Chereads / Another Man's Treasure / Chapter 4 - Bottoms Down

Chapter 4 - Bottoms Down

Madison~~

Whitney left earlier today for the City Of Love, and let me tell you she was so excited for the next couple of months to come. And I was too. After Jace (her husband), Will (her seven year old son), and I said goodbye at the airport I went to my crusty apartment, but soon left. And now I'm here all alone at a bar on a Friday night.

God, this is just sad.

Slurping down the dry martini in one go sends a bitter taste to my tongue, but it's the ounce of vodka that's in it that keeps me going and needing for more.

Yes, I've been here for about an hour now, I don't know...I can't remember. And maybe the bunch of alcohol is finally reaching my head because it can't stop buzzing, but I need this right now. Let me be sad and drunk. Just once please.

"Another round?" The bartender behind the counter asks smiling.

I smile back taking in his sleek back hair and half rolled up white shirt, exposing his tattoos. "Yeah, actually can I have a margarita but with lots of tequila?"

"Yeah, sure sweetheart." He winks at me.

He's charming.

But not tonight Satan.

Soon after he brings my drink, and this time I take my time chugging it down.

When Christian and I were together he never aloud me to drink. Ever. Well, he didn't allow me to do alot of things actually. He held me back, but he said he was just trying to protect me. Protect me from what exactly? Holding someone back from something for your own personal gain and benefit is not protection. It's ownership. He owned me. But not anymore, because I'm free from he's manipulating and controlling clutches.

Who are you trying to fool baby? Me or yourself?

I felt suffocated when I was with him, that's why I needed to leave. But now that I'm free, I still see him in my dreams, I still think about him and wish he was close to me, holding me. But that toxic love is not what I deserve. I never deserved it in the first place. So now I respect myself for leaving him, even though it was the hardest thing to do.

Im sorry.

I still love you and I don't think that'll ever change.

Letting go of someone you've known for so long and made plenty of memories with is not easy. Not even in the slightest.

"Why you look so sappy?"

I heard a voice next to me, and turned to look at the person.

"Huh?" Was this man talking to me?

He cracks a smirk. "I've been sitting here next to you for the past fifteen minutes contemplating if I should buy you a drink, but you're more focused on staring into your empty glass looking all sad."

I frown at him. "You were watching me?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

A sigh leaves my mouth. "Listen, I'm not in a position to be getting hit on right now. So please leave me alone."

He chuckles amusingly, "You think I'm hitting on you?"

"Why would you offer me a drink then?" I question.

He folds his arms across his chest. "From my understanding I didn't offer you one, yet." He shrugs, "Plus misery loves company."

I scanned him up and down, taking in his handsome sculptured face. The black suit made him look strong and powerful. Something I'm not.

"What do you know about misery?" I scoff, "I mean just look at you. You're fucking hot." My eyes go big.

God, what am I saying?

He laughs which just makes me feel even more embarrassed. "Why thank you. You're pretty hot yourself." I give a small smile, disagreeing with him. "But if you must know, I just got dumped... by my fiancée."

"Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that." I say in understanding.

He's blue eyes grow sad. "It's whatever." He says never-mindedly, but I can tell he's lying.

Letting go of someone you've know for so long and made plenty of memories with is not easy. Not even in the slightest.

He continues. "So what's your reason?"

Turning back in front of me and playing with the empty glass, silence fills the air for a few seconds before I speak up.

"Not to long ago I went through a really rough divorce. So.. here I am drowning my sadness."

I don't know what I'm thinking to tell a stranger this! He must probably think I'm some depressed woman, I mean I am but I don't want him to know that!

Maybe he understands in some weird way what I'm going through. He just go dumped so...

"Well, that sucks." He sighs, "But it was for the better right?" He asks me.

I perk over and give him a good look again, the warm lights from the bar gives his face a welcoming look. He could attract anyone with that face of his, but I realize now he's so not my type.

His voice is deep and rough, demanding and yet surprisingly interesting when he spoke. I didn't want company but I wouldn't mind talking to a fellow sad man.

"Yes." I simply say.

My plan was to get drunk and waste my night away, but now I don't have the funds to buy more giggle juice.

So I might as well see if this man is nice enough to buy me a few more.

"So, if you'd like to keep me company, can I at least know your name?"

He holds out his hand. "Nathan Lane." I nod while shaking his hands. Firm handshake there buddy.

"Madison Monroe."

A smirk places itself on his lips as he looks down at me, and I suddenly feel nervous under his gaze. I clear my throat. "Are you here with someone Nathan Lane?"

"Just my friend over there." He looks and points behind him at a brown haired fella talking to some girl.

"You with anyone Madison Monroe?" He asks smiling.

"Nope. I'm alone."

"Well how about that drink huh?" He leans on closer to my ear smirking. "A round of shots Miss Monroe?"

I just wanted to make sure you were safe and I still do, because I love you Madison.

I feel Nathan's breath on my cheek that send shivers all the way down my neck, he's still waiting for my answer.

I'm free from he's manipulating and controlling clutches.

I'm free.

And that's when I lean in closer to the man in front of me, and in a hush tone I say, "I'd love that Mr. Lane."

...

Waking up with a pounding headache was not what I wanted at all, but that's what I get for being a slave to the alcohol last night.

I deserve it.

"Fuck." I mutter under my breath as I try sitting up in my bed. My eyelids heavy as I try to open them while burying my face in my hands.

Note to self; I need to stop drinking so much.

I shift a little and finally opened my eyes. The warm light seeping through the white curtains blinds me and I involuntarily close my eyes again. But then I realized...

I don't have white curtains in my room.

I have baby blue ones.

I gasp.

