Embrace

"Wake up. Emma? Wake up. We landed," I heard Robbie say. I guess my earphones fell out. Damn. 
"Five more minutes..."  I whispered and I let out a yawn. 
"Then the airplane will go back to Houston with you in it. Fine by me." 
"Okayokayokay..." I opened my eyes and saw Robbie standing there showing very little patience for me being quite tired. " I'm coming... You go walk out of the plane. I'll catch up to you."  He rolled his eyes before he left and I got up out of my chair and grabbed my bag before leaving the plane. There is see it. Schiphol. I really was back in Amsterdam in all its grey-looking sky and dutch glory. Oh how I loved to be back. Except for the cold... I do prefer the temperature in Houston. Much warmer. I quickened my pace and within no time I stood in the main hall with the Starbucks and all the other shops. Of course I saw Robbie standing in line for a coffee and I walked over to him. 
"What are you going to order?" 
"Just a latte." 
"No vanilla?" 
"No." 
"Okay. I will be walking outside. Getting some of the fresh air if you're interested." 
He doesn't answer me and I decide to walk away before I humiliate myself any further. What did I do... Regret is everywhere. This sucks. I should never have asked him to go with me. Stupid... Maybe I should just take a cab to the city. Might be a good idea. I stand by the edge of the sidewalk holding up my hand, just like they do in New York. A cab stops in front of me and the chauffeur steps out of the car. 
"Where to?" 
"De Dijk." He nods and steps inside the car again. I open the door from the backseat. 
"Emma, what are you doing?" Robbie asks with two coffee cups in his hand. 
"Stepping inside a cab." 
"Where to?" He asks a little confused. 
"The city." 
"Why?" 
"Just get inside the cab." We both get in the cab and we're on our way to Amsterdam. 
"Why would you go without me?" And he hands me the coffee. A latte for me as well.
"You were angry with me all the time and I felt guilty for acting the way I did."
"Okay." I looked outside the window again. He was angry again. Almost... ALMOST. Stupidhead. Within no time we were in Amsterdam and once more I saw those beautiful streets filled with the most interesting people. Hipsters. Punks. Normal mainstream people. Crazy people... And more. It was wonderful.  We stopped by de Dijk and there I saw the shops on de Kalverstraat and a Coffee Company, my real favorite coffee store and I heard the Dutch language from everywhere. Wonderful! I felt at home once again. 

"So where do we start?" 
"I think we best start with that story you asked for in the car." 
I take a zip from my new coffee from the Coffee Company and I look at him with my serious look. I really wanted to hear this. What happened that night? He takes another position in his chair and looks at me. Pretty eyes. Really pretty. So green...
"Okay... Here it goes. I only know my part of course, but you told me that you didn't do much more than drinking all night long. Drinking and dancing at a friend's house." 

(Robbie's memory)

I walk into the club and I see heaven. Dutch, drunk, stoned people everywhere. Probably also enough who are on XTC. I don't know, but I think it's amazing. No chance denying this. With Joseph and Dylan by my side we walked inside the club The place looked awesome and there was techno music everywhere. A warm feeling of excitement inside me awakes and with my head bouncing I walk through the room, heading for the bar. Of course we go to the bar! We order a beer and I look around. 
"Whoa she looks hot!"  Joseph shouts and points at a rather tall girl with brown hair. Yes, she is hot. I catch her stare and all I see is that she is having fun and that she is drunk. Well, if I wanted to see more from her then I should take her out for a coffee. Maybe there is a chance for that... I smile at the idea and drink the beer till the last drup. I wave at my friends and go for it. I walk over to the girl and on my way I see plenty of girls trying to flirt with me, but unfortunately for them I am not interested! Ha. Ha. Ha. Finally I get to the girl and I see her friend with who she is with making this kind of facial expression that might say that she has to turn around. So she does and she smiles at me. 
"And who are you?" 
"The one who is going to give you a good night?" 
"Kind of a cliche. Don't you think?" 
"Okay...Hmmm." 
"Just your name, love." 
"Robbie," I say laughing. 
"Sweet. Now Robbie. If you are going to give me a good night, then that night will need dancing. So here we go." She takes my hand and takes me to the dancefloor. On the next techno song we dance the quick moves that are fit for the quick beats that bounce through the club and we take each other's hands to do them together and she looks up at me and all I see is fun again. Pure fun. After a while we go back to the bar to order shots. She dares me to take two in a row. Like I thought I didn't got to the second. I couldn't get it through my throat. She laughed and I dare her to do the same. Of course I am humilated... She does it in a minute. One. Quick pause. Two. Like she does it every day. She puts down the second glass on the bar and she gives me a wink. I want to marry this girl, man! Then she does this thing I didn't expect her to do. She climbs on the bar and gives the man behind it also a wink. He gives her a smile and a wink back. He likes her. I know he does... She bows back down and pulls me up and starts to dance and shouts through the club. All the people give her a look and laugh. it was like she was friends with everyone. Everybody liked her and she liked me. Or so I thought... At least she gave me the idea, that she did so. I decided I should make the next move and so I did. I grabbed her from behind and the twinkle of her laugh went in my ears and I wrapped my arms around her from behind and so we danced further. She turns around in my arms and looks at me. 
"I like you, Robbie. You're fun and I like your eyes. A lot!"  She likes me. Yes. And so we danced for another few minutes. That was until we were disturbed and some man noticed us and took her. Her showed her the way through the crowd to some vip lounge I thought. I climbed off the bar and followed them. Of course I wouldn't be let into that place. You see that all the time in movies. The girl gets taken and the guy is not allowed to join her. So I won't be humilating myself by doing that sort of thing. I decide to wait nearby the enterance so that I will be there whenever she may get out. I don't have to wait long, because not five minutes later she gets out. Still with her happy face, but with some kind of thing in her hand. 
"Hey, what do you have in your hands?" I ask and move away from my spot to her. 
"It's an oculus. He told me I could have it!"  she says with a smile. I look at it and I don't know how, but it looked valueble. What would it be for? Why would they give it to her? A girl they probably just met? 
"You look puzzled, Robbie... Why?" 
"Why did they give it to you? What did they want with you anyway?" 
"Someone  sounds concerned?" 
"Yes, I'm a bit concerned, love."
"Emma."
"Okay, Emma. I'm a bit concerned."
"Why?" 
"You don't know them and..."
"Don't you want me to get hurt? If you would say such a thing then you would probably the sweetest guy I have ever met,"  she says with a smile.
"Right. I don't want you to get hurt."
"Then I won't!"  she tells me and runs into my arms and we walk away. "Do you know what time it is, because Cindy and I still have to get back to The Hague actually... So I have to find her as well." 
"It's almost 4 am. I think you two better come with us. We have a hotel nearby." 
"Oehh, Robbie. Big move, don't you think!" She says smiling at me and she dances in front of me while searching for her friend and keeping my hand in hers. Damn. I spot Joseph and Dylan and I wave at them. They come to me and for a second I let go of her hand. 
"Hey guys. Is it okay for Emma and her friend to come with us, because it's 4 am and they still have to take the train back to The Hague. Might be a little "not safe"  for them in such a drunk condition." 
"Fine by me. Where are they?" I look around and I can't see her anywhere anymore, but then behind the curtains of the socalled vip lounge I see three angry men appear. I already thought it was weird that they gave her that thing... Quickly I look over the people in the room and there they are on the ground by the bar. Quickly I walk over there and kneel down in the beer. 
"Emma, what is it?" 
"She's sick...Are you sure it's alright that we come with you?" 
"Sure! My friends don't mind." 
"Okay, you're sweet,"  and she gives me a peck on the cheek.