"You've been warned."
Ike smiled kindly at Holly, assisting her until she was standing on her own. Holly huffed weakly, tugging down the hem of her tight-knit dress.
"Thanks," said Holly half-heartedly.
"You're welcome." Ike shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "Very well. I'll see you around."
Ike didn't idle, tilting his head down slightly before turning on his heel. Although the reason he was in the nightclub was because of his former bullies, he didn't plan to stay longer with her. At least, not in his initiative.
"Wait." His steps stopped and the corner of his lips curled up when Holly spoke. "You look familiar."
Ike slowly turned around, only to catch her folding her arms under her chest.
"You're the new guy," she remarked with certainty. "I think I saw you earlier in school."
"A new guy?"
"Don't pretend that you didn't know."
Deep lines appeared in between his brows while squinting his eyes. "I… don't know what you are talking about, Miss."
"Well, if that is the game you're playing, suit yourself." Holly took three careful steps, keeping her arms folded under her chest. "But if I were you, don't even think about it. Don't follow me or stalk me just because our eyes met once. Consider yourself warned."
Her lips curled up into an arrogant smirk, looking at him from up and down. Holly shook her head mildly as she turned around to walk away. However, just as she took a step, a hand grabbed her biceps and spun her around.
"You got my attention," Ike confessed the moment their eyes locked with each other again. "How much?"
"What?"
"Want to fuck? I'll pay."
Holly's face gradually turned red at the ridiculous remarks he had just spouted. However, she quickly realized he purposely uttered those words to press a nerve when that smirk turned up on his face.
"Miss, not because you saw me or our eyes met once, doesn't mean I am into you. Though you're sexy, I'm more into the obedient type." Ike slowly let her arm go, brushing her shoulder mildly with the back of his fingers. "I think you drank enough tonight. Take my advice and have some beauty rest."
His lips stretched until his eyes were squinting, withdrawing his hand from her shoulder. Ike took a step back, tilting his head down slightly.
"I'll see you around, miss." Just as those words rolled out of Ike's tongue, a youth suddenly jumped to his side and hooked an arm around him.
"There you are!" the young man giggled happily before noticing that Ike and a beautiful young lady were talking. "Oh… did I interrupt with something?"
Ike smiled, casting this guy he befriended tonight a look. "It's fine. It's just that this young lady needed some help."
"Oh…" the youth narrowed his eyes at his newly gained friend suspiciously.
"Anyway, it was good to know you, miss." Ike elbowed this new friend, urging him to stop giving him that look.
"Goodness… I knew it! You're a player, eh?!" the youth snapped his tongue, dragging Ike to their table where his other friends were.
Meanwhile, Holly, who was left standing in the same spot, watched Ike join his friends. Her hand balled into a tight fist as her face slowly turned red in embarrassment. It turned out he wasn't stalking her and was here to have fun with his friends.
"It's all that pig's fault," she mumbled through her gritted teeth, swallowing the shame that swelled in her chest. "Gosh! That's embarrassing."
Holly stomped her feet, walking away from her spot. Her initial plan to touch up her makeup was replaced by her going straight home. Accusing someone like that guy, who obviously had the looks to have tons of friends, was out of her character.
Little did Holly know, as she fled the scene, Ike kept his sharp eyes on her from the table full of strangers. He chugged straight from the bottle, smirking upon hearing Holly's sentiments before running away.
'Fortunately…' Ike slowly shifted his eyes to the people around the table. He knew no one here.
Actually, he just met them tonight at the entrance. He just thought that having friends to drink with would be less suspicious since anything could happen. It was a good thing these people were easy to get along with and immediately treated him as their friend. Well, they would be naturally nice to him since he treated them to drinks.
"Anyway, I had a good time." Ike placed the bottle of beer on the table while he slowly got up. "It was nice meeting you guys."
"What? You're leaving?" someone asked with a frown, followed by a girl's comment, "so soon?"
"I still have class tomorrow." Ike chuckled, maintaining his good relationship with them for future purposes. "Anyway, enjoy all the drinks tonight. I'm off."
"Aww… come on. Stay for a little while!" a girl in the group pouted, using her charms to make him stay. However, he only responded with a laugh, waving dismissively at them.
"Night." Ike waved as he turned his back on them, walking away. Some in the groups were still complaining, while others were yelling at him to stay in touch. He exchanged numbers with them, so they could just contact him or he could just contact them if he needed "friends."
'As much as I love to stay with the company of those guys… I need to keep my momentum. After all, I'm testing my luck tonight,' thought Ike, strutting away as he was certain Holly hadn't left the establishment yet. 'Something fun… after many years of abstinence. Oh, Lord. Give me the sign.'
When Ike exited the nightclub, he immediately caught that fierce "deer" outside, waiting for a taxi. But alas, the wolf came first.
'I guess this is the sign.' His lips stretched from ear to ear, marching forth until he stood beside Holly.
Holly was still mentally lamenting about that embarrassing accusation when she noticed a person's presence beside her. She slowly raised her head, only to furrow her brows to see that familiar face smiling at her.
"Now, I'm stalking you. Do you mind?"