“What are you all dressed up for? Got another hot date with that internet guy?”
“Ha! Yeah, right. I won’t be seeing him again. Our date didn’t exactly end well.”
Adam smiled. “I assumed something had gone wrong when you were home and calling me about denture fix.”
I almost choked on the water I had sipped. “What do you mean?”
He laughed. “Well, if it had gone well, you wouldn’t have been home, alone, cleaning your cat.”
I physically relaxed. The thought of Adam knowing about my sexual mishap with James was less than appealing. Bending to take off his shoes, he glanced up at me over the rim of his glasses and smiled.
“Well, his loss, Charlie. You’re the catch of a lifetime.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, like a sexually transmitted disease.”
Adam shook his head and neatly lined his shoes up beside the sofa. “There you go again, putting yourself down. How do you expect to find the man of your dreams when you don’t even love who you are?”
I exhaled slowly. “I thought I had found him. Until he ran off with some home-wrecking harlot.”
“Maybe a little time getting to know yourself again would be a better idea than searching for your next big romance, Charlie.”
It was good advice, but surely I could meet myself and have mind-blowing sex, too?
“Maybe. But for now, I’ll settle for hot, sexy, and willing to fuck my brains out.”
Adam’s eyes widened at me, and he blushed, adjusting his tie.
“If that’s what you’re looking for. I’m assuming that’s why you’re dressed up and wearing your best heels?”
I glanced down at my feet. “Naturally. Guys hate a girl who is too tall. Kitten heels get me laid, and there’s less chance of me falling on my arse.”
Or my face … I thought back to my date with James.
“I just think you could do so much better, and you deserve better. I’m going to have a bath and relax with a beer while I plow through that heap of paperwork in my case.”
Rising from the sofa, he walked over and placed a light kiss on my cheek. “Try not to get into too much trouble, and if tonight does turn into your lucky night, try to keep it down.”
Heading toward the bathroom, he turned and winked at me. My insides did a tiny loop-de-loop, and I found myself grinning like a maniac. Adam always knew just what to say to boost my confidence. He was everything a girl could want, but yet he continued to be single. No woman ever seemed to measure up to his standards. I had wondered if they felt intimidated by his relationship with me, but most of them had embraced our friendship and those who found it harder, I would try hard to win over—usually with a pretty high success rate. Adam was fussy, picky, and was clearly holding out on these women. They were usually gorgeous, successful, and totally head over heels for him, but he was always so oblivious or reluctant to actually maintain the relationship. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had a girl at all. Was he practicing abstinence? I cringed and shook my head. I knew all too well how hard it was to be in a sexual desert, and it had to be even harder for a man. At least we ladies have endless options of battery-operated boyfriends, sex buddies, one-night stands and meaningless fumbles behind a bar. I knew for a fact that for women, finding a willing male for a quick bunk up and fast exit was relatively simple. Finding a woman who was also looking for the same … nearly impossible. However, I realise that this is a little hypocritical considering what I’m telling you about my prowling for some stallion sex beast to make mine for the night. Don’t judge me. You know you’ve all been there. Passion, rampant, hungry, and horny sexual appetite raging, we’ve all wanted to tear Matt Bomer or Ian Somerhalder’s clothes off at some point. If not them, someone at least. And yes, I know I should seek help for that Somerhalder obsession but we’ve all got that list … you know, the ‘It’s not cheating if he’s a celebrity,’ list.
Lost in my lustful thoughts of celebrities, I jumped a little as the sound of a horn honking downstairs echoed around the quiet street. Peering out of the window, I saw Ness and Dana waving up at me beside a waiting taxi. Grabbing my purse and quickly checking myself in the mirror, I shrugged.
“Yep, as good as it’s gonna get I’m afraid.” I cast my eye back at Jacob who glanced up, but with a long stretch, simply turned around on the sofa and settled with his back to me. Hopefully the males at the bar would be a little more attentive. Otherwise, my own battery operated boyfriend and my Ian Somerhaulder calendar were getting a serious work out tonight!
