An Unexpected Acquaintance

She bounced her feet, doing a silly jig while she waited for her father to pick up the call. The phone was pressed to her ear as she paced her apartment, reading the letter over and over again.

“Yes, Anateya?” A warm voice answered.

“I got in papi! I got into Columbia!” She squealed, clutching the letter like a lifeline,  “They said my application was one of the most impressive they have seen this year.” Her Italian accent thickened as her excitement grew. “Oh, I can’t wait!” She was one step closer to that MBA and joining her papi’s company.

A chuckle sounded on the other end, “Take a deep breath, Ana. You know how you can get... I’m so proud of you. Your mama must be smiling down at you from heaven.”

Anateya’s throat burned at the memory of her mom, taken too soon from them. When they found out, it was too late for chemo and only had time to say goodbye. 

“I miss her so much, papi. I wish she could be here to see this.” Anateya sat on the edge of her bed, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Manhattan was breathtakingly beautiful at night.

“Me too, Ana.”

“Can I go out and celebrate?” Anateya crossed her fingers. “Pretty please? I’ve at least earned one night for getting into Columbia.” Her father never let her leave the safety of her high-rise apartment unless it was for sensible reasons, and always with a slew of bodyguards.

Overprotective didn’t even begin to describe her papi. Control freak was more like it. Sometimes it was endearing, at others–suffocating.

If she was being fair, she was a wild child in high school, and her bodyguards had saved her numerous times from making typical teen mistakes that she would regret for the rest of her life.

It wasn’t so bad being protected to such a degree, but she wanted one night to celebrate her accomplishment.

A sigh sounded through the phone speaker, and she punched the air, knowing he had caved. “Alright,” He said. “You can go out, but only if you go to the other side of town and bring Lafel.”

Lafel had been her bodyguard since her teens, one of the main ones who saved her many times from her delinquent tendencies.

“Will do papi, love you, bye!” She hung up the phone before he could change his mind, doing another happy dance and rushing to the bathroom. She dialed her best friend, Diana as she picked up her electric toothbrush.

“Hello?”

“Hey D, drop everything. We’re going to Club Eleven.” She spoke around the whirring vibrations in her mouth. 

She pulled the phone away from her ear as a piercing scream belted through the speaker, “Club Eleven is like, the hottest thing right now. I can’t believe Daddy Berretta’s letting you go.”

“I know right?” She rinsed her mouth and dried it with a purple towel, “I got into mom’s legacy school so he’ll give me just about anything right now. One thing though, I have to bring Lafel.”

Diana scoffed, “Only Lafel? It’s gonna be too easy to ditch him tonight.”

“Yeah, tell me about it." Anateya laughed, feeling happier than she had in months. She had spent most of her summer in the academic trenches, completely focused on her internships and community projects ultimately to get into university. Now that she had completed that feat with flying colors, she wanted one night to let her hair down, and then she’d be back to it in the fall.

 "We’ll pick you up in fifteen, ‘kay?”

“See you in a bit, Ana.” 

⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜

Club Eleven was true to its name, standing eleven stories high. With a different theme on each floor, the club offered a unique blend of entertainment. Rumor had it that the higher up you went, the more debauched. Anateya wanted to get to the very top before midnight.

“Holy Shit.” Diana whistled, looking her best friend up and down as she got into the limo. “You’ve been hiding a temptress underneath all those oversized hoodies.”

Anateya smirked, glancing at her mid-thigh sequined dress that matched her emerald eyes. The color brought out the golden undertones of her olive skin and made the crimson curls that cascaded down her back pop. She looked exotic and sensual, which was the persona she wanted to embody for these few hours of freedom.

“You’re one to talk, D. I can’t tell where your skin ends and that dress begins.” Diana was wearing a red leather strapless dress that was even shorter than hers. Her blond hair was up in a high ponytail, two locks dropping playfully over her hazel eyes. 

Diana chuckled, “Mission accomplished.” She turned her attention to Lafel who was their driver and bodyguard for the night. Their eyes connected in the rearview mirror. “Hi Laf, how's it going?”

Lafel narrowed his dark gaze as he drove off, “Don’t get any ideas tonight. Neither of you will leave my sight or I’ll make sure you have no fun for the rest of the year.”

Diana pressed a hand to her chest, “Don’t stop Laf, I love it when you talk dirty.”

“Leave him be.” Anateya smiled, smacking her arm while simultaneously giving her a wink.

