend." And with that Scott was gone.
"You wanna make the deal into a bet?" Ryan asked, grinning.
"What are we betting on?"
"We’re both here to have fun, right?" Oh boy, I know exactly where’s this going.
"You wanna have sex with me..." Yeah, I was blunt. He nodded. "What are the rules?"
"If I can outdrink you, you’re mine for the night—"
"And if not?" That smug expression on his face stated he wasn’t even acknowledging such an option. Boy, buddy you’ll be in for a fun ride.
"You can figure something out."
"Fine, I’m in. Only if you can’t outdrink me, you won’t try to get me in bed ever again, comprende?" I held out my hand.
"Piece of cake." He took it. Well... Let the games begin.