didn ’t go well; she was bossy and took every opportunity to put me down like usual. Because our parents weren’t around, she had no reason to hold back or pretend she liked me. I left before we had dinner that night, and I hadn’t visited her once since I moved.
Holidays with the Frankels was a much better option, even if I was a pawn in the long-standing friendly feud between Macy and Malcolm. This year even more so since it would also help get my mind off Seth. I don’t know why his lack of contact bothered me so much, but I found myself checking my phone often, hoping for a text or something from him. The last time I’d seen him was that Monday he showed up at my job. I texted him yesterday letting him know I was going out of town for the holiday and wished him a happy Thanksgiving. He replied with ‘have a safe trip,’ and that was it.
A distraction for the weekend was a good thing. I didn ’t need to get so hung up on a guy I’d only known for a few weeks.
***
As I sat in my VIP booth at the Lava Lounger, I sipped on my cognac, watching the bodies writhing on the dance floor. The music pulsated through the speakers, one of those fast, techno- club beats that was too loud and overbearing for my tastes. The music, however, was not what brought me out to this place; it was the magnificent specimen that stood apart from the crowd. Her body swayed to the rhythm of the beat. I watched with great intensity as her hips seductively moved back and forth. She let her head fall back, allowing herself to be lost in the music. The other men in the place took notice of her as well, and even though she moved as if she was making love to the music to draw them in, every advance was shot down. She turned to find me; she knew I was watching. We had been playing this game for the last two weeks.
After that evening I spent with Calida, I decided I wanted to study her in her own environment a while longer, so I began my search for a new pet. That first night, I was preparing to leave since I hadn’t found anything of interest, but from the moment she walked through the door, she commanded attention. She knew all eyes were on her, and she loved it. I watched as she sat at the bar and ordered her drink. Then as suitor after suitor approached her, she rejected them with a smug smile of satisfaction. I approached the bar that night, even though I had a personal server, and ordered a drink without so much as a glance in her direction. She repositioned herself on the bar stool waiting for me to acknowledge her, waiting to reject me. I got my drink, told the bartender to put it on my tab, and walked away.
That ’s when she took to the dance floor. I watched as her eyes scanned the club, and when she found her target, the show began. I sipped on my drink, watching how she wielded her body as a lure. She was a woman who was used to getting what and who she wanted. She enjoyed having men trip all over themselves for her. As I watched her that night, I made comparisons to Calida, and my disdain for how this woman behaved grew.
I finished my drink then signaled for my waitress. After settling up my tab, I walked towards her. A triumphant smile played on those sultry lips as I approached. I caught only a glimpse of it before it faded when I walked past her out the door. That night began our cat-and-mouse game, but unfortunately for her, this time she was the mouse. She was going to be fun to break.
Nearly every night for the last two weeks, the game had been the same. Tonight she was once more my private dancer. Determined to trap me in her web, tonight’s show was more seductive. She wore a short, tight-fitting white dress with sequins that caught the light as she moved. The color contrasted perfectly against her milky brown skin. She rocked her hips, running her hands along her curvy body, and each step brought her closer and closer to where I sat until finally she stood in front of me. Motioning me to come to
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