A part of me screamed for myself to go back and comfort Bella. Part of me wanted to run away into the sunset while screaming. But the whole was hungry, tired and wanted nothing more than to get some rest. For fuck's sake, this man already died today, give him a moment to catch a breath. But this lovely day just kept on giving, eh.

I felt even more exhausted after this not-so-short conversation with Bella. Damn woman, everything is always so intense with her. Well, at least she is too stubborn to admit defeat and 'let them win'. Still, I could tell that those news shook her a lot, even if she put a strong front by the end.

Well, my further involvement can only make things worse in this case, so all I can do is hope for the best. If not… Well, I will take it as a sign to make this second round into the most spectacular train wreck possible.

But enough of the grim things. I still have a date to attend.

***

The short walk towards the lounge was uneventful. Small miracles. I took the time to rearrange my state of mind, being a killjoy won't do me any good, and went inside.

It was a typical lounge room. Muted lights. Toned down colors. And, on top of all of that, every such room was fully soundproofed from within and without. Ideal place for an informal meeting.

The interior was also pretty standard. A big table, very comfortable sofas around said table. Few bean bags in the corner for more options. Big TV mounted unto the wall. Impressive built-in sound system, for those who wish for a more 'club' ambience. Color wise, this particular room was done in a mix of blacks and reds. Bella's choice. Something about 'This is your personal room, so it should look like it'. Who cares?

One of the walls was transparent, in a one-way mirror way, and currently gave an excellent view onto the dance floor below. Alternatively, It could also be turned opaque for a more intimate atmosphere inside.

My companion nested on one of the sofas, opting to take off her heels for more comfort. Currently, she was looking into the aforementioned window, while absentmindedly nibbling on something from an assorted appetizers plate on the table. It seems like my meeting with Bella took a longer period of time than I thought, since said plate was almost empty.

"You look tired." Seems like my appearance didn't slip by her attention.

"Feel the same way as well." I sighed and plopped down onto the sofa across from my companion. My date decided against asking more, and just nodded back.

I pushed the button to call our attendant. What was her name again? Right, Amelia. She showed up in a minute or so, I gave her my order and she left again. Good, at least I can get something to eat at last.

"Are you sure you are okay? We can always go back to your place if you are beat," asked my escort with a concern in her voice.

"In a physical sense, I'm fine. Just need a bit of time to readjust my state of mind. Talks went… heavier than I hoped they would." I said, reclining back onto the sofa and closing my eyes. "If anything, I need something to take my mind off this stuff. And dancing the night away with a pretty lady sounds like a great way to do just that."

"Oh, then, should this pretty lady help you relax a bit more?" This phrase of hers made me open my eyes and look back at her with interest. "Nothing much, just a lap pillow. Not to brag, but I have stellar reviews from people who had the chance to experience such service."

This was a surprisingly innocent offer. A kind I wasn't used to getting. Not going to lie, I was surprised.

Taking my moment of silence as a hesitation, she shifted her sitting position a bit and patted her thighs. The whole time, on her pretty face, there was a captivating smile, part mischievous, part teasing and part seductive. And this smile reached well into her eyes. Another thing I wasn't used to. And it suited her a lot. Well, the version of her that I made myself to believe in.

"Sure." Not like I was going to reject it anyway.

I stood up and went around the table. The smile on my date's beautiful face got a bit wider as I did so, or maybe my eyes just started to play tricks on me. Without much fuss, I laid on the sofa and rested my head on her lap. A few moments later, to adjust our position to a more comfortable one, I took a deep breath in, slowly exhaled and closed my eyes.

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The combination of warmth, the supple yet firm texture of her thighs, and her scent made me drift away a bit. And then she also started playing with my hair. Light, gentle touches. Just enough to help me relax a bit further, while not distracting enough to bring my focus to the feeling. Caught inside the moment, she even started humming softly. Yeah, I could see the reason for stellar reviews. My own will be a five-star one as well.

Too bad that ten minutes later, my rest was interrupted by Amber bringing in food. Hunger won over weariness, and I decided to eat my first meal in this new life.

"Not exactly sure if this was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard about the date in the nightclub, but this has something to it as well," she said all of a sudden.

"I agree. On both counts," I joked back. "Well, let me finish the food, and we can go downstairs. I am still eager to see you dance."

"Oh, I will show you how I can dance." There was a promise in her voice. "And then you can have your 'mock jealousy play', beating unlucky guys for ogling me."

She laughed a bit at her own joke. Instead of laughing along, I leaned into her personal space, close enough that our noses were almost touching, caught her gaze and said:

"I'm not sure about 'mock' part at this point." I said with all seriousness of my 'work' mask. "Your lap pillow was too good to share with anyone else. I want it all to myself now."

I kept staring into her eyes. Such a captivating pair she had here. Almost bewitching, enthralling the stupid beast who dared to look into the deep. And they were so alive, so expressive. So easy to read. Surprise, a bit of worry, a lot of curiosity, a pinch of guilt, and, dare I say, anticipation?

