We didn't get to the club until eleven. Partially due to neither of us being sure where it was. It wasn't exactly on the Cutie Mark Crusaders tour. They may be older than they look on the show, but they were still only about 14.
Two guards stood at the door. When given the chance to talk to one I told him I came to be blasted away by the bass as Vinyl instructed.
"You've been expected for a while," said the guard to the left of the door.
"Follow me," Said the guard to the right, "She's going to want to see you right away."
He led me directly through the crowd of ponies at the club. Sure enough, the mares swarmed, but Gilda jumped in front of me and growled at them. They immediately backed off. Guess ponies aren't about to challenge a griffin.
Reaching the back we approached a door with a star on it. The guard knocked out a beat and a slot opened momentarily before the door itself swung open.
"You made it," Vinyl pushed past the guard that opened the door and hugged me. I heard Gilda start growling.
"It's OK, Gilda," I said, "this one knows, and she's taken anyway." I hugged Vinyl back noticing she reeked of vodka. Not like I didn't expect that though.
"So who's your friend?" Vinyl slurred a bit, "I thought you didn't want a date."
"It's complicated," I said deciding not to reveal the ruse right in front of the gathering audience, "but I brought one after all."
"The more the merrier," Vinyl said, "Just stick with me. Let's start by getting you a drink. This is the V.I.P. lounge so the bar is open. Order whatever you want."
I don't really drink, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I followed Vinyl to the bar.
"I'd like a whiskey sour," Gilda and I said in unison once we had the bartenders attention.
We just looked at each other and both blushed. It got worse when we realized Vinyl had heard and was now hysterically laughing.
"It's too precious," Vinyl slurred, she'd clearly had more than a few, "This morning your not ready to date and now you found somepony you click with. It's beautiful."
"Will you just shut your mouth?" I asked.
"OK," She said, "If it's a touchy subject. I have a couple ponies for you to meet anyway."
Once our drinks were up Vinyl led us to a booth in the back right corner with a large round table. Octavia and two unicorns were already seated. I Recognized one as Neon Lights from a couple fan videos. The other was an older unicorn mare with a white coat, a black 'fro, and a disco ball cutie mark.
"You already know Octavia," Vinyl began the introductions, "and I know you've seen Neon before, at least a human artists version. This is the guest of honor, my mother, Disco Groove. We're celebrating her birthday. That's why Pinkie took over the music. So I could have a few drinks with her."
"Happy birthday," I said, "I didn't know or I would have brought a card."
"That's no biggie, Sugar," the pet name rubbed me the wrong way, but it was her birthday so I let it slide, "You showed up. Long as you're ready to boogie down on the dance floor, that's good enough."
I hadn't even considered the idea that I may be expected to dance. That idea terrified me even more than going flying with Rainbow and Gilda again. It must have shown on my face.
"Is something wrong?" Octavia asked.
"I don't dance," once again Gilda and I found ourselves speaking in unison. We just looked at each other and facepalm/talon-ed.
"Aren't they a cute couple?" Vinyl slurred.
"OK," I said, "Now that we aren't in a crowd. We are not really together. We're both single and aim to keep it that way."
"You sure about that?" Vinyl asked, "I know how to read vibes and your digging on each other."
"Yea," Gilda piped in, "Because we're friends."
"That may be," Disco laughed, "but you both got the same jive looks on your faces."
I realized we were both leaning in on the table so I leaned back in my chair. The whole table laughed.
I looked over to see that Gilda and I had both leaned back and crossed both our arms and legs, and now we were looking at each other with the same defeated expression.
I just drained my glass, "Oh, look. I need another drink."
As I got up to get it I heard Gilda say, "Fuck it, me too."
Gilda caught up to me before I reached the bar.
"Hold up," she sighed, "do you think we should talk about this?"
"Not right now," I replied, "I know that much."
"Fair enough," Gilda chuckled, "Let's just get those drinks. I don't normally drink much, but as long as its free, let's get wasted."
"For once we agree," I joked.
