I'll be forever grateful she sat down next to me that day.
Kendall works for Noah as the secretary of Forbidden Desires, Incorporated. The office is across the street from Bar Forbidden. From what she describes she does most of the scheduling for each night as the phone rings off the hook. She's also the one who schedules me with my late night callers.
I unintentionally hooked her up with the job after she got fired from being some fashion designer's assistant. She needed a job and when we ran into Noah, he was hiring. They seem to be a perfect fit.
"Sorry, my mistress took a little too long getting ready," Caleb shouts back to Noah over the music as they pat each other on the back with one of those one-handed man hugs.
"Skye!" Kendall shouts, leaning in and kissing me on the cheek. "When you realize that your boyfriend is gay let me know. I have plenty of hot, sexy men I could hook you up with," she teases.
"I'll keep that in mind." I wink back at her. We've become used to Noah and Caleb's bromance and Kendall loves to tease them.
We follow the guys toward the back of the club and walk past another bouncer as he moves a velvet rope and we shimmy past him and up the stairs to the upper level of the club. We're in the VIP area. We hang out here whenever we're in Noah's club. I hardly ever come but I must admit it's nice to get special treatment every once in a while and not have to worry about being harassed by any of the men down below.
We make our way to a booth off in the corner of the upper level. There are bottles already in the center of the table and I see a tall glass of Long Island Iced Tea waiting for me on a bar napkin. It's my favorite and I prefer drinking those over bottles of expensive liquor any day. Noah must have ordered ahead for me. That was sweet.
Caleb stands at the end of the booth, gesturing for me to slide in before him, and as I take a step towards the booth Noah's hand grazes along mine and he slips something small in my palm. I know what it is without even looking. It's a Hershey’s Kiss. Even after all these years, and all the ups and downs in our friendship, he still remembers to give me one every unbirthday.
A soft smile spreads across my face as I move into the booth and Caleb moves in to sit next to me. Kendall slides in from the other side and we meet in the middle with Noah sitting and closing off the other end of the booth. We all sit, drink, and talk for a while. Kendall and I are engrossed in our own conversation as Caleb and Noah talk to each other. Every once in a while Caleb will mindlessly flutter his fingertips against my inner thigh, sending tiny sparks of desire throughout my body.
The beat of the music changes as the DJ plays The New Workout Plan by Kanye West. The first beat is out of the speakers and Kendall is nudging Noah out of the booth. She grabs my hand and pulls me out of the booth with her.
"Come on, Skye, this is my jam."
I laugh, a little louder than expected and that's probably because of all the Long Islands I've had tonight. We move a few feet away from the booth to an open space in the VIP area and we both start dancing, swaying our hips to the music. I'm usually self-conscious dancing in front of strangers, but the alcohol is giving me confidence that I don't deserve because I have two left feet.
Kendall, on the other hand, knows exactly what she's doing. Her hands are in the air as she sways her hips from side to side, making her torso look narrower and her ass and boobs look more voluptuous. I try to imitate her and end up tripping on my nude heel. I lean over and laugh at my clumsiness. I'll never be as smooth and flawless at dancing as Kendall is.
I'm still hunched over when two hands fall on my hips, alerting me that I'm probably about to be hit on by some creeper. Standing up straight, I turn around, and Caleb looks down at me with clear, electric blue eyes. I'm happy it's him touching me and not a stranger, but I know those eyes. They're the eyes of disappointment.
"Hey, baby. Want to dance with me?" I offer, hoping I'm wrong and we'll continue to have a nice night out. We never dance together because of my two left feet, but I'm hoping tonight might be different. Maybe tonight I can drunkenly lure him onto the dance floor with me.
His hands move to my ass as he pulls me flush against his body and I can feel his hard length against my stomach as it strains against his pants. He lets out a groan laced with want as our bodies rub together. I think I might have him horny enough to dance with me. "I wish I could, babe, but I just got called into work."
