5

Cade and Yohan, Noah's cousins, were surprised to see him arrive with a Grab driver.

“Weren’t you supposed to be our designated driver?” Cade asked as Noah slid into the backseat.

“He resigned,” Yohan said with a chuckle. “Last time we went out, you threw up all over his Mustang.”

Noah resisted the urge to slap his own forehead. Why did he let these two drag him into going clubbing tonight? He could've just gone out on his own. Then again, he wasn't the type to go out alone either. He wasn't even the type to go out at night, period.

"Where's your brother?" he asked the two as the car pulled away from the curb.

Cade answered. "He didn't want to come."

"He's gone crazy again, backed out at the last minute," Yohan said.

"You probably teased him again," Noah said, eyeing Noah knowingly.

He knew Yohan was a notorious prankster and a relentless teaser. Damien, the brother of the two, on the other hand, was easily offended when he wasn't in the mood; he was probably the moodiest guy Noah knew. Damien and Yohan were now in charge of Alfonso Trucking Services, or ATS, owned by their family. Their father stepped down last year, and his own father recently retired. Theirs was the biggest trucking company in the whole country, and their services reached every corner of it.

"No, I didn't," Yohan denied. "He's just like someone who's on their monthly period sometimes; he gets moody." He suddenly saw something outside the car window. "Did you see that?" he exclaimed, as if in awe, pointing to the underpass they were passing.

"What?" Cade asked.

"I saw a CLM member! I think I know him; I'm just not sure."

"What's CLM?" Noah asked.

"C*ck lives matter," Yohan replied, which made Cade laugh. He even teased Noah before he got annoyed. "I'm not sure whose little c*ck that is, yours or Kuya Damien's. Is yours still attached to you? Kuya, on the other hand, wants his little pet to go on a s*x hunger strike. You guys are getting more members, huh?"

His cousins burst into laughter; even the driver was smiling at their conversation.

"You're such a jerk, Eugenio!" Noah snapped.

The three men eventually arrived at Vibe, an expensive club in Makati. They had been there for less than half an hour when Cade met a woman. Noah wasn't surprised because Cade was the flirt of the cousins. Soon, he was with the woman on the dance floor until they moved to a table away from him and Yohan.

"Hey, we've been here for an hour; you haven't met any women yet?" Noah commented to Yohan after a few minutes of him just fiddling with his smartphone. "Is your little pet planning to join CLM too? Well, Damien and I need a secretary," he teased.

"Hell, no!" he denied, not taking his eyes off his iPhone. "I just want to unwind tonight and have some booze. I'm not like Kuya Cade, who just goes to a club and picks up some girls." He glanced at him briefly. "Besides, why are you bothering me? When are you going to notice that woman who's been looking at you?"

Noah frowned. "Where?"

"Your three o'clock. Medium-length hair, red dress."

He discreetly followed the direction his cousin said and caught the woman he was referring to. The woman was probably around mid- to late twenties and beautiful and sexy too. She smiled at him when their eyes met.

"Hey, go talk to her," Yohan urged him.

He wasn't really the type to pick up women at bars; all the women he had dated were introduced or set up by his friends and relatives. But he wasn't looking for a date tonight.

Yeah, that's right. He went to the club hoping to find a woman for a one-night stand. He had given in to his body's demand for heat.

He didn't have time to look for a date and wait for them to have s*x. F*cking himself with his hands wasn't enough anymore. Besides, he didn't like what he was thinking about whenever he did that. He needed to stop the dirty thoughts he had about his executive assistant. And he thought it would be more helpful if he had a real s*xual partner. A woman he could f*ck and release all the heat that had been sizzling deep inside him.

And, why not? What he was going to do wasn't illegal. He wasn't going to force a woman or have s*x with a minor. This was better than another option he was considering: hiring a high-class pr*stitute. But then again, why not f*ck a h*oker if it all came down to it? It would just tarnish his image. But honestly, right now, his immaculate image was the least of his concerns.

"Do you need pick-up lines?" Yohan asked with a laugh.

"I can handle this, thank you," he said confidently, even though he actually wanted to scratch his head. He had never done this before!

Before Noah could stand up, he saw the woman stand up and walk towards the bar counter, as if she was guiding him there. He adjusted the collar of his maroon long-sleeved polo before approaching her.

They nearly said "hi" to each other at the same time, and then they both laughed afterwards. Noah immediately felt relaxed and offered the woman a drink. See? That's easy.

Yohan smirked in their direction as they talked to Lara. The woman was twenty-eight years old, an accountant for a US-based company that had outsourced some of its office staff to the Philippines.

And based on their information about each other, they both had the same goal tonight. According to Lara, after breaking up with her boyfriend, she wanted to try to find some fun without a relationship. She wanted to be bold and experimental in s*x. He was honest in telling her that this would be his first time having a one-night stand.

Until his smartphone buzzed. Yohan texted him.

Hey, I have to go. Cade's missing in action. Good luck with the hot babe! Don't forget to use protection. Raise the flag of the Alfonsos! Remember, #C*ckLivesMatter!

He invited Lara to leave the club.