The music in the nightclub was thumping hard with the sound of bass as Jared worked his way through the throng of people. His head was pounding from the overbearing music and he questioned his sanity for the hundredth time that night. This was definitely not his kind of place, nor his idea of a good time.
Sweat poured down his face and it felt like his once neatly combed hair was plastered to his head. Adjusting the glasses that had slipped down his nose, he began looking frantically for a way out. That was when he saw her, the woman of his dreams and the only reason he was even there in the first place.
Alexis Dumont was his idea of perfection. As far as Jared was concerned there could be no prettier woman in the world. She was the love of his life, the pinnacle of creation, the most beautiful woman in the world... and she didn't even know he existed.
The two of them had been in the same college English class for a whole semester and she never once spared him a glance. He often passed her in the hall of their coed dorm without receiving even a cursory glance from her. Now, here he was in the loudest, most obnoxious setting possible and hoping to get her attention.
It was all Jill's fault. She had suggested he try meeting her in her environment. In a way, Jill equated Alexis with a wild animal. Then again, Jill equated everything with wild animals and their habitats. It was just her nature, no pun intended.
Jill thought that by meeting Alexis in the "wild" or her environment, that perhaps Jared would have a chance at drawing her eye. Like a fool, Jared had seen her logic. Now, he was not only in her environment, but he was also surrounded by the men that inhabited her world. He didn't see how he stood a chance in hell at talking to her.
The throng of people that were dancing and gyrating around him was causing him to lose his balance as he tried to make his way towards his goal. It really didn't help when some blonde with a large ass bent over to do a booty shake to the music. She way over extended her ass when bending over to place her hands on her knees, bumping Jared forcefully from behind and literally propelling him forward.
Try as he might, he couldn't regain his footing quick enough as he stumbled right into the group of people surrounding Alexis. To make matters even worse, his stumbling feet caused him to run directly into a giant behemoth of a man. The force of the impact caused the behemoth to splash a drink all over the expensive looking white shirt he was wearing. To say that he wasn't happy is the understatement of all understatements.
The giant reached out and snatched Jared by his bicep, squeezing him roughly with his meaty hand. He forcefully pulled Jared up to his face, snarling in anger and contempt, "Watch where the fuck you are going, you useless piece of shit!" spraying spittle in Jared's face the entire time.
"Excuse me," Jared finally managed to stutter out, wincing in pain at the strong grip on his arm.
"Excuse me? Excuse me!? I got your fucking "excuse me"..." the giant began, but was cut off by a feminine voice yelling over the crowd.
"Cut it out Frank!" the voice called out. "You're such a pig! It was a damned accident, and he didn't mean any harm. Besides, you would more than likely ruin that shirt on your own before the night is over."
"Count yourself lucky, shitbag," Frank said with a sneer. "You just been saved an ass whoopin'. Now get out of my damned face, before I change my mind."
With that, he released Jared's arm, shoving him into the crowd roughly. Just before Jared was swallowed by the throng of people, he caught sight of his savior. The woman that had intervened was Sarah, one of Alexis' best friends. He had often seen her in the dorms walking arm-in-arm with Alexis and another of their friends.
She gave him a friendly smile and mouthed, "I'm sorry."
Before he could respond, he was surrounded by a rowdy group of dancers. The bumping and grinding of the dancers pushed him further away from Alexis and her group of friends. He couldn't help but think it was probably for the best. This definitely wasn't his element, and if Alexis had even noticed him... it was more than likely in the worst way possible.
Feeling embarrassed and dejected, Jared rubbed him temples, adjusted his glasses and made his way toward the exit. This night had been a failure of epic proportions, and he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the masses and find solace in the quiet of his dorm room.
"Life sucks!" he shouted to no one in particular and shoved through the exit.
********************************
Several hours later, Jared was awoken by the drunken entrance of his roommate. He could hear Chris stumbling into the room, making a "shhhh" sound to someone else. A few seconds later, Jared heard the soft giggles of a feminine voice. Curious, he shifted in his bed slightly, and opened his eyes just enough to peek out from under the lids.
He could just make out the forms of his roommate and his latest conquest as they tried to sneak quietly into the room. The two of them creeping towards Chris' bed slowly, trying their best not to wake someone they assumed was sleeping. Deciding to play along, Jared continued breathing slowly, mimicking sleep for their benefit.
