by R. R. Banks
She knew she needed to get her thoughts back in check and she needed to do it quickly; else the day would be ruined. Although she was essentially finished with what she allotted herself to do, Alexis was already trying to get ahead and move the job forward. The goal was always to impress her superiors in an attempt to further her career and make a lot more money.
However, no matter how hard she tried or how many different methods she attempted, she couldn’t get her head on straight and get her thoughts organized. As much as it pained her to lean on people, she knew she needed to talk this out with the only person she trusted. She looked down at her cell phone, thinking how she hadn’t talked to Hannah in a few hours, and with this being her first time in the United Arab Emirates, Alexis started to get worried. She cycled through her contacts and called Hannah, one of the quickest numbers for her to find. The dial tone buzzed twice before she answered.
“How did you know I was thinking about you?” said Hannah as she answered the phone with the rumbling of the engine in the background and the sound of the tires rolling across the bumpy road. “Seriously, when I start to think about what my best friend is up to, she calls. Clearly everything must be going great, or everything has fallen to hell. What’s up?”
She chuckled as she stood up from her desk, walking out from behind it before stepping into the cubicle farm. “One second, I’m going to go somewhere private so no one can hear me. This is between the two of us.” She walked down the row with the phone up to her head, smiling as she her thoughts continued to wander. “Hannah, have you ever had a moment where your entire train of thought was derailed and you couldn’t get it back on course?”
“All the time, but that’s one of the many reasons I keep you around,” Hannah answered quickly, gripping the steering wheel tightly as her car hit bump after bump, testing the suspension as the wheel shook in her hands. “You are able to get me out of whatever funk I’m in and get me back on point. I think it’s why we’ve been best friends for the longest time.”
Alexis nodded. “Yeah, we’ve always been close, I’ll admit that, but I’m feeling off right now. I feel like I can’t get my mind on track to do my job effectively.”
“Oh, heaven forbid Alexis Matthews has a day where she isn’t one hundred percent,” quipped Hannah. “Look, you on one of your mediocre days is still ten times better than most people on their best, so don’t worry about it.” Hannah paused, letting the words sink in before speaking again as she continued to grip the steering wheel tightly. Dirt stirred around the car as she continued to drive at a moderate pace toward her destination. “What’s got you in such a fuss anyway?”
Alexis thought to herself, trying not to sound like a stupid girl while still relating her problem. She really wanted to talk this out but she didn’t know what all she could tell her friend without her jumping to conclusions. Finally, after a brief hesitation, she decided to just let it out. “I met a guy after you left that got me fairly turned on,” she blurted out. “And then it got me thinking of the last sexual encounter I had and how long it has been. I haven’t been able to think straight ever since.”
Hannah chuckled as the road started to smooth a bit. “You found a guy who got you a little hot and bothered?” she asked, before pausing, comprehending the second half of Alexis’s statement. “Wait, when was the last time you had sex? It wasn’t that time that…”
“Yep, sure was,” answered Alexis. “The last time I had sex was six months ago, when you and I had a night with two men that we have never seen or heard from again.”
“We used to do that more often,” said Hannah, referencing the past as Alexis walked into an empty hallway. “Though not very often with random strangers, which was still fun, but why did we stop fooling around all together? It used to be the staple of our week.”
“Because we both decided that we liked vibrators just as much and we didn’t have as much time to help each other relieve the stress and tension,” she answered. “Look, both of us have needs, and for a while, we both enjoyed making each other happy without having to deal with the whole romance thing. With our careers to focus on we didn’t need a man in our life and that quick, random encounters with strangers was just as effective at satisfying our emotional demands as anything else would have been. I mean, we’ve talked about this a lot.”
“Endlessly,” said Hannah as she saw her destination on the horizon. “And we both agreed that I am a voyeur, and you love to make me happy, giving in to my requests and admitting that you, as a functional human being, have needs just like everyone else. We also worked it out that if you and I tactically pursue two men together, our odds of success dramatically increased over waiting for men to pursue us individually. Did I pretty much cover it?”
Alexis pulled the phone away from her face as she bit her bottom lip, looking back at the doorway she walked through before bringing it back up to her face. “Yeah, but it was a lot of fun though.”
“Loads!” exclaimed Hannah as she gripped the steering wheel. “It was an amazing time. Perhaps while we’re in a place where women are typically viewed as second class citizens, you and I can get together and treat each other to an evening of commiseration and potential prowling for that release you desperately need.”
“Ha!” laughed Alexis. “Get me a few drinks and we’ll see what happens.”
Hannah pulled up to the fence, showing her credentials before being let onto the property. “I know what happens. You and I both end up naked with two strange, incredibly attractive men, followed by looking for each other’s panties in the morning. But hey, I love you dearly; however, I have to go try and intimidate some Italian guy into cooperating. Do you want to grab some dinner tonight? We’ve yet to really venture off into the city.”
Alexis paused briefly, looking off at the wall in front of her. “That actually sounds nice,” she acknowledged. “We can go hit one of the clubs and stumble into work tomorrow, still performing better than most of the people in this building.”
