CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

When Amelia entered the classy club, she was surprised to see Pete already there waiting for her. She had to give him a bonus point, she called him impromptu and he still ma aged to get to the venue before her, that was quite impressive. She blew air through her mouth in exasperation and she reminded herself that she was getting into this willingly. Whatever the outcome was would be paid for her duly. She would hate to be sad if it doesn't work out later.
He immediately stood up from the chair he was sitting on and walked towards her. All the pep talks she had been having flew straight out of her head after he flashed a smile, he was looking really different from the last time they met. He sure had taken her advice the last time to lose those baby fats and look like a real man. Pete was a good person to show up here considering how they parted the last time. Well, love made people do stupid things.
There Pete was looking fine as fuck in a suit. He probably had the suit on before coming here because he looked hot as hell, three buttons down and hus tie nowhere to be found, maybe he was just coming back from an executive meeting. Amelia wasn't drunk but she didn't mind fucking him if that could get her mind off Jordan. She wasn't the only one who felt the same way because she could see the way girls were sizing him up in with their eyes. She smiled at him and she took his open arms before stepping into his outstretched hands. She wrapped her hands around him and she took in his scent. He smelt of something rich, a smell of fresh rain, and another scent she couldn't really identify. He had a good sense of smell.
He reminded her of Jordan Wilder, the man she was desperately trying to forget very fast. It was her fault to have let him under her skin, but she couldn't blame herself. After all, she was intoxicated by his love.
'Amelia," Pete spoke and swiped his tongue over his bottom lip. The men in the club were gawking at her by what she was wearing and Pete could barely tear his eyes from her but he knew it wasn't a good time, she didn't look like her cheerful self. Even a blind man would see the usual twinkle in her eyes were missing and she looked rather gloomy. More like she was here on a mission and she was desperately trying to put some things behind her.
'Let's drink." Amelia started to walk to the drink's table but Pete grabbed her by the wrist and said, 'Wait a minute,"
Amelia turned to look at Pete who took off his jacket and wrapped it around Amelia.
'Let's go somewhere else, this place is too rowdy and the music taste sucks." He replied after she stared at him as
Amelia snorted, right..
Maybe he wanted to sleep with her someplace comfortable for him.
'Did you bring your car?" Amelia asked.
'Yes."
'Me too. So it's not convenient for me to leave.."
'Let's use your car." Pete said with a smile, 'And I'll drive, you don't look too good."
'I'm perfectly fine.."
Pete gave her a look which made her stop what she was going to say. He strecthed forth his hand and Amelia handed him her car keys.
As they turned to leave, a man stood in front of Amelia with a dirty smile on his face. 'Hello, sexy."
'Can you see she's with me?" Pete asked with a look on disbelief on his face. He shook his head at the man and grasped Amelia's right wrist. 'Buzz off!" He told and the duo walked away from the man to the spot where Amelia's car was packed.
Pete unlocked it and opened the door next to the driver's seat. Amelia got in and he closed the door before hopping into the driver's seat himself.
He started the car and they drove off to a high class bar Amelia had never stepped into. She didn't know if they could be privileged to enter.
'Is this okay? We probably can't enter without an invitation." Amelia wondered.
'It's fine." Pete unbuckled his belt seat and so did Amelia.
'Wait a sec," Pete said and got out of the driver's seat. Only then did he walk over to open the door for Amelia.
She gave him a look.
Many men feigned being a gentleman untill they got what they wanted. Sex. That was probably what Pete was after as well.
She held his hand and got out of the car. Pete closed it and handed over her car keys. She accepted it and they both headed to the Bar's entrance.
Surprisingly, the security didn't even bat an eye at them arrival.
'He must be a frequent.' Amelia thought.
She wasn't surprised.
If she was going to get drunk and get laid, she might as well do it in an high class manner.
As they stepped into the bar, they were welcomed by soft high vibe music. It was somewhat relaxing because the speakers were soft and not too loud that it got uncomfortable unlike the club music.
It seemed Pete had better taste in things like this.
'Are you frequent?" She asked while looking at the bar's interior. The lights were dim but bright enough to spot irregular activities but there were some tables with darker lights than the others.
'Yes, my friend own this place. We come here to chill some weekends."
Amelia nodded, maybe she got him wrong. Maybe not.
'Aren't you going to get me drinks?" Amelia asked.
'What do you want?"
'Tequila. Five bottles."
Pete smiled, 'Okay." Even though he wasn't going to get as much as that.
Amelia picked a table by the corner and Pete arrived with a tray of six shots.
Amelia immediately grabbed a shot and dunk it down.
Pete grabbed one as well and dunk it down, 'Would you like to talk about it?"
Pete didn't know what she was going through and he wanted to help her make it better.
Amelia grabbed another shot and dunk it down.
'Jordan and I parted ways."
She felt the back of her throat burn and she embraced the feeling. She grabbed yet another shot and dunk it down, 'After everything I did for him, he says he only sees me as a friend." Amelia let out of a sad chuckle, 'I even had sex with him and I thought that would make him see me as a woman but guess what he said, 'I could only see you as a good friend and not as a lover'
Amelia dunk down one more shot and she could no longer contain herself, the tears poured down like a river.
