by Layla Arts
“What?“ I whispered.
“You're determined to get it, aren’t you?“ she questioned teasingly.
“Maybe, or maybe not.”
“You are, Hadrian. Admit it.”
Vicky folded her arms against her chest.
“Don't do that,” I whined.
“What am I doing wrong now?” she asked.
I let a heavy sigh leave my mouth and brushed my hand through my hair.
“You're folding your arms against your chest, but you don't realize you're pushing your boobs higher. And that is killing me on the inside, Vicks,“ I explained, and I pressed my forehead against hers.
“Well sorry then.” She apologized playfully.
I felt Vicky wrapping her arms around my lower body, and I rested with one hand against the brick wall.
“I still like them,” I whispered with a smirk.
“I know, Hadrian,” Vicky replied, and I felt her fingertips holding the fabric of my shirt.
“About that kiss,” I started.
“What about it?” Vicky asked me seductively.
“Is there – hypothetically speaking – any chance of still getting one?”
A soft chuckle escaped Vicky's mouth, and she was just one hell of a cute girl. I held her left cheek with my hand and stroked her flawless skin with my thumb repeatedly.
“Mmm, I think there is a chance.”
”Will you let me?”
“I definitely do,” Vicky said.
I leaned closer to her lips, and I wanted to crash mine onto hers.
I could smell the scent of the perfume she always used. She looked so hot today, and I was quite proud of myself that I hadn't allowed myself to be hard. I cupped her face with my hands, and I could feel her warm breath against my lips. Vicky sealed her eyes and held the hem of my shirt tight between her hands.
But being too late like the last time, I heard my phone going off, and I couldn't just leave it ringing here.
This was definitely cock block 2.0
“I really need to take this,” I spoke against her lips.
“It's okay, I better get back inside too.”
The only thing I could quickly do was placing a quick peck on her forehead. I knew that if we were going to kiss, we both wouldn't be able to stop.
Vicky disappeared into Judy’s office, and I pulled my phone out of my pocket with annoyance. I didn't want to press the answer, but work was work. I couldn't simply stop with focusing on everything involved with the Empire.
“Hadrian Smith,” I spoke into the phone without any emotion.
I walked on the stairs, and arrived back into the club. Cleaners were making the wooden floor perfect for the next evening the club would be open. It needed to look better than last Friday since I found a few flaws in the decoration and cleaning.
“Hadrian, darling.”
I recognized Angelina's voice instantaneously.
“Angelina.”
“How are things at the Empire?” she asked me interestingly.
“Very well, we are getting everything cleaned right now. We will show the dancers the new routines tomorrow. Why are you calling me? I was in the middle of something extremely important.”
I sighed deeply when I thought about my second almost kiss with Vicky.
“William called me, and he wanted to come by.”
“Why hasn't he called me then?” I questioned her.
“Because he has a new phone, he lost all his contacts. But he wanted to come by for a while, just to talk about some business he mentioned,” Angelina told me honestly.
“Tell him that he can be here at two pm. Not sooner. If he shows up earlier, he can leave right away.”
“Darling, I know you don't like William. But don't forget that he is a valuable business partner.”
“I know, but he wants things I cannot give him.”
“Are you referring to the girl you told me about last night?” Angelina asked me nicely.
“Yes, he absolutely wants Vicky,” I muttered irritatingly.
“Then you need to make sure that he doesn't.”
“How?“
“Make sure that he is not coming near her. But if that happens, you make sure she leaves him instantly.”
I walked outside of the club, and I wandered around with the phone against my ear.
“We know that most of the time ,William gets everything that he wants, but this time you need to make sure he won't. You’re a kind-hearted man, something he will never be. Don’t let him take control of your feelings constantly. You should’ve more faith in yourself.”
“That will be hard to do.“ I sighed loudly.
“But we cannot do anything else.”
Angelina was right.
“But what happens if Vicky finds out about what happened between William and I throughout all these years and what I wanted to do?“ I bit on the inside of my cheek when I thought back about the intentions we had.
“One day, the truth will come out. Just don't let William say it.”
“I will be dead if he says it.” I breathed out.
“Just be careful, Hadrian.”
10
Vicky West
I was definitely one of the happiest girls in this world right now.
Not only had I been chosen to help Judy with creating the show for Friday, but I heard from her that I was allowed to dance the solo performance too. First I thought I needed to come up with one for someone else, but then she mentioned that I was actually preparing my own solo for that evening.
We managed to get a massive part of the show done, and we were going to show it to the group tomorrow morning. I was partly anxious because I didn't know how they would respond to the routine. On the other hand, if there would be any mean comments, Red definitely had my back.
A few days actually passed by without me seeing the other dancers. Since last Friday everything has been pretty hectic. I never thought I’d be almost kissing Hadrian in his office and in the hallway outside of Judy’s office. But in some kind of way, we managed to get interrupted repeatedly.
And I was sure it bothered Hadrian as well.
“They have the new costumes laying in the dressing room,” Judy said, and she grabbed a mug to fill it with tea.
