“I told you she wasn’t ready.”

I was still inebriated. With the taste of Whiskey still on the tip of my tongue, I readied myself for an erstwhile night of debauchery and shame. The low-cut black mini dress I wore wrapped around my skin like a prison jumpsuit. My prison guards, Shavon, Lyric and China, crowded around me examining my every move. Lyric watched as I shifted in my seat. China chuckled in derision as she wiped the sweat from my forehead. Shavon remained impartial. “She’s ready,” Shavon responded.

Lyric continued, “She hasn’t stopped moving or sweating since she got in the car.”

“You sure you want to do this?” China questioned. “We can still turn around.”

“Frankly, I would prefer turning around,” Lyric added. “We’re inviting you. If you freak out or act like a loon, we’ll all be kicked out.” As she stopped at the stoplight, Lyric checked the dark eye shadow that encased her almond shaped eyes. Brushing her bone straight hair behind her shoulder, Lyric used Copper #5 to retouch her foundation. With her makeup corrected, Lyric scowled at me through the rearview mirror. I glared back at her. My gaze stayed firm as our eyes connected. “I’ve invested too much time earning the trust of Marci to let you ruin my night.”

“Who’s Marci?”

China shook me out of my staring contest when the light turned green. Placing my moist hands in hers, she smiled and replied. “Marci is the club owner. Sometimes she can come off a bit—

“Bitchy,” Shavon interjected.

China sighed. “I wouldn’t use that word.”

“I would.” Lyric stopped at another red light ad resumed the staring contest. Suddenly, my heart race hustled. The haze of traffic lights blurred as the voices in my head echoed.

“You said you were up for this,” Shavon cited. “Don’t make us regret this.”

I jumped at the sound of my ringtone. Grabbing the phone from my purse, it quickly slipped between my fingers like a bar of soap. I inhaled deeply and then smiled when I noticed the small bottle of Gin I packed next to my wallet. My smile faded when I also noticed my husband’s number on my caller ID. “Jackson.” The color melted from my face as my finger hovered over the accept button. Memories of his voice flooded my senses as my inebriation evolved into anxiety.

The phone kept ringing as I stared at the important decision I had to make. After taking a deep breath, Shavon snatched the phone from my hand and then threw it out the window. Before my confusion could switch to anger, she said, “Fuck Jackson.”

We parked the car in front of four large sycamore trees. The moon hid behind ashen clouds, keeping us away from moonlight and second chances. Lyric shut off the car and pulled her keys out of the ignition. “We’re doing this right?”

I popped the top off my Gin and chugged half the bottle. The melody of unfastened seatbelts permeated my thoughts as reality ended my fantasy. Without words, I nodded and unfastened my seatbelt as well.

China rubbed my shoulder and then quickly pulled off her panties. Tucking it under the passenger seat, she grabbed the bottle of Gin from my hand and finished it. “Don’t worry,” she assured me. “After the night is over, you probably won’t remember half of what you did. I barely remember any of it.” Opening her car door, the dry wind rustled her tight curls. As she stood outside the car, she puckered her bright red lips and basked in the small bit of moonlight that cascaded over her mahogany skin. After pulling down her apple red dress, she straightened her spaghetti straps and then dug her six-inch heels into the gravelly dirt.

Shavon dug her hand into her bra and adjusted her brown sugar breasts. Her navy V-neck dress paraded her copious curves as her six-inch pumps tightened her calves. Without saying another word, she and China walked through the trees and then disappeared into darkness. Lyric watched as I wrapped my arms around my waist and surveyed my surroundings. There were no other cars around and no sign of life outside the abundance of sycamore trees. Fear returned as my body shivered. Lyric walked over to me and grabbed my hand. “We all have separate places to park. We couldn’t really keep this place a secret if we all parked in the same spot.” Lyric pulled me toward the trees and I instinctively pulled away. “I know it looks scary but the club isn’t too far past these trees.”

I lowered my chin and tried to steady my breaths. Lyric let my hand go and then pulled the ponytail holder from my hair. “What are you doing?”

“The men like it when your hair is down.” Lyric popped my ponytail holder and then threw it on the ground. My relaxed tresses fell past the small of my back. “The women too.”

“Lyric, I—

“Let’s start walking before it gets too dark.” The clicking of her heels disappeared into the trees. I was alone in a dark forest in a short dress and too much makeup. In that moment, I wanted Jackson. I wanted him to show up, jump out of his Lexus and then hold me close to his chest. The feeling of his arms would calm my nerves and reassure me of my sanity. I wanted my husband. And in that moment of self-awareness, I followed the ladies. I needed to leave the scared woman I was behind along with all desires for a husband who abandoned me. I waned into the trees and embraced a personality that would forever tarnish the woman I was before.

The trees stood tall and offered no warmth. I could hear coos and giggles all around me but could not attach a face to the sounds. The gin was beginning to do its job as I continued to walk. I comforted myself with the sound my heels made as they stepped on fallen branches and random pebbles. The further I trekked, the darker it became. Even if I wanted to return to the car, I wouldn’t know which way to get there. There may have been no light to guide me but the mounting echoes of distant lovers masked the previous silence. I kept walking but shrieked when I bumped into a tree. I turned around only to be met with more darkness. The gin may have settled but it certainly wasn’t enough to calm my fear. I was alone and lost in a dark forest filled with horny club-goers.

I jumped when I felt someone’s hand wrap tightly around my wrist. “Sh-Shavon,” I stuttered. Silence. “Lyric?”

“If you want me to be.” The voice was dry and raspy. The person’s hand stroked my arm and attempted to pull me closer. As dark as it was, I wasn’t sure if the person was a man or a woman. Nonetheless, the person pulled me closer as I fought to pull away.