Austin

The whole dance floor glowed with red and green beams shooting out from the rotating lights in the ceiling. It was Friday night and the club was packed with people dancing and jumping to the DJ’s throbbing music. They reminded me of penguins huddled in the cold, only they were on crack.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Alan yelled in my ear, giving me a friendly punch to the arm. “That was the fourth chick you turned down tonight and we just got here.”

I shrugged. Saying that that I was bored with the meaningless sex and monotonous flirting seemed pretty pathetic. Alright, the sex I didn’t mind, but I was looking for something else lately. A challenge, maybe. A thrill of the chase.

I chugged my whiskey. “If you eat the same shit every time, you’d get bored of it too,” I replied.

Valentino barked out a laugh, motioning with his beer to the dance floor. “Check that out, man. Holy shit!” he exclaimed, letting out a high-pitched whistle.

In the middle of the dance floor was a girl who was dancing – no, scratch that, gyrating – so sensually that I couldn’t help but stare. She moved like… sex comes to mind, seducing a number of eyes on her. A short and tight dress covered her hourglass body like second skin. And it was in make-me-sin red. Damn. I might have drooled a little as she bent over, then did something dreamy with her hips so that her long, black hair was now swaying down her tiny waist. Her legs looked a mile long in her spiky heels.

“Shit. I’m going to take this girl home with me,” Valentino yelled excitedly.

That was low and annoyed me enough to distract me. Valentino had a girlfriend. I might be a whore but I hated cheating.

Alan shook his head at him. He looked up when a redhead asked him to dance. He laughed, shook his head and whispered something in her ear. The redhead giggled. He nodded to me and they left.

Valentino was still gawking. His eyes reminded me of a shark about to devour a fish. Creepy.

“Hey, Austin.”

A soft body sidled up to me, reeking of a heavy floral perfume. I looked down on the heavily made-up eyes of Alysha Nett. I appreciated the magic make-up does to a girl’s face, but not when she looked like she was punch and was now sporting two black Racoon eyes.

“Alysha. How’s it going?” I gave her a small smile, but it only encouraged her to grab onto my arm.

Ugh. No. Why did I sleep with her again?

“Oh, you know. Nothing much.” She batted her eyelashes, pushing her breasts to my side. I couldn’t help but glance quickly at her cleavage. Her breasts were staring at me. Ah, one drunken night and those lovely things must have been enough reason for me at the time.

“You owe me a drink, Austin. I dropped mine when you walked by.” Her tongue sake out to touch the top of her lip.

I hid my wince. She was trying too hard and I did not want to be trapped in her claws all night. Wracking my brain on how to shut her down without offending her, I desperately looked around for Alan or Valentino, but not one of them was in sight. Assholes.

“Hey, babe.” My eyes widened in surprise as the girl on the dance floor I was shamelessly ogling earlier wrapped her arms around my waist, maneuvering me out of Alysha’s grasp. When her eyes shifted to mine, I forgot how to breathe.

She was stunning.

“He’s with me,” she told Alysha, but she was still looking at me. I was mesmerized at the way her mouth moved. Her lips were wide and full, colored a very, very hot red. “Aren’t you?” Her voice was soft and low, reminding me of dark rooms and hot smoky nights.

I felt my heart leap inside my chest for one insane second. It might have been a full minute, or two. I didn’t care. She wasn’t beautiful, not in the classical sense. Instead her face was striking, eye-catching. High and sharp cheekbones, long dark brows above cat-like eyes that were filled with secrets. I wanted to know every one of them.

When I didn’t respond and just stared, her brows drew together in askance. I caught her arms quickly before she could get away, placing them around my neck.

Leaning close to her, I let my lips barely touch her earlobe and whisper, “Where have you been?” A smug smile split my lips as I felt her shiver. “I’ve been looking for you my whole life.”

Leisurely, as if I had all the time in the world, I glided my nose just under her ear down to the hollow of her throat, but before I could do anything else, she stepped away.

“She’s gone. You’re safe,” she smirked. “Now you can buy me a drink or saving you.”

I placed my hands in my pockets to stop myself from reaching for her again. I already missed the feel of her in my arms. “Sure, what would you like?”

She shook her hair back and I couldn’t stop myself from watching her. I was captivated. “Something strong. Tonight I want to be someone else. I want to… forget.”

That was my cue. I slid my hand on the small of her back, pulling her toward me so that our faces were only inches apart. “You can be anyone you want with me.” Her scent drifted to my nose. It was addicting. “Why don’t we leave this place and go somewhere where I can make you forget, Red?”

Her eyes turned cold before he palms flattened against my chest and pushed. “Nice meeting you too, asshole.” She waved and left me staring at her like a lost puppy.

What the hell just happened? Did she just reject me?

The feeling was so unfamiliar that all I could do was watch her until she disappeared in the crowd. She was swaying a little, like she had too much to drink. I almost ran after her to make sure she was all right, but she probably would just spit at me. Her friends would take care of her.

But what the hell did I do wrong? She was sending all the right signals that she was interested. Did she want me to buy her a drink first? Funny how I was wishing for a challenge tonight and when it was staring at me in the face I screwed it up like an idiot.

“Austin!” I heard another girl yell behind me, but I was no longer in the mood for anything but my bed.

Notes

with love,
shadow

xXx