* * * *
Walking into the bar, I felt like a fish out of water. The décor was incredibly decadent. It reminded me of a 1920s gentlemen’s lounge. Tall, golden columns with vine detailing made up a large portion of the room, and the rest was made up of the three, elegant, and dark wooden bars. Behind each was an array of expensive-looking spirits, wines, ales, and the bartenders were dressed in black ties and white shirts. The seating was also very luxurious. Red velvet chairs with golden trim similar to that of the pillars, sat in pairs around small, round wooden tables, which matched the bars. It was like stepping out of Kansas into Oz. The music was playing softly from large speakers, and the people that were already beginning to crowd the bars were equally as classy as the place itself. When Ness said this place was exclusive, she wasn’t kidding!
You could practically smell the pheromones in the air. Men and women all on the hunt for that perfect hook up. I gave Dana and Ness a worried look. The women in the bar could only be described at sleek, sexy, and confident lionesses. And I was a plump little bunny caught in headlights. Ness was swaying a little to the music and grinning.
“Why do you look so worried? You wanted Mr. Right Now, and here is where you’ll find him. There’s everything you could possibly be shopping for in one place: blondes, brunettes, redheads, and some from the ‘other’ pile, such as the guys with typically modern rocker styles. You know, all dip-dyed with blue and stuff. But one thing they all have in common—“
“They’ve all shagged you?” Dana interrupted. Ness glared at her and gave a sarcastic laugh.
“Funny. No, they’re all looking for a quick hook up with no strings. And, they’re all dynamite in the sack.”
Dana giggled. “So you have slept with them all then. I assume you’re speaking from experience.”
Giving her a gentle shove, Ness pointed toward the bar. “You are such a bitch sometimes. Come on, let’s get a drink and mingle.”
I rolled my eyes and shifted uncomfortably. “I’m going to need a lot to drink before I even think about trying to mingle with these people.”
Dana nodded at a couple in the corner. The two of them were getting a little carried away considering we were in a public place. It was turning from PG-13 to soft porn in mere seconds.
“Is that the norm in here?” Dana asked with a look of pure terror.
Ness nodded. “Oh yeah. To be honest, that’s mild compared to how heated it can get in here. That’s why the bar hires out rooms upstairs. You can go in a couple, threesome, foursome, anything goes.”
I almost choked on a breath. A foursome! Was she serious? I came to get laid, not to take part in a group activity.
“And you’ve … indulged?” Dana’s interest was piqued by now, and Ness wasn’t getting away without divulging intimate details of her experience in this bar.
“Once or twice. I’m a firm believer in trying everything once before you decide it’s not for you. Besides, sometimes it was just two of us, and someone who likes to … you know … watch.”
I burst out laughing, and Ness quickly nudged me and shook her head.
“Will you pipe down? I’m known here, and you’re embarrassing me!”
I covered my mouth and tried to breathe through my laughter.
“Watch? Ness, sex isn’t a spectators’ sport!”
She giggled a little. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Anyway, this isn’t about me. Tonight is about you finding
a hot guy to play with.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Look at these women.” I gestured around the room.
“So? You know the only difference between you and them?”
I scoffed. “You mean aside from at least three dress sizes?”
“They have confidence, and they go after what they want. Guy’s don’t actually care that much about your dress size. If you have confidence and you flaunt your best assets, they’re putty in your hands.”
Pulling me to stand in front of her, she yanked on my halter-top hard and forced my cleavage to pop right out of the low-cut neckline. She then removed the clip from my hair, and my thick, red mass of locks cascaded down and over my shoulders. Taking a step back, she looked me up and down and squinted.
“Something’s missing. Oh, I know! Dana, give me your purse.”
Snatching it from Dana’s outstretched hand, Ness began digging through ‘til she found what she was looking for—a bright red lipstick. I shook my head fiercely.