We were sitting on the small sofa she had placed in her office last month. It was a cute one, and pretty much big enough for the two of us.
I knew the new theme for Friday was Pink Sweetness, so we had chosen a couple of songs like Candyman, Bumps and Grinds, Fever, and many more. Judy and I were both ridiculously proud of what we created until this point. Since we were finally done, we deserved to relax.
“I am definitely going to check them out.”
I excused myself and ran to the dressing room.
I spotted my costume instantly. I held the beautiful piece of clothing I was going to wear this Friday. It was stunning, yet adorable. It was a pink corset, and the material was soft. I’d have no straps, just bare shoulders. The back of the outfit was quite exposing. A tiny bit of fabric which covered my bum.
I placed my costume back, and I held the gloves, which were laying on the table. They were made of satin, and I slipped them on for once. They stopped at my elbow, and they felt comfortable to dance with. My heels for Friday were standing on the ground, and they were from lacquer.
Since I was the only one around, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to change into the clothes and show them to Hadrian.
I stripped down the attire I was wearing today and tried my costume on. I didn't bring the gloves with me, but only slipped into the lacquer heels. I folded my clothes neatly on the chair, and I examined myself for one last time in the mirror.
This needed to occupy Hadrian.
It was strange to walk like this through the Empire. Luckily, the cleaners were already gone. I walked on the stairs to see if Hadrian was in his office, but he wasn't there. I made the decision to stay a bit longer because he might come back.
I
had never looked in detail at the office. I surely had seen his leather couch, wooden desk, and alcohol collection. But I never walked around to have a better look at his belongings. A few frames were hanging against the wall, far away in the corner. I came closer and saw that Hadrian was on most of the pictures. He was smiling brightly while looking into the camera, and his eyes were almost shut because of the massive grin.
I found myself smiling while observing the pictures. It were pictures from different years because I saw a younger version of Hadrian making an appearance in a couple of photographs.
“What a warm welcome.” I turned around when I heard a male voice speaking aloud.
I was met with a pair of eyes which weren't green this time.
“William, nice to see you again.”
God, this was awkward to be standing here almost butt naked.
“It's a pleasure to see you too, Vicky West,” he said. “Call me Will, please.”
“All right, Will,” I said.
He walked over to the alcohol collection, and without any permission from Hadrian, he opened a bottle of his expensive whiskey and filled a glass. With the box of ice-cubes standing next to it, he took two of them quickly for the coldness of the drink. I almost wanted to tell him not to, but William held this certain character which made me think twice about my actions.
“Are you looking for Hadrian?” I questioned William.
“Sort of,” He shrugged. “I was wandering around, but didn't find him.”
“Me neither.”
“You were looking for Hadrian, too?”
“Yes,” I breathed out. “I wanted to show him my new costume for the show on Friday.”
“He will like it,” William said. “Sit down for a minute, Vicky.” He patted on the empty spot on the couch.
William looked very formal today. He was wearing a thick grey suit, and his hair was a bit messy compared to the day I saw him for the first time. I didn't know what Hadrian was doing right now or if he was on his way. What I did know was that he didn't like William and definitely wouldn't be happy to see me sitting with him.
“My apologies for saying you were a lesbian.”
”It's okay.” I waved him off. “Hadrian shouldn't have made that mistake.”
“Good, because I was considering to ask you to come to my party this Sunday evening,” William informed me all of a sudden. “I am having a pool party at my house, and I would love it if you came.”
“Well, I don't have time. Besides the Empire, I need to work at a café,” I lied.
“A gorgeous girl like you works at a café?”
In an instant, I noticed how judgemental William was.
“Yes, so do more people.”
“Can't you, like, tell your boss you can't come?”
“Of course not. I have a contract there, and I need to appear at specific times. I don't let my boss down,” I explained truthfully.
“What is her name?” William suddenly asked me.
“Veronica. Why?”
“Tell Veronica that this is important for your boss, Hadrian.”
“Why would it be important for Hadrian?” I asked William eagerly with raised eyebrows.
“Ask Hadrian,” William instructed me.
I didn't get what he was saying right now.
Without any other question, William stood up and closed his jacket. He placed the glass on Hadrian’s desk and came back to me. I looked at him confusingly and didn't understand why he took my hand in his and planted a kiss on it. I smelled the alcohol from his breath.
“See you on Sunday.” He winked at me before he turned onto his heel and left.
I was left alone in shock. I rubbed my eyes, and I stood up. I ran to the dressing room remarkably fast – eager to change into my previous clothes so that no one was going to see me with the costume. William was someone who didn’t carry a relaxing vibe.
I wondered why it was absolutely important for Hadrian.
***
It was storming in Los Angeles. Rain was falling down harshly on the streets, while I stared outside the window from my apartment. I turned a light on, making it cozier than it already was. You could hear the heavy raindrops hitting the window from my place, and it was outstandingly beautiful. I loved the rain. It had this effect on you that made you calm. It surprised me that this weather was present in Los Angeles.
