Chapter 199 Painter Nora
The rich kid's voice faltered mid-song, his face in disbelief and growing disgusted. His eyes were glued to the goddess as she rose from her seat.
Over two hundred pairs of eyes followed her every move, gasps echoing through the place. She was heading toward the open seating area... toward him.
The man in white.
Whispers erupted, acurios and jealous.
"Who is that guy?"
"Why is she going over there?"
"Is she... flirting with him?"
"My name is Nora. What's yours, handsome?" The woman in the red dress ran a hand through her long, flowing hair, her eyes locking onto Elbert's with a playful, drunken haze.
'Nora? Or should I call you Trinity.'
After recognizing her, Elbert chuckled internally. This woman and her ever-changing names. Leonard had shown him her picture, the beautiful international spy known as Trinity, who had arrived in Wavehaven just days ago to assist the local SWAT team in cracking a child trafficking ring.
And here she was, the epitome of trouble wrapped in a crimson dress, holding court in the most exclusive nightclub in the city with every man eating out of her hand.
"Hello, Miss Nora. I'm Elbert," he replied, catching the bartender's eye. "Your tab is on me tonight."
Trinity blew him a kiss, then gestured for a Bloody Mary. The bartender, understanding the establishment's unspoken language, got to work on the potent cocktail. One sip of that, and the average person was seeing double.
"Handsome, you intrigue me," she purred, leaning against the bar seductively. She'd never seen a man with such striking features.
She had subtle, alluring perfume that drove the men around them to the brink of madness. She was intoxicating, the kind of woman who could make a man lose himself.
Elbert smiled faintly. "My reason for being here is a little different from everyone else's."
"I know," she replied, her eyes twinkling. "And not just your reason, but your method of entry, too." she smiled slowly and seductively. "Tell me, handsome, did you fail the credit check at the door and sneaked in through the kitchen?"
Elbert chuckled, scratching his head. "Guilty as charged."
The Bloody Mary arrived, and Trinity took a delicate sip. "A man who bends the rules," she mused, "carefree and creative. It's intoxicating."
"And what about you, Miss Nora?" Elbert asked, tilting his head. "What do you do?"
"Me?" She gestured vaguely. "I dabble in oil painting. An artist, you could say."
Elbert nodded, pulling out a Zippo and lighting the cigarette he'd been holding. Trinity watched him, amused.
"And you, handsome?" she asked after a moment.
"Let's see," Elbert mused. "Program researcher, part-time gangster."
Trinity giggled. "You are too much fun, handsome."
She paused, then added, "I'm a hybrid, from Victoria. I found two amazing things here in Veridiania; my favorite singer, Paul, and the Gemini app." She looked at him, her eyes sparkling. "Speaking of which, can I add you on Gemini, handsome?"
The room seemed to tilt on its axis, with the other patrons gobsmacked. The rich kid on stage practically choked, his face turning an interesting red.
"Sure," Elbert replied easily, pulling out his phone. They scanned each other's codes as the other men in the room collectively gnashed their teeth.
Trinity finished her drink, the alcohol clearly taking effect. "Handsome," she slurred, her eyes half-closed. "It's getting late. Take me home?"
Elbert nodded, accepting the bill from the bartender. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the total. Eighteen potent cocktails; this woman was a lightweight champion.
"Expensive?" Trinity chuckled, reading his expression. "A man's credit limit is part of his charm, you know. Besides his looks, of course."
Elbert shrugged. Thirty grand was nothing to scoff at, but it wouldn't dent his account.
Robert said, "Eighteen drinks and she's still standing? Cyborg, I tell you. And that look in her eye... she's analyzing you, Elbert. Don't fall for it."
"Think she knows who I am?"
"Not a chance. Well, not with me around. But the moment she saw you, her pupils dilated and her pulse spiked. Phenylethylamine, dopamine, vasopressin... all through the roof."
"Get to the point, Robert."
"Love at first sight, my friend. She's smitten."
"Enough."
Elbert swiped his card, ignoring his AI's incessant chatter. As he stood, Trinity draped herself against him, her warm breath tickling his ear.
The room erupted. Angry shouts rose from the men who had appointed themselves as the goddess's protectors.
Elbert turned his head, his face inches from hers. He quickly leaned back.
"Whoa there," he chuckled.
Trinity pouted, her eyes mischievious. "Can't help it," she murmured. "Drunk. Can't stand up straight."
The room descended into chaos.
A group of envious men stood up angrily, fiercer words bursting out.
"How dare he get close to Nora!"
"I'm going to kill that guy!"
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