His Games, Her Rules

Club Rogue is particularly packed tonight. It’s Saturday and we’re not the only ones who want to get down and dirty tonight. Monique is looking explicitly beautiful tonight. She’s wearing a simple purple dress with a halter neck that drops at her mid-thigh, just past her butt, paired with knee-length white boots. Her curly hair is perfectly styled to look fuller and her ears are adorned with silver hoop earrings and a silver heart necklace.

I, on the other hand, am wearing a black, short leather skirt, and a zebra stripe tube top, paired with white knee-length boots. I didn’t bother with earrings tonight, but my neck is covered in a single customized necklace that says Robyn. I was willing to leave the house wearing baggy jeans and a T-shirt, but Monique and Tiwa pushed me back into my room and made me wear this. Tiwa looks beautiful as well, dressed in a strapless, denim short dress and four-inch white heels with straps that are perfectly tied around her legs. She’s changed her hairstyle to long braids that are wrapped around in a bun on top of her head and two braided hair falling on either side of her face.

“This place sure looks lit,” Tiwa says above the music as we find a circular booth to sit down.

Pop music is blasting from the DJ stand as I turn to look at the packed dance floor. I can still remember the memory of what happened the night I came here with Monique. The night I got drunk and woke up in Dominique’s guest bedroom.

I blink away the memory as Tiwa asks, “What are you guys getting?”

“Chocolate margarita. On the rocks.” Monique says.

“What are you getting, Tiwa?” I ask.

“Tequila shots.”

“Great. I’ll be back. Let me go order our drinks.” I stand up and walk towards the bar.

As usual, the bar is equally packed and I squeeze myself in between two women who are drinking at the bar. I wave at the tattooed bartender from last time. He smiles when he sees me as he walks toward me.

“It’s you again.”

“Yeah.” I give him a small smile, as I stare into his green eyes. Wow, he’s really good-looking.

“What would you like?”

“Five tequila shots, three chocolate margaritas on the rocks, and three martinis, please. Also on the rocks.”

He nods. “Anything else?” He raises an eyebrow as he asks.

“No. And could you please send someone to bring it to our table?” I point toward our table where Monique and Tiwa are talking and laughing.

“Sure.”

“Thank you.” With a small smile toward the bartender, I walk toward a table.

“Okay. Our drinks should be here any minute.” I say and plant myself on my seat. “What are you guys talking about?”

“We’re just gossiping about the couple over there,” Tiwa says, tilting her head toward a couch at the corner of the bar where a man and a girl are sitting.

The man is trying to get her in bed obviously and from the looks of it, he’s succeeded once, and now he wants a taste of her again. I roll my eyes and look away from the scene.

“So why were you craving a drink tonight?” Monique asks Tiwa. “Boy problems?”

“Sort of,” she exhales. “My baby daddy called me earlier today. It was crazy.”

“Lola’s dad called?” I ask.

“Yeah. After eight years.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Why, if I may ask? I thought you said he didn’t know you kept the child.” I say.

“Unfortunately, he does know. And he wants to meet her. After eight years. God, men are just dicks.” Tiwa scoffs.

“You’re telling me?” Monique scoffs.

“Enough about men. I don’t want to talk about Daniel. What happened with Dave? Did you finally dump him?” Tiwa asks.

“What?” Monique asks.

“Girl, I met the guy once and I knew he was not good for you,” Tiwa says.

“And everyone noticed this but me. Fucking hell.” Monique exhales. “We’re done. He’s a pile of shit and I’m getting over him tonight.”

“You should,” I say.

A waitress stops by our table with our drinks as she sets them on the table. Monique hands her her credit card as the waitress takes it and walks away.

“God, I can’t wait to get buzzed,” Monique says as she grabs her margarita and takes several long sips.

“I guess we’re Uber pooling tonight,” I mutter as I grab my drink and bring it to my lips.