It made me want to listen to dramatic songs and drink a lot of tea.
I grabbed the blanket that was laying on the couch, and I wrapped it tightly around myself. I placed my hands on the warm mug with tea – it was too hot to drink right now.
Finally, I was able to relax after this hectic week of dancing and drama.
No one was knocking on my door, and my phone wasn’t ringing – it was Vicky time. I placed the mug on the salon table and let myself fall onto the couch carefully. I sealed my eyes and listened to the rain that was hitting my window.
I shrieked up when a rock hit the window.
I’d have thrown my tea all over me if I was still holding the mug.
I got up, walked over to the window, and looked down.
Hadrian was standing outside, his hair was thoroughly wet, and I saw him looking hopelessly towards me. The rain was pouring down on him, and I didn't know why he was here. He didn't see me gesturing him to come up, so I threw the blanket off me and walked to the front door. I could care less now if I was going to get soaked, because Hadrian was outside and I needed to know why.
I reached for the opening of my apartment, and I pushed against the heavy doors.
Hadrian was standing there, and I moved over to him. His brown sweater was soaked, and raindrops were falling from his lips. His hands were inside his pockets, and I wondered why he didn't come inside.
“What are you doing here in the rain?” I shouted at him. The rain was pouring down loudly, so we could barely hear each other.
“I was walking around in the neighbourhood,” Hadrian said, but he lied, evidently.
“Like you’d walk around here accidentally.”
“Okay,” Hadrian raised his hands up in defense, “I wanted to see you, Vicks.”
“A bit of bad timing, because it's pouring,” I remarked.
Hadrian chuckled, and I walked closer to him.
The rain was falling down onto our bodies, and we had come to the point of being extremely soaked. Hadrian looked up at the sky, and his face came in contact with the rain – nonetheless, he was flawless. I wanted to hold him, but I didn’t find the courage to do so.
”I don't think this is bad timing.” Hadrian broke the silence.
“You're a fool,” I pointed out.
He cracked another smile, and every time he did that I came closer.
Hadrian cupped my face with his wet hands, and he stroked his thumbs over my lips. He wiped the raindrops off them, and he stepped closer to me. Hadrian hovered over me, and I felt the drop of water from his nose falling onto my skin. The warm breath from his mouth came in contact with the coldness from my lips, and I longed for him.
Finally, after waiting for hours, and being a victim of disturbance, his lips were on mine.
His lips tasted like the sweetest candy in the world, and I held the fabric of his wet sweater in my hands. I squeezed it when Hadrian kissed me harder here outside. He was holding my face firmly, yet everything he did was so gentle and perfect.
I didn't need to wait longer, so I opened my mouth, and his tongue slipped in easily. Our mouths were moving temptingly. Maybe he had planned it out to kiss me in the rain; maybe he hadn't. But the fact that he showed up here to see me was one of the sweetest things someone had ever done for me.
Still, it was strange to realize that Hadrian was my boss. I did start to feel like him being my boss was becoming a less bigger problem compared to the moment we met – the moment I started seeing Hadrian privately.
He stopped the kiss, and slowly rested his forehead against mine. I wrapped my arms around Hadrian's neck, and I fel
t him holding me protectively around my waist.
Hadrian placed a quick peck on the tip of my nose, and a smile appeared on my face.
“We need to get inside and get dry,” I whispered to him.
“Mmm,” Hadrian said with his eyes closed – clearly still in the moment.
I walked together with Hadrian to the front door of the building, and he leaned closer to my face to whisper something into my ear. A shiver ran down my spine when the words left his mouth in a sexual yet relaxed way.
“I volunteer to make you dry.”
***
The rain was still pouring down – already for a couple of hours. After all, it didn't matter because Hadrian was here and it was lovely to spend an evening with him right now.
“Arms up,” I instructed him.
A smirk was plastered on his face, and he held his arms up. I held his wet sweater in my hands, and got it off his body. Hadrian shook his head and adjusted his wet hair. He couldn't save his haircut since he was still drenched. I hung his sweater over the heating, so it could dry faster.
“You don't own any male clothes, do you?” Hadrian asked me.
I handed him a washcloth, and I smiled brightly.
“No, I don't.”
“Great.” He sighed out of relief.
“No, it's not. That means you're going to wear your boxers only.”
“I can’t help it that they didn't turn out to be wet,” Hadrian replied.
I rolled my eyes.
“Take your pants off,” I demanded.
“Thirsty much?” he questioned with a soft laugh.
“Jesus, Hadrian, not now,” I groaned.
“You can take them off for me.”
“You've got hands, Hadrian. You can do it on your own. And you aren’t three years old.”
“I can't, they are cold and hurt.” Hadrian pouted.
I gave in after looking Hadrian in the eyes. I sat down on my knees and opened his black leather belt. I unbuttoned his jeans and yanked the zipper down harshly. I looked up at Hadrian, who was pleased by the things I was doing right now.