"He has a brother, I haven't met him."
"Well," She exits the bathroom and begins to wash her hands. "You need to."
"Girl," I laugh, shaking my head. "Do you not have a man sitting at that table waiting for you?"
Chloe places her hands on her hips. "Greg is here for a good time, not a long time. He's kinda insecure and trying to prove to me he isn't. That isn't long term stability to me."
"I can't with you." I laugh as she grabs my arm as we exit.
"I'm gonna go to the bar really quick, I'll be there." She says over the music.
As Chloe pats my arm and walks away, I'm on my way back to the table when someone steps into my path. "Hey, I saw you walking this way earlier," He puts his hand out. "Kenneth, nice to meet you, miss?"
"Ione." I smile.
My oh my, talk about handsome. He's tall, dark-haired with light eyes, and a build to make Adonis green with envy.
"Ione, that's pretty," He has a glass of whiskey in his hand, he doesn't smell like alcohol no, he smells like Creed Aventus and that should be a red flag, but those notes of bergamot and ambergris get me every time. "Are you with that guy at your table?" He smirks. "I saw you sitting over there, but I am not one to pilfer a woman from where she's happy." He winks. "Unless you aren't."
Bold. "No, he's—" Damn, what do I say? "We work together." Smart move, Ione.
"Very nice." He finishes his drink and offers his hand. "Want to dance a little?"
I'd love to. I can't see Athanasius looking over here, and he shouldn't miss me too much, I'm just tethering him to this world in the ring, the least he can do is allow me to dance with a man that smells like sin. "Sure."
Kenneth takes my hand, his fingers intertwine in mine, and I'm feeling horny as hell. The smooth Latin beat is calling me, and as he wraps his arm around my waist, I allow myself to sink into him.
"So, what do you do for a living?" His left arm is around my waist, the right is holding my hand close to his chest. He can dance, he's leading me across the floor, a few simple turns and dips.
"I'm a Communications Director." I smirk. "Internal and external, I develop messaging." Kenneth turns me so my back is to his chest, our hips sway, and I'm loving the attention. "What about you?"
Kenneth turns me back around, whispering near my ear. "Physical therapist." He tightens his grip on my hand, placing it flat on his chest. "I know how to move people around." He smiles at his own joke. "You stiff anywhere?"
My vagina. Bad thing is, I would never be able to take this man home for a night, and then it occurs to me. That's my damn house! I can do what I want and Athanasius can wait in the fucking living room while I get my cheeks thoroughly clapped.
"Sitting in a chair, you know, neck and shoulders." As the song ends, he leads me back to the bar, helping me into a chair.
"I can definitely help," He lifts his finger and another drink is placed in front of him. "What would you like?"
"She'd like for you to stop your pathetic attempt to rub your slimy hands on her body." Athanasius sighs. "What are you going to give my rabbit? Hopefully twenty seconds of pleasure? You're lucky I don't remove your hands and shove them into your ass."
The black shadows from before are creeping across the floor, and Athanasius isn't even looking at me. He's staring at Kenneth with a jaw clenched so tight he might break his teeth.
Kenneth isn't deterred, and the shadows are clenching around my thighs, does no one see this?! They're trying to force me from the bar.
"Odd, Ione says you're a coworker," Kenneth glances at me. "Does he think you guys are more than what you are?"
"Atha—"
"Silence woman." He sneers. "I don't care what she said. We are leaving," Finally he looks down at me, and boy are those red eyes hot. "Now, rabbit, we are finished here."
I don't want to leave. "I'd like to get Kenneth's phone number." Crossing my arms over my chest, I plant my ass firmly in my seat, returning my attention to Kenneth. "I'm here with friends, but I'd like to see you some other time."
"So would I." He ignores Athanasius. "I'll put my number in your phone."
Darkness slams into the lounge like a wave, thick and complete, devouring the warm light and muffling every sound. Even my own breath felt stifled. Ican't see more than a dull glow bleeding in from under the doors—just enough to outline Kenneth’s trembling silhouette.
I try to inhale, but the air clings to my lungs like tar. It felt like drowning without water. I reach out blindly, but there was only velvet blackness and the sound of Kenneth's quick, shallow breaths—panicked, raw.