A wave of coldness. Two faces overlapping. They look so similar, yet so very different. I see myself in her eyes. And he smiles warmly. Just as I do.

A pinging sound of a new message on my phone brought me out of trance. I guess Bella sent the card info. Will check later.

The girl before me stood frozen still. Half-lidded eyes, slightly parted lips. Did she think I was going to kiss her? I was tempted, yes, but it's not the time. Yet. I want to see more of her before that.

"So. Ready to go downstairs?" I said to her in an amused tone.

From the side, it looked like she was about to say something, but decided against it at the last moment. Instead, she opted to stick out her tongue at me playfully and hugged my arm.

"Then show the way, my lord. Your pretty lady is ready to dance the night away!"

***

The dance floor met us with a scene of utter chaos. The cacophony of lights, colors, sounds and, most of all, people. People that were having fun. Dancing, drinking, chatting. Some, of the more brave or shameless kind, however you want to look at it, were even making out. All of that, drowning in the constant flashing of lights and rhythmic sound of music. The kind that makes your body move on its own.

I threw another glance at my present company. And, yet another time, she showed me a new side of her. She was already taken in by the atmosphere, eager to charge into the crowd of dancing people. She caught my gaze and smiled, tugging my arm, making me move along. Rhythm already got a hold of her, making her follow it with each step. Hesitation was gone from her eyes, so was guilt, and even surprise hid away. The gaze of her light-brown orbs showed only anticipation, amusement, and… promise of something.

I never really liked dancing all that much. The years of body coordination training, as well as quite a bit of experience with a few classic dance routines for social routes, all of that helped me to confidently dance along with my partner. Usually.

And now was not the case. My current date was born to dance. Or at least it seemed this way to me. It was in her movements, in every gesture, even in her smile and look. Anything and everything went in according to the rhythm. The most I was able to do is let her dance around my frame, holding her when she needed me to. And I enjoyed every moment of it.

The way she moved, the way she brushed against me. Every little expression and smile. Small gestures here and there. It was almost hypnotic in a way. All I could see was her. And, my word, she liked the attention. As she twirled in my hands, there was more and more of that… promise in her eyes. She made me hold her closer and closer as well. Temptress.

And here came a moment. Still fully inside the moment, she leaned into my side, almost brushing her lips against my ear and whispered:

"How about hitting the bar. I'm parched."

Oh fuck me, this was a revenge if I ever saw one. I laughed and gestured in agreement.

***

By some miracle, the bar counter had few empty spots and, after I very politely asked a person to kindly fuck off before I smash his teeth in, there were even two adjusted seats. I signaled the bartender to come over and, as usual with staff of this establishment, he hastened to do exactly that with a wary expression.

We made our orders, my dancing partner got herself a cocktail, something-sunrise or was it a sunset? Don't know, don't care. And I, being the straight drinks kind of guy, got myself a few shots of rum to get some buzz in and a non-alcoholic mojito to quench the thirst and slowly drink alongside my company.

A few minutes later, our conversation fell into the same rhythm as on the way to my place. I kept my silence, only giving short answers when prompted, while she was gushing about everything and anything. Her lamenting speech about leaving her phone back in the lounge and not being able to take photos of the DJ, cocktails and/or dance floor in general made me snicker a bit. At some point, I lost the thread of conversation altogether and just listened to the sound of her voice, while taking in the sights of how beautiful she actually was.

The sound of her voice asking me something finally brought me out of my daydreaming.

"Did my chattering finally bore you?" She asked, and I shook my head in denial.

"Sorry, I got distracted by how beautiful you are," I apologized. "Care to repeat the question?"

"I was asking if you wanted to taste my cocktail," said the lady of my night.

That got me thinking. The thing looked somewhat tasty, and I couldn't remember if I drank it before. Especially since in the last few years I was getting wasted just to run away from the reality of my continuous existence. So, after a short contemplation, I nodded and leaned forward to catch the straw. But it wasn't her plan.

Instead, she took a mouthful of the drink and caught my lips, feeding me. Our first kiss tasted like orange juice, grenadine syrup and a hint of tequila. And it was entirely too short for my taste. The girl broke away first, giggling impishly. I suppose this was the second part of her revenge. What a cute little plan.

"You know, I didn't quite get the taste," I said a few moments later.

"Too bad that I'm all out of it now." The temptress beside me answered, slowly and demonstratively finishing the last bit of the drink.

"I wasn't talking about cocktail." My hands seized her by the waist, bringing her to my lap. I used my right hand to get the stray strand of hair away from her face, and leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes and reciprocated.

This time it was a much deeper and longer one. Leaving both of us a bit short of breath, and, judging by the look in her eyes, wanting more.

"Hey, you up for another round of dancing?" I changed the topic, giving us both a bit of time to cool down.

Of course, she was.