JamesI took her hand and led her to the bar. I made eye contact with the bartender who came to me. I sat on a bar stool.- Do you want some water again?I asked.- No, virgin mojito please.She said out loud so the barman could hear it.- Virgin?I raised my eyebrows with a teasing smirk. She rolled her eyes.- Non-alcoholic!She said in an annoyed tone. I smiled at her.- Why mojito?I asked. I needed to know all her preferences.- It’s refreshing with peppermint and sprite. I need sugar in my system after dancing.She smiled softly.- And by the way, you are a good dancer. I loved it! I’m impressed!She said with approval! Yes! I fist-bumped air in my mind. Her compliments warmed my heart in ways that felt as if I had never received a compliment in my life. It felt better than any praise I have received so far.

LailaI woke up the next morning when the sun was brightly shining in my room. I stretched across my bed. And groaned. I felt pain everywhere. My neck, arms, legs, feet, and abdomen were hurting. Oh, maan. I grunted again. But the dancing was nice. I smiled to myself.And then memories of yesterday barged into my mind like a running herd of crazy elephants. The firm grip on my hand when he pulled me through the crowd, his s*xy look, his body pressed against mine, his warm hands touching me, the way he licked my neck and brushed my lips... So many details were engraved in my mind and body. I covered my face with my palms. What the f*ck did I do yesterday? I groaned again. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. I shouldn't have danced with him. I shouldn't have drunk tequila with him. And I definitely shouldn't have hugged or kissed him on the cheek. F*ck. What was I thinking? I have been resisting him all this time and now look at me! Where am I taking this now?

LailaMy Sunday was slow till noon. Until I got a phone call from my boss, telling me that there was some disaster and asking me to help out with another project whose deadline was tomorrow morning. After grumpily making a deal about the payment, I agreed to help out. So, for the next 3 hours, I typed and read as fast as I could. I still needed to get ready for that date. At 3 p.m. I started to get stressed. So I typed faster. I quickly reread and hit send button. Okay. 3.20 p.m. I have 40 minutes. I can pull this off.I didn't waste time and jumped in the shower. From such intense work, I got a headache. I hoped that a shower would clear my head. I put shampoo in my hair and washed it throughout. While I shaved, I started to think this was such an annoying beauty standard. Just 60 (or so) years ago, ladies didn't shave at all and no one said a thing. My spiteful self thought that it was even chauvinistic.But I was too big of a coward to go aga

James - What?!Laila asked in shock.- What?I asked back with a frown. What's wrong with diamonds? Did she like other stones better? Like crystals?- James!She said in that warning tone. What now?- How much does it cost?She asked almost with anger.- It was...The way she asked me made me wanna spill the beans.- Why? It doesn't matter. It was nothing.I said with a frown and shake of my head. I wasn't going to tell her. We were interrupted as the waitress brought our desserts. We had chocolate cakes. I murmured a quick "thank you".- You rich people!She scolded me the moment the waitress was gone.- I can’t accept it, James!She said defiantly.- Why not?I asked frustrated.- I feel… It makes me feel uncomfortable.She said with a frown and shake of her head.- Because those a

JamesIt was Monday morning when I entered the kitchen fresh after shower. The morning training was the perfect way to release my frustration after the disastrous date. It was the second time in a few weeks that I scr*wed up things. Lucas noticed my sour mood as he was eating dirt again and again. He commented about me being upset a lot, but I just growled and kept on sparring. I remember how he danced with Laila and kicked his *ss badly. As we were cousins with Lucas, we were pretty evenly matched. Though he was the Beta of the pack, most of the time it was 50/50 who won the sparring matches. But today I was p*ssed and upset so I gave everything I got in the training. It did help. I felt I unwound most of the pent-up energy.As I entered the kitchen, my family was sitting around the breakfast table. I plotted down on the closest chair and huffed. All the heads turned to me and four pairs of eyes looked at me with several questions swirling in them. I