I didn’t know why I let my friends talk me into going to the club with them. I hate crowds, loud music and bass – and the club had it all in spades. I also can’t stand drunk men smelling of vodka and sweat trying to paw at me and the club had them in spades, too. My friends loved it, though. They loved the attention. I guess I’m just built different. 

So I was sitting in a booth, watching my friends’ stuff and scrolling on my phone when I heard a voice say “You look lonely. Would you like some company?”

The speaker was a young woman in a strapless blue dress. A ruby red pendant hung from a necklace around her neck and her red hair fell to just above her shoulder. The dress hugged her figure, ending at the thigh. Black pantyhose and three inch heels lengthened her legs and made her seem taller than she was. A leather belt with a ruby red stone set into a silver buckle completed her outfit. 

“I’m here with friends, but they’re up dancing. I’m watching their bags,” I said. 

“But they’re not here. You and me are.”

She smiled then and my heart fluttered up into my throat. It was so friendly, but there was a twinkle of mischief to come in her eyes.

“Y-yeah,” I stammered after a second. “Why don’t you sit down? I’m Valerie.”

“Lexi,” she said, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. “How do you end up coming to the club and sitting by yourself all night?”

“I told you – I’m watching my friends’ stuff.”

She laughed – it was joyful and care-free. My heart fluttered again. “I’ll be honest, Valerie: I noticed you pretty early on. Your friends are up there dancing all the time, but never you. Your friends are getting drinks, but you sit here with water and your phone. You look lonely and bored.”

“I guess – I guess I am,” I said and told her about my problems with clubs. 

She smiled again. “Those are fair criticisms,” she said. “I’m not a fan of some of those things, myself, but I enjoy dropping in from time to time. It’s a littler sleepier on weekdays, which makes it easier to focus on whatever you want to focus on – and there are so many things to focus on: dancers, lights, reflections. Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. I wasn’t quite sure what she was talking about, but I was suddenly feeling tired.

As we talked, she began flexing her foot, letting her shoe dangle. It was shiny black leather and caught the different colored lights that flashed around the club. I found I was fixated on it, as she flexed her foot, following the different directions it moved and wondering when it would fall. 

“So easy to stare at my shoe and follow it, isn’t it?”

“Yeah . . .”

“Yeah, it is. And it’s so much easier to focus on my voice, letting the noise of the club fade into the background, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, dreamily. The club did seem muted now. Not gone, but no longer overwhelming. 

“Yeah,” she said. “You’re doing so well for me, Val. Relaxing and following. So easy to sink and stare at my shoe, so easy to follow my words and let them replace your thoughts, so easy to drop for me.”

She let her shoe fall and I didn’t know what happened, but I went limp as it hit the ground. My eyes closed and my head fell back on to the soft leatherette padding of the booth. 

Lexi moved closer to me. She put one arm around me and softly stroked my other arm and put my head on her shoulder. 

“You’re deeply hypnotized for me, Val,” she said. “You’re going to obey me unquestioningly. I don’t care if you were straight, gay or bi. I don’t care if you are in a relationship. From now on, you’ll only have eyes for me.”

When I opened my eyes, I was looking into those of the woman I loved. We kissed in the booth and then she took me softly by the hand and, as though I were dreaming, she led me out of the club – my friends’ bags forgotten.

I should go to the club more often.