Chapter 9
ANASTASIA
The VIP section Caine led us to is tucked above the main floor, the walls accented in red with black velvet ropes to close us off. Since his dad owns the club, sky’s the limit.
I glance around really taking in the place.
Its soaked in red lights creating a moody atmosphere.
Booths are wrapped in leather, mirrors on the ceiling line the place, creating an out of this world illusion.
Below us, bodies move around swaying to the music.
I’m definitely ending up down there tonight.
Just then, Stacie the bartender comes back up to our table and drops off a tray lined with shots.
Caine really wasn’t playing around; but neither was I.
“Beluga Noble,” she says handing each of us a shot, then she slides a clear a glass with brown liquid and a cloudy mixture swirling within it in front of Eryx, “and your usual.” She winks at him–Barf.
Eryx gives me a knowing glance, I feel caught. I shouldn’t care that the bartender was making eyes at him. I don't even like him. Yup, keep telling yourself that Stassi.
“Alright,” Caine goes, “you down for some Shot Wars?”
We each have three lined up in front of us. “What the hell is Shot Wars?”
“Easy, flip a coin and call it, if you’re right your opponent drinks, if you’re wrong, you drink,” he pulls out a quarter, “ladies first.”
I take the quarter and flip it in the air, “Heads,” I say. The coin lands, and damn it, its tails.
“Drink up princess.” He looks way too pleased at the out come.
I take my shot without so much as flinching.
The liquid instantly warms me up and it goes down, I feel my chest and cheeks heating with that delicious burn.
Fuck I needed a drink after the shit day I had, and this is some damn good vodka. I hand him his quarter, “Your turn.”
He grabs the coin and tosses it in the air before calling, “Tails.” And because I’m oh so lucky, he’s right, so I take another shot.
We go back and forth until both Caine and I are 5 shots deep, Eryx’s had 2, and Shina is beating all our asses because she’s only been wrong once. And I think thats just because she felt bad for us. But I’m still holding it down. Told him I could keep up.
Caine gets up and lets us know he and Shina are going to hit the dance floor, leaving Eryx and I alone.
I shouldn’t feel nervous but I do, plus I’m a few shots deep and that scares me.
Not cause I think he’ll do anything, but because I’m afraid I will.
He drives me crazy but I also feel this pull towards him.
“Lets make things interesting,” Eryx says, “truth or shot?” I eye him cautiously and he must see hesitation in my eyes, “Scared?”
I playfully scoff, “Never, bring it on.”
He goes first, “Are you glad you came with me tonight?”
I pause before answering, “I needed a drink, a girl doesn’t turn down free drinks.” There answering and avoiding his question all in one.
“Why did you invite me?” I ask back.
Without hesitation he answers back. “You’ve been avoiding me, and I wanted an excuse to talk to you.”
Well, fuck me, definitely was not expecting that. Why would he care if I was avoiding him? We barely know each other, only sharing a class, which again, because I am oh so lucky, we’re partners in.
“Why did you need a drink?” his eyes never leaving mine. There’s a deepness to them, pulling me in and if I’m not careful I might fall in and drown. Like he knows the answer but he’s waiting for me to respond.
I don’t answer him this time though, thinking back to stupid Jason in class taunting me today and the texts I got earlier today. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he was behind them, except we were in class together when I received them.
Unknown:
Hey there, stray girl
Still pretending you left it all behind?
You keep looking over your shoulder, but it’s not me you should be worried about
*news article*
I don’t know who’s behind these messages or how they know about the accident.
If you know what you’re looking for, you’ll find it.
But Sergio had everything scrubbed from the internet.
Gods forbid, he’s ridiculed. Couldn’t have people knowing that his daughter–whom he was pawning off to some guy–ran away, or tried too.
So instead I grab two shots off the table and slam them back.
My chest feels warm and my head light. I love the head high a light buzz gives you.
Like floating on soft cloud. As if all of everything that crowds your mind flies away and everything you were worried about doesn’t matter anymore. The world feels quieter, lighter.
“Did something happen today?” He asks, eyes darkening. I think back to the romance novels I love to read so much, ‘his eyes darkened’, I always thought that was always such a silly phrase, but looking into his eyes right now–I get it.
