Winter Swan

"It's delicious."

Sien took only one sip of her drink. Afterward, all she did was smoke.

Surrounded by cigarette smoke, Silje felt dizzy, but she remained seated and didn't move. The light in the place was a dim red and she could hear loud music from a distance. Greg the bartender was busy greeting and serving customers, but once in a while, he glanced at Silje with interest.

Siena started to flirt with a male customer who was sitting to her, and Greg finally couldn't ignore his curiosity anymore. He asked Silje, "Are you Sien's friend?"

Silje shook her head.

Greg glanced at Sien disapprovingly and replied, "That's what I thought. A girl like that wouldn't have an innocent-looking friend like you."

Under the dim light, Greg studied Silje quietly.

Her hair was down and she was wearing her usual oversized shirt and black slippers. She also wore a pair of black tights. Most days, Silje wore baggy shapeless pants to work, but when she had a lot of errands to run, she wore tights for comfort.

Ironically, she looked well-dressed in a young, casual way. Silje looked like she belonged here in the cocktail bar.

Perhaps that was why. Ignoring Sien, who was still flirting with someone, Greg asked Silje, "Model?"

"… Pardon?"

Silje wasn't paying much attention to anything or anyone when she was surprised by the unexpected question.

"What did you say?"

When she asked with her tired eyes, Greg, who was a well-toned young man, grinned.

"I asked if you are a model."

When Silje shook her head, Greg smiled in amusement.

"No? Really? You seem pretty tall."

He started making another drink as he continued, "I am a model. I'm a nobody since I work as a part-time bartender for now, but can I still give you some advice? Don't hang out with a girl like Siena. She is not good for you. You could get in trouble if you hang out with her."

And he was right.

When she was done chatting with the man, Sien insisted that they go somewhere else. When Silje ignored her, Sien wouldn't give up. She said that there was a night club in the basement of the same building. When Silje wouldn't move, Sien dragged her out of the cocktail bar. Greg looked at Silje sympathetically and whispered before she left, "I told you not to hang around with that girl. If you want to ditch her at anytime and get a drink, feel free to come here."

Silje didn't reply. She continued to be dragged away by Sien who angrily spat, "Hey! Are you crazy?! Why won't you do as I say? How can I go to the club by myself when you are here too?"

The loud music was deafening to Silje's ears.

They entered the club just as Sien wanted.

[Chaos].

The night club was indeed in the same building and was decorated with stylish yellow bricks. It had a low ceiling and was rather small, but it was still packed with people dancing.

Sien looked smug as she walked to the stage to dance. On the other hand, Silje remained seated at their table quietly.

「La la la la La la la la La la la la I want you to love me, like I'm a hot guy… Keep thinkin' of me…」

The music was booming and the people in expensive clothes were dancing mindlessly. Everyone seemed excited, including Sien.

Why did people come to a place like this? Did they really like doing this?

Slowly, Silje realized something.

"…"

It wasn't that bad here.

Her ears hurt because of the loudness and she couldn't think with everything that went around her. Countless people dancing, the heat of the moving bodies, and the crazy blinding lights…

Silje realized that she liked it here because she couldn't think at all.

She couldn't form a coherent thought. It was like being in a roller coaster.

Then suddenly, a familiar feeling grabbed her and Silje trembled.

She couldn't move for a while. People passed her by roughly and Silje couldn't see Sien anywhere.

Silje felt cold.

"… It's freezing here."

The club suddenly felt like a fridge and she couldn't take it anymore. Her fragile body trembled as she stood up.

"Please, move."

She tried to get out, but it was difficult as no one could hear her. Somehow, she slowly made her way out.

It was Friday night and it seemed like everyone in Manhattan had gathered here. The smell of sour sweat pierced her nose, and as she continued to walk, she could hear profanities and screaming all around her.

Silje couldn't get used to being in such a large crowd.

Then, someone whistled.

"Hey, tall girl! You wanna join us?"

Silje felt too exposed. She wasn't well.

Different men continued to catcall her and joke around. She shivered, but she suddenly felt like she was being awakened.

She felt like she as waking up from a long, exhausting slumber.

Silje was sweating heavily when finally, she saw the sign.

[Toilet].

She needed to escape, so she opened the marble door and walked in.

Slam!

She could still hear the music faintly, but it was surprisingly cozy and quiet inside the washroom. A few women were smoking inside, but otherwise, it was a nice place to rest.

"Phew."

Sitting down on a large black sofa, Silje closed her eyes. Listening to the water dripping from a nearby faucet, she became sleepy. She felt like she was falling.

When she remained motionless, the women who were watching her seemed to be concerned. They tried to wake her up.

"Hey!"

"Are you okay? Do you want us to call 911?"

Still sweating, Silje shivered but shook her head.

"No, I'm fine."

She slowly stood up and washed her face with cold water. Silje felt a little better and realizing that she couldn't stay in the washroom forever, she walked out.

It was getting dark. She had to go back home. She had to get up early in the morning again tomorrow.

Outside the washroom, the loud music and the smell of people overwhelmed her again. She had to leave, NOW.

When she finally walked out of the club, Silje felt some men staring at her.

A couple of black men stood nearby. One particular man was studying her long slim legs.

He was large and he wore a pair of sunglasses, a grey vest, and a gold chain watch. Suddenly, he slowly took off his sunglasses and started to stare at her openly.

He walked towards her confidently and took out his neon wallet.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle!"

His cologne was too strong. He studied her face before smiling widely.

"Are you a model by chance?"

Why did people keep asking her this question? When she shook her head, the man took out a business card and handed it to her.

"You are an elegant beauty who shouldn't be wasted in a club like this. You have a beautiful body that needs to be celebrated. Your photos need to decorate the exclusive walls somewhere else rather than a dingy washroom in a nightclub."

"Pardon? What did you say?"

"Do you see this card? Do you see the number on it? It's an agency. If you want to become a model, come and find me."