13: Care to Dance?

LILLIAN

A smile stretched at the corner of my face as the cab pulled up in the parking lot of Club Eclipse. It was a little bit closer to the city while Grace Santorini hotel was closer to the beach front, so the ten minute drive was actually a twelve minute one.

Yes, I counted.

I could feel the bass of the speakers as soon as my heels touched the tarred floor when I got out of the car, knowing there was no going back from this.

Xavier would be absolutely livid if he found out that I had left the hotel. I knew somehow the news would reach him that I was out of our hotel suite and out of the hotel entirely.

Unfortunately for him, I don’t care if he found out. He had this coming when he decided to drag me over five thousand miles across the world.

I could already picture his face, jaws clenched and cheeks red with rage.

Serves him right for just dumping me off at the hotel to go attend some stupid meeting.

I'm sure he did it on purpose, just to spite me.

But I need to prove to him that he doesn't have as much control over me as he thinks he does. I'm not a prisoner of war nor do I deserve to be treated like one.

The club enveloped me with a whirlwind of sensory overload as soon as I walked in. The lights were blinding, pulsating to the rhythm of the music that reverberated through the air with irresistible energy.

People moved fluidly on the dance floor, their silhouettes flickering in the strobe lights, while the bar area buzzed with animated conversations and clinking glasses of whiskey shots or Jell-O shots.

The perfect conditions for my night out.

I felt a little rebellious walking through the double doors of the club, putting my head down to let my eyes adjust to the lighting of the place.

I wasn't used to harsh lighting like this, back home when the girls and I would go to the club, we usually used the special entrances to go straight to the VIP sections. It made me wonder if the clubs here in Greece had special entrances to their own VIP sections.

That's not something I would be able to find out here anyway; getting a VIP section to myself would require me actually paying for something and I don't exactly own any money at the moment.

Asides from that, it would be way easier and faster for Xavier to find me if I brought attention to myself by going to make a purchase as big as getting a section of the club to myself.

So I would have to assume another identity.

For that night, I would be someone else.

That being said, I walked straight to the bar to see how many shots my new identity could manage till I could no longer feel my face.

With the club’s vibrant energy pulsing around me, I made a beeline for the bar, eager to test the limits of my newfound freedom. At the bar, I leaned against the polished counter and caught the bartender’s attention with a nod.

“Five shots of tequila,” I ordered with a hint of challenge in my voice, my gaze steady as I met the bartender’s curious glance.

“You are not a usual around here, are you?” He asked as he brought out shot glasses. My brows tugged up in question.

“What gave me away?” I asked, bobbing my head to the side in question. “Was it the accent?”

“That,” he affirmed. “And the fact that I definitely wouldn’t have missed such a pretty face if you were a regular here,” he said, punctuating with a wink.

Against my better judgment, my lips stretched into a smile. The first genuine smile I’ve been able to muster since I got here.

That was kinda sweet.

He returned the smile as he poured the liquid into the glasses and then lined it up neatly before me.

“It’s on the house,” he said and I chuckled.

“Thank you, uhm…” I looked at his name tag. “Andreas.”

“It’s a pleasure, ma’am,” he responded with a respectful nod and went on his way attending to other people. Sighing, I raised one glass in a silent toast to independence and the thrill of the unknown before downing it at a go.

Damn! That’s hot!

I picked another one and downed it, and on and on like that. Each shot burned pleasantly on its way down, igniting a warm glow within me that matched the lively atmosphere of the club.

“Hey beautiful,” a deep voice spoke, noticeably close to my neck. I turned around only to see a literal Greek god standing before me. His skin was like bronze, green eyes and dirty blonde hair.

Too bad. He is hot but I’m not even interested in this shit.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

I decided not to say too much, so my only response was, “Sure.”

We both sat on the bar stools at the counter and he simply signaled to a bartender, not Andreas, who came over in literal seconds. “My usual and a gin martini for the lady.”

“Coming right up.” The bartender beamed and proceeded to start mixing our cocktails. As the bartender swiftly prepared our drinks, the Greek god leaned closer.

“You know, I haven’t seen you around here before,” he said in a smooth, accented voice that sent a shiver down my spine. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

I offered a polite smile, masking my lack of interest.

“I’m just passing through,” I replied nonchalantly, glancing down at the martini that soon arrived before me.

He continued to flirt, his words a blend of charm and confidence as he attempted to engage me in conversation. But my head was already buzzing and I couldn’t even take anything in at this point.

I guess he can be useful for one thing.

Without missing a beat, I turned to look at him, my lips curved in a faux seductive smirk.

“Care to dance?” I asked casually.

A flicker of excitement crossed his face.

“Definitely.” He agreed eagerly.

I need to be buzzed for this shit I’m about to pull.

With that, I downed the last shot of tequila and the gin martini in quick go, I stood up, feeling the warmth spreading through me.

“Let’s go,” I said, taking his hand and leading him