Amelia reached for the last shot and Pete grabbed it and dunk it down. He needed it himself as he was trying to ignore the stupid part of hi t aht niticed how sexier Amelia looked tonight. She had called him becasie she needed someone to talk to, not someone to yake advantage of her. It would be so ungentleman like of him to do so. Maybe thew alcohol would clear every feeling sway and a stroll down the street would give them more chance to be a tad bit far away from each other. Her cologne was clousing his head and he had no idea fi he would be bale to think straight like that, with him breathing down her neck.
'I think that's enough drinking," He said, 'Let's clear our heads and not mindlessly drown in alcohol." She kind of agreed with his opinion so she grabbed the shoes she removed previously in one had nad she grabbed her purse in another and she followed Pete's lead. She trusted him so much and she knew he woudln't harm her. He was a butterfly and he barely hurt people. Onwe of threaosns she hadn't vut him off, she was too blind trying ti gainJordan's attention and she bvarely saw this man ho would go to the moon and back for her. It was really sad for her.
***
Not quite far from the bar, there was a beach which barely had people roaming there. It was more like a pribvate part of the beach and Amelia watched in amuse men as Pete foundhis way around the place even without a torch, soon he sat in front of the water and he crossed his legs, his jackets have been discarded at this point and it was only the hwite short clinging desperately to his body. Amelia followed suit and she sat just like he had sat too. THe waves of the ebach intrigued her and something abiutnthe salty smlee made her feel free. Free from everything bothering her and she just wanted to stay here forever. Nobody said anything else, they bth sat there in silence.
'Why did you bring me here?" Amelia asked, she couldmn't help but wonder if this was totaaluy unplanned like when she called him and he got ready almost immediately. She needed to know maybe he just naturally used to come here to relive his own stress and takle a break from irritating human beings. She would rather be ehre than go home.
'I thought of bringing you many times when I saw you stressing at work but I feared you'd find me weird. You know we barely talk and I felt like this would help you get rid of every stress you are going through and I knew you might not grant me an audience to start with." He said shyly and Amelia's face snapped up. She had no idea he watched her even while she was working, stressing ehr ass out to make sure that the bastard life is organized, she diubted if Jordan ever noticed her being stressed or anything.
Amelia chuckled, 'I find you weird."
Pete was puzzled, 'Why?" He knew most people refer to him as weird behind his back becasue he was obviously too calm and you can barely get a reaction out of him but hearing someone say it up close still felt all shades of wrong so hje was surprised. Not like being labeklled weird is a wrong term but he really wnated to know what made her classify him as that.
'You just are. I thought you'd get me to drink and then sleep with me. Instead you are here acting like we have been friends for long and you see me as nothing but a baby sister." She replied before sje felt bad instantly. She had no ideas how he would react but you can't blame her. That was the way most of them use to act, they would only be nice to you till they hit it. Once they hit it, they go back to being cold and distant. They start to be unavailable and you start to wonder if you really meant anything to them to begin with.
Pete eyes widened, 'No no, it's not like that." He probably thought of her as weird now because how come her mind was the only dirty men. Maybe they were still men out there who just wanted to be there for you without the intention of having sex with you. She was grateful she ahd found a friend in him, a friend that isn't a pervert.
'I'm glad for you pete, to have a friend who is not a pervert" Amelia said as damage control and her eyes fluttered to where pete sat. Amelia looked at the pink that were appearing on Pete's cheeks and hid a smile, she found him cute. Where had he been all her life? Maybe her decision to bget drunk and wasted this night didn't turn out to be a msitake.
'Anyway, there's no one here, you can curse out at the person that hurt you to get the heaviness out of your chest. When my ex-wife divorced me and took almost every thing I had, I drove here with my Volvo and screamed. I said all the words I could never say to her in person."
Amelia smiled. She pictured him as a nerd who just got heartbroken. How would he look like while screaming cuss words.
Amelia looked at the waters in front of them and screamed, 'GO TO HELL JORDAN! You fucking disgusting piece of shit!!!" She turned to look at Pete who was smiling at her. The man before her was filled with wonders and he ahd so many sides she couldn't wait to explore. Who would have thought the same pete would be out here late at night with her encouraging her to cuss out her ex best friend. The word was butter to pronounce but she knew she would get there very soon. No matter how she felt, Jordan was no longer in her life and he would never be.
'How do you feel?" He asked with a knowing smile on her face and Amelia smiled widely, her whole face was on display and she looked like she would want to try it again. It really did help with the pain and she felt like she was screaming it to his face. Maybe he had tried it multiple times himslef and he knew it would always work out because of the childish smile on his face. He rarely got angry and maybe this was how he blew off his own steam without lashing out on those who annoyed him.
She smiled back at him, 'Fine." and he held her hands before pulling her up. This time, Amelia didn't feel any underlying meaning to the way he held her hands. He felt like a big brother and she would rather stick to him than give chances to those crazy voices in her head.
It was getting dark and they needed to get away from here for their own safety, Amelia was grateful that pete stood with her despote her many frequents meltdown and he didn't term her crazy, that was what friendship meant without any bias.
'Do you want to spend the night at my place? It's closer" Pete asked and Amelia nodded.
When they arrived at his attractive looking condo, Pete handed her a set of male pjamas to wear.
She was surprised. She thought he brought her in to have sex..
Apparently, Pete still had an innocent outlook on life and she didn't. Maybe it was because he had to sleep with Jordan to prove her love to him. Maybe that was how she
That night, she had the best night sleep because she was right next to Pete on a comfortable bed. There wasn't anything sexual as they laid next to each other, only mutual understanding and innocent affection. Something both pof them craved and Pete wrapped his hands around her and they both slept seamlessly.