VII

Ottawan - D.I.S.C.O


December 2005


One of Jordan's teammates was having a huge seventies party for his twentieth and Jordan had asked me to come along - because "Jamie's worried there aren't gonna be any chicks." I had put two and two together and realised that it was the same Jamie that I had met back before school had started - the day after Austin's party.

Now I love dressing up parties. And whenever there's one, I like to go all out: no half-hearted attempts or trying to regain some sort of composure or sanity; I'm talking the full kaboosh here: hair, wigs, hiring costumes, make-up... You name it, I'll do it.

Eighties is too overdone, I think, but seventies, this could be interesting. The seventies were so rock n roll, so different to the sixties. I'm really looking forward to this one. As soon as Jordan had told me, about four days before the actual party, I had started planning my outfit. Was I going to go for double denim or were flares and a crop top more my thing?

Jordan had told me to bring Nat for company - she was going to come anyway even if he hadn't mentioned it. At least I wouldn't feel like I didn't know anyone this way.

As it is December and there's a good layer of snow on the ground, Nat and I had decided to go for light fake tans. We didn't want to rock the 'oompa loompa' look but if we were going to wear these costumes, we had to have a little more colour than we currently did. Right now my skin is as white as chalk.

Nat said we would take a taxi to the place because I can't drive and knowing Nat, she wouldn't be in a fit state to afterwards either. The location that Jamie had hired turned out to be the old town hall- it's not somewhere I know very well but I'm pretty sure it'll serve the purpose.

We decided to predrink at Nat's house before going to the party. I wove some mini braids into my long hair, tying a floral headband around my forehead and applying a healthy quantity of blusher. From a charity shop in Toronto, Nat and I had managed to find some amazing flared jeans, to which I had found the perfect crop top and psychedelic platform boots. Nat had raided her mom's wardrobe, digging out a floral, flared jumpsuit and white patent skyscraper heels. In all honesty, we looked the shit.

"You sure it was seventies and not eighties?" Nat said as we got out of the taxi in town, as we saw a girl in black lace and crazy crimped hair walking in ahead of us. It was too cold, and neither of us had brought a jacket.

I shrugged and looked at her. I was only going on what Jordan had told me, as I had been “officially invited” by Jamie through word of mouth. "Your guess is as good as mine, but I heard seventies, so unless Jordan is playing some kind of practical joke..."

"Ha," Nat said as we reached the door and she opened it, peeking her head inside. "Seventies, and Jordan is not going to be able to take his eyes off you wearing that."

"Whatever," I said, following her in, trying to walk gracefully in these platforms. I was doing a good job, but when shoes add six inches to your height, it's damn hard to stay up right.

Jamie came up and gave me a hug to say hello, which was nice, if a little weird considering I had only met him the once, or twice in passing if seeing him at my house counts. I said 'Happy Birthday' and joked about his hairline receding and getting grey hairs - if you've ever seen him, you'll know this is in fact, impossible. Jamie has more hair on his head than a man should, in my opinion.


There were a lot of people there. Some of them I recognised, a couple from school or people who used to go to Stewart's but who left a couple of years ago too, so I'm assuming they know Jamie or someone from the team from college or university. I know Dad and the rest of the Pete's organisation are pretty hot on making sure the players have an education as well - in case they don't make the big time.

Nat pointed out a few gorgeous girls in the year above who used to hang around Austin and were hanging off the arms of various players. Like us, they were dressed up, but in that, 'let's all look the same' androgynous-clone-thing. There's nothing wrong with daring to be a little different.

Jamie handed us a huge glass of punch each and told us to get drinking. "There are to be no lightweights, DDs or people standing by 3," he told us. We raised our cups in the air together and drank.

"He's hot," Nat said, discreetly motioning in the direction of a tall dark haired guy with flares on. He was standing and talking to what looked like Jordan who was wearing the same outfit. Looking around the room, there were a few other guys wearing the same pink, brown and blue striped shirt and light blue flares. Original and individual.

"Hmm..." I said reaching for more punch. This stuff was good. I had no idea what was in it but it didn't even taste alcoholic, just seriously yummy. I had another... and another...

