--3--

ALICE

"So… Envy?" Cynthia asked Viv as we dug into the food, more so wanting to know if she wanted to go out where she worked or somewhere else. 

"Normally I would say yes, but we are trying to forget things tonight and I heard that new place, Ambrosia, is sexy all the way around." Viv wiggled her eyebrows at me, “Nothing makes a good rebound like one that's hotter and sexier than the last.”

Cynthia elbowed her slightly as she took in my reaction, but I wasn’t about to let Eric take up any more of my time, “Ambrosia it is,” I wiggled my eyebrows back at them, “Ted’s gonna meet us there.”

“So you were already planning to get right wild then?” Cynthia chuckled. 

“Oooh!” Viv’s eyes got even bigger like she just remembered something as she pulled out her phone and her fingers frantically typed against the screen, “I’m telling Teddy bear where to meet us, and to bring those sexy as sin boys he brought last time.”

~~~

We pulled up outside of Ambrosia and to look at the building from the outside, it was lacklustre. The dull black building held no clue that a club existed inside other than the long line of men in suits and women in dresses so short I wasn’t sure if they even counted as dresses. 

“Are you-” My voice was cut off by the sound booming through the building as the door opened to let the latest patron inside, answering my question. 

“Come on,” Cynthia announced, casually pulling her breasts a little more to the top of her dress, “I got this.” She sauntered over behind one of the bouncers, tapping him gently on the shoulder, and clearing her throat when he didn’t turn around. 

“Look miss,” he turned around and a glimmer of intrigue and surprise danced across his face as he looked her up and down, “Miss Lajord,” he looked over at us, but promptly back to her.

“David,” she smiled, “I didn’t know you worked outside of the office,” Cynthia bit her lip a bit, “busy boy.” She turned and grabbed my arm, half yanking me up beside her, “My bestie here is trying to forget her ex tonight, help us out?” David leaned over to the other bouncer who lifted the rope for us while he never took his eyes off Cynthia, who leaned in and kissed his cheek as she passed by. 

“You dirty little,” Viv trailed off, howling in laughter as the music hit us. Cynthia knew how to get what she wanted, she’s been Mr. Penn’s personal assistant for the past two years, and as the CEO of his own investment firm what Mr. Penn wanted, Mr. Penn got. It certainly didn’t hurt that Cynthia was naturally gorgeous, and looked exceptionally stunning when she got dolled up like tonight. 

We were thrust into light streams, thumping music, and bodies pressing closely to us. The hum of a club always made it hard to hear Amara, which was part of the appeal. I could let loose and just be myself, just think my own thoughts. 

Ted caught my eye by the bar, slightly jumping on a stool to get above people and motioning for us to come over. He was wearing a pastel dress shirt that had the top two buttons undone and his sleeve rolled up part of the way. 

“How did you get in so quick?” I yelled over the music, but he only watched VERY closely as the bartender passed us by, winking at him and then at me. As my assistant, I shouldn’t have been surprised, somehow he knew everyone.

An array of shots were placed down in front of the four of us, and as we clinked glasses and downed a few each, my breath caught as familiar blue eyes locked into mine. The sound of caps being popped off drew my attention back to the beer that Ted was handing me as he looped his arm in mine, and I lost sight of the blue-eyed god who was seemingly everywhere I went lately. 

The more we danced, the more I noticed that this place was massive inside. High ceilings with another floor that accommodated the elevated dancers.  

The dancers were hypnotizing to watch with slow, calculated movements as they swung around and finessed their pole that sat on a platform, caged in by various intricately designed metals. Some platforms had multiple dancers, and although the dancing was definitely sensual, none of them crossed the boundary of removing clothing. This didn't seem like that kind of club, although there were a fair amount of bouncers present, carefully standing by the viewing areas on different levels as the staircase wound up and over the crowd allowing more access to them. 

One of the bouncers placed his hand to his ear and then promptly escorted the man who was dancing in one of the cages down the stairs, only to go up once again into a hallway near the back of the dance floor. It was closed in, with only a red pulsating light giving any indication that there was more to be seen where he disappeared. 

My arm was being led back towards the bar by Cynthia, and as we made our way through the group, Viv was yelling our order to the bartender. When the people in front of us parted, taking their drinks back to the floor, there he was. 

His mess of dirty blonde hair was covering his eyes as he stared into his drink. He was alone, always alone, but it was like my presence drew his attention. He tilted his head in my direction and nodded slightly as he lifted his glass and I copied his actions. 

His body turned towards me as he stood, "We seem to always cross paths," he commented. 

I was too caught up in taking him in, shamelessly dragging my vision from his perfectly put-together outfit all the way up, hovering over his broad shoulders as Amara pushed images of him using them to destroy anyone who came between us. 

He had this bad boy vibe, but like if your bad boy turned into your most vivid dream of a man who could also hold your arm through dinner parties and tuck your children in at night. 

I laughed a little nervously as my vision found its way past his stubble and into the serenity of his eyes again. What was wrong with me? Keep it together. 

Keep it cool for Goddess sake. 

What was it about him that was making me some kind of swooning disaster? His eyes, of course. They weren't just blue, oh no, they were some kind of teal-coloured blue that you would think impossible to exist. They were piercing and yet soft all of once, and they were currently calculating me. 

"Alice," I tipped my glass hoping to avoid a handshake as I tried to not yell but there was an uptick in the noise around us. Ted wrapped his arm around my shoulder as he rounded me with two more shots in his other hand. Mystery man smirked and I swear my ankles almost didn’t withstand, thank Goddess for Ted who was holding me up as he looked between us with mischief.