I was in Zagreb for a holiday with my girlfriends and we'd decided to go club hopping and had ended up at The Blue Parlour. It was a Friday evening and we had had to literally squeeze our way into the place.
I'm looking over my shoulder to see if my friends are behind when I lose my footing and trip.
"Oh Crap!! What a start..!"
And then instead of colliding with a hard unforgiving floor, I find myself against a muscle bound chest, a pair of hands closing around my upper arms. My own automatically reach out to brace myself and my saviour's hand leaves my arm and instinctively (or atleast that what I think!) closes around my fingers, holding mine against his chest.
"Oh I'm so sorr..."
I look up beyond the black shirted chest into one of the most gorgeous faces I've ever seen and I'm tongue tied!
"Hey, no harm done at all! Are you okay?"
The stranger's hands are still wrapped around my bare upper arms and my skin is tingling uncharacteristically!
"Oh..oh.yeah.I'm fine, I'm fine.. thank you..sorry..I don't know what happened"
His hands have dropped and he's smiling down at me. I know I'm grinning idiotically but I can't seem to help myself!
"No apology required..I'm happy that I was able to stop you falling. That would've been bad!"
Just then I notice a guy (probably his friend) coming up behind my Knight in Shining Armour. He taps Mr. Knight on the back, making him blink and look back at the intruder.
"Yeah I'll be there in a minute"
And just like that, my brain starts functioning again! I really am deprived or depraved, I think..How can one feel an instant attraction to a complete stranger??
"Okay, if you're sure you're alright, I gotta go.." I nod silently and smile up at him.
He looks as though he's not going to move but then he says "That's great! Well, have fun..I'll see you around, be safe.." and he smiles and with a half wave, turns, disappearing into the crowd.
"What was that about and who, on God's Green Earth, was that hottie???"
My girlfriends have finally reached me and I laugh.. "it was nothing..I tripped and he was my Knight in Shining Armour!"
"Ooooh..looks like this getaway is starting to become happening!! Did you Atleast ask his name? Or ask him to join us? Or ask him to come back to your hotel room???? Not necessarily in that order!" As you can see my friends are pretty crazy!
"You are nuts, Z!! He was being nice! And look at the women here! I'm not going make a fool of myself!!"
"Oh and what exactly is it about the women? They all look the same to me: tall, blond and skinny! You are different!"
Every girl should have a wing woman like my friend Z who thinks that I can compete with these drop dead gorgeous model-like women who have legs a mile long!
"Okay, okay..I get it..I'm hot too. Now can we get a drink??!"
The three of us, Nish, Z and I manage to squeeze ourselves into a corner at the bar, order our cocktails and look around. It's exactly like a scene out of The Weekend Away. That movie was inspiring enough ( of course, not the part about the bestie getting murdered by the cheating husband!) to make us finally plan a long overdue holiday and I had fallen in love with the little taste of Croatia that had been the backdrop for the thriller. So here we were, three single women, painting the town red ( well, that WAS the plan, anyway!) in a land far, far away from our realities!!
I absolutely love music and dancing even more. It's as though I have no free will where music is concerned! And the vibe in the club was amazing! Great music, good looking people and of course, the bartender was doing a pretty good job of not letting our glasses stay empty for long! A night like this begged for non-stop cocktails!
Champagne hits me hard and fast. I'm on my third Bellini, my favourite cocktail and am already feeling the buzz of the bubbly as I sway to the beat of the music and looking around the club when my heart stops for an entire minute, or so it seems!
My handsome Knight in Shining Armour is just a few feet away, leaning over the counter and talking to the bartender. I can't help but stare (hopefully not open mouthed!!) He literally ticks all the boxes I have in my list for men that I find attractive. Tall, well dressed, obviously good looking and sooo HOT! And with a voice that had practically oozed sex!
Before I lose courage, I down the glass in my hand and tell my friends that I'm going for a refill. Z looks at me knowingly..
"Someone's having fun, isn't she?! Go on and don't forget to bring back a hottie on the return trip! We need some excitement!! "
Nish collapses laughing.
"Hello! One for me as well, V!"
"Coming right up, girls!! Your wish is my command!"
I laugh and turn away to head in Mr. Knight's direction.For a moment I think he's left but the crowd shifts and I see him standing with a glass of ...is that whiskey(?) In his hand, facing the crowd, leaning back against the bar. He is talking to someone on the other side and for a moment, I'm gripped with nerves. Was I really going to accost a complete stranger? Suppose he was there with a girlfriend? God! That would be humiliating!! I'm in half a mind to turn away but the voice in my head won't shut up!
"Big deal..if he has a girl with him, I'll just get him a drink to thank him for rescuing me...Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And life is way too short anyway!!"
I square my shoulders and step towards him and I realise that he is actually with a group of people, not just one. I should've expected that..only losers prowl night clubs alone! But it's to late to turn away and the alcohol has made me pretty brave!
When I'm literally one person away from him at the counter, I step up to the bar. Hopping up on the footrest, I lean over and wave my glass at the bartender trying to get his attention.
"Hi! Excuse me!! Could I get another Bellini, please?"
