DOROTHEA

SIX

"Dive bar on the East Side
Where you at?"

———

February 9th, 2018

That Friday, Taylor had wrapped up her second practice session with the tour dancers. As a way to celebrate the end of a successful first week, they were all going to go out for some drinks.

Taylor glanced at her phone on the bathroom counter as she carefully applied some mascara to her lashes. She was waiting on a text from Martha—who she'd invited to come along— stating that she was at the entrance to her apartment. From there, the two of them would hop into the back of an SUV and meet the others at a bar in the East Village.

Taylor was more than ready to knock back a few shots with the other blonde and the rest of the group, as she was exhausted from the week. She started the evening off with a glass of wine as she did her makeup and was now committed to becoming more than tipsy by the end of the night.

Though she was fully back to doing what she loved most, it was stressful. Along with the anxiety that she knew was never going to disappear, she was still thinking about Dorothea Jane. Taylor had stopped caring about her unanswered message days ago, but the girl had taken a permanent place at the front of her mind.

She wondered if she, too, had a spot in Dorothea's thoughts.

Taylor's phone suddenly chimed with a notification from Martha. She hurried to finish applying her lipstick and left the en-suite bathroom. Then, after tossing a few last things into her purse, she quickly examined herself in the full-length mirror next to the door: A soft, oversized v-neck sweater and black jeans with heels. Nice, yet still casual enough for a dive bar.

"Hey! Where's your coat? It's freezing out here!" Martha exclaimed as Taylor emerged from the entrance to her apartment building.

"And Bar None is always hotter than Hell," Taylor noted, laughing. She was cold, but before she could shiver the black SUV pulled up to the edge of the curb next to them. She then followed Martha through the open back door held by one of her security guards, letting out a heavy sigh as she sat down and sank against the leather seat.

Martha laughed as Taylor closed her eyes. "You sure you're gonna make it tonight? It's barely after nine."

"Oh, don't mind me. Just doing some Pre-Blackout mental preparation, over here."

The other woman lifted her eyebrows. "Is that what's happening tonight?"

"Well, if I don't take a shot within the first two minutes of walking in there, I'm heading for the liquor store on the corner," Taylor deadpanned.

"In that case, should I call our order in to the bartender right now?" Martha asked. She smiled as she watched Taylor let out another deep sigh, but then her expression fell. "Something on your mind?"

"Always," Taylor breathed. She then gave a feathery laugh as she opened her eyes and turned to the other woman. "Do you ever ignore text messages?" She asked.

Martha furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at her across the backseat. "Not usually," she said, "but I guess it depends on who it's from. Why? Are you trying to ignore someone?"

"Nope," Taylor replied, popping the "p" in the word. She then hesitated a moment, before saying, "I just want an answer."

The other blonde nodded slowly. "Okay, well...Is there another way you can get one?"

"Nope," Taylor repeated, straightening up in her seat and looking out the window. She circled her eyes over the people on the sidewalk as they passed, thinking for some reason that fate would make one of them the one she was desperate to see.