victoria

 

 

Victoria and Ashley made their way back to Melanie and Eve and recounted what had happened with the drink. When Victoria pointed Bradley out as the offender, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped to the floor.

“Oh my god, look at those arms. I wouldn’t mind if he sprayed something all over me,” said Eve, laughing loudly.

Melanie joined in. “Hell, maybe I’ll bump into him and ask him to rub me clean!”

Victoria rolled her eyes. Looks like the alcohol is kicking in, she thought. She couldn’t believe what they were willing to overlook, all just because of a hot body and a perfect, Greek-god-like face.

“Excuse me, guys, I’m going to go clean my legs while you all drown in your own drool over here. I’ll be back.”

Ashley followed her through the dancing crowd, all the way to the back where the restrooms were. Victoria swung open the door and made a beeline straight to the sink.

“Oh no, look at this sticky mess.” There was a film of dried and sugary cocktail running down both her legs, which she wiped off with a wet paper towel. “Good thing it didn’t spill on my feet and ruin my shoes. I would have had to take one off and beat him with it, I swear,” she said, still clearly annoyed and making a face in the mirror.

Ashley laughed. “Aww, give him a break. I’m sure he only made that stupid joke because he was nervous. Besides, can you blame him? If I was a guy I’d ask to rub your legs too,” she said with a giggle.

“Ashley, you’re too nice, especially to people with six packs and a hard cock between their legs.”

Ashley’s eyes widened and she stared at Victoria with mouth agape. Victoria started talking faster, which was common when someone pissed her off.

“Sometimes people just suck, and you can’t change them. Get used to it.” She reapplied a coat of mascara and lipstick, and blew a kiss at Ashley in the mirror. “Otherwise, you’ll get eaten alive. Don’t trust anyone, especially a man, until he’s earned your trust. Take it from me.”

This time, it was Ashley who rolled her eyes. “Don’t kill me with your positivity, Vic.”

Victoria let that one slide and didn’t respond.

Satisfied that they looked better than just decent, they headed back to the group.

“I’m going to get another drink. Anyone else ready for another?” Victoria asked, but they were all still working on their first.

She made her way around the couple dancing in front of her and headed for the bar. The bartender was about to take her order when a white and frothy cocktail appeared on the bar in front of her.

“A drink for the princess. Hope you like it,” she heard from her right. It was said in a deep, manly voice that sounded familiar. She turned and looked up at his face – at that perfectly chiseled and rugged face. Her belly flip-flopped. She was frozen, unsure what to do. She thought she had made her views perfectly clear, and it surprised her that he had the guts to come and talk to her again.

She took a sip of her new drink. It was the same order as the original, and she was impressed – he must have asked the bartender what she was drinking.

“So, are you trying to tell me you’re not the self-important douche you looked like back there?” She couldn’t help but crack a smile.

He held her gaze. “Oh, I don’t know whether I’m all that important, so I can’t answer that. And the drink, that’s just so you can justify coming home with me tonight. You know, so you don’t feel dirty and cheap tomorrow.” He took a sip of his own drink, ignoring the shocked look on her face. He turned back to her. “What’s your name?”

She wasn’t sure that she wanted to tell him, but she figured she should at least be cordial, since he went to the effort of replacing her drink.

“Victoria.”

“I see, Victoria. I suppose you want my name too.” Without waiting for her response, he said, “Do you want my real name or my stage name? The real one’s Bradley. Remember it – I’ll have you screaming it by the end of the night.” He gave her a look that pierced through her and gave her goose bumps.

She searched his face for an indication that he was kidding, but his face was cool and intense, and full of self-assurance.

“I know the name of the man I’ll be riding tonight – and it’s not Bradley.” She smirked at him, but if he was fazed, he didn’t show it. He gave her a half-smile, his lips barely turning up at their corners.

“If you say so,” he said.

“What do you mean by a stage name, anyways? What are you, an actor? Or think you are, maybe?” She scoffed and gave him a challenging look.

“Yeah, kind of.” His lips finally widened into a smile that could rip the panties off any woman with a pulse.

“Oh really? What sort of actor?”

“Let’s just say I star in musicals, with a very wide and loyal following.”

“Hmm, I see.” She looked him up and down. That tight, ripped body – he didn’t look like an actor at all, unless the show was titled “Banging the Secretary”.

