"Uuuugh. Why is this phone ringing?" Evie said, moving her hand around, looking for her phone with one eye open. "I am finally free. Can't I just sleep?" she murmured, her voice slurring.
Her hand stopped as she finally found the source of her anger: her phone. She pushed the volume down, finally stopping the annoying ringing sound, and she sighed, adjusting her pillow and closing her open eye.
Grrr!
Her house phone rang.
"Kill me, please," Evie said, reaching for a pillow beside her and putting it over her ear, trying to drown the sound, but it didn't work. She sat up, regretting ever listening to her mother and installing a home phone. The call stopped, and an enraged voice came through her voicemail.
"Evelyn Sharpe, if you don't answer the damn phone, I am going to come break down your door and drag you out!"
She heard the voice.
"Tasha," she said.
She removed her phone from under her pillow, angry, and hit dial, placing it to her ear.
"Evie, why the hell are you not picking up my call?" Evie winced, moving the phone away from her ear.
"I just finally got PTO. Can't I just sleep for a day?" Evie said, sighing.
"It is 7 PM," Tasha countered. "You have slept the whole damn day."
Evie removed the phone from her ear, looking at it. "Ooh, I thought it was still 8 AM," Evie said, smiling sheepishly.
Tasha went quiet, stunned into silence.
"Okay, where are we going?" Evie said, Now her sleep is fully gone.
"There is a new nightclub opened recently downtown," Tasha said. "Get ready. I will pick you up in thirty minutes."
"Make it forty-five," Evie said, standing up from the bed. She threw her phone on the bed and went into the bathroom. She got out after a while with a towel wrapped around her torso and one on her head and stood before her wardrobe.
"Let's see what we have here," Evie said to herself, opening the wardrobe. "I need regular clothes," she said, sighing as she looked at rows of black suits, blouses, and skirts.
She stood there thinking for a while and then reached into the back of the wardrobe. "Whew, here it is," she said, pulling out a small black dress. She put it on top of the bed and went to her dressing mirror and stood at the front, pulling the towel off her head. A cascade of red curls dropped to her shoulder. "Okay, let's start with this," she said, reaching for a hair straightener.
After a while, she was done. "Next, let's hide this," she said, touching the freckles on her cheeks. She took a sponge and some foundation. "Okay, done," she said as her phone started ringing.
She picked up. "Hello?" and put it on the loudspeaker. She pulled open her underwear cabinet.
"It has been ten minutes. I am parked down at your apartment. Should I come up?" Tasha's voice came through.
"No! I am putting my shoes on. Will be done in a few minutes," Evie said, putting on a bra. Tasha hung up.
After dressing, she looked at her shoe cabinet and reached for gold stilettos, putting them on fast. She took a gold handbag to match her shoes, picked up her keys, and exited the door.
She stood in front of the elevator waiting for it to open, and she found the handsome neighbour she had been eyeing recently, and he looked surprised seeing her. The door closed, and they spoke a few words to each other, and after a silent minute, the elevator door dinged, and Evie rushed out, muttering a quick "Bye."
She looked at the parking lot and found Tasha's car easily. She had a jungle green off-road jeep, which was not hard to miss. She opened the door, hugging Tasha.
They chattered, each one expressing how glad they were to finally find time for each other. After a twenty-minute drive, Tasha pulled over, and they both exited the car.
As they entered the club laughing, it was buzzing with people. They looked around and found a spot open next to the counter, and they both sat down, putting in their orders.
"I missed you," Tasha said, and Evie giggled.
"I missed you too," she said. "You can't imagine how crazy it has been at work due to the massive harassment scandal," Evie said.
"Oh yeah, I saw that in the news. Is it over?" Tasha asked.
"Yes, it is now," Evie said. "That's why my PTO was granted now," she added.
"I am glad," Tasha said, and the bartender slid their drink across the table.
"Let's drink the night away," she said, holding her glass. Evie picked hers up.
"Cheers," they said, clinking their glasses together and taking a sip.
"I needed this," Evie said, sighing.
"I knew it. That's why I dragged you out," Tasha said, laughing.
The conversation went from work to the neighbour in the apartment above and back to work and crushes. They heard a bottle slam to the floor, and two girls who stood up next to them started arguing.
"Uuuh, please not tonight," Tasha said as Evie looked at the two girls now arguing at the top of their voices.
Evie stood up, and Tasha held her hand. "No, it's none of our business. Don't interfere," she said.
Evie shrugged. "It is an occupational hazard," she said, walking to the girls, avoiding the shards of bottles on the floor.
"Ladies, let's talk about this calmly, please," Evie said, putting herself between the two girls. "I understand where you are both coming from, but people are here to have fun after a hard day. Let's take it outside," she said, successfully gaining both ladies' attention.
"What is this bitch talking about?" one of the girls shouted. "This is none of your damn business. Stay out of this!" the girl said, pushing Evie out of the way.
Evie tried to regain her balance, but she couldn't, and boom ...she fell down.
"Oh no, this is so embarrassing," she said as she tried to stand up. She felt a sting on her neck and wetness; she assumed it was the alcohol, but someone screamed bloody murder. She looked at her hands; they were covered in blood, and she felt dizzy. The last thing she heard was Tasha screaming for an ambulance.
"That is what I get for trying to be HR in a club," she thought as her vision faded.