And then I came to conclusion that I'm not in my room. I'm not in my bed. And I'm pretty sure I'm not in my apartment either.

What the fuck happened last night?

Who's place is this?

And why- "Oh my God." why am I naked?

That's right I'm naked. My body under the sheets is naked. I'm fucking naked in a stranger's bed!

My breathing becomes unstable and the pounding in my head all the way to my crown does not help with the panic attack I'm having right now.

I need to get out of here.

But before I could get out of the king sized bed the door opens, and in steps a man with a towel around his waist. He doesn't know I'm awake and sitting up straight looking at him since he went straight to his closet.

This is my chance.

I quietly lift the sheets off my naked body and step out of the comfy bed. Wrap the sheets around me and-

In a split second the sound of something crashing makes my heart stop beating.

What the fuck happened?

I instantly look behind me and see a photo frame made out of purely glass smashed in pieces on the tiled floor.

Fuck!

"You're awake." I turn around and see the man walk towards me but I pause him with my finger.

"Stop." I say while hugging the sheets closer to my chest. "Who are you and what happened? Huh? What did you do to me?" I ask frantically.

He surrenders in hands in the air, still only with a towel wrapped around his torso. "I'll explain everything later, but right now can you step away from the glass before you step in it?"

I look him in the eye, and also caught a glimpse of his chest, rocking abs and a v-line that can make my mouth water.

I, me, Madison Monroe had sex with him?

Did we even have sex?

Duhh, stupid bitch.

But anyway, he's fucking beautiful, unlike me with my chubby stomach and cheeks.

It's that damn ramen.

"Fine." I say moving out the way. "Can you answer my question now?"

The man turns back around heading to his closet. "I don't know what happened okay? Happy now?"

"No, I'm not happy! My ideal plan wasn't to wake up in a stranger's bed." I throw my hands in the air, almost letting go of the sheet.

He faces me again rubbing his temples, maybe he's having a hangover too. "There's a bathroom on your left if you need it." He says searching for clothes in his closet.

I'm still mad at him, but I search for my clothes which is scattered around the room.

I'm truly disgusted by myself, because I find my black lace bra on his lampshade on the bedside table.

God, I'm never drinking again.

I head over to the bathroom and lock the door behind me. I gasp. I instantly fall in love with the marble and rose gold decor, from the frameless glass shower to the white coated counter tops. The bath tub white with sparkling golden faucets, giving it a speck of royal touch. It has a huge window with another side view of the energetic city.

Pressing a button on the small remote, the curtains starts closing. Everything just look so expensive as hell.

This man is clearly very weathly or something.

Shaking myself out of my daze and I head to the shower for a quick rince. The faster I get out of here the better.

After I leave the bathroom, he was nowhere to be seen in the room, and the glass from the photo frame was picked up, the bed was also beautifully made up.

Where is he?

I didn't know what to do so I just took a seat on his bed and waited for him. And a few seconds later he came into the room.

He was about to say something but I speak first.

"Take a seat and tell me what happened last night or I'm calling 911."

"Okay jeez." He takes a seat a few feet away from me. "I don't remember much from what happened last night, I don't even remember your name. And by the look of things, I guess we hooked up."

I sigh, taking in his words. "Yeah, all I remember is being drunk as fuck. And maybe we shouldn't know each others names, we won't see each other again." I say standing up grabbing my phone off the bedside table and heading to the door.

"Wait! Maybe we should know each other's name, don't you think?" He says behind me as we make our way down the stairs.

I turn to look at him. "No, I don't think so, let's just pretend this never-"

"Mr. Lane, breakfast is ready to be served." An elderly lady politely said standing at the foot of the marble stairs.

Mr. Lane?

"Thank you Lidith. I'll be there in a sec."

I'd love that Mr. Lane.

"Hello there." She greets me while smiling.

I awkwardly smile back. "Hi."

Nathan Lane.

The voice in my head reminds me.

Oh my God. This man is Nathan fucking Lane. The city's finest bachelor, and CEO of his father's company. He is always in the spotlight, but I barely keep up with him, because I have a life and I'm currently going through some shit.

My knowledge from him came from Christian. My ex husband is well-known in the city for working with big names as a business manager, but he hated Nathan. I don't know why, but he just did.

After she walks away, I scurry down the stairs.

"Wait up!"

I finally make it to what I assume is the front door of his massive penthouse, but the door can't open without a pass code.

He finally catches up with me. "Open the door."

"I was thinking maybe we could talk more about what happened last night over some-"

"Open. The. Door." I say more sternly.

"Are you always this grumpy?" He asks frowning.

"Look, you and I had sex last night and I don't even know if you wore a condom or not. So you better open the door so I can buy myself a morning after pill. The last thing I want is some rich man's baby, and then before you know it I have to move in with you and my face will be all over magazine-"

He sighs deeply opening the door. "Please just calm down. Okay calm down. You know who I am?"

"Yeah, Nathan I do."

Walking down the short hallway there's an elevator, so I press the button- now glowing green as I frantically wait.

"Can I at least know your name?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Why is this thing taking so long?

"It's better this way. After all we probably won't see each other again. I'm nothing compared to you, we're not even supposed to be breathing in the same air right now." I rub my temples as I can't believe I'm speaking to him in such a rude manner but I really want to get out of here.

"Just forget this ever happened, okay?" I impatiently tap my foot.

Nathan backs off as he doesn't say anything further.

Finally the elevator doors open and I step inside but before it could close I see his intoxicating blue-gray eyes stare into mine, demanding me to answer his annoying question, I sigh. "Fine, my name's Madison."

And all I could see was his perfect smile before the doors shut close.

Now... how do I get to the nearest drug mart from here?