“No. No way. I’ll look like a china doll or a Geisha girl!”
Ness folded her arms and tapped her foot. Giving me an irritated and impatient look, she raised an eyebrow at me.
“Will you just, for once, have some faith in my styling? It is my job after all!”
She had a valid point. I always found it hard with Ness. I’d known her for so long, and though I knew damn well that she was a professional stylist with excellent taste, it was difficult not to think of her as that crazy, party girl I had met in college. That stiletto, short back dress, way too much make up wearing girl was still buried beneath Ness’s now cool, sophisticated, and classy exterior. Conceding defeat, I allowed her to ‘make me up,’ and I had to admit that as she pulled out a small, round compact mirror from her purse and aimed it me, I looked … hot! Sultry, sexy and vixen-like.
Handing Dana her purse, Ness grinned. “Now, let’s go and get a damn drink!”
Dana and I nodded in agreement and followed as Ness led us over to the bar on the far side of the club. It was a tactical move. By walking our way across, we were literally on display to the entire room. Eyes followed us, and Dana blushed as a tall, blonde, and muscular guy winked at her. I rolled my eyes. Her and her damn insecurities! It frustrated me that not only was she so stunning, you could go blind just looking at her, but Dana also had the sweetest, most caring, wonderful personality, and yet she was completely oblivious to it! Men would gaze at her wherever we went, and it seemed that Ness and I were the only ones to notice.
Ness was happy with her string of men, but Dana had always been the monogamous and long-term kind of girl. Her ex had been her great love. Everyone had that great and all-consuming love at some point in his or her life. I had thought Brad was mine … clearly we were not on the same page of that romance novel. But for Dana, Kieran Sawyer was hers. Considering I was very overprotective and sometimes critical when it came to my friends and their partners, Kieran had passed every possible standard I could have set. He doted on Dana, and I had never seen a couple so in love. I was convinced they would end up married with a whole brood of stunning babies, but when Kieran was offered a job in the states, it seemed to spell the end for the love birds. He’d begged Dana to go with him, but she’d refused, saying her job and her family was too important to leave. When he left, Dana just sort of … gave up. They never called, wrote, or contacted each other again. She claimed she preferred it that way, but I wasn’t convinced. I still wasn’t. I don’t think she ever got over losing him, and every man since had fallen flat because he wasn’t and couldn’t be Kieran.
Standing beside Dana at the bar, I decided to broach the subject.
“So, I was thinking the other day—“
She giggled. “That’s dangerous.”
I gave her a playful nudge. “I know. But seriously, I was just wondering the other day if you ever hear from Kieran?”
Dana’s smile immediately dropped. “Why would you be wondering about that?”
I shrugged. “Oh, I was just messing with my computer, and I came across some old pictures,” I lied.
She glanced over at Ness who was currently being chatted up by a broad, dark-haired guy with a full sleeve tattoo.
“No. I haven’t heard from him or tried to contact him since he left.”
I placed my hand gently on her arm. “Dana, you can tell me to mind my own business, but why not? It wasn’t as though you parted on bad terms, and I know for a fact that you still keep his picture in the top drawer beside your bed.”
Her eyes widened, and she quickly pressed her hand over my mouth, checking that Ness hadn’t heard me.
“Shhh! It’s not that I’m still terribly in love with him. It’s been over a year for God’s sake. I just …”
She hesitated and removed her hand from my mouth. I shook my head at her.
“You just can’t get over him. You can deny it all you want, but you still love him.”
She scoffed and took a long sip of the cocktail Ness had ordered for each of us.
“Dana, you’ve barely dated since he left. And the guys you have dated never measure up to the man you’re trying to replace.”
Her eyes cast down at the floor, she bit her lip. “What am I supposed to do? I’ve tried to get over it, and I know you all think I’m just fussy, but … I don’t know. I guess in the end, he wasn’t just my boyfriend. He was my best friend. Can you imagine ever being without Adam?”
