TRYING THE FORBIDDEN

Something bout entering an occult salon felt forbidden. I hesitated to go in. 

I turned to Maya “I haven’t even ever been to a fortune teller or tarot reader, this is a lot. I wouldn’t mind—“

“Shhh…we’re about to go in.” She cut me off and dragged me in with her.

The room was quiet, lit by a single lamp. 

We sat on the floor with our hands in our laps. 

“Welcome girls…welcome to the home of beauty and glamour and grace” a woman appeared from behind the curtains.

She walked in and sat facing us.

“What can I help you girls with today?” She asked.

Maya didn’t waste time, “my friend here wants to be beautiful.”

“Mmm…I see..” the woman stared at me.

“We’ll begin with the ritual.” 

She goes ahead to bring out three red candles and one white candle. Then she whispered in a dramatic tone:

Three red candles. A drop of your blood. A strand of your hair. Whisper the name you’ve hidden. Light the candles. Gaze into your reflection and command the world to see you.

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Coven Barbie.” As if all these theatrics will work.

Still. I lit the candles. Plucked a strand of hair. Pricked my finger with a sewing needle. My reflection flickered in the mirror. Same old face. Same tired eyes.

I whispered, “See me.”

“No you’ve got to be louder than that. Take charge, let the world and all its elements know that you are in charge!” The occult woman shouted

I took a deep breath, then I spoke louder: “See who I am!”

“Again,” she urged.

I took a deep breath once more : “World, See who I am!” I shouted.

The candles burned brighter. For a moment, and I blinked, and it was gone.

When we left the occult salon, no one turned to look at me as we walked down the dark street. I chuckled bitterly inside. What did I expect?Nothing.

“This was a waste of time, Maya! No one has looked at me past a second. What a waste of energy” I complained.

“Calm down Sophia, I didn’t expect it to work either. I just took you there so you could take your mind off problems at work. Magic only works in fairy tales, we know that” 

I stared at her “but you payed her?”

“Yes, cheap change compared to the fact that you’re less burdened now. I only care about your happiness.”

I shook my head and let out a soft smile. Maya was indeed a friend 

We had walked until we were facing a small door that looked like it led to a little drug store.

“What is this?” I asked.

“The club. The club. It’s an underground club. They’re having the most anticipated masked party tonight. I bet you’ve never been to an underground club.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“You literally have a dress in and It’s a masked party. No one will see your face, or know it’s you that wore a hideous dress to a party. Let’s get you a mask.” she said, “Let loose, baby.”

We got our masks and went Inside. Everywhere I looked, someone was touching someone. High heels, dark corners, mouths on necks. 

Ughhhh, I shivered. “Maya, get me out of here. This place screams disgust”

She sighed. “Can you try to have fun for a bit? Please don’t be a killjoy tonight. Let me get us some drinks, maybe that will loosen your twisted knickers” 

I watched her head towards the bar, swimming through the crowd of people like it was nothing.

I clung to the edge of the dance floor feeling like an imposter. “I do not belong here, I whispered.”

I kept looking around aimlessly until I saw HIM. 

Tall, sleeves rolled to his forearms. Strong jaw. Eyes like ice. He stood near the VIP section, drink in hand, watching me like he knew me.

My breath caught.

He wave or smile at me. 

He just walked toward me like he owned the floor and maybe the whole damn world.

“Hi,” I said, voice unsteady.

“Come with me,” he said, and somehow it wasn’t creepy—it was a command wrapped in silk.

I followed.

In the shadows behind the DJ booth, he pressed me against the wall with a heat that made my skin burn.

He didn’t ask if he could kiss me. He just did. Hard. Deep. Possessive. Like he’d been waiting for me for years and couldn’t waste another second.

My hands gripped his shoulders.

His mouth moved to my neck.

“God,” he growled, “you taste like a figment of my imagination.“A beautiful one. Are you even real?.”

I didn’t ask his name.

He didn’t ask mine.

It didn’t matter.

Masks fell off, lips smashed together, our bodies burned with desire.

For a few dizzy minutes, I wasn’t invisible. I was wanted and wanted by someone this handsome. 

“When was the last time I even experienced intimacy?” I thought.

The next morning, I woke up in my own bed, I had no idea how I got home. My heart starts racing. My lips were swollen. My thighs sore.

I smiled.

I hadn’t smiled like that in… years.

At work the next morning, I walked in ten minutes late. For once, I didn’t care.

My bun was messy. My blouse was open just enough to break the dress code. My lipstick was blood red.

Maya caught sight of me and nearly dropped her croissant.

“Holy hell,” she whispered. “You glamoured someone last night, didn’t you?”

I smirked. “Let’s just say…I finally got my knickers out of the twists they’ve been in.”

“Tell me everything later.”

I nodded, already turning to head to the 9:30 briefing.

The boardroom doors opened.

I stopped dead.

There he was.

Him.

From the club.

My breath snagged in my throat. I rushed to take a seat.

“Everyone,” said one of the senior partners, “meet our new managing partner..Lucas Thane”

His eyes landed on me.

He blinked once—like he couldn’t believe it.

But then his lips curled into the faintest smile.

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. This can’t be happening.” I whispered 

Maya leaned over and whispered, “You good?”

I nodded even though I had suddenly started sweating profusely.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Because that man?

He was my boss now.

And I’d had his mouth on my throat less than 12 hours ago.