My hands that are resting on his biceps push against him, creating several inches of space between us. "You've got to be kidding me!" I cry. "You were the one who made me come tonight. I didn’t even want to be here and now you're ditching me?"
I know I'm acting unreasonable but the alcohol is fueling my hissy fit.
He steps forward and reaches out for me but I take another step back. My movement causes him to stop. His hands move to smooth out his Armani jacket, probably making sure I didn't create any wrinkles when I pushed him away from me.
"Be reasonable, honey. You knew when I started at this firm that the hours would be long and strenuous. If I could stay here with you, I would. You're who I want to be with right now, but if I stay I'll lose my job." His sincerity seeps through each word, causing me to wish even more that he could stay here with me.
"I'm not leaving you alone at the club, Skye. I'm leaving you with Kendall and Noah. You'll have fun and Noah will drive you home. I'll be back in a few days."
"A few days!" I shout back, louder than before. "Why do you need to go for a few days?"
"It's a last minute trip. My boss needs us to land this huge client and I have to go out there to seal the deal."
What he's trying to explain to me makes sense, doesn't it? Damn...I'm not sure. I've had one too many Long Island Iced Teas so I may be acting irrational. Lawyers travel for work. This is his job. He loves his job.
Caleb attempts to step towards me again, and it may be childish, but I move off to my left until I'm standing behind Kendall. "Fine, go then. Leave me."
All right, now I know I'm being irrational and our little fight has caught the attention of half the people in the VIP area now watching the show I've put on. Well, they're not going to get any more of one here.
"Baby..." One of his many pet names for me passes his lips, but I don't cave in. If he wants to go then he can, but there is no way in hell I'm saying goodbye.
After a moment’s hesitation, Caleb gives up on me, walking over to Noah and whispering something in his ear. Then he leaves the VIP area and the club completely.
"Come on, Skye, don’t let that douche ruin your evening for you."
"He's not a douche, Kendall. I acted irrationally."
"You did not," she gasps, acting offended at my words. "If he did this shit once or twice to you then yes, you were acting irrationally, but he does this shit to you all the time, Skye. He's never around, and when he is Caleb acts like he's a first-class citizen and you're the woman in coach he let tag along. The saddest part is you don't even see it. You think he's your knight in shining armor. You deserve a lot better than that douche and I'm not going to stop saying it until you get it through your pretty little head."
She's wrong, of course. Caleb has been nothing short of amazing to me all these years. I need to be more understanding of what his life is like, the way he's understanding of mine. He can't control the fact that his boss is making him leave for a couple days. Kendall just doesn't understand the sacrifices it takes to be in a serious relationship.
I do.
"How about we forget the last ten minutes and drink our cares away?" I suggest. This will be both fun and change the subject.
“Woohoo! Now you're talking, Skye. I'll go pour us some champagne from the bottle at our booth."
"I'll come with you."
This is a good thing. I'm going to enjoy the night out with my friend and when I get home tonight I'll text Caleb and apologize for the way I acted.
***
I'm not sure what time it is or how many drinks I've had, but I'm feeling good. I'm...happy.
<
br /> Kendall and I are back on the dance floor dancing through song after song from Nicki, Jason, Drake, and Ellie. I get lost in the beat of each song and can’t feel anything but pure alcohol-induced happiness. The lights blur around me as Kendall grabs my hips. I rest my hands on her waist and we move together. She slips one leg between mine and we grind together, swaying back and forth to the beat and laughing at nothing at all.
As we finish moving to a Rihanna song, Kendall leaves me to get us both another drink. I close my eyes and continue to move back and forth to the pulse of the bass. I'm putting on quite the solo show, which I'm sure is drawing in eyes from all over.
Obviously, the drunk me is under the assumption I'm a good dancer.
I drag a hand through my straight blond hair and let my other hand trace down the curves of my body as the song changes from a slow beat to a faster tempo. Then the song changes again and I recognize the anthem to a much more innocent time for me. I smile as the familiar lyrics to Bootylicious by Destiny's Child play across the club.