I thought for a moment, and she was right; my heart wouldn’t just break, it would shatter. I suddenly had a little understanding of how she must be feeling. It would take me a lifetime to get over losing Adam.
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her into my side and rested my head on her shoulder.
“You’re right. I’m sorry I brought it up. Hey, maybe tonight will change both of our lives!”
She gave me a halfhearted smile and guilt consumed me. I really did know how to pick my moments. I was beginning to think that the night was officially ruined until, out of nowhere, two large and very handsome guys appeared at the bar beside us. They were easily six feet tall with dark hair and caramel-coloured skin. I almost melted. Nudging Dana, I nodded over toward them. Turning around and being completely obvious, she stared at them. One of them caught her eye and gave her a beaming smile. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of black, tailored trousers. He looked as though he’d come there straight from the office and if Ness’s description of the caliber of men in the bar was anything to go by, he may well have.
Dana blushed ferociously and gnawed on her lip. Tapping his friend on the shoulder, the hottie picked up his drink and turned to face us.
“Hi. I’m Sam, and this is Anton. Can we get you ladies a drink?”
Dana appeared speechless as Sam’s big green eyes sparkled down at her. Rolling my eyes, I smiled.
“Thanks. I’ll have a vodka and cranberry, and she’ll have a rum and coke.”
Stepping out from behind Sam, Anton beamed at me. His teeth were so white, you needed sunglasses just to look at him directly, and his eyes were a dazzling blue. He was wearing jeans and a black shirt which was unbuttoned just enough to show off a little of his broad chest. Sam ordered our drinks from the bartender as Anton’s eyes dragged up and down my body. I suddenly felt exposed, naked, and under a spotlight. Was it hot in here?
“I feel at a disadvantage. You know my name, and I’ve yet to find out yours,” he purred. Yes, purred. His voice was delicious! It was silky yet manly all at once. It had my knickers twitching already.
“Charlene,” I stated, trying desperately not to sound as though my underwear was about to slide down my thighs. He nodded and smiled down at his drink.
“That’s nice. I’ve not seen you here before.”
“It’s my first time. My friend is a regular though.” I pointed over at Vanessa who was sitting in a large velvet chair beside the beefcake she had been chatting with at the bar. Anton smirked.
“
Ah, Vanessa. Yeah, she’s certainly a regular in here.”
I frowned. Great, it would seem every guy in the room probably knew my friend intimately, and the idea of mounting the same horse as her, made my stomach churn. I was nowhere near in the same league as Ness. If he was hoping to find a girl as adventurous, sexually or otherwise, he would be severely disappointed. Anton caught my glum expression and laughed.
“I don’t know her personally, but I’ve seen her around. Don’t look so bummed.”
I mentally did a backflip.
“So what brings you here?”
It was a loaded question and even as he asked it, I was sure he already knew the answer.
“I’m single again for the first time in a few years and I’m … looking to play the field a little.”
Anton grinned and swirled his drink in his glass a little.
“Play the field? Is that what you call it?”
Leaning in, he whispered into my ear. His breath warmed my skin, and he smelled of my favorite aftershave.
“I come here to find a hot girl, take her to my place or the nearest wall, and fuck her senseless.”
My breath caught in my lungs, forcing my huge knockers to press against his chest. He noticed them immediately.
“And you, Charlene, are incredibly sexy.”
Was he serious? Had he lost his glasses? It had been a long time since anyone had called me sexy and even longer since I had actually considered myself to be.
His brow furrowed as he stood back and gazed down at me.
“You don’t think you’re sexy?”
I shook my head gently as my face heated with the intense embarrassment.
“Wow. That ex of yours must have really done a number on you. What do you think it means to be sexy? I’m curious.”
He had a ghost of a smile on his lips, and it was slightly irritating. It wasn’t smug, but it was certainly cocky.
Diary of a Dieter Page 14