“Yeah. I wanna get really drunk tonight.” Monique says as she empties the first glass of margarita and she sets the empty glass on the table.

Tiwa is on her third shot, scrunching her face as the alcohol hits her throat.

“God, I can never get used to the taste,” Tiwa says and I grin.

“Wow, look who it is. Robyn Denver.” A familiar voice says as we turn toward the source of the voice.

Leonardo Gray stands in between Monique and me as he smiles at me. He looks good, like the last two times I’ve met him. He’s wearing a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms and matching black pants. His radiant blue eyes are charming as he looks at me.

“Hello, Leo,” I say.

“Hey. You look beautiful as always. I guess I see why Dom can’t get you out of his head.” He says, still wearing a flirtatious smirk as he turns to look at Monique who’s awestruck at the attractive man in front of her.

“Monique. God, you look breathtaking, better than I remember.” Leo’s voice comes out as a whisper, his voice deep and sexy.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Leo.” Her voice comes out in a whisper as they stare into each other’s eyes.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Get a room.

Tiwa turns to look at me, tilting her head at the two love birds and I shrug, smiling as I raise my glass of martini to my lips. Finally, Leo peels his eyes off of my friend as he looks at Tiwa, a big smile on his lips.

“And who’s your beautiful friend, Robyn?” Leo asks, eyes fixed on Tiwa.

“Hi. I’m Tiwa.” Tiwa stretches her hand toward Leo and he takes it.

“Tiwa? Nigerian?” Leo asks, his hand gripping Tiwa’s in a warm handshake.

“Yup,” Tiwa says, flashing Leo a small smile.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Leo says to her and drops her hand.

Slowly he turns to look at me as he says, “You just missed Dom. He left not too long ago.”

I give him a look that simply says I don’t give a shit. Leo smiles, like he doesn’t believe me as he turns to look at Monique.

“Do you wanna dance?” Leo asks Monique.

“Yeah.” She answers breathlessly as she takes his hand and stands up.

“Have fun,” I say to Monique with a big smile on my face.

Leo leans down to whisper in my ear. “Dom’s got it bad for you, Robyn. Ever since that night, he wouldn’t shut up about you. That’s how much he wants you.” Leo stands upright as he turns to Tiwa. “It was nice meeting you, Tiwa.”

“Likewise,” Tiwa says.

“I’ll see you around, Robyn.” Leo winks at me as he leaves with Monique.

I’m too distracted to respond because my brain is suddenly in flight mode at Leo’s confession. Dominique was here and if we were a little earlier, I would have stumbled upon him. I don’t think I’m ready to see the man who did things to me in that hallway that I can’t get out of my head no matter how hard I try.

And according to Leo, he’s been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about him. Does it even matter? Why do I care if I left him craving for more even though that was my plan in the first place?

What we had was a one-night thing and it’s not going to happen again.

“You good?” Tiwa asks.

“You wanna go dancing?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

“Great!” I stand up as I grab my second glass of Martini and gulp the entirety of the drink in one go.

I feel lightheaded as I slam the glass on the table.

Tiwa drinks two shots at once as she drags me to the dance floor. I can’t feel a thing. I’m tipsy already and the only thing I can hear in my head as I dance with Tiwa is Leo’s confession.

I’m a good dancer and with alcohol in my system, I’m better. I sway to the music blasting loudly from the stereo as I rub up against a stranger. I barely can make out his features and also because I don’t care. I just want to have fun and push Dominique Gray to the back of my head. The stranger rubs up against me, with his arms around me as we dance to the music. Tiwa is also dancing with a stranger, her arms are around the guy’s shoulders and his arms are around her waist.

With my eyes closed, I let the music take control. Suddenly, there’s a shift in the atmosphere around me. I feel a strong muscular body pressed against me from behind and it’s not the stranger I was dancing with earlier. I turn around at once, nearly knocking my head against this person as I come face to face with a pair of ocean-blue eyes that have been haunting my dreams this past month.