And me, ever the avoidant, ignore his question and bark back at him, “Mm, I think it’s my turn to ask a question.
” I reach over and grab the drink he's been sipping on. My bare leg brushing against his leg as I lean over him. “You really drink this stuff?” I ask him, now holding his White Russian in my right hand. His hand goes to my thigh.“It’s a classic. Sweet, dangerous, and hits harder than it looks,” he smirks, “like you.”
I smile back liking the way that sounds.
“Then it’s mine.” And I slam his drink back too, a hiccup escaping me.
Yup that one definitely did it. I’m so drunk.
“Who’s Brielle?” Wow did I really just ask that, why don’t you just scream it to the club how jealous you are?
First the bartender now his, what? Ex? Get it the fuck together!
“Jealous?” He has the audacity to smirk at me, like he can see straight through me to all my inner little thoughts.
I scoff, doing a terrible job at hiding my embarrassment, “No.”
“She’s no one, just a blip from my past. No one you need to concern yourself with.”
He grabs the glass back from my hand and places it on the table. My face so close to his. My eyes drift to his lips. They look so soft and kissable, I want them between my teeth, if I just leaned in a bit further…
“You’re cut off,” he says in a low voice. His eyes still on me. He places his hands on my waist and sits me on his lap. Is it getting hot in here?
“Rude much?” I get a whiff of his cologne, the scent calming, He smells like cedar-wood left out in the sun—sharp, earthy, comforting—a hint of cloves mixed in. Masculine, and a little dangerous, like something you’d chase without thinking twice.
“You’re drunk, Nastasya.” There’s a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Maybe,” I smile. “Also my name is Anastasia.” I sound it out for him, confused by the name he chooses to call me.
There’s another gleam in his eyes when he responds, “Nastasya is the Russian variant. It’s my name for you, only I call you that. It’s the name that belongs to me.”
I’m so fucked.
The air outside hit harder than that vodka. Eryx helps me up as I can’t stand on my own. How am I going to get back on his bike like this? Thankfully my question is answered because Caine hands Eryx his keys.
“Take my car. Shina and I will get the bike.”
I give him a little wave. “What if he tries to kidnap me?”
“Night, princess, try not to puke on my leather seats,” he calls back. Both him and Shina smirk at me. “You’ll be fine, Eryx won’t let anything happen to you.” Then they are off.
Eryx helps me into the passenger side and clicks my seatbelt into place.
The last question he asked me still hanging in the air.
He can see right through me and I hate that.
Truth was, Jason had been bothering me this week.
We both got Business Strategy class together.
With all this alcohol in me now, I not so sure I can keep my mouth shut and not say anything if he asked again.
There’s a girl shooting laser eyes at me from the clubs’ entrance.
She has long blonde hair that’s been curled and her make up is heavy.
She looks familiar, but in my inebriated state I can’t be sure of who they are.
I can however tell that they don’t look too happy with me being in this car right now.
Or that Eryx placed me in this seat and so thoughtfully buckled me in.
He gets in the driver seat—never the wiser to the girl looking at us with envy in her eyes—hitting the ignition letting the car come to life. The seat vibrates beneath me with power, and I feel it all. I rub my knees together.
“Cold?” he asks. A knowing smile on his face. Asshole. I try to hide the smile thats creeping on my face too.
“No, I’m fine.” And then we’re off.
We ride in silence for the first few minutes. Just the tires on gravel, a faint echo from the club still ringing in my ears. He breaks the silence first, pulling up to a place called Tony’s Tacos. “You hungry?”
Definitely a mind reader, I’m famished, and tacos sound amazing. “Yeah actually, I am.” I decide not to fight him on this. I can be a brat tomorrow. He drives up to the window and orders seven carne asada tacos, and an horchata for me. “Can you ask for extra red sauce, please?” I ask him
He pays and asks the lady at the window for my sauce.
He hands me the bag of food and places the drink in the cup holder.
Letting the worker keep the change as we drive off.
The bag is warm on my lap and the scent is mouth watering.
I see that we missed the turn that would take us back and he’s now going down an unpaved path line with tree’s until we come to a clearing.
We’re near a cliff, the coast underneath us, and the moon dead center in front of us.
She’s out in all her glory, bright and full. My favorite.