by Alison Mello
Our home was New York City. Yes, the busiest city in the world. We both grew up about half an hour away from the city, and when we got accepted into NYU together, we packed up our things and moved to the Big Apple. At first it was hard adjusting to the busy life the city offered, but now, four and a half years later, it was my home. I loved it here and I knew I wouldn’t ever leave.
College was fun, but now that I am out, I wish I had chosen a different major. If I had known that places didn’t want to hire English majors or that there wouldn’t be any jobs involving my degree, I would have chosen something totally different; that, of course, is how I ended up as a waitress. I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts as Kacey walked back into the room carrying a dress in her arms.
“Let’s get ready!” she yelled.
“Kacey, we don’t have to leave for another hour and a half. And why is it so early?” I said, staring at her from the couch. I was way too comfortable to get up.
“We have to get dressed and do our hair and makeup! We are going earlier ’cause Teddy got us in, and there’s cheaper drinks,” she said, coming over to me. “Let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me up. For a small girl, she was strong. I stumbled against her but before I could right myself, I was pulled toward her bedroom.
“This is your dress,” she said, handing me the article of clothing. I looked down at it and saw that it was gorgeous. It was strapless with a long white bottom, and the top was tan with gold all around it. I looked up at Kacey.
“Where did you get this?” I asked, awed.
“Had it in my closet.” She shrugged, casual. Don’t ask me why she just had a dress like this sitting around her closet. Kacey had a small problem when it came to shopping. If something caught her eye, she would buy it even if she never had a place where she could wear it. Her closet was jam-packed with clothes and she still went out and bought more. Of course, that wasn’t a problem when she made pretty good money and her parents were rich.
“I can’t wear this.” I pushed it back toward Kacey. No way could I wear something so gorgeous.
“Yes, now put it on,” she urged me. I looked toward the bathroom and started toward it.
After taking off my clothes, I slipped into the dress. I left the bathroom to have Kacey help me zip it up. The dress fits like a glove. Turning to the mirror, I gasped at myself. It didn’t even look like me. Even though my hair was still in a ponytail, I looked good. The dress made my skin look tanner than it actually was.
“You look great already!” Kacey said from behind me. I smiled at my reflection then looked over at Kacey. I must have been staring at myself longer than I thought because when I turned around, she was already dressed in a tight-fitting red dress that showed all her curves and quite a bit of cleavage. It came to mid-thigh, and she topped it off with a pair of Louboutin high heels.
“Kay, you look sexy,” I said, grinning at her. “Are you sure the guys will be all over me?”
“Can’t have you hogging them all. Got to do something to make them see me over you.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Now, we need to get your makeup done.”
I made my way over to the chair she had sitting before her mirror, and I sat quietly as Kacey went to work. She always insisted on doing my makeup, which was good since I’m not the best with it. I usually just bypassed it. A few minutes later she was done, but then she went to work doing my hair. I didn’t know how long I sat there before she was finally finished with me.
“All done,” she said proudly. I smiled and looked in the mirror. My jaw instantly dropped open. She didn’t do much, just added a little bit to make it look natural. She had put on bronze eyeshadow to match my dress, and she put enough mascara on to make my gray eyes pop. My brown hair was simply curled and framed my face. Kacey had majored in fashion and was luckily given a job at Vogue designing the clothing line. She was amazing and could do whatever she put her mind to.
“I look great, Kay,” I said, smiling in thanks. She handed me a pair of nude-colored heels. Luckily, we wore the same size shoe so I could wear hers.
“Wear these.” was all she said. They were higher than any other heel I’d ever worn, but I took them.
“You’re welcome. Now move your pretty ass. I need to get ready too,” she said, shooing me out of the way. Shaking my head at her, I stood up. “Go get your things ready. We need to leave in just a few minutes. And don’t you dare ruin your outfit, hair, and makeup or I will kill you,” she warned me. I saluted her and left the room.
I got a cute bag out and put in the usual stuff I needed—extra lip gloss, my gum, phone, some money but not too much, ID, and keys to the apartment. Kacey’s voice echoed across the hall a few minutes later, telling me it was time to go. Slipping on the heels, I took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and left my room.
***
Ashton
I looked down at my cellphone and saw I had thirty minutes before I had to leave. I went to my closet and picked out something to wear. The only reason I was going to this dumb-ass club was because of my friend Nick. I wasn’t in the mood, but I finally gave in and decided to go, but just for a few minutes. I had work to finish before tomorrow.
You could say I am a workaholic, but having to run a million-dollar company makes you that way. If you want to stay at the top, then you have to work hard to stay there.
Tugging on a pair of black dress pants, I grabbed a white button-down dress shirt and rolled up the sleeves. I left a few buttons open and went over to grab my dress shoes. I dried my hair in its usual messy style. Smirking at myself in the mirror, I grabbed my keys and phone then left out the door. Sliding inside the limo, I leaned back and waited to arrive at the club. The only good thing about going to this club was finding a hot girl to take home. My phone started ringing and I answered it.
“What?” I snapped.
