CHAPTER 19 #2
“Bye, Fernandina,” I smiled, sending her a finger wave and her body tensed. She spun around, and I dragged my middle finger across my bottom lip, making her eyes grow wide. Her eyes shot to Antonio and so did mine.
A mischievous grin played on his lips as he looked down, lifting his hips to pull up his pants. “Are you fucking kidding me!” she groaned in frustration, slightly stomping her foot. “You’re gonna pay you little whore,” she pointed a finger at me and I stood up, pulling my dress down.
“If you don’t mind…” I slowly trailed off, walking towards her.
“I haven’t fucked my fiancé today, and I get really moody when I don’t,” I shook my head at her.
“And when I’m moody, Antonio gets mad—do you really want to make him mad?
” I asked and she looked over at him. Momentary silence fell over the room.
“No? Excellent,” I smiled. “Get out,” I opened the door.
She let out a sarcastic, breathy laugh. “This isn’t over,” she narrowed her eyes at me. “You won’t win.”
“I already did,” I shrugged my shoulders, slamming the door in her face.
My shoulders lifted as I took a deep breath in, slowly exhaling. Calm down, Nirah.
Hearing his chair move, I turned around, crossing my arms over my chest. He was leaning against the edge of his desk. “You’re still talking to her?”
“We were still business partners, Nirah.”
“Business partners?” I sarcastically laughed, taking small steps towards him. “She fucking hits Rosalia, lies about me, and you’re still willing to work with her? Seriously?”
“Watch it,” he warned and I shook my head.
“You really can’t leave her alone, can you?” I asked, stopping in front of him. It took me a second to remember what Rosalia told me about their relationship, and suddenly, it clicked. He’d prefer business over personal relationships.
“What are you talking about?”
“Business partners…” I breathlessly said. I grabbed my bag, shoving my belongings inside. “I have to go,” I turned.
“Where are you going?” he asked and I heard the annoyance in his voice. He’s not annoyed at me but at the situation, and he damn right should be.
“To find a fiancé with a bigger dick than yours!” I yelled back before slamming the door shut behind me. I took a deep breath in, rushing towards the elevator.
“Everything okay, Miss Nirah?” Julie asked at her desk and I smiled at her.
“Perfectly fine,” I said before the elevator door closed.
When I stepped out of the building I saw three missed calls from Silvia. I called her back and she immediately answered.
“ Are you okay? ” she gasped and I pulled the phone away from my ear. My face lit up when I saw Cesar standing outside—instead of Logan—waiting for me.
“Cesar!” I squealed, practically jumping into his arms.
“Hello, Miss Nirah,” he said, not touching me, not even to hug me back.
“I missed you,” I breathlessly said. “We’re talking later, okay?” I narrowed my eyes at him and he gave me a single nod. He opened the car door and I thanked him. “Take me back to the house please.”
We drove off and I shifted my attention to Silvia. “I’m okay,” I assured her, fastening my seat belt.
“ Change of plans ,” she excitedly squealed. “ Steph is back in town and London finally has a babysitter. We’re getting drinks tonight!”
“Sounds great but I’m not really in the mood for drunk guys with sweaty bodies,” I sighed and she dramatically groaned.
“ Are you pregnant? ” she blurted out.
“No, I’m not pregnant, Silvia.” There was a sigh of relief on her end and I shook my head.
“ I’ll pick you up at seven ,” she sang before ending the call.
We got back to the house and I headed straight to my bedroom. I changed into some sweatpants and an over-sized t-shirt for comfortability. I plopped onto my bed and dozed off almost immediately.
I woke up to my phone ringing in my ear—literally, I was laying on it. I groaned, answering it immediately and didn’t even bother to look at the caller ID. “What?” I yawned, upset about my sleep that had just been interrupted.
“ You’re still mad .”
I opened my eyes, sitting up. “Yes. What do you want?” I rubbed my eyes.
“Are you going to the club tonight?”
I grinned. “No. I’m not going to work,” I answered. Technically, I’m not lying. He never specified which club.
After he asked why I could not let it go, I yelled at him before I ended the call.
* * *
“Besides the fact that you look smoking hot right now… why the fuck are you sneaking out?” Silvia crossed her arms over her chest as I slipped into the backseat.
“I’m mad at him so—”
“Say no more,” Stephanie interrupted me, starting the car and Silvia raised a bottle of alcohol in the air.
“Now, we’re making sure you have fun,” she said and I showed her a timid smile. I just wanted to go back into the house, crawl into my bed and stay there until I was forced out by him.
“He’s going to regret making you mad,” Stephanie glanced over at me.
