Chapter 15

The frenetic atmosphere of the club accompanied by DJ music and disco lights greeted Xavier as soon as he arrived at De Night, one of the elite and well-known clubs in New York.

The dimly lit place was very crowded. The sea of ​​people seemed so tight and pressed against each other that there was almost no distance.

Indeed, that is the view that is usually found in a discotheque or nightclub. A place where people unwind and lose stress with alcohol and disco music is a compliment.

Xavier stepped in through the crowds of people with a minimal level of consciousness, who was busy shaking their bodies with a glass of alcohol in hand.

Since it's a weekend, the place is busier than usual. The bar table was full, the scantily clad waiters seemed to be busy passing by. The DJ stage was packed with customers dancing and relaxing.

For a moment Xavier felt the atmosphere that was so familiar to him was now very foreign. If ten years ago this place had been like a second home to him, then this time Xavier can't even remember the last time he spent time and money in a place like this.

Xavier took a deep breath. In the past, he had stopped here because of Rachel, and now he was spending time in this place again because of that woman.

Xavier looked around, looking for the whereabouts of Dimitri and his friends. More specifically, a friend that Xavier knew when he set foot in Germany ten years ago.

Someone sitting at one of the VIP tables in the right corner waved to Xavier. He also pointed his feet in that direction, where Dimitri and his friends sat with the night girls.

"Long time no see, dude!" A man with a firm face stood up and stretched out his arms to welcome Xavier's arrival.

They cuddled for a moment. Shake hands then embrace each other with a familiar back pat.

"Brian, how are you? I didn't know you were back in New York," he said, looking so happy to see one of his old friends again.

The man of Latin American descent smiled broadly. "As you can see, I'm fine."

Maybe even only Xavier grew up and went to school in America until he was a teenager. Dimitri has lived and studied in Germany since elementary school.

"Well, what's the matter with you, brother?" Daniel who was flanked by two sexy women stood up and embraced Xavier. "You look just as bad as our new widower."

The man Daniel was referring to was Kenzo, one of their friends who recently officially became a widower.

Dimitri joined in. "One is upset because he was forced to marry, the other is upset because he met his little ex-wife in court."

Kenzo rolled his eyes lazily, while Xavier snorted softly and then plopped down on the empty part of the sofa after chatting briefly with Kenzo.

More or less Xavier knows about Kenzo's divorce from his chosen wife, Sarah.

However, he was quite surprised by the news that the ex-wife who Kenzo first married based on a will was also present at his trial with Sarah.

Yes, you could say, this friend of Xavier's has been married to different women twice, and the second time also he holds the status of a widower.

Xavier leaned back on the sofa, then looked up blankly at the twinkling lights above him.

"I don't want to have the same fate as Kenzo," said Xavier amid the noise of club music. "Married to a woman I didn't want, in the end, it only hurt each other and ended in separation."

Brian innocently replied, "But after that Kenzo also married the woman he wanted and he loved but ended up getting divorced too."

Brian's innocent speech was rewarded with a peanut toss by Kenzo. Feeling annoyed, of course, with Brian being outspoken.

Dimitri poured vodka into his glass as he said, "That's why it's important to know what's in our hearts, X, about who we really love. Don't misinterpret and end up regretting it. Like Kenzo, for example."

"I've never regretted anything I've decided." Kenzo glanced at Dimitri in annoyance. Why are he and his love story being used as an example again?!

"Are you sure, no regrets?" This time it was Daniel who looked at Kenzo with his eyebrows raised high. "What if I approach your little ex-wife… Uhm, what's her name? Ah, Ayyana!"

"Hey!" Kenzo's reflex glared in protest.

They suddenly laughed. For a moment Xavier felt very comforted, at least his frantic feelings for Rachel were slightly diverted because of his friends.

Kenzo seems to be wrong in making choices as well as decisions. Making him a widower for the second time, Kenzo even seems to regret divorcing his innocent and kind first wife, for a free and unfaithful woman like Sarah.

Seeing Kenzo's failure in marriage, Xavier is increasingly convinced to keep fighting for Rachel no matter what obstacles cross.

Xavier believes his case with Kenzo is different. In contrast to Kenzo, who had chosen the wrong woman from the start, so for Xavier, there is no need to think again, he is thousands of percent sure that Rachel, the woman of his choice, is the only one who is the best for him.

"Instead of having fun with us, you're busy daydreaming, X."

Xavier was shocked and pulled back from his long daydream when he heard a grumble from Daniel.

Brian, who was sitting next to Xavier, embraced him with boisterous laughter. "You're not as lucky as Dimitri. Look at your cousin, X, he's been smiling ever since he looked at his phone like crazy."

Xavier glanced at Dimitri. And sure enough, the man who was in love seemed to look at his cellphone screen.

Xavier grabbed a glass of margarita on the table and drank it in one gulp. "I'm curious as to how good that woman who is to make our Dimitri crazy."

Dimitri, who felt his name being called suddenly looked up, he then turned off his cellphone screen and said, "I won't introduce her to you guys before she officially becomes my wife! You guys might tease her until she is attracted to one of you guys. Especially you, X."

"I told you, I have a woman of my own choice." Xavier rolled his eyes lazily.

"I'm sure my woman is far more everything than your woman, Dim."

"Then just bring each of your women," said Brian interceding. "We will judge later, which woman will be the winner."

"You think this is a contest!"

And their laughter was back in the air amid the noise of the club atmosphere. Neither of them knew that the woman Xavier and Dimitri were arguing with was the same person.