“Want to come and watch a show? It’s on me. I’ll get you a backstage pass too.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of him now. He reminded her slightly of her ex. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was – whether it was his smile, or his eyes – but there was something there that was unsettlingly familiar.

The story of her breakup wasn’t one she cared to remember or dwell on, but now that she thought about her ex, all the miserable memories came flooding back. At the time, she went through a particularly busy time at work for about two months, during which they didn’t see each other nearly as much as they wanted. Looking back, she realized this wasn’t good for their relationship, but that didn’t excuse his man-whorish behavior.

Her blood boiled just thinking about it. She had decided to leave work early one night (9pm being considered early in her field) so she could surprise him at his condo. She walked in and knew right away that something was amiss. The scent of perfume hung in the air, and it definitely wasn’t a man’s cologne. The second clue was the pair of high heels strewn haphazardly on the floor in front of the closet, the sight of which made her want to puke at the time.

Sure, he begged to have her back after that, but she was having none of it. She had seen female members of her family suffer at the hands of cheaters, and she had vowed that she would never be one of those poor women. That was also one of the reasons she was so serious about her studies and career – she didn’t want to be at the financial mercy of a man, or anyone else for that matter.

Bradley interrupted her train of thought. “What do you say to going out for dinner? Just you and me – no crowd like this to drown us out.” His eyes told her he had more than dinner in mind. “One-time offer. You won’t forget it, and you most certainly will not regret it, I promise,” he whispered in her ear.

Before he pulled away, he nipped lightly at her neck with his firm lips. A tingling sensation travelled down her body from her neck to her core, and her body responded to his provocation with lust. His scent mesmerised her. It was a mix of woodsy, spicy, salty maleness. Just the kind of scent she loved enveloping her between the sheets.

She was so tempted to say yes, to scream yes! But her cynical side wondered what quality of man she was likely to meet at a pickup joint like a club. Besides, she was still not over how arrogant he had acted earlier. That body, though – it was to die for. She could just imagine the ways in which he could manhandle her – all parts of her.

“I don’t know, I’m really busy with work these days.” She didn’t know why she said that. Usually, she had no problem just giving an outright “no” – with no beating around the bush. “It’d be hard to make the time.”

He didn’t say a thing, but asked one of the bartenders for a pen and napkin and scribbled something down.

“Here. Call me if you change your mind.” He got up, but before he left her side he placed a hand on the small of her back, leaned in, and said, “I’ll give you the hottest night of your life. I can tell you’re a wild woman and if I’m wrong, well, I can make you one.” He gave her another smile, showing off his straight white teeth, set the napkin down on the counter in front of her, and disappeared into the crowd.

She spun her head around to follow him with her eyes, but he was gone.

Wow. A warmth spread across her cheeks. She wasn’t used to such assertiveness, and he had put it all out there, with a cockiness and self-assured confidence that were hallmarks of his type. The type that knew what he wanted and did everything in his power to get it.

She picked up the note and turned it right side up. It was a phone number. She considered throwing it across the bar, but the heat swelling in her when she thought of him told her she needed to keep it. And use it. She folded it up neatly and tucked it in her wallet.

Ashley and the others rushed up to her soon after he was gone. She hoped they hadn’t witnessed any of that, but her hopes were dashed by Eve’s wicked smile.

“Jackpot! Why did you let that hottie leave? If you don’t fuck him, I will!” She was clearly already drunk.

“Eve!!” Victoria gave her a disapproving look, but couldn’t help cracking up. “Relax, he just apologized for spilling his drink on me earlier, that’s all.”

“So, he’s not such a jerk after all?” Eve winked and nudged her. She was laying it on thick.

“He’s alright, I guess.” Her face flushed as she remembered the way he kissed her neck, and she felt a slick wetness between her thighs. Yes, she definitely had to meet him again. At the very least, she should give him a chance. He had the kind of body that needed to be taken home and used, repeatedly.

The rest of the night was uneventful, except for Melanie throwing up when she got home, with Victoria holding her hair back. Victoria always kept an eye out for her friends. She might be a tough bitch at times, but she prided herself on being there for her best friends and always making sure they got home ok. After Sips, they shared a cab back to Melanie’s place because she could tell that Melanie wasn’t going to be fine. Sure enough, as soon as they sat down in Melanie’s living room, she started complaining.

