by M. D. Melai
“It’s seven fifty-five,” Violet announced as we took one last look at each other. “We better hurry or they will leave us here.” I knew she was right. They would leave us.
We timed it perfectly. They pulled up as we walked out the front doors of the hotel. Dante and Roman stepped out of the car to hold the doors open for us. I noticed that they did have time to change their clothes, or at least their shirts. They were still in jeans, but now they were wearing collared button down shirts, Roman in black and Dante in blue. They both looked handsome. I caught Violet glancing in Dante’s direction. He returned the look, but tonight was different. His eyes were practically glued to Violet and showed no signs of wavering.
Chapter 4
“So are you ready to hang out with Lucas tonight?” Violet quietly whispered while we were looking over the menu. I had completely forgotten about Lucas. I was so excited to see him again, but I had been so busy enjoying the museum and just spending time with Dante, Violet, and Roman that I forgot he was joining us tonight.
“Umm, yeah I am.” I grinned not looking up from the menu.
“Why did you hesitate?” She smirked at me.
“I kind of forgot about him,” I said laughing to myself.
“You forgot about him?” she questioned with intensity.
“It happens.” I smiled and shrugged. “It was a busy day. I was just enjoying myself with you three. Not a big deal.”
“Well get it together girl.” She jabbed me. “You need to be enjoying yourself with him!” She was right, but why did she have to mention his name? My anxiety once again shot through the roof. We had such a good time the other night as soon as my nerves calmed.
The club was packed as the bouncer waved us in. It really wasn’t my scene anymore, but Violet and I promised the boys if they went with us today, we would go do whatever they wanted tonight.
We had to walk down a long hallway before we reached the main area. On each side of the hallway, I noticed there were pictures of celebrities that had been at this club. I hadn’t realized this club was that popular.
When we reached the main part of the club, it was much bigger than I expected. The entire rim of the club was aligned with a bar and in the center was the dance floor. In between the bar and the dance floor were tables and booths for seating. The ceiling was covered in mirrors that helped reflect the colorful LCD lights. Off to the left behind the bar, I noticed an elevated floor, most likely the VIP room.
Roman wasn’t in the place two minutes when he hit the dance floor with some red head, whose clothes were on way too tight. Dante and Violet stayed with me as we headed to the bar to grab some drinks. When we finally reached it, I noticed the bar was made completely of stainless steel and the back wall was lined with hundreds of liquors.
“So what’ll it be?” the bartender asked as we finally made our way to the front.
“Two cherry vodka sours,” Violet answered, ordering for her and Dante.
“And you Miss?” The bartender directed his question at me. I really wasn’t a drinker, so I said the first thing that came to my mind.
“I’ll have Sex on the Beach.”
“I’m in! That sounds amazing.”
I heard his teasing voice behind me and his hand touched the small of my back. I turned around to see Lucas take a step beside me. He looked handsome tonight with his bright blue button-up shirt and jeans. He bent down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled up at him and when he smiled back, I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest.
I had been nervous since dinner, but suddenly I was focused on his blue eyes glistening back at me and the nerves vanished. I could stare at him all day long. Dante cleared his throat to bring me down from cloud nine.
“Umm, what did you say?” I turned shyly toward Dante.
“I said we are hitting the dance floor, you coming?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “Would you like to dance?” I turned to Lucas who already had his hand out waiting for me to take it. The club was packed and trying to find a place to dance was going to be hard. But as we all hit the dance floor people strangely cleared a way for us.
We somehow ended up beside Roman who was now dancing quite graphically with a tall brunette. I smiled and shook my head at him. He never ceased to amaze me. It was a fast song, so it was easy to start dancing to the music. Lucas put his hands on my hips and pulled me in close to him.
We had been dancing for a while when Lucas decided he needed a drink. I agreed and followed him to the bar. We had to wait a few minutes. It was really crowded tonight. The bartenders were working overtime it seemed, but I guess it was normal for them.
“What can I get you guys tonight?” the bartender asked.
“Bourbon,” Lucas said and then turned toward me, “and she will have?”
“Water please,” I said.
“Just water?” Lucas smirked at me.
“Just water,” I sarcastically replied.
“I will take water too,” Violet spoke up. I didn’t realize she was behind us.
“Pepsi, for me,” Dante chimed in.
“Pepsi!” Violet and I said in unison before we both started laughing hysterically.
“Bourbon, two waters, and a Pepsi coming up,” the bartender confirmed although I’m sure his thoughts mimicked lightweights.
“Pepsi?” Violet snorted out. “Why Pepsi? You never get that.”
“Something different,” he shrugged before pointing to Roman on the dance floor, “and because that asshole beat me to the bar tonight. Whoever gets to the bar second is the designated lookout.”
“You mean designate driver?” Lucas asked.
“Nope, the lookout.” He played it off like it was no big deal. Violet and I just looked at each other and grabbed our bottles of water that had arrived. It didn’t take us long to suck down our drinks and hit the dance floor again.
