A Blossoming

Using a small brush to apply the last of her deep maroon lipstick, Mai checked her work one last time before leaving the bathroom and preparing to head out for the evening. She went over in her head everything she thought she would need, re-verifying for the third time that she had the keys to her apartment and her emergency money safely tucked away in a hidden pocket of her small party purse. She and her two closest friends were making it a girls' night out and going to a club they had never been to before.

In her living room she stood far back from the large oval mirror which hung at eye level on the wall next to the front door to see how she looked. She didn't have a full-length mirror and so had to improvise as best she could. Her metallic cobalt blue sequined dress with its black accents hugged every curve of her body. Tight enough to show off her petite figure, she was only 5' 4", yet loose enough to move around in comfortably. It complemented her blunt cut, raven black hair falling down her partially exposed back.

The only offspring of a white father and Vietnamese mother, she had inherited the best of both genetic pools. Her hair, skin tone and elegant curves being the Asian portion while her green, rounded eyes and more angular face being the European portion. Where the two met, such as her high cheekbones and small chin, they combined to produce an exotic beauty.

Raised in what most people would have considered a conservative household, her parents had instilled in her the value of modesty which she had carried with her until she moved to New York a few years after graduating from college. Soon after starting her first real job after school she was befriended by Christine, or Chrissy as she preferred, and Tina who very quickly absolved her of the notion that she had to hide herself under non-descript, plain jane clothes. They took her on whirlwind shopping sprees stopping at the big stores such as Macy's, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman. They dove into the small, nook-and-cranny stores hidden away in SoHo, Chelsea and the lower east side where deals on designer clothes abounded. They showed her the luxury that awaited at spas and surprised her by treating her to having her hair done by one of the most prestigious hairstylists in the city.

The result was a woman coming into her own. She had grown more confident as the months passed, more poised, more citified yet still retained some of the habits and sensibilities she had grown up with. Now, as she examined herself in the mirror, she contemplated changing outfits. While the color and fit were perfect for her, the reflection of the sequins almost made it look like she had on a skin of small fish scales. Grimacing, she decided to go with it as she had to catch the subway a few blocks away if she were to meet her friends on time.

Looking down one last time she tugged at the hem of her dress, lowering it just a bit down her legs before pulling up on each of the black boots she had chosen. The boots had a suede-like nap to them and opened up like the top of a funnel just above her knees which allowed her leg freedom of movement while walking. They also had a decent-sized heel which provided her with a much needed boost in height and had added the benefit of making her legs appear longer.

In between the top of the boot and the bottom of her dress her legs were encased in black thigh-high stockings. She had decided against pantyhose since with dresses like this they left a line around her waist, no matter what brand she wore. Besides, she had quickly learned that men went wild at the sight of a bit of lace peeking out from under the hem of a dress or skirt. In her case the dress was long enough not to show anything while standing yet short enough that if she wanted to she could pull it up while sitting to provide a bit of eye candy.

The last thing she did was check her nails, the polish being almost the same shade as her lipstick, before grabbing her purse and Metro Card lying in the bowl by the door. She made sure the lock on the door handle was secured, then closed the door and lightly danced down the two flights of stairs to the street. Going downtown, she quickly walked the two blocks to the subway station and waited on the platform for the train to arrive.

She knew she was being watched by the few men and women who were also waiting for the train but she had grown used to the stares, another side-effect of living in a big city. She didn't fidget, but leaned against a support column, giving her a bit of privacy from the eyes locked on her. The rumble of the approaching train quickly gave way to screeching brakes as the cars came to a halt in the station. She waited while a few people disembarked before finding an empty seat on the end of a row.

In only a few minutes the muffled voice of the conductor announced her stop, though she reconfirmed the location by looking at the name of the station laid out on the tile wall. Mingling with the crowd leaving the station she climbed the stairs to street level, feeling the cool air streaming down the steps. Though late spring, the nights still had a coolness to them which was just as well. She knew, like every New Yorker, the hot steamy days of summer would soon arrive and stay around like an uninvited guest for months to come.

