The sound of his phone ringing startles me, and that's when I realize I had fallen asleep. He groans, and I observe as he gradually opens his eyes, attempting to reach for his phone but struggling to do so. I lift my head from his chest, scanning the bed for the phone, and my gaze lands on it resting at the edge of the bed.
"I'll get it," I offer, about to move, but he pulls me back by my waist.
"Don't worry, I'll get it," he says to me.
I nod, saying, "Alright."
He shifts to retrieve the phone, and then settles back against the headboard. A furrow forms on his brow as he gazes at the caller ID, and he reluctantly answers the call.
"What is it?" he responds to the caller. After listening to the person on the other end, he lets out a sigh.
"Do you even know what time it is? Can't you leave me the fuck alone? I'll deal with that matter when I get to the company tomorrow." His frustration is evident in his tone.
He continues to listen to his person on the phone, and I notice his clenched fist.
"For fuck sake, mother! Please!" he exclaims in frustration.
I'm taken aback by the revelation that he's talking to his mother. He looks genuinely distressed. As he listens for a few more moments, I see his expression change, a mixture of pain and tension in his face. He tightens his grip on the phone and reluctantly says, "Fine! Fine! I'll... I'll do it. I'll do it, so please, please just stop."
I can't help but wonder what his mother is saying to him that's causing him such discomfort and frustration. However, I remind myself that it's a private family matter, and it's best for me to stay out of it and respect his privacy.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turns tense and awkward as he hangs up the phone and places it on the table beside the bed. He then moves away from the bed, seemingly forgetting that I'm even there. His expression becomes decidedly unapproachable, making the situation uncomfortable.
I feel the need to break the silence and diffuse the tension. "Um..." I manage to say, my voice a little shaky. "Can I use the bathroom?" I ask, attempting to find a reason to leave momentarily. I really should freshen up before meeting with Lester; I can't present myself like this.
"The bathroom is right there," he responds in a cold tone, not bothering to look at me. He heads toward a path I haven't explored before, which I assume might lead to his closet or another part of the room. It's clear that he's preoccupied with his thoughts, and I'm left to navigate this awkward moment on my own. I quickly stand up from the bed, using the blanket to cover myself as if he hadn't seen everything. But before I can take any more steps toward the bathroom, the door of the room opens, and someone walks in. My heart jump almost jumps out of my chest from shock as I stare at the very same Lester I had come to see, who is now looking at me with confusion in his eyes.
Oh my... this is not how I planned our meeting to be! I can feel my face burning in embarrassment as I struggle to maintain some semblance of composure. Lester gapes at me in shock, adjusting his glasses, which don't seem too big for his eyes though, they actually give him an intellectual air. He quickly looks away, clearly flustered.
"Um, I'm sorry, I didn't know there would be a girl in Nils' room," he stammers, his embarrassment matching mine. This is definitely not the introduction I had in mind.
I'm left speechless, struggling to find the right words to break the awkward silence. What can I even say in this situation? "Um, hello, I'm Camille. I actually came to see you, but I ended up having sex with Niklaus?" That's definitely not an ideal introduction.
Before I can decide on a course of action, Niklaus's voice startles me, "Lester?" I turn to see him standing behind me.
"Yo man, I didn't know there would be a guest in your room," Lester says, trying to excuse his lack of knocking. He emphasizes the 'your room' part, clearly embarrassed by the situation.
Niklaus walks past me, saying, "Yeah, it's cool, it's no big deal anyway." His casual response catches me off guard. It seems he's taking the situation in stride, which is somewhat reassuring. After all, this was just a momentary lapse, and perhaps it's not as big a deal as it initially felt. I can't help but notice that Niklaus is still walking around without his trousers, and I place my hand over my forehead in exasperation. Could someone please help me convey the message to him that he should put on some clothes? It's only making this awkward situation even worse.
"I'll put on something and meet you," Niklaus suddenly says, breaking the silence. "Let's meet at the pool."
The mention of meeting at the pool catches me off guard, and I can't help but feel a sense of unease. Why are we meeting at the pool? I'm not particularly fond of water, and this adds another layer of discomfort to an already awkward situation. I'll have to gather my thoughts and prepare for whatever might happen at the pool meeting.
