Matthew followed Lucas into the restaurant, immediately taken aback by the blazing music and the scantily clad women walking around. The place was dimly lit, with red and blue lights flashing intermittently, creating a surreal atmosphere.
He noticed a couple making out on a couch and quickly deduced that the lighting setup was deliberate—to give people the illusion of privacy for their escapades.
"Lucas," he called out, his tone tinged with disapproval. "What are we doing here? You know I'm not cool with this kind of place."
"Calm down, Matthew," Lucas replied, casually sipping his drink. He threw an arm around Matthew's shoulders, dragging him closer, and pointed toward a corner. "See that hottie in the red dress? I need you to test your power on her."
Matthew frowned. "What exactly do you want me to say to her?"
Lucas leaned in and whispered something into Matthew's ear.
"And if it works? If my power works on her?" Matthew asked, eyeing his brother warily. "You're not planning to take advantage of her, are you?"
Lucas flashed a cocky grin. "Don't worry, I'm not going to screw a hypnotized girl. I'm not that bad."
Despite knowing Lucas was lying, Matthew decided to go along with it, hoping to get it over with and leave the place as soon as possible. He walked over to the girl in red, his movements hesitant but determined.
"Hi," he said.
The girl turned, giving him a sassy smile. "Hello, handsome. You wanna fuck?"
Matthew was taken aback by her directness. Lucas had claimed she was the "tough" type and never let any guy in the club get close to her. She didn't seem so tough now, though, throwing out such a bold invitation.
Still, he focused on the task at hand. Locking eyes with her, he said, "Let my brother have his way with you." Then he blinked.
"Yes, I will," she replied without hesitation.
A wave of relief washed over Matthew as he stepped back. Lucas wasted no time, appearing at the girl's side and beaming with satisfaction.
"Thanks, man," Lucas said, patting Matthew on the back. "You nailed it."
"Where are you taking her?" Matthew called after him as Lucas began leading the girl away.
"Won't take long! Just wait here!" Lucas yelled back, his voice barely audible over the pounding music.
Knowing exactly what Lucas intended to do, Matthew sighed in frustration. He moved to a quieter corner of the room, planning to relax with a glass of wine. But as he settled down, he noticed a girl struggling with a drunk man.
At first, he tried to ignore it—it wasn't his problem. But after a moment, he stood up and marched over.
"Hey," he said, addressing the man firmly. "The lady said she's not interested. Let her go."
The man turned to Matthew and let out a mocking laugh. "Mr. Knight in Shining Armor, huh? What are you gonna do if I don't?"
Matthew, who wasn't a fan of violence and wasn't good at fighting anyway, decided to use the one thing he was good at. Locking eyes with the man, he said, "Go away. Now." Then he blinked.
The man instantly turned and left without a word.
Matthew turned to the girl, surprised by how young she looked. She couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen.
"I'm twenty-six, not sixteen or seventeen," the girl said suddenly, as if reading his thoughts.
"What?" Matthew blurted out in shock. "You're twenty-six? How did you know I was thinking about your age?"
The girl smiled. "I always get that look from people. The 'aren't you too young to be here?' look. I'm used to it."
Matthew chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, I see."
"Thanks a lot for helping me with that guy," the girl said.
"You're welcome," Matthew replied, turning to leave.
"Wait," she called after him. "Why did he leave so suddenly? What did you do?"
"Nothing. It's just... a gift I have," Matthew replied vaguely, trying to brush her off.
"Hold on," she said, stepping closer. "At least keep me company for a while. What's your name? I'm Penelope, by the way."
"I'm Matthew. But I really have to go—someone's waiting for me."
"Your girlfriend?" Penelope teased.
"No, my brother," Matthew answered, walking away quickly before she could stop him again.