Everything That Glitters Ain't Gold, Danielle Martin [best books to read all time .TXT] 📗

Chapter 8.

Maxie’s carried a dark, gloomy and depressing appearance on the outside. Large stones and sandstone pillars made up most of the building's outer structure. Ava and Jade stood closely together, gazing up at the two-story building contemplating whether or not they wanted to go in. The place looked deserted as if it had sat abandoned for years. It was hard to see through the small, stained glass windows but music could be heard from the outside. Ava glanced over at Jade, who nervously switched her weight from one foot to another. Her confidence had worn quickly. Ava placed a hand on her shaky shoulder. “You alright?” she asked.

Jade looked over. She nervously laughed and waved her hand. “Who me??? Girl, I’m fine!” she spoke unconvincingly. “It’s a little chilly out here.” She shuddered, dramatically rubbing her bare shoulders to support her claim. Ava smirked and rolled her eyes. It was August and almost 80 degrees out. “Sure.” She answered sarcastically. “Well, come on… Let’s go in…” she stepped forward and walked up the curb towards the door. Slowly, Jade followed behind her. Ava led the way and reached for the doorknob, having no idea what she was about to walk into. She had only been to Maxie’s one time which was years ago when she was in college. A lot had changed now and she and didn’t know what to expect walking inside. Quickly, Ava pushed open the heavy metallic door.

 Immediately upon entering the room, they were welcomed by the aroma of pipe tobacco, cigar smoke and fried chicken floating throughout the room. The large metal door slammed shut behind them as they stood at the entrance. Both ladies looked around, observing their surroundings. It was a lot better looking on the inside than it was on the outside. A decorative light fixture that changed colors dramatically lit up the club. The walls were decorated with family photos and sports memorabilia. The tables and floors were neatly polished. As the saying goes, never judge a good by its cover. Although the outside had not received much up keeping, the inside was neatly maintained as if it had been well taken care of for years.

Together both ladies began to walk inside the club. The walk way was clear, which gave them much more room to maneuver unlike Whiskey’s. Ava looked around, glancing at all of the tables which were filled. It didn’t take long for her to notice the men around the room gawking at them as they sashayed side by side almost in sync. Slowly, her lips curved into a smile. Ava and Jade had caught every man in the room’s eye. Including the women who stared in envy before rolling their eyes and turning their heads as they passed their table. It’s as if the entire room was on pause. Ava couldn’t lie, she loved the attention she received whenever she walked into a room. Her presence made a statement wherever she went.

While walking, Ava noticed a table of older fellows huddled together watching them as they got closer. They all appeared older, possibly in their 40’s or 50’s, all dressed in matching leather motorcycle jackets. They practically drooled on the table as they walked past.

“Damn…” one of the fellows bravely spoke out to them. “I think I just saw two angels walk past me…” he complimented them. Ava smiled politely. Jade nervously blushed. She flirtatiously waved at them, although none of the men were her type. “Thank you.” She winked and continued walking before they could howl more compliments at her.

Suddenly, Ava stopped in her tracks. She halted in place, grabbing a hold of Jade’s wrist, stopping her also. “What???” Jade asked, wandering why she had been stopped her in her tracks. Immediately, Ava’s eyes locked gazes with a familiar face staring at her from across the room. She took a deep breath then leaned over and whispered. “There he is…” she referenced to a table that was all the way at the back of the club.

Finally Jade caught the hint. Ava turned towards her, noticing almost immediately Jade was about to panic. She fidgeted with her fingernails and nervously rocked her body back and forth. “What do I do, Hazel??? What do I say??? How is my hair???” she began talking quickly, her nervousness beginning to kick in. Ava reached forward and brushed a few fly away’s into place. She smirked at her. “You look great…” she reassured her. “Don’t worry about a thing. Blake is very approachable, trust me... Just be yourself and pretend you are not nervous.” She reached forward and grabbed her wrist, deciding it was either now or never. Blake had already spotted them from across the room. There was no use in beating around the bush. “Come on…” without wasting any additional time, Ava fell into step towards his table, pulling Jade closely along behind her. They walked across the room with Blake staring at them intensely as they got closer to him. He had not taken his focus off of them since they made eye contact. Ava stared back, refusing to break her gaze. His jaw clenched as he watched. Blake always had an intensified gaze in his eyes, but Ava knew just how to handle him. He casually sat at a pub styled table in the back of the room accompanied by a young man sitting next to him. Finally, both ladies approached the table.

“Funny seeing you here…” Ava spoke sarcastically while greeting him.

Blake smirked. He held a bottle of Budweiser in his right hand. He took a swig before nodding his head at her. “Real funny…” he responded.

Ava batted her eyelashes, preparing to work her magic on him. “I hope we are not interrupting…” she hinted while looking over at the man sitting at the table with him.