Once above ground she headed west, across town, for two blocks. Rounding the corner of a building she saw the club on the opposite corner, its name being announced in an amber glow of neon. 'Chuckles' seemed an odd name for a club but then this one, like so many others, probably wouldn't last long enough for it to become a household name. Clubs were constantly being opened and closed in the city and it almost became a game to those on the circuit to see which one would close the fastest.

"Mai! Mai!" she heard her name being yelled. Orienting on the shouts she saw Chrissy and Tina waving frantically to her from across the street. They were already in line waiting to get in and were holding her spot. The line didn't seem to be that long so hopefully they could get in before midnight.

"You look awesome!" Chrissy yelled as Mai approached her two friends.

"Work it! Work it!" Tina teased as Mai's boot heels fell in and out of the gaps between the cobblestones which made up the street, her hips moving back and forth in a larger arc than normal as she tried to keep her balance. She noticed that this had the effect of focusing every male eye on her and a smile crossed her full lips.

Chrissy gave her a big hug, as if they hadn't seen each other for weeks when in reality it had only been a few hours since they left work. But then that was Chrissy. Bold, outgoing, brash, I-don't-give-a-shit New York Chrissy. Woe be to the man who crossed her and woe to the man upon whom she lavished her affections. In both cases the guy would be lucky if he left with all body parts intact.

Tina, a bit more subdued, gave Mai a perfunctory hug about the shoulders. Tina was the yin to Chrissy's yang. Mai wasn't sure that she could have stood having two of Chrissy around and was thankful that Tina provided a bit of stability to the group preventing Chrissy's usually rash decisions from getting them into more trouble than they already had. But if the two were yin and yang, where did that leave her?

"Look at those legs!" Chrissy squealed, running her hand up and down the opening between boot and skirt. "So soft and silky!" she announced to everyone in ear shot.

"And long!" Tina chimed in. "I didn't know you had such long legs."

Mai laughed, not sure how Tina could say such a thing when she had helped Mai pick out some of the shortest skirts Mai dared to wear.

"I gots what I gots," Mai replied, extending one leg in front of her, providing a better view for all to see.

"Hey, how about giving me a better look at them legs!" she heard shouted from behind in the line.

Looking back she saw a guy several feet away with curly black hair, dark shirt and pants and a grin on his face, looking at her. Well, not her but pieces of her. His eyes darted from her outstretched leg, to her partially exposed ample breasts constrained by her dress, to her eyes.

Mai gave the stranger a gentle smile but didn't reply and turned her back to him.

"Is that a yes?" she heard him ask.

"If her back is to you that can't be a good sign," Chrissy yelled at him, causing others in line to laugh at his expense.

What would Mai do without Chrissy? She was always there for her, always ready to stick up for her or shout down anyone who was considered a threat or simply not someone they wanted around. On more than one occasion Chrissy had forcefully intervened between Mai and unwanted advances by guys at clubs. It was almost like having a personal bodyguard.

Tina, while nowhere near as outgoing as Chrissy, had her moments. She seemed to pick and choose who she wanted to be with more care than Chrissy, whose approached seemed to be one of 'the more the merrier'. Tina could vent just as well as Chrissy but she preferred to diffuse situations by completely flummoxing a guy with her razor sharp wit. Mai felt closer to Tina because of this but was glad she was friends with both.

Standing in line, taking baby steps forward when a few people were let into the club, Mai got a good look at what her compatriots were wearing. Chrissy's naturally curly black hair bounced around as she struck up an animated conversation with a guy a few feet in front of them. Her satiny, off-white shirt took on the color of the clubs signature sign while her black, hip-hugging pants tried to cover up a not so delicate waist and thigh area. Her open-toed heels rounded out the ensemble, moving this way and that as Chrissy shifted her weight from foot to foot.

Tina, somewhat surprisingly, had on a more daring outfit. Her white top, secured behind the neck, criss-crossed her athletic breasts while exposing her flat stomach. Her back was likewise exposed, her short blonde hair only covering her neck, a small tongue of fabric riding low near her waist held her top against her body. Her black skirt seemed to be shorter than Mai's dress, her bare, toned legs on display for all to see, supported on a pair of black, strappy heels secured about her ankles. She looked good in the outfit. Not too slutty, but certainly spicy enough to raise the pulse of any guy with a heartbeat.

