Chapter 7
Cyn
Yes, I had a job, but most of my check went straight to rent on my one-bedroom apartment.
It wasn’t fancy and had thin walls, old appliances, no view, but it was mine.
I paid for it faithfully, month after month, even when it meant going broke right after.
I’d sit on my couch some nights with nothing but ramen and determination, telling myself independence was worth the struggle.
Having something of my own always was.
And tonight, stuck in traffic with my cart filling up and my bank balance holding steady, it finally felt like this holiday season would be different. Everything I did was for this reason, and I just happened to get my own pleasure with it.
When the car finally stopped in front of the Club Rocka, we all climbed out one by one, tugging at our dresses.
The weather was a little chillier than earlier, but still nothing like East Coast cold. I could still feel my legs even with them being out tonight.
We held hands as we walked up to the front of the club and waited patiently in line until we reached security. The guard up front was a big Hispanic man with an earpiece and a mug to match his size, like some mean-looking Gorgol standing watch.
“Name?” he asked plainly, tapping on the tablet in his hand.
“Ari, Tania, and Cyn,” Ari replied.
He glanced up at us.
“Alright. Come in.”
Ari turned back to us with that I told you so look on her face.
I guess the guard that was flirting with her was going through every loop he could to try and get coochie from her about to be married ass.
I don’t really know why she was playing like that, knowing that she was getting married, but I couldn’t judge her.
Her being wanted was the reason we were getting first-class treatment in Vegas this weekend. So it’s honestly whatever.
Once we were cleared through the door, the host lifted the rope and waved us inside. The space immediately closed in around us, not cramped but full. Bodies everywhere. People standing shoulder to shoulder near the bar, in clusters waiting to be seen.
Everything looked expensive in here, with leather couches lining the walls, glass tables already crowded with bottles, and beautiful glasses flipped over on the tables.
We followed the host through narrow paths carved out between sections.
Men were stepping aside at the last second, eyes lingering on us longer than necessary, and another group paused their conversation to watch us walk by.
As we got closer to the center of the club, the energy shifted.
More movement. More attention. The sections were tighter, the bottles bigger, the people louder.
I caught glimpses of women dancing in heels they’d definitely regret later, men leaning in close to talk over the noise, security standing just close enough to remind everyone to behave.
Then we finally reached our section, which sat right next to the DJ booth, boxed in by a low rail that made it feel exclusive without cutting us off from the rest of the club.
There was a plush couch wrapped around a table already set up with ice buckets and clean glasses, like it had been waiting on us all night.
Once we sat down, a waitress appeared in front of us, ready to take our orders.
“What mixers do y’all want with your drinks?”
“Umm, cranberry and Sprite will be fine.”
We told her, and she nodded before slipping back into the crowd.
“I just thought about something. What if they make us pay for this shit tonight?”
I said, leaning into the circle.
“Well, if they do, y’all got it, right?” Tania looked at Ari who gave her a confused look back.
“How the hell do you figure that?”
“I mean, you got all that big stripper money, don’t you, and Cyn, you said you got paid for what you did last night too, so.”
“Yeah, I did, but I’m not trying to spend all of my money on a section and bottles in Vegas. Ari, you don’t think you can find the guard and ask him to make sure?”
“I can, but I don’t see him in here.” She stood up looking over the crowd.
“I don’t see him and I’m sure I would. He is taller than everyone in here.”
“Well, maybe he’ll come up to us.”
“Yeah, he will. He seems to have no trouble finding me. Let’s have a good time, and if we have to run out of here, just take your heels off.”
We laughed because she was right. There was no reason to be scared of what might happen next. That fear had always been my problem, and I wondered if every decision I made would turn into a mistake, wondering if I’d regret it later.
I had those same thoughts when I had that threesome the other day, but so far, there was nothing to regret about that. I had some of the best sex of my life with one of the finest men I’d ever laid eyes on. Apparently, the richest too.
It was like thinking about him made him spawn into my eyesight because when I glanced over to the left, there he was. Nina’s man, leaning over the railing above us, looking in our direction the same way he had done at the pool party earlier.
I’m sure it’s not because he recognized me. How could he if I had a mask on, and it was dark as hell in that room? Maybe he just liked what he saw.