“Oh, right…” Blake motioned over towards him. “This is my boy, Lance….”

Ava turned to the man, quickly examining him before he opened his lips to greet her. Surprisingly, Lance wasn’t a bad looking guy by far. He had long, honey brown dreadlocks, light grey eyes and smooth toned skin. Ava couldn’t lie, he was good looking. Back in her single days, she may have checked him out. But tonight, she was here for one thing only.

“Lance, this is Ava….” Blake interrupted her thoughts while introducing he two. Lance smiled, reached forward and politely shook Ava’s hand. Peeping over her shoulder, Blake eyed Jade nervously hiding behind Ava’s 5’7 frame. “And I’m not sure who this is…” he spoke with a raised eyebrow, scanning her from head to toe without hiding his curiousness. Ava stepped to the side, removing her body as a shield. “This is my friend, Jade…” she extended her arm towards her. In return, Jade stood awkwardly, her legs shaking as she nervously waived. “Hello…” she whispered underneath her breath.

Ava slyly rolled her eyes, wishing Jade would at least pretend to have confidence. She gathered herself together and flashed another weak smile. “Well… is there room at this table for two more???” Ava asked, motioning towards the two empty seats.

Blake smiled a very attractive smile. He nodded his head. “Of course.” He held his hand out, inviting them to sit down. Eagerly, Ava stepped forward and took a seat in the stool next to Lance. She switched glances with Jade, silently hinting for her to sit in the chair next to Blake. She obeyed, both ladies having a seat in-between the two men. Ava glanced over at Blake, flashing him a mischievous smile. He eyed her, visibly sensing she was up to something. “So what’s up?” he asked brazenly.  Ava hesitated before she answered, glancing in-between Blake and Lance who both awaited an answer. She ran her tongue across her pearly white teeth before leaning forward in her chair. “Why does something have to be up?” Blake chucked, obviously picking up on her game.  “You must have forgotten… I know you, Hazel.” He narrowed his eyes at her even more, attempting to break her down. In return, Ava smiled even wider. “Well….” She cleared her throat, while looking over at Jade. Ava eyed her, hinting she was about to spill the beans. Immediately, the expression on Jades face changed, turning even more nervous than before. She looked away, avoiding eye contact as Ava prepared to put her on the spot. Her nervousness did not stop her.

“We are here for a reason…actually…” she smirked while watching the curious expression spread across Blake’s face. He raised an eyebrow. “Oh really??? And what would that reason be???” he asked curiously.

Again, Ava cleared her throat before speaking as if she were about to make a major announcement. She smiled and then bravely extended her hand across the table, reaching towards Jade. “I don’t remember if I formally introduced the two of you…” she motioned her hand in-between the pair. “Blake…This is Jade… Jade… This is Blake.” She winked at him while giving him subliminal hints. Ava didn’t want to be too upfront and scare him off. She looked over, noticing that Jade had finally glanced into his direction to make eye contact. Slowly but surely, Blake was catching up to speed. He too glanced over, the two finally looking at each other for what felt like the first time.

“Hello…”Jade whispered nervously, her brightly colored skin turning a blush red. Smoothly, Blake greeted her back. “Hello…” he repeated her.

Ava watched, with a huge grin on her face. She leaned forward. “Blake… Have I ever told you that my friend Jade here is newly single???” she asked slyly, pulling as many tricks out of her sleeve as possible. Blake looked over at Ava, shaking his head and laughing. He knew exactly what she was doing. Truth be told, she had done this before. Plenty of times. Ava attempted to hook Blake up before. More than once actually. The women she picked were always stunning, physically fit and intellectual ladies with good grades and good conversation. For some reason, her efforts never worked. Blake was that fish in the sea that would never take the bait no matter how many times she reeled it at him. She hoped maybe this time would be different. This wasn’t college. Her intentions were pure with Jade. Ava examined the look on his face. He didn’t appear too enthusiastic or excited, but he continued to smile. “So, what does that mean exactly???” he asked a very specific question.

Ava switched her vision to Jade. She gave her a look, hinting for her to stop being quiet and speak up. Jade caught the message. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and anxiously looked over at Blake. “I’m sorry…” she finally spoke out loud. “I’m extremely nervous…” Jade held up her hands, showing off how shaky they were.

Blake glanced down at her hands. He laughed then looked back up at her. “I can tell….” He chuckled.  

Jade blushed even deeper. She looked away again. “Sorry…. I just got out of a bad relationship and this is my first night out in a while... I guess I’m out of my comfort zone.” Jade spoke shamefully, as if she were embarrassed.

“Hmmm…” Blake toyed with his mustache while watching Jade closely. He took no shame in examining her, glancing at her hair, her skin and her fingernails. After a few