Maggie-

Nick and I walk arm in arm across the floor to Jack and Bimbo-Julie and the rage inside of me prompts me to keep my head held high with confidence.

"Julie, so nice to see you." I say in the fakest tone I can muster then immediately glare at Jackson.

Jack and Julie both turn their heads in my direction and Jack's eyes travel to where Nick and my arms are linked in each others. His eyes narrow into a glare and his jaw visibly tightens. I'm suddenly grateful I asked Nick to come with me. I don't know what I would have done if I were alone.

Julie is completely oblivious, Jack clearly hasn't told her we're together because she wraps her arm snugly around his waist. The little green monster inside me grows and I just about lash out at her face until I see Jack wiggle out of her grip politely.

"Oh you're that waitress that works here right?  We'll take two shots of whiskey."  She says and turns away from me. 

Rage, burning rage.

Why hasn't Jack told her about us?  What kind of a fool is he playing me for?  He doesn't say a word, he just stands there like a mute with his hands in his pockets and to think I'm essentially living with him now.  I'd be really hurt if I wasn't so filled with fury.

A waitress walks by offering an array of different colored shots and I grab one for myself and Nick then down it immediately.  The liquid burns like firey hell as it travels down my throat and courses through my veins.  I have no clue what I just drank but I hope I don't experience that vial taste again tonight. 

"Wooohooo!" Nick shouts.  "Fireball, delicious."

Julie rolls her eyes and looks irritatingly in my direction.

"Get your own, I don't work here anymore."  My words come out like a growl.

Julie pouts then looks at Jack and with a big smile asks, "Jackie, why don't we hit the dance floor?"

"That sounds like a great idea Charming!" I butt in. "Why don't you take her for a little dance and Nick and I will do the same."  My words are dripping with sarcasm but I say them through the fakest smile I can muster.

Nick looks to me in confusion, "We will?" He asks but he sees my expression and agrees.  "Yes, yes we will."

With a flick of his blonde hair, Nick takes my hand and I pull him to the dance floor.  The bass pumps so loud that it's impossible to hear each other without screaming and the area is filled with hot sweaty bodies grinding on one another.  I'm slightly disgusted as I pull my arms into my chest to avoid touching anyone, but it's clearly impossible.

I watch Julie yanking stunned and lifeless Jackson along behind her. My brows furrow and the sweaty bodies knocking me here and there no longer bother me.

When I met Julie she was completely intolerable and insulting. She embarrassed me in front of Jackson by telling me to not drool in their whiskey shots and then continued to insult me throughout the night.

She's the worst kind of evil with her bitchy, superior than thou attitude and seeing her touching Jackson lights a fire in me that I'm not sure I can contain. I have to remind myself that I shouldn't be upset with her, I should direct my anger at Jackson. I am furious with him and more than that I'm hurt, however being upset with the Bimbo seems easier for now.

For a moment, I'm completely out of my element.  Most of these people are drunk and they're all dancing so provocatively, I'm not quite sure my hips can sway that way.  Nick seems to notice my deer in headlights look, so he attempts to help me by placing his hands on my hips and pulling me flush against him.

My eyes widen and heat rushes to my cheeks before my jaw practically drops to the floor. Nick's hands remain on my hips and his hazel eyes meet mine for permission.

I glance towards Jackson who's being aggressively grinded on by Julie, but I don't fail to notice his attention is on us. He glares directly at me, then watches Nick's hand placement very carefully. 

I position my hands on Nick's shoulders as if we're in an eighth-grade dance and avoid Jackson's glare. Nick has a hard time hiding his laughter as he pulls me closer and wraps my arms around his neck.

"You really want to make him jealous?" Nick whispers in my ear and the heat from his breath makes me blush. I shyly nod but decide it's time to buck up or go home.

Nick guides my hips back and forth slowly, gently brushing against him with every movement. He's starting me off slow until we're in line with the beat. His warm breath tickles my shoulder and I can't help it when my face turns red once again.

I begin to sway my hips from side to side, slightly lowering them with every dip like in the nineties rap videos I used to watch. I sway to the beat and start feeling more confident. I briefly glance to see if Jacksons still watching, and he definitely is.

Serves him right.

Nick's hazel eyes widen to twice their original size as I turn around and press my backside against him. My eyes land on Jackson's and he watches us intensely, staring daggers at the both of us. Nick's hands grip my hips and I grind myself against him to the sound of the bass blaring in my ears. 

I decide to use the bend and snap that I, funnily enough, learned from Legally Blonde. I bend over then flip my hair as I stand back up and look over my shoulder at Nick. His doughy brown eyes widen and his hands grip my hips tighter and I mentally pat myself on the back for the perfectly executed bend and snap.