“That’s my girl,” said Hannah, closing the door to her SUV. “I’ll call you when I get back into the city.”
“Great. See you tonight.” Alexis hung up the phone, dropping her arm to her side with the phone tightly in her grip. She leaned against the wall and smiled, knowing that she and her best friend were going to have a great time that evening.
Chapter 4
Alexis and Hannah sat beside each other in the taxi, looking out at the ocean as they traveled along the beach side roads of Palm Jumeriah. Both were on their phones, sending emails and text messages, trying to get everything finished before their night began. They looked up from their phones as the cab started to travel along the beach, providing beautiful scenery for them to admire. The Burj al Arab was in the distance, shining in the horizon as the moon reflected off its sail like appearance. Both girls were mesmerized by the beauty before them as the taxi pulled up to the nightclub: 360 degrees.
Alexis and Hannah stepped out of the taxi and walked up a small staircase to the front door. “Remember our rules,” said Hannah as she looked at Alexis.
“No talking about anything work related, including, but not limited to: people, positions, jobs, roles, clients, negotiations, struggles, problems, or anything else that would potentially put a damper on the evening,” replied Alexis in a very rehearsed manner. “I feel like I have to say that a lot.”
“Every time we go out,” Hannah quipped, opening the door for Alexis and walking into the beautiful club. Alexis’s smooth, form fitting black dress shimmered in the blue lights coming from the ceiling. Her silver necklace with an amethyst pendant sparkled in the light, highlighting her matching earrings. Her hair was pulled up, much like she wore it at work, though pinned up above her head with two silver stakes that matched her other jewelry keeping her hair in place. She wore a small ring on her right ring finger: black with a silver lining and a small, amethyst in the center. Alexis radiated class, walking through the entrance of the club an
d catching the eyes of several men as she followed the host to a table.
Walking a few feet behind her was Hannah, who was also catching the eyes of the men in the club but was looking back at them with a seductive gaze, biting her bottom lip while smirking out of the corner of her mouth. She wasn’t dressed as fancy as Alexis, but still looked amazing. She wore tight fitting, black pants that accented her muscular thighs and perfect butt, with matching knee high boots accenting her calves. Her purple, sleeveless shirt buttoned up at the front and stopped just below her chest, where a black, silk tank top kept her chest from being exposed. She kept her blonde hair in a ponytail, just like she always did, not changing her hair style for anyone. She had on two matching bangles, one on each wrist. Both were onyx with diamonds scattered throughout, matching her necklace: a silver pendent with a large onyx in the center, surrounded by smaller diamonds.
The host showed the ladies to their table, pulling the chairs out for each of them before motioning for them to have a seat, pushing the chairs under the table for them. He placed two large, leather bound menus in the ladies’ hands before bowing majestically with his hands together and leaning at the waist. With a quick turn, he walked away from the dimly lit table to leave the two women to make their decisions as they turned the heavy pages over.
“Good evening, ladies,” said a young Arabic man as he approached the table carrying two glasses of water on a small tray with a cloth napkin draped across his forearm. “My name is Raul and I will be taking extra special care of you. Can I start you off with a glass of wine, or perhaps one of our fantastic cocktails from the bar?” he asked, going through his well-rehearsed, yet standard conversation that most people in the service industry started with. However, as he spoke, leaning slightly over the table, Hannah was immediately attracted by his toned physique. While he was wearing a fancy uniform, equipped with black slacks, and polished shoes, a finely pressed, white button down shirt with golden cufflinks and a long, black, silk tie, he possessed an irresistible charm that seduced her. His hair was jet black, accentuating his dark skin tone.
Alexis looked over the menu as Hannah looked over the waiter. She looked over the menu briefly before setting it down and looking at the waiter. “Is there a noticeable difference between the house Chardonnay or this one right here?” she asked, pointing at higher end wine on the menu.
The waiter moved toward Alexis, looking at the menu before leaning down to her ear and whispering into it. “I’m supposed to tell you that the higher end wine is much better, fruitier, crisper, and any other descriptive adjective that I can think of to get you to purchase it, but to be honest with you, the house wine is excellent and that higher end wine tastes like hand soap.”
Alexis smirked as she nodded in approval. “Thank you, I’ll take the house wine,” she said with gratitude as Raul stepped away from Alexis and looked at Hannah.
“Umm, I’ll take a bourbon and soda,” said Hannah quickly, not having a chance to think of what she really wanted and went with what she normally got. Raul nodded before stepping away from the table and heading over to the bar. Hannah crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair, adjusting her shoulders a bit against the back of the chair before looking over at Alexis with a smirk. “So, what’s really bothering you?”
Alexis bit her lip while looking away from Hannah in a shy manner, keeping her eyes hidden as Hannah looked across the table with completely wide eyes, almost in a shocked and surreal manner at Alexis’s demeanor. “Alexis Matthews, start talking,” ordered Hannah.
“I don’t know,” she replied defensively. “I just felt like we had a little bit of a connection after our brief conversation.”
“There’s no such thing as love at first sight,” retorted Hannah. “So there has to be some other reason than just a connection that you think is there.”
