One

Barricades bar...

Staring at her reflection in the mirror and the tight fitting waitress gown on her, Audrey took a deep breath to calm herself.

Her face turned grim when she recalled her stepmother's words to her this morning. Her stepmom, Caroline, had threatened to stop her grandmother's treatment if she didn't take up the job at the hotel since her father traveled.

It's been two weeks and her father will return in three weeks.

Audrey can't afford for her grandmother's treatment to stop before her dad return. Only her stepmom has access to her dad's account, so she had no choice but to obey.

She retouched her makeup before coming out of the restroom. As soon she approached the walkway leading to the counter, her eyes caught a familiar figure sitting on an empty chair beside the counter.

“ What could Annie be doing here? Did her mother send her to meet me?" She pondered, her face wearing a frown.

Audrey stared at her stepsister, Annie, wondering what she was doing there. She saw that Annie wasn't alone but was sitting with the manager, Mr. Frost.

"Annie!" Audrey called as she walked up to her sister.

Annie Scott, Audrey's step sister, wore a fake smile as she stared at the approaching Audrey. Her eyes secretly dimmed as a hidden smirk played around her lips.

As Audrey got close to Annie and Mr Frost, she asked as her eyes searched those of her sister."What are you doing here?"

"Don't be mean to your sister," Mr. Frost reprimanded, giving Audrey a glare.

Audrey was surprised.

Not at the attitude of Mr. Frost but on the way he was comfortable around her sister. She felt uneasy seeing Annie at the hotel but she had no choice but to fake a smile.

Her grandmother's life was at stake.

"Let her be, Mr. Frost," Annie said with a slight smile. Then with feigned sadness, she added."I came to check up on you Audrey, but it seems I did the wrong thing by coming here. Anyways, my job is done."

Annie still wore her signatory expression while Audrey looked at her suspiciously. “ Your work? Do you work here?"

“ What do you think?" Annie asked, chuckling before turning around to leave.

Audrey rolled her eyes at the pretentious attitude of her sister. Wasn't this the same person that slapped her this morning while threatening to call the doctor to stop her grandmother's treatment?

What a caring sister indeed!

Shaking her head, Audrey was about to leave when Mr. Frost called her back.

"Audrey, you need to serve someone in the VIP lounge," He said.

" That's not my….," Audrey said but was cut off by his next words.

“ Didn't you want to earn extra? You can earn more than 100 bucks just for tonight. All you need to do is serve him wine," Mr Frost said, bringing out a bundle of cash.

Audrey swallowed hard at the cash in Mr. Frost's hand. Was this real? She wondered if those girls were truly earning up to such an amount in one night by serving those VIPs.

Still, she felt uneasy. But if she refused to do whatever the manager asked of her, her stepmom would be furious. She was tempted to earn extra bucks so she could sustain herself and grandmother before her father returns.

Audrey was already tired of pretending but she had been silent, awaiting when she would finish college. Her father had promised to hand her mother's company to her. However, there was a condition attached but she wasn't bothered.

"Fine then!" She said and put on a fake smile as she took the tray of drinks.

Mr. Frost grinned before handing her the drinks. "Be sure to deliver the drinks to room 112."

Then he added, giving her a shot of the drink." The VIP customers are peculiar about their drink so whoever is serving them would have to have a glass of the drink.”

Audrey had a frown on her face. Why hasn't she known this rule since she started working here?

“ Shouldn't that be done when I enter the room?" Audrey asked, squinting.

“ No. You need to taste it before going there. These people are watching us because we have cameras installed.”

Audrey could swear that she makes no sense from whatever the manager just said. However, she reluctantly took a glass of the drink.

Audrey's mind was on the fact that she was going to go home late tonight. She was sure Annie was up to something and she wasn't going to let Annie win.

Few minutes later, she stood in front of the lounges, not knowing the actual room for her to serve the drinks.

She had heard Mr Frost faintly, earlier.

"Darn it!" She cussed angrily, this was adding to her problems.

She tried recalling what Mr Frost had said but she couldn't, besides going back was not an option. It was a already getting late and she would have to search for Mr. Frost all over the hotel.

The only thing Audrey could recall was one hundred and something which she couldn't get right.

"11...4?" She trailed off with a deep frown on her face.

She needed to get it right, because the last time she forgot a room number, she barged in on someone and they were having sex.

Her face began to burn up at the recollection while at same time she began to feel hot.

Audrey inhaled sharply, before knocking on the door with the number 114. There was no response from anyone. She groaned inwardly thinking no one was in the room, but just as she was about to leave, the door cracked open.

Her eyes dimmed as she slowly walked inside. The room was dark, leaving just a dim blue lamp beside the bed stand. It was also feeling a bit weird and relaxing inside the room.

"Umm, I came to give you your drinks," Audrey managed to say.

There was no answer so she looked around in search of the table where she could keep the tray of drinks, but found none.

Audrey was beginning to get scared at the creepy nature of the room. She thought of damning whatever consequences as she planned to run out of the room.

Just then, her ears caught a heavy breath and her nose welcomed a scent of whiskey as a silhouette staggered towards her.

"Oh my goodness," she mumbled in fright as she moved backwards. The sound of shattering bottles and glasses didn't stop the masculine figure from approaching her dangerously.

Until her back hit the wall.

“ Still running? Get into the walls then,” his deep baritone voice tore at her heart.

She inhaled, afraid of what she was about to face. It looked like she just got herself into a deep mess!

"What the hell was going on? Who the hell was he?" These thoughts filled Audrey's head, as she felt trapped to the wall.

His hands were massaging her arms, with his breath on her head. Audrey could hear the pounding of his heart as he drew closer to her. Why was she feeling weak and horny at the same time?

The strange man smelled like vanilla mixed with a little bit of whiskey. She knew he was drunk but why was she also feeling attracted to him. She just can't stop the weird feeling traveling all over her body.

“ I am feeling hot," Audrey whispered, trying to get away from the stranger.

She tried to push him away, but at the same time she can't help but rub herself on him. The man let out a muffled groan, his grip on her arms tightened. She couldn't move, neither could she do anything.

"It's too hot!" She pleaded, knowing she had no choice.

She was too weak for him, topped with the fact that she couldn't see his face clearly.

"I want you, too," Audrey heard him whisper against her face and she froze.

How? What does he mean by that? She wasn't willing to give herself to a stranger, nor was she ready for any man.

"I need you. Help me and I will repay you," He said as he tried unbuttoning her shirt.

Audrey wanted to protest but it was obvious she wanted him too as her body began to react to his touch. Her brain was getting fuzzy and she couldn't stop herself from wanting this man.

She tried resisting his touch, but she was caged in between his strong broad shoulders, his heartwarming cologne filled her nostrils.

The only thing she could see in the dark was his emerald colored eyes, which were literally glowing in the dark.

"I want you," He repeated the same words which gave Audrey an unusual spark deep into her stomach.

The next thing she felt was his soft lips on hers, as he kissed her slowly and tenderly. His lips were so soft that Audrey felt like biting it off.

His tongue went into her mouth, savoring every part of her.

Audrey's brain tried to warn her but her body betrayed her, yearning to the man's every touch. She felt stupid at that moment yet she just couldn't stop herself from letting him devour her.

The effects of the wine's drugs were already taking hold of Audrey, igniting a wave of desire within her.

Without a second thought, she leaped onto him too, kissing him passionately.