“Sir, there has been a situation,” one of my advisors said into the phone.
“What situation?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. If he were here, he would be squirming in his seat.
“Some files have gone missing, and we have Watson coming over tomorrow,” he said.
“I’m busy. Take care of it, now!” I yelled and hung up. Idiots. Seconds later, the limo came to a stop in front of the club. Clark, my body guard/driver, came around and opened my door. Clark has known me for a long time, and I trusted him. He was my father’s bodyguard and driver before me. Nodding in thanks, I slid out of the car. Thankfully there were no cameras here and I could walk inside peacefully. Immediately I was ushered in and shown to the private section where Nick was already seated.
“There you are, man!” he yelled over the music. I simply nodded at him and looked around the room. It was dark and music blared through the speakers, making it almost hard to talk.
“Have a seat, Ash,” Nick said, moving to sit on the black couch.
Nick and I have been friends since high school. He’s the only one who knows everything about me. After college, I took over the business from my father while Nick invented new technology. We both have become very successful, and I may be a tad more, but we were both two of the most eligible men. We have stuck by each other and even though we get pissed at one another, he is like my brother.
I took a seat on the couch just as a hot waitress came over to me with a glass of scotch. Looking her up and down, I smirked at her and took the scotch. Her breasts seemed to be barely contained inside the material of her shirt, and she wore a very small, tight skirt. The waitress sent me a flirty smile and swayed her hips as she walked away.
“Man, you always have the girls eating out of your hand,” Nick said, shaking his head at me while taking a pull of his beer.
“It’s my amazing looks and charms,” I said, grinning. We have the reputation of being “womanizers.” I use women and I don’t care, and they know what they are getting into when they come flirt with me. So, mostly it was their fault, not mine.
“No, I just thi
nk they feel sorry for how ugly your face is,” he said. I gave him a look, but all he did was chuckle. We sat there staring out over the club and sipping our drinks. I scanned the crowd and came to a stop when I noticed a beautiful brunette stepping through the door.
My eyes narrowed as I stared at her. Her brown hair fell around her shoulders and back in light curls, and her white-and-gold dress swirled around her but also hugged her curves. I knew that, underneath that dress, were legs that went on for miles. She was standing next to a short but pretty dark-haired girl in a tight red dress. I looked her over but instantly went back to the brunette. I watched her as she made her way to the bar with her friend. Something about the way she walked and held herself, I could tell this wasn’t her usual scene and that she didn’t feel comfortable. I could see her glance around almost nervously, like she felt like she didn’t belong.
I sat there staring at her, getting lost in her beauty. All the men around her couldn’t take their eyes off of her, me included. As I sat staring at her, the waitress came back with more drinks. She tried getting my attention by sticking her breasts in my face and looking at me suggestively, but I ignored her and stared down at the girl. The waitress finally gave up, and she turned away with a huff. Something about her drew me in. I stood up and finished my scotch.
“Ashton, where are you going?” Nick asked me.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” was all I said as I left the private area and made my over to the brown-haired cutie.
***
Layla
The moment we stepped into the club, I felt out of place. I followed behind Kacey feeling uncomfortable in my dress, even though compared to half the girls I wasn’t showing half as much skin. Even the waitresses wore skimpy clothes. Ew, glad I don’t work here. But then I do have to wear short pants and a tight blouse to work, so maybe it isn’t any different. Kacey walked over to the bar and I trailed behind her. If I stick by her, I’ll be fine, I told myself.
“Layla, what do you want to drink?” Kacey said into my ear.
“Just a water!” I yelled back over the music.
“No, you’re drinking something. Layla, you’re twenty-three. Live a little,” she yelled. I looked at her, but she kept staring at me. For someone so small and innocent looking, she packed a mean stare. Groaning, I turned to the bartender.
“Do you have any good beer?” I asked loudly. The bartender was a young, cute guy. He looked surprised at my words but went about finding me something.
I wasn’t much of a drinker but when I did, I didn’t go for fruity drinks. The bartender sat a beer bottle in front of me with a no label. He gave me a wink then went to help his next customers. I took a sip and looked at it approvingly. It was good. As I turned, I ran straight into something hard. I almost stumbled back, but strong arms wrapped around my waist. I looked up and saw a pair of stunning blue eyes staring down at me.
Chapter 2
Layla
I stared up at the striking pair of blue eyes with my jaw hanging wide open. My eyes traveled down the face to see an amazing jaw that was covered with a slight stubble. His face looked like it had been carved by an angel. I couldn’t look away. He was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen. He had dark brown hair that was almost black, and was styled in a sort of messy but sexy way. As I stood there like a complete idiot staring at him, I saw him smirk, making me realize that I was staring way too long.
“Uh, sorry,” I said, trying to back up a little, but the strong arms around me wouldn’t let me go far. Kacey stared at us.
“You’re good.” A deep voice rumbled from above me. My gaze once again snapped to his. “Dance with me,” he said, more a demand than a question.
