The BIT

Chapter 3
Evening

3: Evening

In ten minutes, I had traversed the short distance between my apartment and the entrance to the club. It would take me longer than that to get in. There was a line of about twenty people in various types of costumes, waiting to get past the bouncer at the door.

I could hear people moaning slightly about how long it was taking to get into the club.

“They say the club is almost full tonight, we have to wait for some people to leave,” quipped a woman standing at the end of the line I had just joined. She was dressed like a cat, complete with ears and a tail. “I’ve been here for fifteen minutes already.”

“Well I have been here for about twenty minutes, and the line hasn’t moved.” A leopard skinned clad man exclaimed, just ahead of the cat woman.

“Oh, great.” I thought to myself. I flipped my phone and open and called the number Amber had written on the note she had given me.

“Hi Amber…”

“Hey baby... where are you?” Amber’s voice cried out over the music playing in the background.

“I’m outside the club, but it may take some time before I can get in, seems like there is a capacity limit to this place.”

“Really? I didn’t think it was that crowded!”

“Well tell that to the cat I have been standing next to.” I chuckled.

“Wait a minute baby, I’ll see if I can get you in.” the phone went dead.

The cat woman looked at me. “What are you pretending to be?” she asked.

“I’m a… a… business man.” I stuttered, trying to come up with a celebrity that I could try to pass myself off as.

“You mean you couldn’t come up with a costume… right?” The leopard-man retorted.

“It’s that apparent?” I asked. I was beginning to wonder if coming out was such a hot idea after all.

“Yeah… it is.” The man replied snickering.

I let the remark go, and looked towards the entrance. I could see a tall figure dressed all in white, leaning over and speaking to the bouncer. I recognized the face as it turned towards our direction. It was Amber.

“Well, at least you won’t present any competition for the prizes tonight.” The cat woman meowed.

I saw Amber motioning me to step forward towards the front of the line. I shrugged my shoulders. Amber spoke to the bouncer again, and then he turned and looked towards me, and also motioned me to come forward.

“Hey, what gives?” The cat woman called out as I stepped out of line and started to walk towards the entrance.

“I guess it pays to have a friend on the inside.” I replied, making my way forward. “I’ll save some milk for you!”

“Hi Larry, come on in.” Amber shouted as I got closer.

“What about all of these characters, they were here first.”

“I made arrangements to get you in as soon as you arrived.”

“Hey! He doesn’t even have a costume on. What gives?” A man dressed as a Trojan warrior asked; as I approached the bouncer and Amber.

“He’s already been admitted.” The bouncer shouted back. “See his wrist-band?”

“But I haven’t…” I started to say.

“Show them your wrist.” The bouncer barked, pointing at my right arm.

I complied, raising my arm, and pulling my shirt sleeve up to reveal the BIT band still on my wrist.

“Go ahead, enjoy your night.” The bouncer commented.

“But I don’t have a costume, isn’t that…” I commented in a low voice to the bouncer.

“They’ll take care of you inside. Enjoy” The bouncer gave me a nudge towards to door and Amber. “Take care of him sweetie.”

“Oh, you bet I will. Come on baby.” Amber exclaimed, latching onto my arm and escorting me into the club.

“I don’t think they are going to be very happy with me.” I mentioned to Amber, looking back towards the line of people waiting to get inside.

“Don’t worry about them. You’re with me.” Amber chimed.

“Sorry about not contacting you sooner, but like I said, I just got home when you called.” I shouted over the music, looking at Amber.

“That’s cool. I glad that you had a good time last night. I thought that we could have another good time tonight.” Amber adjusted her white nurse’s hat on her head.

I took in the white uniform that clung tightly to her body. She looked hot as a nurse! “Nice costume” I shouted over the music.

“Thanks baby!” She flashed a smile at me. “Want a drink?”

“That sounds good to me!”

We moved through the crowded dance floor over to the bar. The club was totally decked out for the party tonight. I remember seeing some decorations up last night, but they obviously did a bit more decorating today.

“This place is hoping tonight.” I shouted over the music.

“Yeah, it’s a big night!” Amber bubbled.

The floor was a steady motion of waving and jiving with the music. The light show was more intense, laser light beams popping all over the place. We slowly made our way to the bar. I scanned the crowd, looking to see if I could spot Joey and his date, Rhonda.

“Who are you looking for?” Amber asked, noticing my wandering eyes.

“Did you see my friend, Joey, from last night? He said he was going to be here?” I shouted.

“He was with… Rhonda, right?” Amber shouted back as the music increased a notch in volume.

“Yeah. He told me last night that Rhonda had invited him here tonight as her date.”

“Now that you mention it… I think I saw them both. But I haven’t seen them for while.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He was dressed up as … Oh, that’s right; we have to get a costume for you! We want to be able to enter to the contest in a little bit.” Amber shouted back. “Have a drink first.” She held a drink out to me.

I took the drink, “Cheers” I toasted her, and took a swallow. The pale liquid flowed down my throat, tingling lightly as it made it way down.

Amber watched as I took another swig from the glass. Smiling as I drained the glass.

The brew went down easy. I didn’t even realize that I had drunk it all. But the music and ambience of the club made me feel at ease, and filled with a ‘what the heck’ attitude. Amber handed me another filled glass.

“Okay, let get a costume for you!” She grabbed my arm and we worked our way through the crowd, heading towards the stairs leading up to the terrace. “I was told that they may have something up there for you.”

I followed, the nurse up the stairs. It was getting warm in here, so I undid my tie and unbuttoned the top of my shirt as we moved up the stairs. I took another drink from the glass.

Amber looked back at me, seeing my fumbling with the buttons on my shirt. “Don’t worry baby, I’ll find something comfortable for you up here.”

“Okay” I giggled. I don’t know why I was giggling, but I did feel a little light-headed. It must have be a funny scene, be being towed along like a little child by a big nurse.

“Oh, look, the nurse is going to take care of the little one,” some woman quipped as we pasted them on the stairs.

“Which room are the spare costumes are in?” Amber asked someone as we reached the top of the stairs.

“Honey, you already have a costume…” the matronly looking woman with a big black witch’s hat started, and then looked at me while I continued to fumble with my shirt, pulling the bottom of it out of my pants, where it was tucked in. “Oh, I see your need. Honey, go down to the end of the terrace, it’s the room that is marked ‘Dressing Room’.”

“Thanks!” Amber smiled, tugging at my arm, pulling me along. “I’m trying to find a costume for this little one.”

“Well, let me help. I think we may have something that will fit,” replied the woman as she led us down the length of the terrace.

“He couldn’t find something in time for tonight; I assured him that we may have something that will work for tonight.”

“I’m sure we have!” the woman laughed, arriving at the door labeled ‘Dressing Room’. She turned the handle of the door, and ushered us both into the dimly lit room beyond.

 

---