“Good. Now let’s have fun,” I sighed, taking a swing at the bottle. Might as well.
We got to the club and the music was booming. Flashing lights, smoke machines, and really hot male and female dancers. Wow . Silvia really knew how to pick a club.
We found our table, and I saw London sitting with a man I hadn’t met.
“Hey,” she cheerfully sang and I sat down next to her, crossing my legs.
After Silvia left and returned with a couple of shots, we downed them without a second thought before rushing to the dancefloor.
The alcohol buzzed through my veins as the music forced my body to move. The lights blurred, the music became distraught—it all slowed down. He was all I could think about.
I just wanted to go home.
But London, being a single mom, rarely had days where she could just have fun with friends, and Stephanie was almost always away for work. I’d feel too selfish to head home, leaving them when they were so excited about having me here tonight. “This is so much fun,” London cheered and I smiled.
“All these blurring lights,” I practically giggled, looking around.
“I’m having so, much, fun,” she slurred out and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s been a while, huh?” I asked and she nodded as her and I attempted to make our way through the dancefloor. “Oh—my—God!” I shrieked. “Jordan!” I ran towards him, practically falling into his arms. “You’re he—here?” I hiccuped.
“Jesus Christ, Nirah,” he said as he held me up. “How much have you had to drink?” he smiled.
“A few,” I giggled. “What are you doing here?” I asked, looking up at him and someone pulled me back so that I was able to stand on my own.
“Silvia called.”
“You called him? Why?” I asked as I stood between Silvia and London.
“You’re drunk and I didn’t know who else to call,” she almost apologetically said. “And you’re also, kind of…” she slowly trailed off and it took me a second to realize that I was mad at Antonio.
“I wanna dance!” Stephanie yelled over the music as her favorite song played and I happily followed behind her. We started dancing until our feet hurt— literally .
Jordan walked towards me and handed me my ringing phone. “I’ll be right back, okay?” he said and I nodded.
“Hello?” I answered and Silvia and London danced over to us.
“ Where are you? ” a strong male voice asked and Silvia shrieked.
“This is your song!” she laughed and I started dancing with them, forgetting that I was on a phone call.
“ Nirah? ”
“Oh!” Right. The scary voice.
“ Where are you? ” he asked again but this time more sternly.
“I’m out… finding a new dick,” I giggled, trying to hide my laughs. “I mean bigger fiancé,” I corrected myself and the girls snickered—confused by what I was saying. “No, I mean a dicker fiancé.”
“Ooo, you’re in trouble,” Stephanie sang and two men joined us.
“He’s all bark, no bite,” I shook my head. “Actually…” I grinned, slowly trailing off and the girl’s eyes grew wide. “He does bite quite hard,” I giggled.
“ Jesus ,” I heard him groan. “ Are you drunk? ”
“I don’t know, sir. I feel pretty fine,” I lazily smiled, feeling hands wrap around my waist.
“Fucking hell!” Jordan irritably said, shoving a man off of me. “I go to the bathroom for five minutes,” he groaned and I rolled my eyes. “We need to get you home.”
“Wait,” I stood still. “Who am I speaking to?” I slurred out and there was a heavy sigh on the other end.
“ Is that Jordan ?” he asked and I nodded, waiting for him to speak again. “ You can’t nod or shake your head, Nirah. I can’t see you .”
“Oh, right,” I chuckled. “Yes. It is Jordan.”
“ Put him on the phone .”
“Jordan,” I sang, handing him my cell phone. He took it from me and the girls and I danced together.
I completely forgot about Jordan and whoever he was talking to and walked away from them to find a place to sit down. I plopped down onto a chair and sighed. A man fell beside me, grinning ear to ear.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he smirked and I looked over at him with half-open eyes.
“I have a… fiancé,” I slurred out. “Look,” I said, showing him my hand.
“I don’t see a ring on that finger, baby girl.”
I looked at my hand. Empty . Frantically, I looked at my other hand. Empty. Oh no… “So what do you say?” he asked, moving closer to me. “Why don’t I take you to my apartment to continue the fun?” he asked, sliding his hand onto my thigh.
“I don’t think so,” I grimaced. “Don’t touch me or my fiancé will kick your ass,” I slurred out as I tried to stand. His hand wrapped around my waist and he pulled me onto his lap making goosebumps spread across my skin.
“I guess I’ll just have to fight him for you,” he smirked, pressing his face in my hair and I thrilled in disgust.
“Let me go,” I said but he started moving my hips against him. I turned around, striking a quick punch to his nose, hearing a crack. He let go of me and I hurriedly got up.
