The Club

EMMA

“Carly, can we please leave now? You’ve tried on at least twenty dresses. We’ve been here for nearly two hours and all you’ve done is try on dresses!”

Knowing Carly, we still have to find matching shoes, lingerie… Carly huffs and shoots me a glare, so I switch tactics.

“You look absolutely stunning in the navy cocktail dress. It accentuates all your curves and shows off your long, tanned legs. Plus, it makes your blue eyes pop.”

“Really? Do you think so? Do you think Cashè will like it?”

“Since when do you care if he likes what you’re wearing? Isn’t he usually more interested in taking your clothes off?”

Her question catches me off guard. They’ve been friends with benefits for as long as I can remember—non-exclusive, I might add—and now she’s worried about whether he’ll like a specific dress? Something’s up.

“Carly, spill it—now!” I demand.

“You know, B, I’ve been thinking. Maybe Cashè could be more than just, you know— a good lay?”

I stare at her as if she’s grown a second head.

“Seriously? Are you telling me that THE Carly is starting to have feelings for a man?”

“B, you can be such a bitch sometimes.”

I glance at my watch and see it’s already five o’clock. We can finish this conversation later. I grab the navy dress and my simple black one and steer her towards the cashier.

She offers to pay for both dresses but I decline, as always. We pay and practically sprint to her BMW. We’re definitely going to be late.

We’re just finishing up our hair and makeup when the guys arrive, already loud and tipsy.

We start drinking champagne and beers and before long we’re standing in front of Bijoux, one of the best clubs in town and the hardest to get into.

The line is long but Carly, being Carly, has a plan to get us in without having to wait outside for too long. I think she’s worried I might start to sober up and leave because I hate this sort of thing.

In a flash, she starts walking to the entrance, swaying her hips seductively. She flashes a smile at the bouncer and just like that we’re all inside the club.

My first reaction is ~wow, this place is amazing~. The inside of the club looks like something out of a magazine.

The style, decor, and even the scantily clad women and men dancing in cages are perfectly placed to create an ambiance of perfection.

Carly pulls me to the bar and orders shots for everyone. We both know the guys will only be with us for a short while before they start hooking up with random women.

Carly spots Cashè talking to another girl and orders four shots each for the two of us.

I’m going to get so wasted.

The bartender places a bottle of champagne in front of us, leaving us staring at him with wide eyes. He’s good-looking: blue eyes, brown hair, nicely toned body. And he looks amazing dressed all in black.

He openly stares at Carly and says, “On the house.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blush before. Maybe it’s the alcohol or the lights in the club—but no, she’s definitely blushing.

I pop the cork and we finish the bottle in less than twenty minutes, leaving both of us more than tipsy.

I feel like dancing and having some fun. I pull Carly to the dance floor and we both let the music take over our bodies.

DIABLO

Whiskey glass in hand, I scan the dance floor with my sea-green eyes, bored out of my mind.

My eyes land on a tall, black-haired beauty swaying her hips to the beat of the music, completely oblivious to all the men staring at her. ~Does she not notice their stares or does she enjoy it?~ I wonder.

Luis, my trusted friend and bodyguard, had me come to the club tonight to handle some business.

Now that it’s sorted out, he’s standing in my office on the second floor, looking through the glass at all the clubbers dancing and drinking.

I’m bored until I spot her. I’ve never seen such a beautiful woman in my life.

I beckon Luis closer to show him who I’m staring at.

“I want to meet her. Make it happen,” I say, pointing at the beauty on the dance floor.

“Yes, boss.”

I continue watching her as she moves her body freely without a care in the world.

I see her full lips and wonder if she’s as fake as the rest of my exes, because neither her full lips nor her plump breasts can be real, can they?

I watch Luis speak to the ladies using his best panty-drop smile to get them to the VIP room. I wonder what excuse he came up with this time.

After what feels like hours, Luis leads them along with a few guys to one of the upstairs VIP rooms.

When Luis enters my office, his smile is wider than I’ve ever seen it.

“Boss, you won’t believe it, but Emma is stunning.”

“Tell me,” I growl impatiently.

“She’s twenty-three. She and her friend graduated today. She has an MBA as well as an MS in Accounting. She might be the one to solve our business problems, boss.”

I ponder this for a few seconds before making my way to the VIP room. This is going to be fun.

EMMA

This must be our lucky day. Seriously, first we graduate and now we’re invited by the owner of the club to go to the VIP room.

I know for a fact that a VIP room for a night is not cheap. I worked in a club before but nothing this fancy and the prices were astronomical.

We all sit down, opening the champagne that’s already on the table. I see a table with food and stumble-walk toward it.

I grab a plate and start piling food on it. You’d think it’s been days instead of hours since I last ate. When I turn around, I walk straight into something—or rather someone.

When I feel a hand steadying me, I look up and almost drown in a pair of sea-green eyes. His whiskey breath mixed with his intoxicating scent has me spellbound.

~Oh no! This is not going to end well.~