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and run my fingers through my hair attempting to reign it in. Within a split second, Jack has snapped out of his daze and shoved Julie out of the way.  He hastily forces his way through the crowd, grips my wrist and yanks me straight off the dance floor.

Jack drags me over to the bar and as we arrive, I realize I missed the fact that Sam is bartending tonight. 

Shit.

This night is a shitstorm that was just waiting to pile itself on me.

"What the fuck has gotten into you tonight?" Jack yells over the loud music.

"Why haven't you told Julie we're together? And why is she here? And why the fuck has she been calling you?"  I yell back, the distraction on the dance floor is gone and the rage is fueling my temper again.

Sam appears out of the corner of my eyes, "Hey Mags! You need a drink?"

"Fuck no!" Jack yells at the same time I say, "Yes please."

"What the fuck?  You are not drinking tonight!" Jack yells over the music.

"You do not tell me what to do Charming." I yell back and Sam presents me with a shot of amber liquid and a big grin.  I'm sure he's happy to see us fighting. 

I roll my eyes and down the shot without letting myself breathe in the noxious smell. I feel it burn down my throat and warmth spreads through my body.

"You better get back to your date." I hiss and start walking away but he pulls me back and plants a hard kiss on my mouth.

Without thinking, I mold into his lips and my arms wrap around his neck pulling him closer.  Fireworks go off in my brain and heat spreads like a wildfire throughout my body. He pushes me against the bar and I feel him grip my ass with both hands.

My brain seems to catch up with my body and I attempt to pull back but I'm shoved against the bar so I unwrap my arms and push his chest.

"No."  This can't be how we solve problems. We need to use words. 

The anger begins to build up in me again and I start yelling.  "Don't think you can just kiss me and make everything better. I'm not a boo-boo that a kiss can make better."  I cross my arms and he lets out an angry huff.

"A boo boo?" He teases in his thick British accent and his cheeky grin is back.

"It's the only thing I could think of." I shout before turning around and raising my pointer finger to Sam, signaling for another shot.

"Oh no, you don't. You're not going to keep drinking." He announces and pulls my hand down.

"Knock it off Charming, you don't tell me what to do." I spit and down the second shot Sam brings me, just despite him.

"Why didn't you tell her about us?" I yell at him and when I turn I watch Julie come up and wrap her arm around his waist.  I look into his eyes and wait for any sign that he's going to tell her but I find emptiness and panic looking back into mine.

I give him a look that clearly tells him I'm disgusted and I walk away.  He reaches out to grab my arm to stop me but I wriggle my wrist and pull away from his touch.

I walk back to the dance floor just as Sia's Elastic Heart begins playing and I realize I relate to the lyrics.  I've got thick skin and an elastic heart, just like Sia, but Jackson might just break me. 

I'm not sure if I can hold back the tears until I see Nick in his fancy suit amidst the crowd of sweaty bodies. He throws out a line and pretends to reel me in, and I find it impossible not to let him crack my icy exterior. I play along and begin hopping towards him then we lose ourselves in the music.

One of the waitresses brings around a tray of shots and I don't know what type of liquid courage she's serving but I grab one anyway and down it.  I'm actually starting to feel really good, I don't know where Jackson is and in this moment, I don't care.

I continue bobbing around the dance floor, my arms swaying freely in the air and my eyes closed. I suddenly understand why people enjoy getting lost in this sea of sweat.

After a few songs, I realize I've lost track of Nick as well. I'm just dancing mindlessly in this mob of sweaty bodies.  I've had enough to drink that my mind and body are now numb and I honestly think I've found a new hidden talent.  I wonder if they have a genre for drunk dancing on America's Got Talent.

I feel hands on my hips and a warm body start grinding against me and for a moment I think Nick may have found me again. But when I turn to look into the man's eyes, even though it's dark, I instantly realize I don't know this person. 

The stranger pulls me closer and grinds deeper into me, placing one leg between mine. He leans in and brings his lips to my mouth. I try to push him away but the alcohol has made me weak and my arms feel worthless.

Foreign lips press against mine and a tongue starts jabbing against my lips but I keep them forced shut so he ends up just licking the outside of my mouth. The smell of whiskey on his breath violates my senses and I'm suddenly very nauseous.

I push against him, attempting to pull my face away but the man doesn't seem to get that I'm not interested. Instead, his lips caress my neck and start trailing to the valley between my breasts where only one man is allowed.

I'm panicking, gasping for air, but all seems lost. I'm being practically molested on the dance floor and I'm completely alone in a crowd full of people.