Damien wasn’t handsome so much as he had a raw sex appeal. I understood why Keira was attracted to him.
Eli was deep in conversation with Damien about something. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever seen him without a scowl on his face. Well, except for the few times I’d seen him look at Maia.
Kal was watching the dancers as if his mind was somewhere else. For once there was a darkness behind his watery blue eyes. I’d never seen him look sad before, though he broke into a smile when he saw me.
I let Alfie go so he could greet his friends. It warmed me seeing him act so almost normal. Kal kissed both my cheeks, whispering in my ear that he liked my dress. Cas kissed me too and Eli shook my hand.
“You’re becoming a regular,” Damien commented as he kissed my cheek.
“Don’t get used to it…uh, no offence.” As much as I couldn’t imagine making too much of a habit out of coming here, I didn’t want to insult Damien’s lifestyle.
“None taken.” He gave me a toothy grin.
I took the seat offered to me and found myself sandwiched between Kal and Alfie. Cas smirked at the seating arrangement. I wondered how much the three of them knew about what hadtranspired between Kal and I. Probably everything. I couldn’t imagine they kept many secrets from each other.
“How's that spankable friend of yours?” Damien asked, distracting me from my thoughts, and from the sensations caused by a certain object pressing against me as I sat.
“You should ask her yourself.”
“Lola!” Cas suddenly declared as a waiter approached with a bottle of champagne. “Congratulations! Many happy felicitations! You will be the most beautiful bride.” Cas, it seemed, was drunk.
I accepted the glass of champagne the waiter offered. Alfie promptly took it out of my hand and set it down away from me. The men shared a smirk. I felt like a doe at dinner with wolves. Friendly wolves that had promised not to bite, but still wolves nonetheless.
“Thank you. Perhaps I should hire these ladies for entertainment at the reception.” One by one the dancers removed their bras, keeping their breasts hidden by the fans.
Cas sighed. “Yes, they are rather perfect, aren’t they?”
They certainly were. I marvelled at their confidence.
Before I could reply, I heard Julia’s name and my head whipped around. Eli’s brow was furrowing as Damien and Alfie filled him in.
“Julia Whitmore?” he shook his head. “We’ve crossed paths a few times, I can’t say I know her too well.”
“She has a plaything,” Damien said. “Muffin, apparently.”
“Oh,” Cas tipped his glass, “she blushes that one.” I blushed myself, wondering what he could mean by that. “I thought I might try her again later but I think she’s spoken for tonight.”
“Muffin’s here?” I began to panic. “With Julia?”
“No, I saw her with somebody else.” Cas returned his gaze to the stage, his expression turning dreamy as the women began to spin in a circle.
“Don’t worry,” Alfie put a hand on my thigh, "you won’t have to see her.”
“What did she do to her?” Kal asked him as if I wasn’t there.
“Julia took a swipe at Lola while she was at work. More than once, actually.” Alfie said. “Apparently she decided that she doesn’t need to play by the rules anymore.”
“Is she being punished?” Eli seemed excited for once, or at least, intrigued.
“I think having her membership revoked is punishment enough. Unless she escalates, I’ll leave it there.”
“I’m sorry, Lola,” Eli said with all sincerity. “Not all of us forget how to play by the rules.” He frowned then and pulled his phone out of his pocket. It must have vibrated to alert him to a phone call because he immediately excused himself and put his phone to his ear as he walked away.
I watched him go, wondering if I would ever not be intimidated by him. I wondered what Maia saw in him, then I remembered how intimidated most people were by Alfie. I had been once too but not anymore. There was a side of him only I got to see. Maybe that was why these men hung on to certain women so tightly, because it was rare to find one they could truly let their guard down with.
Damien engaged Alfie in club-related conversation, a discussion about remodelling the East wing or something. I had little to contribute to that subject and with Cas being seduced by five dancing women dressed in pink, I was left only with Kal.
The blonde angel smirked at me. “So, are you excited to visit the Onyx rooms? Officially I mean, with permission this time.” The last time I’d been down there it had been strictly without Alfie’s consent and Kal had had to sneak me in.
