6

About thirty minutes later, once I’d arrived at my apartment, the first thing I did was head straight for the shower—to wash off the remnants of the passionate night. The warm streams of water pleasantly relaxed my tense, exhausted body.

Running a soapy sponge over my heated, delicate skin, Nazar’s image kept surfacing in my mind—how his hands had touched me in exactly the places where the soapy water now flowed. My own hand followed those spots, starting from my neck, tracing and caressing my sensitive breasts, which immediately hardened under my touch, sending waves of longing straight down to my lower abdomen.

What kind of obsession is this?! I’d gone and discovered intimacy with a man on my own head! Was I really going to spend all my time thinking about sex now, like some kind of crazy maniac?!

Turning the water cooler, I rinsed off quickly and stepped out of the shower. Today was a day off, but surprisingly, I had no desire to sleep. Clearly, the emotions and overstimulated nervous system—along with… well, more than just that—wouldn’t let my brain rest. So I decided to dedicate this day off… to cleaning! Maybe it would help push away the naughty thoughts in the process.

However, no matter how furiously I scrubbed every possible surface in my home, I didn’t feel any lighter. Half the day passed with my mind stuck on yesterday… and my damp underwear. Throwing in the towel on the hopeless cleaning attempt, I decided to call Marina.

“Hey, listen, here’s the deal… let’s go out somewhere today,” I said immediately, skipping any formalities or small talk.

“Whoa, well, well!” I heard my friend laugh, genuine surprise in her voice, because proposals like this from me… never happened. “What’s with the sudden eagerness?”

“I need to have some fun and distract myself from this boring life. I’m tired of being stuck between four walls—home and work,” I said, my irritation quickly rising at Marina’s teasing tone in response to my suggestion. “Are you going to keep me company today, or am I doing this alone?”

“You’re serious, huh?” the blonde chuckled. “Could I really leave you alone in such a responsible task? Especially since this kind of enthusiasm happens less often than a planetary alignment. So, where shall we go?”

“To a club,” I blurted out, and heard a loaded silence over the line.

“Wait, am I really talking to Victoria right now? Victoria Lemeshko?” — my friend’s serious, stern voice made me actually smile. “And where’s your usual nagging about tomorrow being a workday and all that?”

“Well, we’re not going for long,” I laughed, flopping onto the couch and propping my legs on the armrest. “And I’m not planning to get drunk. I just want a change of scenery.”

“Okay, got it,” she exhaled, smiling. “Then let’s go to Briz. One of my DJ friends is playing there tonight—it’s a good club. Maybe around nine, so it’s not too late.”

“Perfect, it’s a deal,” I said, smiling contentedly, sensing for the first time in my life that this would be an unusual night… not counting yesterday, of course.

Dropping the call, I wandered into the kitchen to satisfy my sudden hunger, then quickly ran back to the shower.

By the agreed-upon time, I was completely ready, standing like a soldier waiting for Marina at the entrance to the nightclub. Tonight I wore tight black high-waisted pants and a silver strapless top, paired with black stiletto heels. Just in case, I’d brought a gray blazer, as mid-September weather can be unpredictable, and rain was forecast. I’d pulled my hair into a high ponytail, put on a black choker around my neck, and lined my eyes with dark shadows. I had to admit—I looked pretty good when I actually tried, paying attention to details and finishing touches.

“Wow! Is this really the Vicky I know?” — Marina greeted me, smiling her bright, white-toothed smile, giving me a quick hug as we joined the queue at the club entrance. “I don’t know… something’s different about you,” she said, peering closely into my eyes. “If I didn’t know you were such a workaholic and a bore, I’d say you finally found yourself some boyfriend.”

Why am I still friends with this bitch? But her insight hit the mark almost perfectly, only slightly off. The boyfriend, though, isn’t mine—he’s… for general use. Embarrassed, I lowered my eyes, trying not to betray my sudden blush. Thankfully, the blonde was too excited about the party to notice my discomfort. Instead, she adjusted her short emerald dress, tugging at it near the chest to lift it more favorably, and ran her long nails through her platinum hair, which reached almost down to her waist.

Such a gorgeous little menace! I often feel self-conscious next to her. She’s always so confident and knows how to present herself that I feel like a gray little mouse in comparison. Honestly, anyone standing near her would pale in comparison.

But not today! I know I’m looking pretty good too—after all, I wasn’t the only one to reach the finish line last night. The guy kept going multiple times, continuing his advances again and again. It was as if we couldn’t get enough of each other. Especially considering his job! He’s seen a lot of women. If I weren’t a sexual little moth, that wouldn’t have happened—so he wanted me. And that, as a woman, really boosts my confidence!

Finally stepping into the club and immersing myself in the pounding music, I realize that today, I’m definitely going to get distracted and forget about everything else.