I was having so much fun. The music was rocking and the company was amazing. We somehow always ended up in the middle of the crowd again. Roman kept us entertained. He had several dance partners throughout the night and was clearly feeling good. I think we had spent the majority of the last song laughing at him. I was thankful for after every few fast songs, the DJ would play at least one or two slow ones so we could catch our breath.
“So…” Lucas lingered as he pulled me in close when the song changed tempo. It was nice to feel Lucas’s arms around me.
“Sooo what?” I smiled back at him.
“You’re leaving tomorrow huh?” He looked disappointed.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Violet and I have to get back to work. Our clients wouldn’t be happy with us if we left them with half a project done.”
He laughed. “You mean that isn’t business like?” Sarcasm rang in his voice.
“Apparently not.” I grinned back. He pulled me in closer, and I leaned in and placed my head on his shoulder. I hadn’t heard the song before, but I loved it. I got lost in the words. Lucas must have too. He had been quiet for a few minutes.
“Be my girlfriend for the night?” Lucas whispered in my ear. I tilted my head up so I could catch a glimpse of his face. He was serious.
“For tonight?” I asked.
“Yes, just for tonight.”
“Why just tonight?” I was curious to hear his answer. It is not every day you get asked to be someone’s girlfriend for just one night.
“Well,” he began, “we just met a few days ago and you are going home, so I figured you weren’t looking for anything serious at the moment, but I like you and just want to know what it’s like to be your boyfriend for a night.”
I just stared at him for a moment. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting that. He was charming, and I really did like him, probably more than I should. What could one night hurt?
I could tell by Lucas’s face that he was wondering if he had just made a mistake.
“One night.” I nodded. He smiled at me and went back to dancing like we had never even h
ad a conversation. Even though I was skeptical at first, meeting him was the highlight of this trip. I planned on keeping in touch with him and coming back to see him soon, if he would like that.
Violet looked like she was lost in wonderland when I peeked over at her. She and Dante were dancing so close it looked as if they melted into one person. I wish they would just admit that they loved each other. I wondered if I would ever look at another the way Violet looked at Dante, so sweet, innocent, and so very much in love. Maybe Lucas was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
As the song came to an end, Lucas pulled out his phone and quickly typed a text before looking up at me.
“My boss is here in the VIP area. He said I could bring you all up if you want?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. I needed a break anyways. I didn’t have to pull out my phone to know it was getting really late. My feet and thighs were starting to cramp. I wanted to go back to the hotel and crash, but I didn’t want to miss spending a single second with Lucas.
I looked over at Dante, Violet, and Roman to see if they had heard Lucas. “You guys coming?” I asked. All three of them said yes, and Roman grabbed the girl he was dancing with.
Lucas led the way off the dance floor and to the side of the club. Behind the bar was a staircase that led up to the second floor. As we were walking up, Violet and I were linked arm in arm and exchanged a telepathic look of curiosity. We didn’t know what to expect in the VIP room at a club. We reached the top of the stairs and walked into a foyer. Lucas guided us to a door on the opposite side of the foyer and knocked three times. Then the door opened.
“Hey Boss, this is my girlfriend Lily,” Lucas said.
Violet’s smile faded as she saw Lucas’s boss. Her face turned red and her jaw dropped. I didn’t even think. I automatically turned to face the doorway. I wanted to know who or what had changed Violet’s mood in only seconds.
I wasn’t prepared for who was standing in front of me. He was the very person I tried to avoid seeing at all costs. My heart beat sped up as I peered into those stormy gray eyes I knew so well. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest.
I couldn’t speak as I stood there and looked him over. He looked different than he did when I saw him a year ago. His dark brown hair was shorter than I remember. His thick eyebrows were raised and his stormy gray eyes, with those long eye lashes, were staring back at me with such intensity. I honestly didn’t even know if I was still breathing at the moment. His square jaw was set and his thick lips were pressed together firmly. I could see his muscles were flexed under his long sleeved button-up shirt as he clenched his fists. He always did love to work out. I could feel the once light atmosphere in the room being replaced by a much more unsettling feeling. He was about to lose control. I knew him like the back of my hand.
Emilio Amante. The man who broke my heart into a million pieces and still carried them around in his pocket was standing there glancing back and forth from me to Lucas.
Say something you idiot, he is about to lose it!
Lucas stood there confused and shocked by Emilio’s reaction. His grip on my hand was getting tighter. I wondered if he was contemplating running by his stance. A few more tense seconds passed before I finally spoke up.
“I’m not his girlfriend,” I finally blurted out. Lucas turned to me, looking offended. He was misreading the situation. “It’s nice to see you again, Emilio.”
“You know him?” Lucas asked, stunned.
“Hey Emilio!” Dante said as he threw his arm around Emilio’s neck, trying to defuse the situation. “It’s good to see you again man!” Emilio finally tore his eyes from Lucas and me. “Emilio and our family go way back,” Dante explained.
“Really?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah,” I found my voice. “Emilio’s father and my father were good friends. We grew up together.”
“Wow, small world,” Lucas said, amazed. “He has been my boss now for a couple of years.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in tight. “He is a pretty good guy.”