Mai's eyes lingered on Tina for a few moments before being prodded from behind. Waking up from her reflection she saw that the line had moved forward a few feet and she was holding things up. Apologizing to the person behind her she caught up to her friends who must have presumed she was following them.

After waiting another half hour in line the three were at the velvet ropes. Yes, this place had velvet ropes, as if this somehow indicated the quality of the establishment. Apparently, in an effort to get as many different types of people together in one place, there was no restriction on what one looked like to be able to get in. As a few people left the same number were let in.

It was just after ten before the three were allowed to enter. They looked around at the setting, only moderately impressed by the layout. Fortunately the music wasn't too loud, yet, so they were able to talk without resorting to shouting. Making their way to the side they were able to find an unoccupied table with two stools but couldn't find a third, unoccupied seat.

"What now?" asked Mai, the beat of the techno-like music reverberating off the walls around them.

"Why don't you two stay here and I'll get us drinks. Maybe something will open up in the meantime," Chrissy replied. Taking their drink order Chrissy was soon lost in the crowd milling on and about the lower dance floor as she made her way to the bar.

Tina and Mai both looked over the crowd, making the occasional eye contact with guys who seemed to be interested but who never came over to talk to them. One guy did come up to Tina and tried to strike up a conversation but he seemed more interested in Mai the longer he stayed and finally Tina had enough and told him to leave.

"Loser," Mai heard Tina say under her breath.

Chrissy returned a short time later with three drinks in her hands. She almost looked like a waitress as she held the drinks high and out of the way of the throngs of people. All three simultaneously took a drink and just as simultaneously laughed as they realized what they had done.

"To friends!" Chrissy shouted, holding her drink in her outstretched arm above the middle of the table.

"To friends!" Tina and Mai shouted in unison, clinking their glasses together before taking another drink.

"Who wants a shot?" Chrissy asked. The night was young and she was starting early with the antics.

Tina waved her off but Mai accepted the offer. This time Chrissy flagged down a passing waitress and gave the order. Minutes later, as she was finishing her drink, the shots of vodka arrived and without hesitation inhaled the drink, giving the glass back to the waitress who hadn't had time to leave the table.

Mai left her shot on the table, her first drink only half done, holding it for later.

"Come on! Let's go!" shouted Chrissy at the two bumps on the log. Seeing that neither was moving she grabbed Tina's hand and drug her to the dance floor, Tina nearly tripping as they stepped down the one step to the main level. Mai sat there, by herself, guarding their spot. She watched Chrissy set herself loose upon the nearest unsuspecting guy just off the dance floor, Tina shaking her head and sitting down in his vacated spot to talk to his partner.

"Excuse me," she heard from next to her.

Looking to her side she saw what most women would have considered an average looking guy; there wasn't much fancy about him. His wire-rimmed glasses gave him an educated look, his grey shirt hiding whatever body he had, his hair cropped short.

"I know you've probably heard this a million times," he continued, "but I have to say it anyway. You are gorgeous!"

Mai laughed both because of the cheesy line and also because he seemed so sincere when he said it.

"My name's Dave," he said, extending a hand. "May I join you?"

Mai hesitated, a thin smile still on her lips as she sized him up. Deciding that he was harmless she took his hand and invited him to sit in Tina's vacant seat.

"So Dave, what brings you here tonight?" she asked, knowing full well it was a stupid question but one that everyone always asked.

"Nothing in particular," he answered. "Overpriced drinks, loud music, hot women. You know, the usual," he said, giving her an exaggerated smile for effect.

Mai laughed again. This time because she enjoyed his honest joke.

"And you?" he inquired, not taking his eyes from hers.

"My friends brought me out here," she said, trying to point out the bouncing Chrissy on the floor but giving up when she realized it didn't make a bit of difference to him.

"So what do you do Dave?"

"I'm a photographer."

"What kind?"

"Playboy."

Mai stared at him, not sure if he was joking. The answer was not what she expected and she had to think for a moment before responding.