___________________________________________________________________________


"C'mon," Jordan said lifting me off the table and setting me on the ground. Taking my hand in his large hand, he started leading me away from the table on which I had just been dancing with Nat and away from the drinks table. Why was he being such a party pooper?

I followed Jordan across the room, wondering where he was taking me. The door? But we only just got here. "I'm not leaving," I said obstinately as Jordan opened the first set of double doors and pulled me through after him.

"I'm taking you home," he said as he looked around for something in the entrance. I folded my arms. This doesn't make sense. Where's Nat when I need rescuing? I looked back through the door we had just come through, trying to find her. Everything looked a little blurry and hazy as if my eyes had turned the party into some sort of funky, loud, gyrating kaleidoscope. I couldn't even see her.

"But, but it's early," I protested as Jordan grabbed his jacket, covering up the crazy pink, brown and blue shirt thing he had going on. "Ali, it's not early. It's 2.30am and you're drunk. Where's your coat?" I'm not drunk and I resent being called that. Why was he being so rational. We're at a party for his friend, not to leave and be boring. I am as sober as the Hoff on a good day. Very.

"I don't have *hiccup* one," I said as another painful hiccup forced its way out. Jordan took his jacket off and handed it to me.

"Wait here, I'll go get the car heated up," he said looking me in the eye to make sure I understood as I swayed gently on the spot. I'm not going to go anywhere. He disappeared into the cold, returning moments later, visibly shivering with a few flakes of snow in his hair.

Wordlessly I followed him out into the cold, the falling snow looking beautiful in the moonlight. Carefully I walked down the few snow covered steps, gripping onto the handrail for support. The car park was covered in an inch or so of smooth, shimmering ice. Now was not the time to be wearing platforms, I thought. If I can make it in, I can make it out to the car.

I took a few tentative steps onto the ice. I had already made it halfway to Jordan's car. Suddenly I lost my balance, as my feet shot out from underneath me, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on the ground, laughing my head off.

He walked back the few metres I was from him, picking me up and swinging me over his shoulder into a fireman's lift, striding across the ice to the car. How was he so graceful on the ice? I was going to be sick if I stayed in this position for much longer.

I was glad when he put me into the car seat and strapped me in; I stopped feeling so sick but the hiccups came back. "Thank you," I said through the hiccups. They were so annoying. I zipped up Jordan's enormous jacket for extra warmth, wishing I had decided to wear more than a crop top and jeans tonight.

The rest of the ride back was pretty blurry, full of me hiccuping and trying to read the temperature on the dashboard. I wasn't sure if it read -15 or -18. "How cold is it?" I asked Jordan as he quickly glanced at the dashboard, taking his eyes off the snow covered road for a mere half a second.

"Minus twelve," he replied. Oh.


"Think you can make it up the stairs?" he joked as he shut the engine off as I struggled with my seatbelt. I nodded. I may be a little tipsy but I'm not handicapped. I finally got out of the seatbelt, trapping it in the door on the first attempt before I started to slowly stumble up the stairs. I don't know why we don't have an elevator in this house, it would make life so much easier.

As soon as I had settled into bed, Jordan brought me a glass of water which he placed on the table next to my bed as I continued to hiccup. How was I going to sleep with the hiccups? He grinned at me, clearly trying not to laugh. Jordan showed me how to drink out of the glass backwards which I attempted, only to spill half of the glass on my white bed covers and down my t-shirt. The attempt ended in more giggles and probably more hiccups for me.

I realised that no one has looked after me like this for a while - Austin occasionally did and it made me miss those moments; the moments of holding someone as you fall asleep, or just someone to cuddle.

Nat had told me that Jordan liked me, but I had brushed it off. Clearly she had been listening to those rumours too. Tonight he had been so nice to me - actually he's never been anything but nice, but I didn't want him to leave. He made me feel safe whenever he was around.

"Jordan," I whispered as he returned with a small packet of Advil, "stay." He looked at me completely mystified, as I tried to read his expression. Was that the right thing to say? It was a test, part of me wanted to see if it was true or not, and the only way to do it was with this much alcohol in my system. But if he didn't like me, then this would just backfire and I would look like a prize idiot.