“Bitchhh,” Tania dragged her words, leaning in closer to me,
“Isn’t that ol dude from the pool party up there on the second floor?”
“Yeah, it is. I just noticed him.” I tried to play it cool.
“I wonder if he wants my number. I’m about to ask those guards if I can go talk to him.”
“Do not go over there trying to talk to that man. He looks like he’s in his own little vibe, chilling.”
“Yeah, but I’m trying to chill with him too.”
She started walking away, and I grabbed her arm.
“No, Tania wait.”
“Girl, why you blocking me? You know I go for the men I want. This isn’t nothing new.” She tried to walk away from me.
“I know that, but you know we have a code that we don’t sleep behind each other.”
“Yeah, we do so?”
I thought for a few seconds on if I should mention who he was to her. But I honestly knew that if I didn’t, she would go after him. She wasn’t lying about approaching men. Tania has never been scared to shoot her shot at anybody.
“Okay, so that’s the guy up there.”
“What guy?”
“The guy that I had the threesome with on Friday.”
“Shut the fuck up,” she started to smile, but with a curious expression on her face.
“For real, Cyn?”
“Yes, I wouldn’t lie about that.”
“Well damn friend, he’s even finer than you described him to be.”
“Yeah, I know. I saw him in the dark, and I knew that he was gorgeous.”
“Fine, paid, and a big dick. You won this weekend, girl.” She put her hand up for a high five.
At that moment, I swear me and him caught eyes.
He wasn’t even that close to me, but I could still feel his gaze locked right onto mine, steady and intentional, like he could see past the noise, past the movement, straight into me.
My chest tightened, a slow burn spreading through my body, the kind that made my skin feel too sensitive, like every nerve had suddenly woken up.
I had to find a way to leave that intrigue for him where it was.
Last night is supposed to be left in the past and that’s what I plan to do.
I forced myself back into the moment, back into the music, back into my girls to ignore him.
I couldn’t act on any feelings I had tonight.
We started enjoying ourselves, drinks flowing, our bodies moving, hips rolling to the bass.
I let the rhythm take over, let the music drown out my thoughts.
Tonight wasn’t about temptation or what-ifs.
Tonight was about fun. About celebrating my friend and the marriage she’s preparing for.
While we were dancing, laughing, caught up in our own little world, the tall older guard who was the reason we were here walked into the section like he owned the club and went straight up to Ari.
He leaned in close and whispered something in her ear, and whatever he said made her smile so wide she looked like she was glowing.
She shrugged her shoulders, then stood up from her seat and walked over to me and Tania.
“Do y’all want to go up there?”
“Up where?” Tania asked.
“In the suite?” she said, pointing towards the very spot Nina’s man was seen standing.
“Where that fine-ass nigga was?”
“Yeah. Proctor told me that this section is about to be given to someone else, but we’re more than welcome to party in the President’s Box.”
“The President’s Box?” I asked.
“Yeah, and why do you look so scared?” Ari leaned in closer.
“That’s the dude she fucked the other night. That’s why.” Tania told her without hesitation. I knew she would.
“For real? Why didn’t you tell me?” Ari playfully shoved me in my shoulder.
“Because I technically wasn’t supposed to say who he was, but I had to stop hot ass from going over there.” I tilted my head towards Tania.
“And you guys, I was literally paid not to speak to him again. If his girlfriend sees me over there, she’s guaranteed to try to sue me and take all the money she gave me and some. I signed a contract.”
“Well, I don’t see her over there with him, and just because you were invited to the section with him doesn’t mean you’re trying to fuck him again. He looks like he’s in his own world anyway. How can she sue you when Vegas is small, and we were invited up there by someone completely different?”
“That’s true,” Ari added.
“Seriously, Cyn, we are not going to leave you over here by yourself, and you heard that we have to get out of this section anyway. Just come on. We can hang back.”
I exhaled deeply because I really didn’t know what to do. A part of me was interested in going, but the biggest part of me knew I couldn’t risk it.
“Look, y’all go have fun, and I’ll just go to the bar or something. I signed a contract to stay away from him.”
“Whatever you say. Ari, you ready to go?”
Ari looked at me with a pouted lip.