Chapter 31
It’s been a few weeks since that fateful day when I went to see Chloe.
Despite her sad expression, she had a different glow about her that I can’t explain, but she was beautiful, as she always was.
All I wanted was to go to her, hold her tight, and never let her go.
But the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me, simply because she didn’t trust me enough to share her secret or even ask for help.
She never told me anything about her life with her sister, except about the illnesses, and now I see that at some point, she needed someone to be there for her.
But everything I said, the harsh words, can’t be taken back. And I’m too proud to go back and apologize, so what’s been said will stand. As much as I like her, I’ll forget her. It’s just a matter of time.
Today, I made plans to go out with my friend Jullian. We’re heading to a new nightclub we were invited to. It’ll be good to get out and clear my head; after all, I’ve been cooped up at home since the last cocktail party I went to with Chloe. And once again, she’s in my thoughts.
I get up from the sofa where I’ve been sitting for hours, an untouched glass of whiskey in my hand.
I down it in one gulp, feeling the amber liquid burn my throat.
But I don’t care—I just carry on with my plan to shower and get ready to enjoy the night.
And who knows, if I’m lucky, I’ll leave with a woman on my arm.
I take a quick shower, and when I check the clock, I realize I spent too much time thinking about Chloe and ended up running late. I told Jullian I’d pick him up at his place, and it’s a long drive.
I choose an outfit from the closet, and as I’m walking out, I come across a nightgown I bought for my girl, folded with all the care she always took. I pick it up and can’t resist bringing it to my nose, breathing in her scent that still lingers.
I put the nightgown back where it was and walk out, still smelling her perfume on my hands. I can’t believe some brat has gotten me this hooked on her. I take a deep breath—once, twice, three times—grab my car keys from the side table near the sofa, and leave.
Traffic is light, which makes the drive faster. Fortunately, I arrive only five minutes late. I park at the building entrance and text my friend, who’s already outside seconds later. He gets in my car and starts talking right away:
“Hey, long time no see! I thought after breaking up with the brat, you’d remember your friends.” He looks at my hand and adds, “I hope your hand’s better now!”
I give him a hard look, and he immediately realizes I didn’t like the comment. I just nod and respond:
“I don’t want to talk about it, please. At least for today, I want to forget about her a little.”
“All right. Something happened that you didn’t tell me about, huh? Well, when you want to talk, I’ll be ready to listen.” I hadn’t told him about my trip to the nightclub; after all, we’d barely talked since that fateful day.
“When I’m ready, I’ll tell you. But for now, I don’t want to touch this subject. I just want to go out, have some fun… and get laid.”
“Of course, sir. You’re the boss! Then we’re heading to the right place.”
The nightclub was close to Jullian’s place, so we arrived quickly. After giving our names to the security guard, we were escorted to an exclusive VIP room. When I walked in, I took in the space—beautiful and cozy. While we were at the bar ordering, Jullian’s friend, the nightclub owner, approached:
“I hope you’re being well taken care of.”
“Very well.” My friend turned around, greeting our host. “Thanks for the invitation, Denner. Really, the place turned out great. Finally, a nightclub with an American vibe in Europe. Let me introduce you to my friend Alexander.”
“Pleasure to meet you! I heard you have a successful investment firm?”
“Yes, we were in Forbes last month as the largest and best investment firm in the country. But I can’t take all the credit—I had crucial help from an employee who’s no longer with us.”
“Ah, what a shame! People like that are hard to find.”
“Yes, but unfortunately, we had some problems and she ended up leaving.”
“It really is a shame she’s not with you anymore.”
Our conversation flowed well until he was called away to handle an urgent problem. But he soon returned, quickly explaining what had happened, and we picked up where we’d left off:
“When I decided to open the nightclub here, I thought about having some girls dancing on stage. I got an unusual recommendation and went to watch. The girl in question is an amazing pole dancer—I’d say the best I’ve seen to date. But just as I’m opening for business, she got pregnant.”
When he says this, Chloe comes to mind. But no, I’m sure it’s not her—she would have told me if she were pregnant.
Or maybe it is her, and she’s already with someone else.
I shake my head, snapping out of my thoughts, when Jullian mentions my name, but I don’t quite catch what he says.
So I decide to let it go and take a walk.
I head down the stairs to the lower level, which is packed.
Everything here is well organized, and the dance floor sits a good distance from the bar, where I spot an empty stool.
I make my way over and sit down. My whiskey is almost gone, so I decide to get another.
As the bartender hands it to me, a girl takes the empty seat next to me and orders a drink, which is prepared right away.
“Mind if I join you?”
I glance to the side and see a beautiful young woman sitting next to me. I just nod and turn back to face the bartender, who’s shaking a cocktail shaker and juggling bottles. I start watching him work, skillfully switching between the two.
“I love watching them work too—the shaker, the bottles, all of it.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely not a job just anyone can do.”
“I actually tried bartending once, but after I started college and went to work at my father’s company, I ran out of time. And I really love working there.”
“So what are you studying?”
“Finishing up business administration.” And once again, the brat pops into my head.
After all, everything around me reminds me of her, and I need to forget her as fast as I can.
“My father has a software company, and since he’s thinking about retiring in a few years, I’m the only daughter, so it falls to me to take over. ”
We talked for a long time. She was pretty easy to be around, and I ended up asking her to come with me, which she agreed to immediately. I took her to the VIP room, and we stayed there a while longer, keeping Jullian company, until we decided to leave.
We got in my car and I asked her to put her address in the GPS. That’s when she said:
“Are you sure you want to take me home?!”
I felt her warm hand on my thigh and just nodded, starting the car and pulling out of there, heading straight to a hotel—the same one I always take women to when I’m in the mood to fuck.
One important detail I noticed the whole time was that we never exchanged names, and I have to admit, I found that pretty intriguing.