-
I woke up with a splitting headache. I didn't remember anything after going back to the table. Except Disco's voice saying 'Don't be a jive turkey'. I wish I remembered the context.
I was in bed, so I made it home. One thing bothered me. I was naked.
I always sleep in my boxers, I don't like being totally naked. I was further troubled when I noticed my clothes folded nicely by the bed. I'm not that neat when I'm sober. Somepony saw me naked. I had a feeling it was some griffin, but Gilda was drinking too. At any rate, I was embarrassed.
I figured I better just get dressed and find breakfast.
Just as I was moving my belt and keys to the clean pants I caught a smell filling the cabin. An amazing smell. Like God himself was blessing my nostrils with the most divine aroma in existence. It was a smell I never thought I would experience again.
Opening my bedroom door I saw Gilda in the kitchen. She was in front of the stove. Getting closer I discovered the source of the heavenly scent. She was frying bacon!
"Oh, you're awake," she said, "I thought I'd have to bring this to you in bed."
She had already made me a plate with eggs and toast.
"Wow," I said, "I didn't expect this."
"Well," she sighed, "I was going to find somewhere to camp out. So I had extra food along. I thought I would share it to say thank you for letting me stay here."
"Did you put me in bed?" I asked blushing.
She started blushing herself, I was quickly figuring out how to tell. Her feathers may cover the color, but she always covered her face anyway. I never thought I'd consider Gilda cute until I noticed that. It was adorable.
"Well, I had to do something after carrying you home," She said, "and you were going to mess up your clothes if you slept in them. Don't worry, you have nothing to be embarrassed about."
"How drunk did we get?" I asked, deciding to steer the subject away from what I was indeed embarrassed about. My ex may have claimed I was hung like a horse, but that's just an expression.
"You got totally wasted," she snickered, "I only made you think I was drinking. I actually stopped after that second one."
"Why would you make me think you were drinking?" I asked rubbing my temples.
"Because you needed to let loose," Gilda said, "and if you're really that much like me, you wouldn't drink unless a friend was doing it with you."
"By that logic," I groaned as I released my head to eat, "you're like me, and needed to let loose too."
"Yea," she said, "you may have a point, but if we're comparing troubles. I'm not divorced, I'm not the only one of my kind, and I could start flying and be where I grew up, and unfortunately still live, in a couple of hours. I just don't want to be there at the moment, which you helped with. So I helped back."
I just grumbled, "That sounds like something I would say."
"Yea," she said, "you gonna grumble about it or are you gonna eat so I can give you a headache diminishing potion Apple Bloom made for you."
"So now the filly knows I got drunk," I said, "how embarrassing."
"You don't think ponies line up for Apple family cider just because it tastes good? Do you?" she laughed, "She's no stranger to ponies getting drunk."
"Yea, yea, yea," I finished my food and downed the drink Gilda had set in front of me. Within moments I felt like new.
"By the way," She said, "I hope you don't mind I answered the door for you. Twilight needs you at her castle whenever you have time today, and that little orange filly Dash hangs out with stopped by, but she ran off when I told her you were asleep."
"Anything else I should know?" I asked.
"Yea," She said, "Disco insisted I give this to you when you wake up." She handed me a metal briefcase.
I opened it and on top was a note.
--
Hey Sugar,
You sure got your groove on last night. Best birthday since disco was in style.
Our family has been holding on to this for you for a long time.
You take care now.
Love, Disco Grove
P.S. That Griffin seems to really dig on you. Don't let her boogie away.
--
As if the note wasn't weird enough, the only thing in the case was a pile of blueprints. Most seemed to be wiring diagrams for sound systems. All were on ancient-looking paper. They all would have been top of the line in the 70s.
One blueprint stood out due to a total lack of writing on it. All of the other blueprints were explained in detail within the margins. To me, this one looked like a bomb shelter of some kind, but a lot was left open to interpretation.
I could hardly begin to imagine where Vinyl's family got such a collection. Or why they would be holding it for me. I couldn't help but notice one detail though.
One way to interpret the last blueprint was an underground recording studio. When you put them all together, you got Vinyl's music room.