Emilio smirked, probably thinking how little Lucas actually knows about him.
“Girlfriend, huh?” Emilio smiled at Lucas.
“Ye….” was all Lucas could get out before I cut him off.
“No. Lucas just asked me to be his girlfriend for the evening. He must have just wanted to show me off or something, right Lucas?” I turned to meet his eyes with mine, demanding that he agree with me. It took Lucas a second, but he finally caught on.
“Yeah, I wanted to show her off and make you jealous, but apparently you already know her so….” He frowned before he tried to smile again, but it came out more strained than natural.
Dante and Violet were trying to talk to Emilio, but he wasn’t interested in whatever they had to say. I stood there frozen. I wanted to run, run as far away from this place as I could get. This was so uncomfortable.
“Do you want to leave?” Lucas whispered in my ear. I nodded. “Well I think we are going to call it a night,” he half yelled over the music. “Lily’s tired and she has a long day tomorrow.”
I turned, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible when Emilio’s hand wrapped around my upper arm.
“We need to talk!” Emilio demanded, not waiting for an answer. He tugged on my arm to follow him.
Lucas grabbed my free hand, concerned. I pulled it back, not wanting him to get caught up in whatever argument I was about to have with Emilio. Dante and Violet stood there as I passed them. I pleaded for them to help me, but it was too late.
“I’m sorry,” Violet mouthed at me as she vanished out of sight.
We went out an exit door, down a staircase, and out another door into the alley. Emilio finally released my arm when the door shut behind us. He paced for a few minutes with his hand around his mouth, contemplating what he was going to say. My chest heaved up and down as I struggled to keep my breaths even. I was still trying to get my head around seeing him. He was still so handsome, but the pain in his expression was still there.
“What are you doing with him Lily?” Emilio asked casually, his voice calmer than I expected.
“Not that it’s any of your business, Violet and I met him Thursday when we got into town.” I thought that was a good enough answer.
“So now you’re his girlfriend?” He was trying to keep his voice from escalating.
“No! I am not his girlfriend at the moment, but maybe some part of me wants to be.”
“He isn’t good enough for you!” His voice rose with each word. That did it!
“Again it’s NOT any of your business. And by the way, you left me!” It was a low blow, and I knew it would hit him where it hurts. “I like Lucas. He is sweet, smart, and he makes me laugh.”
“You don’t even know him!” Emilio closed the gap between us and was in my face before I could even blink. His eyes were wide with anger.
“Of course I don’t know him! We just met! That’s the entire purpose of dating. You don’t know them, but you get to know them!”
“Stay away from him Lily!” he commanded.
“Did you just order me not to see him?” I was appalled. “You can’t tell me what to do anymore. You lost that privilege a long time ago.”
He stepped back and his face softened for a moment.
“He isn’t good enough for you.” This time he almost whispered it at me.
“No one.” I tried to even out my breaths, “no one will ever be good enough for me in your eyes.”
He moved closer to me placing his hand on my face softly.
“Don’t,” I said as he moved in closer, his nose brushing against mine.
“I said don’t!” I yelled and pushed him away. I started crying. “Don’t touch me…” The exit door flew open and Lucas was in front of me in two swift moves.
“She said don’t touch her!” Lucas was firm in his stance and voice.
“Stay out of this Lucas! This is none of your business!” Emilio tried to mov
e around Lucas to get to me. Lucas pushed him back with such force Emilio almost lost his balance.
“Stop it!” I yelled at both of them.
Emilio pushed Lucas once he found his footing.
“Stop it!” I started around Lucas when he pushed me back behind him. Lucas bowed up to Emilio. I was still trying to go around Lucas to get in between them when Emilio hauled off and punched Lucas in the face. He crashed into me with such force I lost my balance and the side of my face collided with the building.
“What the…?” It was Violet.
“How did this happen?” I felt Dante’s arm reach around me and pull me up. Now is the time they chose to come and find me? Where were they two seconds ago?
“It was his fault!” Lucas said pointing at Emilio and rubbing his jaw.
“My fault?” Emilio sounded outraged.
“I don’t care whose fault it is,” Dante roared at them, “this should never have happened!” My head was throbbing and blood started trickling down my face. “Violet, go get some ice and a towel. Lucas go find Roman, we need to go.”
Violet took off immediately. Lucas hovered for a moment before he left.
“Are you okay?” Dante finally asked me.
“I’m hurting,” I winced as Dante moved the hair from my face.
“Son of a bitch!” He was not happy. It must have looked bad. “What the hell Emilio?”
“I’m sorry. I lost my temper,” Emilio said defensively.
I glanced up at him. He looked dismayed. I could tell he was beside himself.
“Shit, Emilio. You know you have to watch yourself around her!” Dante shouted.
“It wasn’t his fault,” I said as I reached for my head, which was feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds now. I winced as I touched the source of my pain. “Lucas came out at the wrong end of our conversation, got upset, and things escalated. I was just in the wrong spot.”
Violet returned with some ice and towel. She immediately started bandaging my head, cheek, and lip.