Two arms move around my waist and I'm pulled back into a large, secure body. My head falls back on the man's chest because I have nothing to fear–it's Noah's chest I'm pressed against and his arms around my body, I know it. Bootylicious is our song from when we were teenagers and he used to tease me about my small ass. We seek each other out whenever the song is played and we're both in the room.
One of his hands moves up my body and into my hair. He pulls the short locks off to one side, leaving the other side of my neck open and exposed. His beard brushes against the space between my neck and shoulder, making my whole body hum. Sparks of desire spread to my southern region as his lips move to my ear and he whispers, "Dance with me, shorty."
I don't know if it's because I'm so comfortable being around him, or the amount of drinks I've consumed, or even just because it's our song, but I turn around in his arms and reach around his neck, holding him close to me. His mouth curves into a smile when my fingers knot in the back of his hair. I am too short to dance like this comfortably so he bends his knees and we're able to sway back and forth to the fast tempo.
I rest my head on his upper chest, underneath his chin, as I breathe in the scent on his shirt. It immediately washes any remaining tension out of my body and comforts me. Noah's always found a way to make everything better. Right now I feel safe and protected. He's my home.
We dance close like this until the song ends and then I reluctantly lift my head and gaze into his light brown eyes. "Thanks for the dance," I hum out softly.
"I'll always dance with you to Bootylicious, shorty. It's our song." His hands stay mounted on my hips as his thumbs brush over my hipbones. His eyes are pinned on mine and I smile up at him before biting down on my lower lip.
"It is our song, even if I don’t have the booty to dance to it." Confirming the obvious I shake my hips back and forth in his hands.
His nostrils flare and he chuckles deeply before sliding the palms of his hands around to my backside and squeezing my butt cheeks. "Oh, I don't know. You seem pretty bootylicious to me."
"Noah!" I gasp and pull away, laughing as he lets go of my ass.
"You said you didn't have a butt, I was just showing you that you're wrong."
I turn my head around, trying to get a look at my backside before glancing back up at Noah. "I guess it's a booty, just not a big booty."
He ignores me and reaches out to grasp one of my hands in his. He drags me back to our booth as he responds, “It's a nice, smooth and tight ass. It may be small but don't underestimate it. I could hold your ass in the palms of my hands and there's something undeniably sexy about that."
I feel my cheeks growing warm at the compliment.
Oh Lord, I can't believe he just said that. Noah doesn't usually compliment and flirt with me. Maybe it's the alcohol loosening his tongue and causing him to do things he normally wouldn't do, like compliment my ass and dance with me.
When we reach Kendall, Noah helps me sit down in the booth. "I think you both are half a dozen drinks over your limit. Why don’t I take you home?"
Kendall seductively licks her lips as she leans across the table, bringing her face just inches in front of Noah. "You want to take me home, Noah? I've been waiting for you to want to try me out."
I see the moment Noah realizes Kendall misinterpreted what he said. His back stiffens, his eyes go wide, and then he's leaning back to create some distance between them. “No, I mean I'll take you home to your apartment and then I'll take Skye back to her apartment. We all go home alone."
“Well, that's no fun.” She pouts, but then she's grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the booth with her. We head out of the bar and into a waiting taxi.
The back of the taxi is crowded as I'm placed between Kendall and Noah. I can barely keep my tired eyes open. My eyelids keep drooping and I can no longer fight their heaviness, caving and letting the bastards close as I rest my head on Kendall's shoulder.
"Damn, she had a lot to drink tonight," I hear Kendall whisper inches above my left ear.
Noah sighs from the seat next to me. "Yeah, I've never seen her drink like that. She must have been seriously upset to let her guard down in my club. She hates Club Desire and she hates what I do for a living."