“I—” I started to say, but the man grabbed my drink from my hand and set it on the bar behind me. He then unwrapped his arms from around my waist to grab my hand. I looked over to my left to have Kacey help me, but all I saw before I was pulled away was her smiling at me and giving me a thumb’s up. I was pulled onto the dance floor and into his strong chest. Of course, at that moment a slow song came through the speakers. Great, I thought sarcastically. I stood there awkwardly for a few seconds as we swayed back and forth before I found my voice.
“I…uh…what’s your name?” I asked, looking up at him. Even when I was in five-inch heels, he was still way taller than me. He looked strangely familiar as well.
“Ashton. And yours?” he asked, tightening his hold on me, bringing me somehow closer to him.
“Layla.”
“A pretty name for a pretty girl,” Ashton said, trying to use a pick up-line on me. I couldn’t help myself as I burst out laughing.
“Does that line ever work?” I asked, laughing still. The look on his face was of shock and amusement, like he didn’t expect me to catch him on it.
“On most women, yes,” he said, his expression turning to amusement.
“I’m not like most women,” I replied. I heard him mutter something but couldn’t quite hear it.
A part of me was yelling at myself, asking me why I was flirting with someone I literally just ran into. As I stood there staring up at him, I realized how wide and hard his shoulders were underneath my fingers. Swaying back and forth to the beat of the music, I looked him over. He was intimidating; he seemed to exude an aura of wealth and power. I could see why everyone moved out of his way when he walked by, or stared at him in awe. I couldn’t help but feel intimidated. You definitely didn’t want to cross him in a dark alley.
“You look beautiful in that dress,” he said, looking me up and down. A blush crept onto my face, and I looked at his chest, which was in front of me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked once I got my voice back. I felt him shrug under my hands.
“Looking for you,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows sexily at the cheesy line. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“You need to work on your pickup lines. They are terrible,” I said truthfully. I bet he got plenty of women; I just hoped he would say something better next time.
“You think so? I think they are great.”
“Yeah, keep up with them and I bet you will have women falling in no time,” I said, grinning at him.
“Who says I don’t?”
“Cocky,” I said, not paying attention. Then I realized that the song had changed and that people were staring at us.
“Hmm,” Ashton said, smirking slightly. The corner of his mouth tilted up slightly. Yep, that was me noticing things about a complete stranger. For some reason, I could tell he smirked more than he smiled, but I bet when he smiled it made him look hotter.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, breaking me out of my trance.
“Oh, you know, looking for hot guys to get my claws on,” I said, keeping my face straight. He raised an eyebrow at me.
“Hot guys?”
“Yep,” I said then looked around the dance floor. “See that guy over there with the big glasses and going bald? That is sexy,” I said, gesturing with my head over to the guy across the dance floor. I looked up to see Ashton’s expression and almost burst out laughing. He had his eyes narrowed at the poor guy and I saw his jaw was clenched. I would have not said anything, but I felt bad for the poor guy.
“Stop. The poor guy is going to shit is pants,” I said, slapping the back of Ashton’s head. He turned his gaze to me and I almost flinched back from his glare. “I was kidding.”
“Did you just hit me?” he asked, his eyes wide now. It was almost like he’d never gotten hit by a woman before.
“Yes, you deserved it,” I said simply. Silence made its way around us as we swayed side to side, even though the song was fast and upbeat. The song once again changed, but this time I realized I should be going. I kept trying to pull away but I couldn’t seem to. His hard body felt good against mine. I even enjoyed his breath on top of hair and neck. Finally, with a lot of coaxing from my brain, I pulled away from Ashton’s warm body.
“Well, thank you for the dance, o
r dances,” I said, moving out of his arms.
“You’re leaving?” he asked, reaching for my waist again but I took another step back.
“Yeah. I have to get going.”
“It’s only eight.” Wow, we’ve been here for three hours already? I thought.
“I have plans,” I said, even though all I planned to do was order pizza, change into my PJs, and watch TV. He stared down hard at me. For a second I was tempted to stay…okay, maybe I was more than tempted to stay but I knew I shouldn’t. “It was great meeting you. Get some better pickup lines.” I smiled and turned to walk away. “Bye.” I knew that if I stayed any longer, I would do something I’d regret.
I made my way over to Kacey and saw she was with a tall, good-looking guy. Smiling apologetically, I butted in.
“Sorry for interrupting, but can I borrow you for a second?” I said to Kacey. She nodded and I pulled to a few feet away. “I’m going to go home.”
“What? Why? I thought you were dancing with that sexy guy you almost spilt your drink on?” she asked, slightly angry.
“It was good, but I’m getting a headache. You stay, though,” I said.
“No, I’ll come home with you.”
“No. Stay. You seemed to be having a good conversation with that guy. I’ll get a cab and I’ll meet you at home.” I knew she didn’t want to leave and I was fine with that.
“But—” she started to say.
“No buts. I’ll be fine. Stay and have fun. Just don’t drink too much and be home at a reasonable time.”
“Okay, Mom,” she said sarcastically. “Thank you! I’ll be home soon, I promise,” she added.