Bachelorette Party
“I would probably never find romance,” I said with a smile, raising my glass. “Even if I am in Paris.”
Claire gave me a mock gasp. “Oh, come on, Remi! It’s Paris! The city of love, romance, wine—especially wine. You just need to loosen up a bit.”
I rolled my eyes, chuckling. “Right, because romance has been my main priority these days.”
“Hey, it could happen when you least expect it,” she teased. “Look at me and Charles! I didn’t think I’d find anyone special either. But there he was, Mr. Perfect-for-Me, at the worst possible time. I was a mess, remember?”
I laughed. “You? A mess? Hard to picture.”
“Oh, please.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I was fresh out of that disaster with Vincent, remember? The guy who thought it was normal to have ‘meditative’ silence on dates?”
I snorted, almost spitting out my drink. “Oh God, Vincent! How could I forget?”
“Exactly,” she said, laughing along. “After that nightmare, I swore off dating. But then Charles came along. I literally ran into him in a coffee shop, spilling my latte all over his suit. And instead of being annoyed, he just looked at me, smiled, and asked if I wanted to sit with him.”
“A latte disaster turned first date?” I raised an eyebrow. “Romantic.”
“You have no idea,” Claire said, her eyes twinkling. “By the end of the day, we’d spent hours talking about everything. He just… got me. No pretenses, no games.”
“Wow,” I murmured, feeling a strange pang of longing. I wanted that—a real connection, someone who understood. But that felt impossible. Especially with everything in my past.
“Remi!” Claire grabbed my arm suddenly, giving it a firm squeeze. “You deserve that too, you know?”
I sighed, about to brush it off, when a voice cut in from behind us.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the charity case.”
I froze, the words hitting like a slap. Turning slowly, I found myself face-to-face with a familiar smirk. Leila Rivers. She and her group of polished, overdressed friends had somehow found their way into our group, like they always did back at university.
Leila crossed her arms, looking me up and down. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Remi. I thought Paris was a bit... high-brow for you.”
Claire’s smile dropped, and she stepped in immediately. “Back off, Leila. Don’t start with her tonight.”
“Oh, I’m not ‘starting’ anything,” Leila said with a mocking smile. “Just making an observation.”
My heart pounded, the old, familiar feeling of embarrassment creeping in. But then I remembered everything I’d been through—the struggles, the pain, the fight to stand on my own feet. I was done shrinking.
I straightened my shoulders, looking Leila right in the eye. “You know, Leila, you always were predictable. Still tearing people down to feel better about yourself?”
She scoffed. “I’m just stating the truth. Not everyone’s meant to be here. Paris, after all, is a place for... the refined.”
I forced a smile, feeling a surge of confidence I didn’t know I had. “Then what are you doing here?”
Her smirk faltered, and I could hear Claire stifling a laugh beside me. Leila’s friends exchanged glances, looking unsure, but none of them spoke up.
“I... I was invited,” Leila snapped, her cheeks flushing. “Unlike some people, I didn’t have to tag along on someone else’s trip.”
“Oh, poor Leila,” I said, crossing my arms. “Still so threatened by people just existing around her. Has it ever occurred to you that no one really cares what you think?”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Claire clapped her hands, grinning. “Well said, Remi!”
I took a deep breath, feeling a strange rush of satisfaction. “In fact, why don’t we celebrate? I think we could all use a drink.”
Claire cheered, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “That’s the spirit! Drinks all around!”
Leila muttered something under her breath, but her friends were already moving away, clearly embarrassed. I felt a surge of pride; for once, I hadn’t let her ruin my night.
“Remi, that was amazing!” Claire beamed at me, handing me another cocktail. “You finally stood up to her. I love it!”
“Felt good, actually,” I admitted, taking a big sip of the drink. “Let’s hope she doesn’t come back.”
“She won’t,” Claire assured me, clinking her glass to mine. “Tonight’s about you, me, and celebrating. No past drama allowed!”
Over the next hour, we laughed, swapped stories, and toasted to just about everything. With each drink, I felt lighter, freer, like the old worries and stress were drifting away. By the time we finished our second round, I was already feeling a bit warm, a bit reckless.
“Alright, one more drink, and then we hit the club downstairs,” Claire announced, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
“The club?” I raised an eyebrow, but I was already smiling. “You’re serious?”
“Serious as a heart attack,” she laughed, giving me a playful nudge. “Come on, we haven’t danced in forever!”
“Fine,” I relented, downing the last sip of my drink. “Let’s go.”
The club was just one floor down, dimly lit with neon lights and a bass-heavy beat that pulsed through the floor. As soon as we walked in, Claire grabbed my hand, dragging me to the dance floor.
“Time to let loose, Remi!” she shouted over the music.
Before I could respond, she was already dancing, moving with the music like it was second nature. I felt a rush of adrenaline, maybe from the drinks or maybe from the freedom of being here, away from everything and everyone who expected me to be something I wasn’t.
Claire grabbed my hand, pulling me into the rhythm. “Come on, Remi! Just let go!”
I laughed, feeling the beat move through me, and I started to sway, letting myself fall into the rhythm. The music was loud, filling my head, drowning out everything else. I closed my eyes, letting my body take over, feeling each beat and pulse in my chest. It was like a wave of energy, and for the first time in ages, I felt alive.
I threw my head back, laughing, my arms moving freely, letting the music take control. Claire was dancing beside me, shouting something I couldn’t hear, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t need to hear it. We were here, in this moment, and it was perfect.
I let myself go completely, moving with the music, feeling the warmth, the energy, the thrill of just... being. For once, there were no expectations, no past weighing me down. Just the lights, the sound, and the freedom to be whoever I wanted to be.
Claire laughed beside me, spinning around, and I joined her, throwing my arms up, moving to the rhythm. I felt sexy, confident—like I was finally stepping out of my own shadow.
Tonight, I wasn’t the cautious mother or the weary surgeon. I was just Remi, alive and free. And as I lost myself in the beat, I realized I didn’t need Paris or romance to feel this way. All I needed was this moment, this night, and the choice to finally be unapologetically me.
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