Drego
The aged friendly nurse dressed the cut on my stomach, changing the old bandage for new ones, and for some reason, I didn't feel anything. Not even a small sting. Maybe it was because my mind was occupied. Or maybe it was because I'd felt worse than a pain coming from the dressing of a knife impaled wound.
I had tried all morning not to think about what happened between Nichole and I that night, but like a bad dream, my mind had no power purging itself of the events from two nights ago.
The hurt I'd seen on Nichole's face. I never meant to do that. Honestly, I don't even know why I cared so much that she was up there. I shouldn't have cared. Like she said, her business was none of my business. But as I watched her stand up there, my brain fast forwarded to a few days later, and I envisioned her looking beautiful and sexy and happy in that green dress having lunch or dinner or whatever with another man, I immediately felt chills, my stomach churned. Something in me kicked in, and I found myself shouting that figure.
Despite the fact that I hadn't meant to be disrespectful, I did. I take full responsibility for saying the wrong thing. But she wasn't completely innocent either. She shouldn't have gone up there. And Maybe it wasn't my business, but she represents my company, and therefore shouldn't have behaved the way she did.
"Does Caesar know you plan to kill him?" Reid said as soon as the nurse announced she was done changing my bandage.
"I'm not angry at Caesar." I sighed.
"C'mon man. I know you. That's your I'm pissed face." Reid smiled.
He obviously enjoyed the show and now he's enjoying the after party.
"I'm not mad at Caesar. He didn't force Nichole up there. She isn't a child. I know she went up that stage on her own volition."
I wore my shirt, buttoning up as I spoke. "Look Reid. Why—why did you follow me here? Don't you have a date or something with Cassie?"
"Okay grumpy. You're obviously still irritable but I'd fail my duty as your friend if I didn't point this out. You were wrong."
"I don't—"
"…Want to hear it? I know. But I'm gonna tell you anyway. Caesar didn't do anything wrong. Nichole is innocent because she had every right to do what she did. And the reason why this affects you so much, why you're so mad at her and the situation is because you have feelings for her."
I put on my leather jacket, adjusting the wrist of my white shirt. "Not this again."
"Yes, this again. Can't you see?"
Reid followed me out of the room, shadowing me until we left the hospital building. I jumped into my car and tried to close the door but Reid held my door ajar.
"We're friends and all, but you should know when to not be so nosey." I barked irritably.
"Fine. Whatever."
I closed my door and drove off.
I was still in a foul mood and unfortunately, the universe didn't care because I bumped into Nichole in the elevator of our office.
"I know how you hate taking the elevator with someone, so you should take the next one." Nichole said. And I obeyed.
I didn't know why, but I stood outside, watching the elevator door close. The last thing I saw before the doors shut was Nichole's hateful glare.
The rest of my day hadn't gone all that well either. I'd been unable to concentrate on work. So the second the clock hit four, I grabbed my things and left the office straight to Caesar's club. I needed to get my mind off the charity gala. And soon.
"Drego."
I turned around and the familiar cute face and slender body came into view. As always, Toni looked like she'd just come off a runway. She was barely covered in a backless crop top and short leather skirt and brown boots. The second Toni was a few inches from me, she placed a kiss on my lips. A light flirtatious peck.
"Toni."
"A glass of martini." She said to the bartender, the only person in the club. It was still too early to open. Then she looked at me.
"I thought you said you were very busy. Was that code for I don't want to see you anymore, because… Drego, you know you can be direct with me." She batted her lashes, her perfect dentition coming into view.
"Of course not. I've been really busy. But… it's kind of, I just have a little thing on my mind." I sipped my drink and so did she.
"Woman problems?"
I laughed. Toni was always good at guessing what I was thinking. She knew me, after all, we did see each other exclusively for almost four months. It was the longest no-name-tag relationship I'd ever been in since Avril. Toni was just comfortable to hang around, and since we were both at a point in our lives where feelings were out of the question, it was conveniently perfect…
"Please. You know that's the last thing that's ever gonna be a problem for me."
Toni moved closer to me, our lips almost touching. "Your lips are saying one thing, but your eyes are saying another thing. Who is she?"
Tony's minty breath was beginning to get overshadowed by the strong smell of alcohol.
"There is no she." I closed the gap between us, kissing her. I released her lips. "What are you doing right now?"
"Is this a booty call?" She grinned.
"When did anything we did have name tags?"
She smirked, then took a step back, creating space between us.
"As much as I want to help you forget about your woman problems, I don't think that's what you need."
I sighed. "This isn't about a woman."
Toni's expression turned serious. "I know you, Drego. I know that look. It's the look you have when you're trying to run away. Maybe it isn't a woman, but I bet there's something you are running from."
"I'm not running from anything. I just want to have a good time. Like old times."
"Well, you'll have to find someone else. Toni isn't available."
"And that's fine." I smiled at her.
Toni turned around, but she didn't take any step forward. After a few seconds, she turned back to face me.
"You're just going to let me walk away?" She smirked.
"I don't force anything, Toni. You know this."
She took slow steps towards me, her shoes causing sounds that echoed through the big empty room. The bar tender had given us privacy. Toni stopped in front of me.
"So this isn't about a woman?" She took my lips in hers, biting lightly on my lower lip.
I shook my head.
"Good. Because I actually came in here because I saw something I liked and wanted." She whispered seductively in my ear.
I smiled.
"Let's go upstairs." She said, dragging me by the hand and leading me to Caesar's private quarters inside the club. We'd done it here before and Caesar had warned me never to use his quarters again.
This might as well be a little payback for his stunt at the gala.