Read Sunrise in Bali - Across the Pond Trilogy (Book 1) for Free Online

that Jenny hadn't seen yet, perhaps the side that saw him
through his university years.

    After
an hour of drinking and laughing, the group pulled into Kuta. It was
far removed from the tranquility of Ubud, with streets lined with
bars and shops, a beachfront full of performers and restaurants, and
proper paved streets filled with cars and rushing mopeds. Everywhere
there were groups of young men and women, draped in vests and shorts,
perusing the many stalls along the roads or seeking their next party.

    “ Bounty
please my friend,” called Mark from the back of the taxi.
Apparently, it was the most popular club in Bali, and an absolute
mecca for drinking and dancing. Jenny had only had a single drink,
and so wasn't exactly feeling the night like the others seemed to be.
Todd appeared to be the most lively, while Emily, sat next to Andrew
on the middle row of seats, was continually looking around at Henry
on the back seat, laughing at just about anything he said.

    Jenny
turned back around, sitting at the front alongside Sarah and the taxi
driver. She felt a little deflated, like her concerns about the new
people disrupting the group were being confirmed. “Perk up Jen!”
Sarah broke her from her thoughts. “You seem a bit
distant....what's wrong?”

    “ Oh,
nothing, I think I'm just tired from the last few days. It's weird
being here after all those beautiful places we've seen.”

    “ Yeah...but
we've got a lot of that to come. This is just to have a bit of fun to
break up the trip. Come on, it'll be great...look, get that down
you.” She passed Jenny a shot of vodka.

    Jenny
took the drink and sunk it. “That's more like it! Now come on and
perk yourself up babe, I'll bet Henry will kiss you tonight!”

    With
that the car stopped and they got out, facing an entrance that looked
like the curtained doorways to a circus, but with pirate decorations
all around. Inside, the place was huge, and split up into numerous
rooms and areas; the main one comprising a huge wooden pirate ship in
the middle, with cages set up around the corners filled with revelers
pulling their best moves.

    The
group set off towards a quieter bar at the front on the club and
bought some drinks – huge cocktails that the bartenders assured
them were not watered down. This was quickly confirmed by a set of
Aussie guys who were drinking nearby, each looking a little the worse
for wear. After a couple of rounds Todd quickly danced his way up
onto the karaoke stage to perform a rousing rendition of 'Living on a
Prayer' by Bon Jovi. Jenny couldn't tell whether or not it was the
alcohol in her system, but he sounded pretty good!

    As
the night drew on and a couple of others got up for their turn on the
mic, the group began to lose each other. They'd agreed to meet at the
front at 2 am, and had all written the address of their hotel in Ubud
on the back of their hand in case they found themselves lost at any
point. Sarah and Jenny had just stepped off the stage after
performing a bit of Rihanna when they noticed that the entire group
was missing. They walked through to the main dance floor to find Todd
and Mark embracing with a bunch of Aussie guys in a big drunken
huddle, and Andrew down at another bar chatting with a couple of guys
wearing Irish rugby shirts. Jenny skimmed the room for a sight of
Henry, but got nothing. “I'm just going to the bathroom quickly,”
she informed Sarah, “stay here, I'll only be a minute.”

    Sarah
nodded and Jenny wandered off towards the nearest bathroom. As she
rounded the corner she caught a glimpse of a couple pressed up
against the wall. She looked at them to see Emily leaning in towards
a brown haired man. As Emily stepped back, Jenny's heart sunk....it
was Henry. She immediately turned away and dashed into the bathroom
before they they saw her, locking herself into a cubicle. She sat
down, tears rolling uncontrollably from her eyes, her heart pounding.
She sat there for several minutes, the alcohol