"Hey Victoria I missed you at the party last night," Max suddenly blurted. "Oh, but I guess it was more for the guys with the strippers and all."
I looked at Orlando and Alejandro sharing that same guilty face. This time I was angry and forcibly got out of Orlando's arms.
Max flushed red saying, "I guess I overran my mouth."
Zach pats his back and says pushing him out the door. "That you did. So on that memo. I'll meet up with you in a bit."
Max left and I could hear him laughing like crazy while Zach shut the door on him.
"Ok, first off let me clarify," Orlando tried defending.
"There isn't anything to explain," I retorted quite loudly. "I get kidnapped and you, your brother, and buddies have a party with a stripper!"
Orlando was stumped on what to say. So Alejandro butted in to save his twin from me."Ok, firstly the party was my idea and secondly, the strippers were accidentally called."
"Strippers!" I shouted to only hear a plural word when mentioning that disgusting word. Just at the perfect time, Crystal came in hearing me. She shut the door and folded her arms while tapping her shoe on the carpet. As she glared sabers at Zach while I did the same toward Orlando. Oh, yeah our men were certainly in the doghouse on this one.
"Yeah, this is definitely why I am still single," Alejandro said with one folded arm at his ribcage as he pointed his one finger between Crystal and me, scoffing our eyes at them.
"Oh, think again Alejandro!" Crystal was only getting started. "You very well know Orlando and Zach are taken but yet you allowed a stripper party to happen!" She looked back at Orlando and Zach turning shameful red. "And yet the two of you didn't leave the party! You are so lucky I trust you Zach or else I'd shove this engagement ring down your throat and watch you die, choking on it! Then I'll bury your body so good the cops or their canines won't find you!"
This is why I love my girl, Crystal. She was one mean cookie when it came down to her man. And this was one of the reasons why Zach loved her. He liked a tough woman he couldn't handle.
"Now fess up!" Crystal asserted. "How many strippers were here?"
"Two!" The men looked at each other dumbfounded. "Four!"
"Six!" All three men shout different answers, relatively at the same time. If I wasn't so mad. I'd find this comical but the way they each answered made me angrier. Crystal and I looked at each other with bursting fumed faces. Yup, they were surely dead.
"Zach, you tell me the truth right now or else it's over between us!" Crystal wasn't playing around.
"There were eight strippers." Zach painfully coward down like a puppy. "No more than that."
Crystal and I were both appalled and extremely mad.
"Well, with that being said. Victoria and I are going shopping for the club. Since you guys did this. One day soon Victoria and I will be planning our own party and I'll be sure to hire ten male strippers." Crystal told them off quite well.
She gave the cue and she and I started to leave.
"Victoria, please wait!" I heard Orlando pouting.
"I'll see you tonight, Orlando," I told him and then left with Crystal for some much-needed girl time.
We got in her car and then we left. I ended up raving it out. I was able to get everything out with what happened between Kai and me. With her, I shared deeper feelings about it while we shopped for some outfits.
"I certainly think you were drugged," Crystal said. "I don't feel you would've acted like that with Kai after what he did."
"It must be," I further shared. "I love Orlando but it was confusing how I connected to Kai and what's worse he knew it."
"Of course he did," Crystal deciphered. "Kai and his family drugged you to think this and that is all it was. They did this to Zoey too."
"I guess they know how to get inside someone's head," I said as she and I went back to the changing room to try on a few outfits.
"It most certainly seems like it," she said. "But I wouldn't worry about it. You left him for the second time. Kai and his family can't keep locking you away forever. So in the meantime, we just need to party it up."
I giggled agreeing with Crystal but asked her. "You don't think Orlando is cheating on me do you?"
Crystal empathizes, "just because he had strippers at his dorm doesn't mean he cheated. He's just a pathetic guy. I think he just needed an outlet since he knew Kai took you away."
"So he resorts to strippers!" I questioned angrily.
"That isn't what I am saying," Crystal rephrased. "I feel that he had a guys' night and someone else called the strippers without them being aware of it. Never lose your trust in Orlando, he's a pain but I know he loves you."
"Thanks, Crystal, that helps a lot." Crystal was my bestie. I had no reason not to trust her. She and I are inseparable, we always have each other's back. She and I ended up buying some mini laced black skirts. She picked a pink corset strapped top and I chose a black one. I felt bad that she had to pay for everything.
"I promise, as soon as I get my life back in order. I'll pay you back and Zach for the taxi," I told her.
But she giggled. "Don't worry about it. Your family and you had it rough lately. Since we still have some time to spare, why don't we buy you a new phone? This way you can reach us."
"Hopefully, the Collin family don't try to take it off of me," I said, still feeling uncomfortable about the idea that Kai could try to snatch me at any moment. It felt like I had eyes on me but when I looked around. I saw nobody watching me. Everyone in the mall was casually shopping. So I kept walking by Crystal and ignored the strange feeling. Making me think someone was out there keeping a watchful eye on me.