In the past, the best way to trick Lafel was to play into his expectations. He thought they had a plan–as usual–to evade his watchful eye. If they kissed up to him too much, he’d get even more suspicious.

Over time Anateya learned and adapted until she'd perfected the strategy she called, ‘The Girl Who Cried Wolf’. She’d do something to make him think she was trying to get away, but that turned out to be a completely innocent act. After she repeated this a couple times, he would let his guard down enough for her to actually get away. 

Worked every time.

Recently, she observed that his guard was easily let down around Diana. D was no longer a teen but a voluptuous woman that would make any hot-blooded male lose his cool.

And as much as he hated to admit it, even though she was off limits, he secretly loved it when Diana deployed tactics to distract him. 

That would be the focus of the plan tonight.

They had no trouble getting into the club, and the first floor was an explosion of neon colors. Barely clad bodies were writhing on the dance floor as the rave-themed music boomed through the speakers.

“I’m gonna get us a drink!” Anateya yelled over the music, making a step towards the bar. Lafel blocked her path, shaking his head.

“I got you a VIP section. They will bring drinks to you.”

Damn, she thought, giving Diana a pointed look. Diana raised a brow as if to say ‘You didn’t think it would be that easy did you?’. 

They sat on the curved velvet sofa as a waitress brought over a bottle of champagne.

“Can we get a bottle of tequila?” Anateya asked.

“No. Neither of you will be having tequila, You impazzire when you drink tequila.”

Diana gaped, “We do not go crazy when we drink tequila!”

“Do too.”

“Do not!”

“Let’s just drink the fizzy water for now,” Anateya cut in, bringing the flute to her lips, and downing half the content. “Can we at least dance?”

Lafel nodded, his shoulders stiff as they stepped off the platform, dancing together while staying in his line of sight. They moved close to each other so they could talk without looking suspicious.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with big Laf tonight, but he is bringing the vibe down.” Diana rolled her eyes. 

“He’s probably just pissed he had to babysit,” Anateya shrugged.

“Well, he’s gonna be even more pissed when you give him the slip. Are you ready?”

“Hell yeah.”

They smiled at each other, then grabbed the guy nearest to them. They danced salaciously, gyrating their bodies against their newfound partners who were happy to be on the receiving end of the tease show. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Anateya could see Lafel’s gaze darken the longer he stared at Diana, jealousy distorting his features. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he got off the platform and stalked towards them.

“Leave or you lose your wandering hands,” He growled. 

“What is wrong with you?” Diana huffed, crossing her arms, “We’re just dancing.”

“Whatever,” Anateya said flippantly, pretending to be done with dancing, and plopped down on the couch. She used the champagne flute to hide her smile as she watched Lafel and Diana bicker. After a moment, she grabbed another guy who looked like a hippie surfer to dance with him. Lafel bared his teeth, his hand circling around her waist and tugging her against his chest. Slowly, they began to move to the music, forgetting about the world around them.

Anateya chuckled. It was too easy. 

Setting the flute down, she climbed over the back of the couch and dropped down on the other side of the dance floor, out of sight. She shifted through the dancing bodies, heading for the elevator that was at the back of the room. 

People were starting to get in and she was just in time to join them on their ascent. She breathed a sigh of relief when the doors closed and they started to go up. A few people got off here and there, but she didn’t leave until she was at the very top.

What she found there surprised her.

It was a jolting contrast. If the ground floor was a college rave, then the top floor was an elitist speakeasy for voyeurism enthusiasts. As she walked into the dimly lit room, she tried to contain her shock, not wanting to appear out of her wits.

There were a few empty seats at the back where she entered from the short hallway and she sat down in the cozy chair. In front of her were rows of people who had full attention on the figures who were highlighted on the stage. 

The woman was strapped to an X-cross, all her naked body on display. A burly man stood to the side, passing a feather over her clit. The woman jerked into his touch, moaning and begging him for release.

Anateya felt her face grow hot, suddenly needing some fresh air. A referring breeze swept across her and she turned her gaze to the left, eyeing the open balcony. Walking as quietly as she could, she made her way through the doors, finding refuge against the stone railing.

Looking out at the city lights, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She’d never witnessed something so lewd and intriguing in her entire twenty-one years.

“You’re blocking my view, petarda.”

Chills raced down her spine at the deep voice that sounded from the darkness. “Who’s there?”

It felt like an eternity before he walked into the dim light, and he was the most hauntingly beautiful predator she’d ever laid eyes on.

