Part 22: In the Beginning, There Was Lust

I looked around the dark club. It was nearly hard to recognize anyone's face. The music was loud, the place was crowded and the dance floor was filled with hyped up bodies.

The fun part of it, there were girls in lingeries that were performing unholy gymnastics on poles and hanging rings. And the best part of it, there were bare-chested male waiters with torsos to die for.

"Your eyes are dropping." Leo nudged me.

I felt hot but not enough to turn my skin pink. I was used to Dave's friends by then. "I can't help it." I spared Leo a look before turning to smile at one of the half-naked waiters. "They're just too sexy."

"You're finding them all hot because..." Leo started but El nudged him.

"Because I found out my boyfriend wasn't mine and I've been feeling single ever since?" I offered. "It's okay. I'm okay. Screw my boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend."

I turned to the new arrival. "Dave," I traced every little outline of his torso muscles with my eyes. I shook my head to get a hold of myself. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

Dave smirked and placed an arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry. Richard's covering for me."

"Who's Richard?" I asked as a sexy waiter walked past winking at me.

"Him." Dave said. "Everyone's telling me my girlfriend is eyeing every naked guy that crosses her path and I should attend to her before she gives in to temptations."

"They think you're my boyfriend?"

"One would expect they'd suspect El." Leo added. "He's nicer to Adey than Dave or... that asshole."

"Speaking of assholes," I said raising my phone.

"Look..." Leo glanced at the other guys before looking back at me. "Why don't you talk to him?"

"Why should I?" I rolled my eyes. "In this era, we don't say it's over. We just go silent."

"Right. However, I'm disappointed to say it appears your ex belongs to the previous era." Dave squeezed my shoulder.

"Yeah," Leo said again. "El, you know she listens to you more than to me."

"Answer him, hear what he's got to say then give him a piece of your mind for the peace of your mind." El clicked his fingers.

I smiled. "Sounds better when its rhyming. Or whatever it's called."

I answered the call. "Hi,"

"Thank god you answered, Adey, can we please meet?" said Javiers voice. "I know you're mad at me and there's probably nothing I can say but please just see me. Please?"

"You still sound cute it's hard to turn you down. Where..." I started but when I raised my eyes, three pairs of eyes were eying me like I had just told them the earth was flat and the earth revolved around the sun.

Or was it the other way round? Whatever, but I got it. "No Javier, I'm not going to let you play me again just because I'm younger than you and naïve and... forget it. No." I quickly ended the call.

Leo nodded at me. El smiled with a tilt of his head. Dave rubbed the side of my arm.

"I probably sounded like a complete heartbroken idiot." I told them, a sad smile on my face.

"No, Adey, you didn't. You sounded just fine." Leo shook his head.

"You sounded like an idiot." El told me.

"He's calling again." I told the boys.

"Either you take that call or you answer to your rescue boyfriend." Dave said and I turned.

"What am I going to do?" I turned back to the boys.

"We can't keep protecting you from him forever." Leo said. "Some day you're going to have to talk to him."

"He's right. It's been over a week; don't you miss him terribly?" Dave said with a wink, comfirming my suspicions for an underlying meaning behind his words.

I opened my mouth to say something.

"Still mad at me?"

I felt the hairs at the nape of my neck stand on ends. The enticing scent filled my head and I was overcome by an urge to turn to him and throw my arms around his neck.

Somewhere deep in my being, he brought me a sense of protection. A feeling of peace. And a sensation of bound lust.

Lust.

"I'll be okay." I told the boys and they turned away.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.

Then I turned to face...

A wave of his masculine scent hit me like a wall of crashing water and I was momentarily hypnotized. "Who are you?"

"Your boyfriend, Princessah."