Chapter Thirty-Four

"I think this is a bad idea."

I looked at Claire with pleading eyes. I hope she changes her mind. But knowing her...

"This isn't a bad idea. This is a good experience to have."

When Claire found out yesterday that I had never been to a pub or bar, she thought taking me to one would be a great idea. We are at the entrance of the bar. There was a line of people outside waiting to get in. We're at the VIP lane and the only ones there. The bouncer was already looking at us wondering if we were going in or not.

"I don't feel like coming to a place like this." I tried to convince her again.

"Oh, come on, Cyrus! Just because you did it once, doesn't mean you'll do it for the rest of your life. You're here to feed the curiosity. Every young adult should experience this, at least once."

Feeling her tight grip on my arm, I can tell Claire isn't backing down. Exasperated, I finally agreed to it. With a happy smile on her face, she spun around and dragged me inside. She presented her membership card to the bouncer. He only took one glance at it before letting us in.

Upon entering the main room, my uneasiness left me. I was amazed by the sight that greeted me. This place has to be one of the most luxurious places I have ever seen.

The yellowish lighting made the walls shine like gold. The couches look so comfy and I'm not even touching it. The room is filled with the lively murmurs of people and the lovely voice of the singer on the stage.

This is not what I had expected. This place had class!

"What? Surprised?" Claire said with a hint of smugness in her tone.

"Yeah... this place is so elegant. I can't believe this is a bar."

"Well, this is indeed a bar. What? Were you expecting I'd take you to a strip club? If that's what you want, I can still look for-"

"No, no. This is fine." I cut her off not wanting to see the worst-case scenario that I pictured in my head.

Soon enough, a receptionist came to us offering his assistance. After a few talks, he led us to a large booth. The booth can seat about ten people. But for now, it is just the two of us.

I made myself very comfortable on this super comfy couch. Then, I watched Claire as she scanned through the menu. She ordered the top 8 best-selling liquor, along with some snacks much to my surprise.

"Why did you order so much alcohol?!" I asked the moment the waiter was out of earshot.

"So you can taste them."

"But why so many?" I asked in panicked disbelief.

"Well, moments ago you looked like you would never set foot in a place like this again. So, I want you to make the most of this one-time escapade."

"But why it has to be alcohol? You know we can't get drunk. Who will drive!?!"

"Relax... my purpose is for you to taste them. You don't have to finish them all."

Knowing Claire will no longer hear any of my arguments. I took the menu from her and looked at what this place was serving. I only took one glance at it before closing and placing it down on the table.

Damn! Do the food and beverages here have gold bits in them? Why are they so expensive?

As if reading my mind, Claire began to explain why she liked this bar. This is a frequent meeting place for her business partners. Because of that, she acquired a VIP membership so she can get a big discount every time she goes here. Her membership allows her to bring another five people with her.

Feeling the effect of her VIP membership, our drinks and snacks were served in an instant. We have Popcorn with Sesame-Glazed Pistachios, Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings, and Grilled Cheese sandwiches as snacks. Our drinks, on the other hand, had such fancy names that I couldn't even pronounce them.

I was about to reach for the chicken when Claire stopped me. She lifted a glass of wine and handed it to me. She told me to drink first before eating the snacks. And I did.

Taking my first sip I tasted nothing but bitterness. Then, I felt the burn in my throat as I swallowed the wine. The disgust was written on my face even if I couldn't see it.

"What? You don't like it?" She asked.

I only shook my head as a reply. She smiled at me and gave me a chicken wing. I ate the chicken to remove the bitter taste. It was delicious.

But as I was eating the chicken, Claire took the wine glass I just had. She tilted the glass to her lips along with her head. She drank the whole wine in one go.

"Hey! You can't do that. You'll get drunk." I tried to stop her.

"Relax... I don't get drunk easily." She said as she picked some popcorn to eat.

"Now, taste this."

And that is how the wine-tasting experience began. I only took one sip of each drink. By the time I was on my fifth drink, I was already used to the bitterness. I could taste the other flavors now. The seventh drink has a nice mango taste. I drank half of the glass.

But I was more impressed with Claire. She finished every drink that I couldn't. But she doesn't look drunk. Those few sips already made me tipsy. While she, on the other hand, is still talking like normal.

We were discussing the other bars Claire had seen before. We were both so engrossed with the topic that we didn't know when the music stopped. Then, a woman's voice began to speak on the mic.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! We hope everyone is having a good time. If you like my singing, just clink your glasses."

Then I heard clinking sounds everywhere. Even Claire clinked her glass to one of the glasses on the table.

"Thank you so much! Now, it's 11 PM. And you know what that means."

A chorus of cheers and "yeses" was heard. I turned to Claire in confusion.

"What does it mean when it was 11 PM?"

Claire raised a hand at me. She wanted me to wait a bit as she finished drinking the fifth wine. When she set down the empty glass, she said her reply in a casual nonchalant way.

"It's time to let the strippers out."

WHAT!!?!?! So they do have strippers after all!

But before I could voice a protest, she erupted in controlled laughter.

"I can't believe you still fell for that!"

Oh my God! I should have known.

I gave her an annoyed look as I massaged my nose bridge with two fingers. I was about to pick up a glass of water when suddenly my surroundings got very bright.

"Uh-oh..." Claire uttered as she looked at me in amused shock.

Then I realized, it was a spotlight that was shining on me. The female singer walked towards our table with a microphone in hand.

"And here is our guest singer for tonight's open mic. Good evening, Sir! May we know your name?" the woman asked as she passed the mic to me.

WHAT??? Guest singer? Open mic? Oh no! They want me to sing!

Everyone was staring at me waiting for my answer. I couldn't speak. Panic was keeping my mouth shut.

Then, out of nowhere, a hand took away the mic from me. I soon realized that it was Claire.

"I'm sorry about my friend here. He's partially deaf and can't sing." She said to everyone.

WHAT?!?! I'm not partially deaf!

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't know. You poor guy." the woman looked at me with pity. Soon, the crowd was making sympathetic "ohs" at me.

"I'll sing for him instead." Claire declared. This made the crowd clamor in happiness.

The woman led Claire to the stage. She interviewed her a bit. Then, she left her from the stage. Claire went to the band and whispered to them. They had a quick conversation and did a little preparation. Soon, the guitarist began playing a song. Then, Claire sang.

I don't know the song. But the mellow voice of Justine Claire, accompanied by the euphonious guitar sounds, was good to the ears. It was almost hypnotizing.

The sight of her is also mesmerizing. The way she lightly held the mic stand and how she got lost in the song is entrancing. She looked so delicate and beautiful.

Why does she look like this?