Chapter 16 #2
“Awesome, come find me when you get here, ok? See you soon,”
“Bye,” I say, ending the call.
Looking up, I see Vix’s leaning against the wall to the entrance of the hallway, her arms folded. “You good?” she asks.
It’s such a loaded question. At this point, I’m at the mercy of time and whatever ends up happening tonight.
“Yeah, I think so.” I mumble. And it’s true for the most part, but I cannot deny my anxiety is starting to creep up to the surface. Felling antsy, I get up trying to busy myself by straightening up the living room.
“What did he say?” she asks, unfolding her arms and picking up our glasses, I grab the half-eaten bowl of popcorn off the coffee table and we both head the few steps into the kitchen.
“He wants me to come to Frequency so I can talk to your boss, which I thought was weird. Is he some kind of part-time therapist or something?” I ask, emptying the popcorn in the garbage before joining her at the sink.
She releases a small chuckle and shakes her head as she rinses the glasses before putting them in the dishwasher.
“Um, no, but I do think he will help.” I furrow my brow in confusion.
How does she know he will help? Before I can ask, she walks out of the kitchen.
“I’m gonna finish my makeup, be ready in an hour, ok?”
Once back in my room, I stare at myself in the mirror.
I’m distracted by the bags under my eyes from my lack of sleep—a by-product of my whirling mind.
I sit on the edge of my bed, willing my frustrated brain to get it together.
Feeling burnt out and overwhelmed, I decide tonight is not a “get cute” night.
I need answers, I need to know how to fix this, and I need to know the truth.
I open the small suitcase I’d packed and pull out my black jeans, a battered Ministry T-shirt, a black cardigan.
After getting dressed and slipping on my converse, I throw my hair up in a ponytail, grab my purse, and meet Vix at the door.
As we arrive at the club, my eyes widen. It’s weird to see it this early with no bouncers or line hanging around outside. When I walk in, familiar vibrations flow through me making my breath hitch. Shaking it off, I follow Vix slowly through the entrance as we head onto the first floor.
She stops at a hallway that leads to an “Employees’ Only” door and turns towards me.
“I have to go through here and check in. Knox is most likely already upstairs, so just take the elevator.” She points towards the elevators and as if on que, Knox walks out, when he sees us, his gives us a wide smile.
“Speak of the devil,” she murmurs, rolling her eyes.
I let out a small giggle, and Knox’s wide smile quickly fades to a questioning frown.
“What?” he asks, his eyes darting between Vix and me as he stops in front of us.
“Nothing, just talking about your impeccable timing,” I say, giving him a little nudge with my shoulder.
His smile returns. “I mean, not to brag, but…” he draws it out, and I just shake my head.
“On that note, I’m out,” Vix says as she turns to walk through the double doors.
He looks at me, feigning shock with his hand on his chest. “What, what did I say?” He takes a couple of steps backwards laughing and I follow him.
“C’mon, let’s go upstairs. Time for you to meet the big guy.”
Stepping off the elevator, I see that the usually busy and noisy room is desolate. The glare of the house light takes away the mysteriousness of before. Staff members are busy stocking the bars and cleaning before they open this evening. No doubt Vix is doing the same.
“Vix will be up soon. Get comfortable at the bar. I need to talk to Z really quick, then I’ll come get you.”
I nod, and he heads towards the staircase leading to the office.
Sliding onto the stool, I adjust myself to get comfortable. Vix and another co-worker come in carrying two five-gallon pails of ice. Vix loads the first bucket into the ice machine.
“Hey.” Her chin tips up at me. “He left you alone already?” She scoffs as she pours in the second bucket.
“He went to go talk to your boss, then he’s coming back to get me,” I say matter-of-factly.
“You want anything while you wait? I gotta head back down to grab a few more things,” she asks as she wipes down the machine.
“Nah, I’m good, thanks, though,” I say, pulling out my phone.
“Be back in a few,” she says, and she starts to make her way back downstairs.
Scrolling through TikTok, I mindlessly watch my FYP of industrial bands and cosplay.
Behind me, I hear a familiar voice, drawing my attention in that direction to see who Knox is talking to. Knox stands near the staircase, leaving the man in front of him with his back to me.
I can only assume the person he is talking to is his boss, Zayne.
My chest tightens a little, and my heart beats faster.
Memories start to flood my mind: the flea market, the nail salon, the man on the dance floor.
I close my eyes for a moment as each memory heats my skin.
I try to tamp down my feelings, but fail miserably.
An immense urge to touch him in any way I can surges through me.
I can’t even see his face, but his features feel so familiar.
The ache within me goes straight to the core of my being, and it overwhelms me so much so I can’t think straight. Just then, I see the man suddenly stiffen. Knox’s face twist in confusion as he looks past the man he’s talking to and directly at me.
Gripping the edge of the bar, I force myself to stop looking and try to compose myself. Vix appears in front of me, her grin the size of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.
“I thought you went back downstairs?” I say, shifting on the stool as I dodge her gaze.
“Oh, I did, but I’m glad I made it back for the show.”
I snap up to look at her, but I’m greeted with wild, mischievous eyes.
“What are you talking about?” I say, trying to keep my tone as innocent as I can. Let’s face it, it’s bullshit. My skin is so heated my face must look like a damn beacon. How does one explain being that attracted to someone after only seeing their backside? I haven’t even seen his face.