Dave broke out into a smile and a laugh before she could reply; he reassured her he didn't work for the men's magazine. He did, however, do still life's and product photos.

Somewhat relieved at his answer, she volunteered that she worked in an ad agency. They compared notes but found they had never unknowingly worked on the same project.

As they talked Tina came back to the table, a quizzical look on her face as she saw someone occupying her seat and Mai having an apparently deep discussion with him.

"Tina, this is Dave. He's a photographer," Mai said, introducing the two.

Tina shook his hand and watched as Dave got up from his seat and with a flourish, offered her her seat back. Tina gave Mai a wide-eyed look as she took her seat, wondering what Mai had gotten herself into.

"Would you ladies like a drink? On me," Dave offered.

Mai had finished her first drink, leaving her only with the shot of vodka which she drank, handing Dave the empty glass and telling him what she wanted. Tina took advantage of the offer and Dave left to get what was wanted.

"How did that happen?" Tina asked as soon as Dave turned his back, the music covering her voice from his ears.

"He told me I was gorgeous."

Tina laughed. "You're that easy, huh?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a sucker for a cute smile and a cheesy line."

"What happened to that innocent girl from the sticks we knew?" Tina teased.

"The city beat her out of me," Mai joked back. The two shared a laugh, Tina's hand patting Mai's crossed knee, before Dave came back with the drinks.

"Ladies," Dave said, raising his glass to the two before taking a drink.

Mai watched him, her interest growing in this unusual man. He wasn't like most other New York guys. He seemed genuine and totally at ease with himself. He even had a bit of manners which really scored points with her.

"Hey, look what I found!" the three heard and turning saw Chrissy dragging a husky, somewhat scruffy guy behind her. Almost plowing into Dave she introduced her stud for the night, Chris, and announced to everyone that they would have to find their own way home because she was leaving. Which she did, dragging Chris behind her and out the door.

"That was odd," Dave remarked.

"No, that was Chrissy," Tina informed him, giving a knowing look to Mai.

The three talked for a while, completely at ease with one another. They shared funny stories of growing up, their trials and tribulations of living in the Big Apple and anything else that came to mind.

Dave was working on his third drink of the night, Tina's third and Mai's fourth, when he looked Mai straight in the eyes and asked, "Would you let me take some pictures of you?"

Mai's eyes widened at the proposal. She knew that both men and women considered her to be attractive but she had never considered posing for anyone. It just wasn't her.

"Uh, I don't think so," she hesitantly replied.

"Why not? As I told you earlier, you're gorgeous!" Dave prodded.

Mai wrinkled her nose, telling him, "It's not me."

"What do you mean it's not you? Of course it's you! Women would kill to be you. Why not let me?"

Mai hesitated. Whether it was the effect of the drinks or something more cerebral, for a moment she contemplated accepting his offer.

"She can come along if you want. For protection and all," Dave said, pointing to Tina who was watching this verbal jousting match.

Mai looked at Tina, who had been caught mid-drink, her eyes looking over the glass. Tina's eyes were wide as if asking Mai what she was going to do. Mai look back at Dave, anticipation written on his face, his perpetual smile glued into place.

She felt a hand on her knee and looking down saw it was Tina's, a grin on her friends face as if encouraging Mai to accept.

"Ok," Mai finally agreed and downed the remainder of her drink, giving herself some fortitude.

The three left and Dave hailed a cab which took them across then up the island. Dave sat in the front of the cab giving Mai and Tina the rear seat to themselves. The two friends whispered back and forth, trying to keep their voices down but occasionally letting loose with a giggle fit.

"Is this safe?" Mai asked Tina, a little doubt gnawing at her stomach.

"Of course," Tina said, grabbing Mai's knee and squeezing it. "You're beautiful. Why not let him take some pictures of you?"

"What if he's an axe murderer?" Mai jokingly asked.

"Well, I guess you'll be a beautiful corpse," Tina quipped. She reached behind Mai and pulled her friends head to her shoulder, cradling her for support. Tina played with the tips of Mai's hair, brushing the silken strands under Mai's nose, tickling her, trying to relieve some tension.