His thick dark hair looked like liquid silk against his nape that tapered into broad shoulders. Only gods had cheekbones like his, and every heartbreaker had that strong jaw. His slightly crooked nose flared and his chest swelled with his deep intake of breath. Good lord, that chest– muscles bulged beneath his dress shirt–from what she gleaned from the space in his unbuttoned jacket. 

“My eyes are up here, petarda.” He chuckled quietly. Anateya dragged her eyes up and up and up, finally meeting his silver gaze. Her breath caught, her mouth drying as he trapped her in those mesmerizing gray orbs. 

“I, I–” She stammered, the shade of red deepening on her cheeks. She felt embarrassed, checking out a complete stranger like that. Her eyes tracked his movements as his large hand rested the drink he was holding on the railing. Everything about the evening was throwing her off her game.

“I can see that this is your first time here,” He slid his hands into his pocket, stepping closer. 

She took a step back on instinct. “I’ve been here plenty of times before,” She lied, lifting her chin.

“Oh really?” He raised a brow, taking another step. He tilted his head, gesturing to the audience just a few meters away. “Everyone in there has eyes on the stage, not wanting to miss a single moment of the scene. Greedy to satisfy their twisted desire. You, on the other hand, can barely stand the sound of another woman moaning without blushing.”

They were three feet apart now, and Anateya felt the need to stand her ground. She wouldn’t let this man stalk her like she was his dinner. “You don’t know anything about me.” His scent was intoxicating, drawing her in as her body swayed toward him.

“Oh, but I do. Your body is telling me everything those pretty lips aren’t, everything that you’re craving right now.”

Her heart hammered in her chest and warmth bloomed in her lower abdomen. Every nerve in her body was acutely aware of this mysterious man who looked at her like she was an open book. She wanted to hide from his piercing gaze and bare herself to the onslaught all at the same time. “What’s it saying now?” She whispered, curious, anxious to know what he thought.

His jaw clenched for a second before he leaned forward, dipping his head until his lip touched her ear. She shivered as he traced the shell before his husky voice filtered into her head. “Your body is telling me that it wants to scream in pleasure, like that woman on the X-cross.”

Anateya’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and her knees buckled as his hot breath caressed her neck. He caught her crumbling frame with his own, pinning her gently against the stone railing. She felt him shudder as his hard length nestled between her legs, their foreheads pressed together. The world did not exist. Only the symphony of their ragged breathing. 

Every word he said was true. Anateya couldn’t keep track of what was happening in her head, heart, or body. All she felt was an unyielding and burning desire to kiss this stranger.

“Please,” She whispered, nodding when she couldn’t get the other words out.

His eyes bore into hers, “Yeah?” He questioned, one hand coming up to cup her cheek and nodding with her as if he needed to be sure before he crossed that line. 

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he closed the gap between them and claimed her lips. Anateya gasped, her mind spinning as he claimed her very soul. He possessed her with his mouth, his large hands roaming over every inch of her body they could find, finally settling on her ass and pressing her closer to him.

Something wild snapped within her and suddenly, she was claiming him too, hooking one leg around his waist, her hands sliding up into his hair and gripping tightly. It was even softer than she’d imagined. He shuddered in response, taking her lip between his teeth and biting gently. She moaned into him. Closer, she needed to be closer.

They became a mess of tangling limbs, and Anateya was consumed with passion like never before. His tongue dipped into her mouth and he stole her breath as she clung to him, not wanting his fierce plundering to ever end.

Someone cleared their throat and he broke this kiss, growling at the short man who intruded on their moment. “What?!”

“I, erm. He is ready for you, Sir.” 

Cold air washed over her as her mystery man released her, taking a step back and fixing his clothes. She didn’t even want to think about how disheveled she looked at that moment. 

As if sensing her worry, he gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. “You look beautiful, especially when I’m the reason you’re undone.” He turned to leave and she touched his hand, halting his steps.

“I’m a runaway bird on borrowed time. How will I ever see you again?” She whispered breathlessly. 

His gaze darkened, his eyes filled with understanding of her cryptic words. “I will find you and set you free from your cage. Nothing will keep me away from you, petarda.”

Long after he was gone, she hugged herself as she stared out at the city once again. Her father was a master at keeping her sequestered. And after the stunt she pulled with Lafel, it was highly likely that she would never see her mystery man ever again.

She just wished she had asked for his name so she at least had that precious souvenir to keep, to cherish along with the memory that was imprinted on her heart forever.