“I’ll take that water now,” I say.
Vix laughs at me as she grabs a glass and throws ice in it.
“Oh, I bet you will,” she says, setting it in front of me, but as I go to grab it, she maintains her onto it and leans closer to me.
“That's Zayne, our boss. Now, I’m not one to say I told you so but…” she pauses, and raises a single eyebrow at me.
I pull the glass of water, and she lets go. I quickly take huge gulps, trying to calm these feelings running through me. Yes, I remember her telling me he was my type, but I’m sure as fuck not going to admit that right now.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, slightly out of breath after downing all the water.
“Mmhmm.” She grins.
I look down at my lap to hide my flushed face and realize just how underdressed I am.
I jerk my head back up with a panicked expression.
Clearly, I didn’t think this through when I got dressed today.
A bout of nausea ripples through my stomach as I realize these feeling I have been having were about her boss.
A man I’ve never met, yet feel like I have known forever.
Touching my face frantically, I realize I don’t even have make-up on.
Wide-eyed, I look at Vix. Clearly, I look as panicked as I feel, because she grabs my hand to ground me.
I can’t meet him like this. This is not how first impressions should go.
“I-I should go. I’m not feeling well,” I mumble.
Vix holds my hand tighter. “Look at me,” she says sternly.
“You listen to me right now. You are Myssa fucking Connor, and you are a badass. Any man would be lucky to call you theirs. He should be so lucky.” She points discreetly towards their direction.
Taking a deep breath, I nod in agreement.
“Myssa.” She looks at me sympathetically. “Quit holding your breath, babe. It will be fine.” She smiles as I let out the air, then she takes my glass and refills it.
I reluctantly smile back, taking another sip. Before I can change my mind and start looking for an exit strategy, I sense their presence right behind me. I close my eyes, taking a deep calming breath.
“Hey, Myssa,” Knox chimes behind me. “I wanted to introduce you to—”
Taking Vix’s words of encouragement, I chant repeatedly, “You got this, you got this,” over and over in my head. Turning my stool towards them, I’m once again taken back and wide-eyed when I see Zayne.
Their fucking boss is the same guy from the elevator at work weeks ago? That moment plays again in my head as I recall his words.
“Myssa, huh…interesting name.”
My heart starts to accelerate as his piercing hazel eyes stare back at me.
I can’t speak, I can’t move, and time itself seems to come to a standstill.
The connection seizes me in this moment, as I’m trapped in a dance between our irises.
Everything around us turns into faint background noise, a million thoughts rush through me, taunting me.
Familiar sensations wash over me, and my soul aches for him.
I hear myself screaming in my head…breathe, Myssa just breathe.
As I take in a gulp of air, the noise of the room around us floods my ears and brings me back to reality.
“Helloooo! Earth to Myssa…” Knox says, waving at me.
I blink, although it seems I wasn’t the only one that seemed in a trance, as Zayne also blinks rapidly.
“You?” I say in a whisper, still trying to understand how the fates have brought us together like this.
A small curl of his lip shows he remembers me.
“Hi.” The warm tone of his voice instantly sooths me.
Knox looks confused, peering between us both, while pointing his finger back and forth.
“You two know each other?” His brow raises in speculation.
“Uh…” trying to gather myself, but failing, I stumble over my words while attempting to explain.
“HOLY SHIT!” Vix interrupts, and we all whip our attention in her direction.
I know that look, that’s the I just had an epiphany look, and I close my eyes, bracing for the impact. Because if Vix is anything, she is blunt when she realizes something.
“He’s the one from the elevator you were talking about, isn’t he?”
Opening my eyes, I glare at her, and she just smirks and shrugs.
“Talking about me, huh?” Looking back at him, Zayne’s eyes brighten as a sly grin appears.
“Elevator, what elevator?” This is all still clearly lost on Knox as he looks between all three of us.
“Awww, poor Knoxie, always in the dark,” Vix gloats as she wipes down the bar.
“We’ve crossed paths before,” Zayne states, trying to explain, but never breaking the connection.
“Oookay, then,” Knox says, still trying to understand what’s happening.
I can’t blame him; I’m still trying to figure out how the hell my mysterious man from the elevator is here and if he’s... dare I say, flirting with me? Fighting my demons of insecurity, I try to give myself a mental pep talk.
Play it cool, Myssa, you got this, and this isn’t awkward at all.
But the flutter in my belly is saying otherwise as I just sit there, staring like a dopey-eyed schoolgirl.
Zayne is the first to break the staring contest. Blinking as if he was in the same trance I was, he looks back at Knox.
“Let's go upstairs and talk.” He nods up at the balcony.
“Yeah, let’s,” Knox agrees, glaring at Vix, who again just laughs, shaking her head.
I slide off the stool and slowly follow them.
He is their boss. He is their boss; I chant in my head.
That’s the only idiotic sentence I can muster on repeat.
And what the hell is going on with my body?
I have never reacted to someone this intensely.
I feel like something within me has awoken, a yearning, the urge to touch him, feel him holding me, kissing me, fucking me.
Being near him again causes goosebumps to break outb in waves across my body.
For fuck’s sake, is that sweat I feel on my back?
I waft the neckline of my shirt, trying to fan some air inside.
I would tell myself to get a grip, but we are way past that—now, I’m just flailing around for a life raft.