"Stay?" he repeated taking a step closer to me. I nodded, feeling a bit pathetic, trying to suppress another hiccup. I couldn't meet his intense gaze but I felt like I was under observation.

He sat on the bed next to me as I snuggled under the covers whilst I babbled on about everything and nothing with him contributing every now and then. Eventually I fell asleep, pressing my face into the side of Jordan's hard shirt-covered chest, as he wrapped an arm around me.

___________________________________________________________________________


HOLY MOTHER OF ALL STINKING HANGOVERS!!!
My head throbbed, my body ached from lying in the same position all night and I was more and more conscious that I was not alone in my bed. Peeking an eye open, I saw Jordan lying next to me. Had we been spooning last night?

Quickly I dashed into the bathroom, embarrassed about the current situation. I started throwing up the entire contents of my body, as my jelly legs crumbled underneath me as I crashed to the floor. I felt like shit.

That did not feel good. I took a shower to try and shift the sheer amount of 70s style glitter that was smeared around my face.

The events of last night were hazy to say the very least. There were large, blank patches which I hoped Nat could fill me in on. I don't even remember how I got home, or why Jordan was in my bed. At least we were both clothed, I can be happy in the knowledge that nothing happened - the situation would only be a thousand times worse if we were naked.

Cautiously I opened my bathroom door a crack, relieved to see that Jordan was gone. I'm not sure I want to be filled in on what happened last night or have some sort of awkward conversation as to why he was in here.

Feeling optimistic, I called Nat. I wanted and needed to apologise for anything I did last night and for leaving her. I'm pretty sure we were suppose to leave together.

"Hello?" Nat croaked. She sounded just as groggy as me this morning. I could hear murmuring in the background which meant Nat had probably brought someone home. I hope to God that she didn't drunkenly call biker boy - she can do better.

"Hey how are you? And who's that?" I managed, trying to regain my voice. Nat muttered something before turning away from the phone and saying a few choice words to whoever. There was some scrambling around, a few more indistinct words and then I think he had gone.

"Sorry, nothing happened. He just ended up in my bed. Steve something - it'll come back to me. He's a Pete too. How's your head? You were pretty wrecked last night."

"I know, I know. I woke up and Jordan was in my bed. No idea," I said, making my way into the bathroom for extra privacy. No one in the house could hear me from here.

"You didn't? Alice, you might be the first person I know to lose their V plates and not remember it!"

"We were both fully clothed when I woke up. Can you tell me what happened last night, few blanks there..."

Nat giggled. "Downie. Just remembered it. Steve Downie. That was the guy who was in my bed. Steve Downie."

Right... Knowing Nat's random bed-sharer's name was not going to help me with my little quest for information on last night's events. I should also point out that Nat is definitely not a slut; she has only slept with two guys, biker boy and her first, but she's a big cuddler. Never share a bed with her.

"Well you remember talking to Jamie. So after that we both drank quite a bit of punch. Then you saw Jordan talking to that dark haired girl, Kimberley. Let's say it didn't go down too well. And you grabbed me and some random guy and proceeded to dance like some crazy on crack..." Oh God, I thought. I remember dancing. I do not, however, remember the Kimberley episode.

"Anyway you and this guy, don't think he's a Pete, don't worry, we don't know him either. Anyway, you guys were getting a little close on the dancefloor, grinding and about to make out. So Jordan comes barging over and throws this guy about twenty metres away from you, seriously cool to watch and leads you away.

"You were really cross, I remember and then Steve started talking to me. I did see you had managed to escape and were dancing on top of a table with a glass of punch in each hand with some randoms too. After that, I can't help you. Butttt... Jordan was fuming that you were dancing with that guy, your act definitely worked. Alice, he totally likes you."

"Shit," I said taking it all in. Maybe it had been more eventful that I had realised. I started combing through my wet hair with one hand, holding my cell in the other so I could continue talking to Nat.

"I can't believe I'm giving you advice. You were the one in the long-term relationship."

"I know, but it was never actually the dating game. Y'know, Austin and I were just together..."

"Talk to him, look hot, make it clear you like him too... Wait! you do like him, don't you?"