“Are you fucking crazy?” he snapped, getting up but I pushed him back down. I lifted the heel of my foot, pressing it down onto his crotch. “Ah!” he growled and I twisted my foot before pulling it back.
“Asshole!” I said, stumbling back into someone’s arms. I turned back and smiled.
“Oh?” I giggled. “You’re handsome,” I said, cupping his familiar face. The strobe lights flickered, and I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to see the man holding me. “But you can’t hold me like that or my fiancé…” I slowly trailed off. “Why am I always thinking about my fiancé?” I mumbled to myself.
“I’m going to kill you when you’re sober,” he said, and I scoffed.
“My fiancé would say something like that too,” I rolled my eyes, pulling away from him as I turned to face him.
“Baby, I am your fiancé,” he said, holding my face with both hands, and I smiled, seeing him clearer.
“Oh. Well, then—” I cut myself off. “Would you be mad at me if I told you that I lost the ring?” I sadly asked, feeling my heart racing in my chest. “I really didn’t mean to,” I genuinely added and he shook his head.
“I don’t care about some stupid ring right now, Nirah.”
My legs felt weak as I sighed, nodding my head in guilt.
“Hey man!” A male voice barked. “Get your own chick,” he said, pushing Antonio’s shoulder back. I whipped around, seeing the man from earlier.
“Nope,” I shook my head at the man, making sure to pop the ‘p’. “ This is my fiancé. You said you’d fight him for me… remember?” I asked, and Antonio picked me up so that my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck.
I heard a single punch before my eyes slowly fluttered closed. Being in his arms brought a sense of warmth and comfort over me.
When I opened my eyes, I was in the passenger seat of his car as he fastened my seat belt.
“You’re taking me home with you?”
He sighed, hovering over me, and I threw my head back against the headrest. He examined my face for a little while before moving back to close the door. I closed my eyes for a second—obviously, it wasn’t a second—and when I opened them, he was carrying me into my bedroom.
He gently laid me down on my bed, and something in me shifted. I didn’t want to feel the absence of his body against mine.
“Why are we back so soon?” I groaned as he took my shoe off. “I was having fun.”
“You’re drunk, Nirah,” he deadpanned, taking off my other shoe as well.
“Yes. And you can thank a really shitty guy for that,” I smiled, and he looked down at me with a facial expression I couldn’t decipher. “What?” I irritably asked, rolling my eyes.
The muscle in his jaw ticked. “I don’t like men touching you,” he lowered his tone as I sat up. “You’re mine . I already made that clear.”
“Always so possessive,” I dramatically said, and he lifted me onto my knees in front of him. He dropped his hands to the hem of my dress and gripped onto it.
“Lift your arms.”
I rested my hands on his shoulders. “See?” I smiled.
“Nirah—”
“No,” I shook my head. “What if I say no? Do you ever hear that word, Mr. De Luca?” I asked, moving closer to him. “I bet you don’t,” I gently cupped his face.
“I do. By you. Now lift your arms,” he once again instructed, and being too tired to argue, I do so. He pulled my dress over my head and dropped it next to me. His eyes traveled down my body, and I gripped onto his belt.
“What are you thinking about, De Luca?” I asked, trying to undo his belt, but he stopped me.
“You’re drunk,” he reminded me, trying to get me to lay back down, but I sat up again, tugging at his belt.
“So what?” I asked, sitting on my knees. For the third time, I reached for his belt as I tugged on it. With watery fingers, I tried to unbuckle his belt right, but he grabbed my wrists.
“You know this is called harassment, right?” he asked, looking down at me—his voice laced with humor—and my backside fell onto my heels.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, looking down at my fiddling fingers, and he cupped the side of my face in the palm of his hand.
“Baby, can you please go to sleep for me?” he pleaded.
“Oh,” I hiccuped. “Going to sleep is the last thing I want to do when you’re in the room,” I said, pulling him toward me.
I pressed the side of my face against his firm chest and felt his heartbeat. I lifted my hand, resting it by his heart, and smiled. “He does have a heart,” I softly giggled, and he helped me under the covers.
“Go to sleep, tesoro ,” he said, softly kissing the top of my head.
“I’m not mad at you anymore,” I shook my head, and he nodded in understanding. “And, I’m sorry I lost the ring. I feel really bad because…” I slowly trailed off. “I really liked it,” I whispered, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“I’ll buy you a new one every time you lose the old one,” he humorously said, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“A ring pop will do,” I nodded before my heavy eyelids fell closed.
“Watermelon flavored. I know,” I heard him whisper with a final peck on my lips, and I weakly smiled.