“Well, I really don’t know,” continued Alexis. “I mean, from our conversation, he seemed to fit most of everything that I am looking for in a guy, at least from the surface of things. He seems to be smart, successful, and charming. He appears to have a great personality, and on top of everything, he was incredibly handsome.”
Hannah looked at her best friend with a look of concern. “Alexis, what do you want in life?” she asked, posing a very serious question, which caught Alexis slightly off guard.
“What do you mean?” she asked with a slightly confused tone. “I don’t understand the question.”
“It wasn’t a very difficult question,” she replied. “What do you want to get out of this life you are currently living?”
Alexis nodded, though still slightly confused, and paused a bit to compose her answer. “I guess I want to be happy,” she started, speaking slowly as she was trying to piece together the right answer so that Hannah would not ridicule her for being too soft and noncommittal, something that she despised. “I’ve always been someone who put her career first, and to be honest, Hannah, I don’t think that will ever change. I think that if I could find a man, and have a family, I would still be career driven and want what was absolutely best my ambition, and professional life. I feel that my success is what I am judged by, not the man I see or the clothes I wear, but by what I have accomplished in my professional life. I feel that it is my duty to be the absolute best that I can.” Alexis paused a bit as she reached for her glass to take a sip of water as they continued to wait for their drinks. “I just feel that he must accept the fact that I will always put my career before anything else, opting for success in the boardroom before success in the home, and he will have to understand that my happiness is not determined by anything but winning.”
“Do you think you could handle a man like that?” asked Hannah, prodding a bit for more information as Alexis opened up about what was bothering her.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” she replied. “I know that I can be a handful when it comes to getting what I want, when I want it, and how I want it done, so having someone who was similar to me in that regard may not be what’s absolutely best for me. However, I can’t stand men who are not strong enough to realize when they need assistance. They must want someone who highlights their strengths and counters their weaknesses; everyone needs someone who does that. I think that the best relationships work, whether personal or professional, if the people involved complement each other’s abilities.”
Hannah chuckled with her judgmental eyes glaring at her best friend. “So, he’s hot?” she asked, going straight for the superficial characteristic that she tended to look for in a partner.
“He was pretty cute,” she replied, looking past Hannah to see Raul carrying two drinks as he approached the table. With a very smooth motion, he placed the drinks on the table and took their food orders, leaving within seconds of arriving. The girls enjoyed their drinks as Hannah continued to question Alexis about Nathanial. Within a few minutes, their food was delivered and after their meal concluded, they moved out onto the dance floor for the rest of the night, carrying their drinks with them, to keep themselves in a festive mood.
The girls reverted back to their younger days when they would travel out to various clubs and nightspots, dancing with each other before dancing with anyone else, catching the eye of many men with their provocative moves with one another. As various men hovered around and watched the girls dance to the electronic music, they would flag down the waitresses and have more rounds brought to Alexis and Hannah in exchange for a dance with them. With a fresh drink in hand, Alexis and Hannah would dance with the men who kept them with a full glass, spending a few songs with them before reverting back to dancing with each other.
The night moved along as the two girls drank their fill, getting incredibly intoxicated before finally taking a break after several hours on the floor. Alexis walked over to one of the tables on the side of the dance floor and look around at the club, noticing how incredibly busy it was for a Thursday night, but accepting that Dubai had a reputation for being one of the best cities to party in. With its
reputation being confirmed, Alexis and Hannah were consumed by the atmosphere and culture of the city, falling in love with the nightlife and all that it had to offer. Spending their night in the city out at one of the greatest clubs in the world verified that the girls were where they wanted to be.
Alexis pulled her phone out and looked at the time, panicking as Hannah looked on. “Oh wow,” she exclaimed, showing Hannah that it read four in the morning. “We have to be at work in three hours.”
Hannah nodded. “That’s going to make for an awfully long day,” she said sarcastically. “How has your night been?”
“It’s been incredible,” answered Alexis. “But I can’t seem to get my mind off of him. I can’t shake it, Hannah.”
“Your emotions are heightened when you’ve drank a lot,” replied Hannah. “Just don’t worry about it. We can figure it out tomorrow.”
Alexis nodded. “Yeah, when we’re spending our morning struggling from either being hung over or still drunk.”
“I’ve had worse days,” answered Hannah playfully. “Hell, we’ve all had worse days.”
Chapter 5
The next day came sooner than preferred with both Hannah and Alexis, as they struggled to find their bearings. Though incredibly tame, the long night out took a toll on the two, causing them to be a bit sluggish and temperamental. Hannah sat in Alexis’s cubicle as she laid her head on her desk, groaning softly from the subtle headache that accompanied a night of heavy drinking and lack of sleep. Her blonde hair was in a tight ponytail, as was customary, though somewhat oily and draped over the side of her head forming bangs at the front. Her mouth hung open with slight, inaudible noises emitting from it while she clutched her knees in agony.
Alexis sat at her desk, attempting to organize her desk as best she could, though much slower and to no avail. In a state of haze she sat in her chair with her eyes opened wide, staring at the desk to try and make sense of where everything should go as she slid the various organizational devices around the desk in a slight panic, unable to gain the organization she required to make her day fruitful.