They're talking about me like I'm not even here right between them. They must think I'm sleeping or passed out. I try to move my lips to let them know I can hear what they're saying, but I can't move my mouth. My tongue and lips are temporarily paralyzed, numb from all the alcohol.
Just great.
"I don’t think she hates what you do as much as you think she does. I mean, she got me a job working for you, didn't she?"
"Not really. If I recall I got you your job, but I see your point."
A soft feminine hand begins to pet my short blond hair as Kendall continues, "You know, she deserves a lot better than that asshole she's dating. I hate him, Noah. I fucking hate him. I don't know how you can be such close friends with him."
I want to tell my best friend that he's not all that bad, but again my lips won't move–my entire body is ignoring the commands my brain is sending it. At least I know Noah will stick up for Caleb.
"I know what you mean, but you have to let her make her own decisions. I've known Skye a long time and if you try and control any part of her life or tell her to do something, she'll do the opposite."
"So you don’t like Caleb and her together?"
Noah's quiet for a minute before he answers. His voice is more subdued and melancholy. "Caleb's my friend. We've done a lot together and he's been a fun guy to hang out with, but is he a good boyfriend? Absolutely not. He treats Skye like an object, letting her collect dust in their apartment until he wants to play with her again. She deserves better than that. She should be with a man that will show her off wherever he goes, beam with pride because he's the luckiest guy in the room, and show her how lucky he is to be with her every day of his life. I can't stand that they're together.
"But they love each other. Caleb's a flirt and I hope to God my fear is unwarranted and he never cheats on Skye, but it's out of my hands. I've warned her and that's all I can do."
"I knew it. You love her," she responds sweetly.
A second hand lingers on top of my head before softly caressing my hair. The fingers are larger and rougher, and I know it's Noah's hand petting me.
"It doesn’t matter whether I love her or not, her heart is already taken."
"But he doesn’t deserve her," Kendall whispers harshly. "Did you hear that bullshit excuse he gave tonight on why he had to leave? There's no work trip. He made it up. Who knows what the hell he's doing right now. He's probably fucking someone else as we speak."
"Kendall," Noah says in a low demanding voice. "Unless you have proof of that it's none of our business. I've asked her a few times why she never questions Caleb's excuses, we even stopped talking once after a fight we got into over that, but she doesn’t think they're stories. She believes him. I
gave up a long time ago telling her that Caleb was no good for her. Now I just sit here hoping he changes his ways and becomes a man worthy enough for her, because she'll never leave him. She'll never leave the comfort and security he and his lifestyle give her."
I want to chime in, I want to defend Caleb and tell them they're wrong. Caleb is a good guy, but instead I'm quiet as the vibrations of the taxi bring me in and out of sleep.
Noah's hand leaves my hair and he trails his knuckles softly across my cheek before I lose consciousness completely. A small whimper leaves the back of my throat, but they likely didn't hear it with my mouth closed.
"Oh, I don't know," Kendall whispers as her hand continues to caress my head. "I think Skye may be settling for the Duke because she doesn't know she can have the Prince."
"And what? I'm the Prince?"
"To her you are, even if she'll never admit it."
I'm startled awake when the taxi driver slams on his brakes, causing my stomach to tighten violently as waves of nausea hit. Kendall opens the door to get out and as soon as her feet hit the pavement I push her out of the way and drunkenly vomit out onto the street. Noah grabs the back of my hair as I continue to expel the contents of my stomach. When I finally feel like I can sit up okay, Kendall wishes us luck and closes the door to the taxi and we pull off.
We have to pull over three more times before we make it back to our apartment complex.
Chapter Four
My head feels like a gun aimed and fired and the bullet is still lodged deep in my brain. Turning off the warm running water, I step out of my shower and wrap my body in a clean fluffy towel.
It's going to take a miracle to get through the rest of today. I slept most of the morning away and when I finally woke up I was tucked into my own bed with a package of aspirin, a bottle of water, a Hershey's Kiss, and a note on the nightstand.
Good morning, Alice!
Noah Page 5