“Vic, I’m not feeling so good.” Her face was ashen gray and her eyes were blank, staring into space. She leaned forward.

“It’s ok, I’ll get you some water and an aspirin and you’ll sleep it off. Make sure you sleep with a window open so that –”

Before she could finish, Melanie sprung up from the couch with her eyes wide open and her hands covering her mouth. She made a run for the bathroom, with Victoria close behind, rushing to help her.

When Melanie was done, Victoria helped clean her up, made her brush her teeth, got her some water, and tucked her in for the night. “Yell for me if you need anything, honey. I’ll be here on the couch.”

Melanie groaned back at her. “Night. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Victoria shut the light off and closed the door.

She sat down on the couch with a snack she grabbed from the kitchen and stared mindlessly at the late-night news, replaying in her mind every minute of her interactions with Bradley. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible? Maybe she had been a little hard on him at first. He seemed to redeem himself later on, and even had a sense of humor.

She remembered the note; it was practically burning a hole through her wallet. It was as if she could hear it yelling at her – “use me, call him!”. Even if he wasn’t boyfriend material, he would certainly do for satisfying her other needs, and she might enjoy a few of his shows at the theater.

She went back and forth in her head about it, and couldn’t make a decision. She finished her snack, got ready for bed, and fell asleep almost instantly once she laid her head down.

 

****

 

The next morning, she woke up fully rested, not even remembering at first that poor Melanie had been sick. She slept better that night than she had in a long time, and she had a feeling it was because of Bradley.

His eyes, his smile, everything about him oozed warmth and sexuality. His voice was low and smooth as velvet, and her core had tingled when he whispered in her ear.

Ugh, stop it, and finish your breakfast at least, before you start obsessing over this guy. She made an extra coffee for Melanie and sat down at the breakfast table. She heard a door creak open.

“Oh my god, I feel like death!” Melanie emerged from her room, her face swollen and her hair a tousled mess.

Victoria snickered. “You poor thing. You look about a degree better than death itself. Think you drank enough last night?” she asked sarcastically.

Melanie nodded. “I’m never drinking again.” She sat down and wrapped her hands around the coffee mug. “Thanks for the coffee, hon.”

“No problem.”

“Did I do anything stupid last night? Please tell me no.”

“Other than offer to bear the bartender’s firstborn, no.” Victoria laughed. Teasing Melanie was too much fun.

Melanie groaned. “Shut up, stop messing with me.” She took a sip of coffee. “What about you? I saw you talking to that hottie. Did you give him your number?”

Victoria paused, unsure about how much information to divulge.

“Umm, no. But he gave me his.”

Melanie’s eyes popped open. “Nice! So, are you going to call him after a few days?”

“I’m tempted to. He’s not such a bad guy, after all.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Duh! C’mon, you were checking out those arms of steel just like the rest of us, don’t deny it. I’m so jealous! When do I get to meet a hottie like that?”

“Don’t worry, maybe he has a friend.” Victoria giggled. “He said that he’s an actor with a stage name, and that he does musicals.”

“Wow, really? That’s cool. Maybe we should see one of his shows.”

“I think he mentioned that.” A shadow flitted across her eyes. “Anyways, you know I’m not interested in a relationship, not now at least, not after what that jerk Nathan did. I have to focus on my career. I just got this new job, and I can’t mess it up.”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe what he put you through. But you can’t assume all men are like that, though. You caught a really bad break with him.”

“Ok, not all. Just 99%. And the other 1% are in a coma. Or gay.”

“Stop it! Just watch, you’ll meet the perfect guy for you, and all of that will be a distant memory. You won’t even remember his name. Maybe Bradley will be the one to make you forget.” She smiled and gently elbowed Victoria.

“I doubt it.” Victoria got up and put her mug in the sink with a shrug. She really just wanted this conversation to be over, but didn’t want to offend her friend by telling her to zip it.

“You never know unless you try.”

“I guess.” Flashbacks of the previous night played in her mind. His scent, his rock-hard biceps, his firm lips on her neck and his strong hand on her back. She suddenly thought it might not be a bad idea to give him a spin after all.