"Do you even know what you're drinking?!" She yelled over the blaring music.
"Hey!" I tried to grab the drink from her but my slurpy movements almost landed me on the floor.
"Listen, Bella." She grabbed my shoulder and held me close so I wouldn't slide over my stool.
"I know I said have fun and go wild but I didn't mean this wild, girl!"
"More." I hiccuped, stretching out my hand toward the mug.
"I'll let you have it only on one condition." She held my face in her hand.
"W-h-at-ever." I stuttered.
"You'll stay right here while I go make a quick phone call outside." She didn't move until I had nodded in agreement to the deal.
"G-go do your sh-shit." I grabbed the mug even before she left.
While she was gone, I ordered three more mugs before my head became too heavy to sit on my neck.
My eyelids became extra heavy after I placed my head on the counter.
I'd almost fallen asleep when a crazy idea came into my mind.
I jerked up with the strength of someone who hadn't drank more mugs of beer than she knows she can handle.
I looked around to see if Zara was close by, like I could see anything through the blurr covering my eyes.
I steadied my wobbly feet on the ground and slowly slid off the stool.
As I matched on, my grin grew wider.
Even the cusses and hisses I got from the people I bumped into, couldn't wipe off the huge smile on my face.
The night was about to get better.
Surprisingly, the security didn't stop me from entering into the VIP section like I thought they would.
The air in here was so much cooler and you could barely hear the noise from the other part of the club.
I'm still rubbing my eyes with my hands in a bid to get a clearer sight of this space when I noticed him.
Through my blurry vision, I could make out his frame, cross-legged in one of the tables.
There's no one else at the table with him so I quickly waddled my way over.
He didn't stop me from taking my seat at his table.
Matter of fact, he didn't even pay attention to me. It was like he was still seated alone at his table.
Without a care in the world, I breathed in an unhealthy amount of minty air.
That minty smell was definitely from him.
Within all of that desirable mint, I could smell danger too.
It's inexplicable but my brain warned me to be weary of this man.
For several seconds, perhaps minutes, we just sat there in perfect silence.
"Leave." He eventually broke the silence, his voice low and menacing, void of any emotion.
The smoothness of his voice melted something in my lower belly.
"No." The word flew out my mouth before I realized.
I heard shuffling. He was probably staring at me and wondering why I was even seated here in the first place.
"It wasn't a request, Chocolate." His scoff sounded more like laughter.
"Chocolate?" I laughed too, ignoring my the warning my brain kept sending me and getting comfortable with this man.
"I think I like the sound of that." I shamelessly admitted.
"Can I kiss you?" Even in my drunken state, I knew I had crossed the line. Yet, I didn't care.
"Kiss someone else, Chocolate." He ended the conversation and left the table, heading for the VIP section.
Without wasting another breath, I raced after him.
"I told you to kiss someone else, Chocolate." He suddenly turned around and caged me between his body and the wall.
Standing closer to me now, I realize his minty scent was mixed with citrus.
"I'm afraid I can't." I squared my shoulders and raised myself on my tippy toes so he didn't think he was intimidating me.
"I don't give sweet kisses to drunk girls."
"Why?" I immediately argued back.
"They do not deserve it."
He attempted walking away but I grabbed his hand instead,
"And what is it that you give to drunk girls?"
"What is it you think we deserve?"
I could really just kiss anyone, it didn't matter.
All I wanted to do was have my first kiss tonight, until I met this man and made it mandatory that it had to be him.
At first, it seemed like he's going to throw me away but he turned around and took my chin in one big hand while trailing the other down my back.
"Why do you ask?" There's a mischievous change in his tone now and for some reason, that doubled the confidence in me.
"Who knows? Maybe I'll want what you give drunk girls."
His grip on my chin tightened before he let go.
"There will be no backing out, Chocolate." His voice is sinfully sweet now.
"I won't be backing out. Will you?" I assured him.
"You're a funny one." He laughed, grabbing my hand.
While we're on our way out, I catch sight of Zara's red gown and for a split second, I reconsider my decision.
All I claimed to have wanted was a kiss yet here I was, holding hands with a stranger.
I felt tugging and looked at him, "Regretting already?"
"Not at all." I smiled.
He helped me into the passenger seat before getting into his car.
While we're in his car, there are no sweet conversations or teasing words like I imagined there will be.
I looked out the window, hoping this will not be the last day I get to live.
Maybe I shouldn't have followed a stranger but there was no turning back now and I had a feeling this man wasn't going to harm me.
The next morning, I woke up on a bed that wasn't mine, wearing a man's shirt.
I winced loudly at the terrible hangover gnawing at my skull.
It felt like my head would explode.
Still looking around the room, I tried to remember how I ended up here.
When I saw a shirt on the floor, images from last night flooded my head so fast, it felt like I would pass out.
The drinks, my deal with Zara, the stranger.
Oh my goodness!
The last thing I remember is getting into his car with him.
Ignoring the hangover, I crawled out of his bed.
Finally finding the door, I pulled the handle and had to blink at the brightness.
The hallway stretched forward, decorated with pictures I didn't bother paying attention to.
My head wouldn't stop throbbing so I clinged to the banister for support as I descended the stairs.
I tripped over something on the last stair and fell.
When I looked, it was a gun.
"What?" Every bit of hangover had disappeared and was replaced with fear.
I looked around the living room for a door I could escape through, I wasn't prepared for what I saw.
A strange man was standing over a dead body, a gun still clutched in his hand.
I screamed loudly, falling to the wooden floor.
He turned to me, "You're awake."
"I told you not to disturb my guest." He frowned at the dead body.
His eyes were cold but as he looked at me, I saw a flicker of amusement and concern on his face.
He left where he stood in front of the dead body and started advancing toward me.
Shaking in fear, I moved back, still sitting on the floor.
He kept coming forward and I kept moving back until my butt hit the stair.
"Hey," He bent a little.
The gun from earlier just happened to be right beside me.
My instincts kicked in and I grabbed it and pointed it right at him.
The amusement on his face grew until he was laughing, "You're a funny one, Chocolate."
"Stay away from me!" My voice came out shaky.
"Do you know how to use that?" He seemed genuinely curious.
"If you come closer, I swear, I'll shoot." My threat sounded more like a plea.
"Well," he took another step, laughing.
I don't know whose gun it came from but a loud bang echoed through the living room.
It was so loud, I froze in fear for a second until I realized whose gun it came from.
Mine.
The stranger fell to the ground, the light in his blue eyes dimming a bit.
I screamed at the blood oozing out of his body.
I panicked for only a minute before I ran out of the house.
I didn't stop running until I was a good distance away from the stranger's mansion.
When I stopped running, I realized I was still holding his gun.
"What the hell have I done?"