Lester nods, saying, "Alright, I'll wait there," before leaving the room.
I turn to Niklaus, who is now staring blankly at me. He seems remarkably unfazed by the situation.
"You still haven't taken a shower?" he asks, seemingly unperturbed. "You can take your time, though, since Lester will be sleeping over." With that, he walks past me. I let out a sigh before I walk over to the bathroom. I meet an already filled bath tub and when I dip my hands into the water and the warmth of the water makes me feel relaxed, just what I need right now.
After I completed my bath, I promptly dress up and survey the room for Niklaus. I walk over to the closet and notice it is empty; had he left already? How am I supposed to locate the pool now? Just as I exit the room, I encounter the butler from earlier, Butler Stevenson, standing before me.
"The master has requested that I guide you to the pool," he informs me.
I blink in surprise; it's... it's a considerate gesture. "Very well, thank you," I reply, offering a smile to the kindly gentleman.
He commences leading the way, and I follow closely behind. Soon, we arrive at the pool area, and I marvel at the breathtaking ambiance. The vibrant array of lights enhances the beauty of the surroundings. I observe Lester and Niklaus seating by the poolside, each with a glass of wine on the table beside them, luxuriating in the lounge chairs.
"Thank you for leading me here, Mr. Stevenson."
He nods at me with a smile before walking away. I walk over to join them, and Lester is the first to turn around. I still feel a bit embarrassed.
"Hi," I smile awkwardly at him.
He smiles back genuinely and then stands up. "Hello, I'm Lester," he says, reaching for my hand and placing a gentle kiss on it, causing me to blush. He's so charming and such a gentleman.
Smiling, I say, "Our first meeting wasn't so smooth, I know." I look down.
"It's totally fine, beauty. I'm used to this," he replies casually.
I blink in confusion. "Used to what?"
He looks at me with the same confusion before turning to Niklaus, who is still acting like I don't exist. He's really making me feel stupid right now.
"Um, I mean, well..." Lester stammers. Did he mean it wasn't the first time he has seen a girl in Niklaus's room? Well, that's not surprising since Niklaus already made it clear that he's a player, but how frequent is it? I really need to know so I can decide if I should get a test for sexually transmitted diseases.
"I mean to say..."
"He's trying to say..." Niklaus cuts in. "... that it isn't the first time he's met girls at my house. He's just very surprised because he met you in my room," Niklaus finally speaks up, though he's still not looking at me. I know he must not be in a good mood right now, but does he really have to make things so awkward for me? And what difference does it make if he met me in his room anyways?
"If I may ask, how often do you have girls over in a week?" I inquire, dreading the answer.
Lester shakes his head and adjusts his glasses, looking quite charming when he does so. "You, um... You don't want to know that, beauty."
Oh no, please don't tell me...
"Sometimes three times a week, and other times four to five times a week," Niklaus answers, causing my eyes to widen. What did he just say?
"Five times a week?"
"And it's usually not just one girl in a day," he shrugs.
Wait, what? How can he just casually say something like that? Is he promiscuous or something?
"I don't need to look at you to know that you're already judging me," Niklaus adds. "But just so you know, I am completely clean."
"And how can you be sure of that? You never know when you might contract a disease."
"They get tested before anything," Lester says, and I turn to him. "He has a personal doctor who does that regularly."
I gape in surprise. "He does?"
Lester nods. "Yes, he does. Nils is um... very professional at what he does," he says, shaking his head at his friend's promiscuous lifestyle. "So you don't have to worry about contracting a disease." He then turns to Niklaus. "But, um... Nils, why is she still around?" He turns to me again. "No offense, beauty, but I didn't expect you to still be around."
So, they don't stick around for conversations or anything? They just have sex and disappear like I did the first time? I know I'm not expecting a serious relationship with him, and trust me; I have no energy left to waste on any pointless relationship but we do need to have a serious conversation.
"She said she wants to see you," Niklaus says.
"Me?" Lester points to himself in confusion. "You want to see me?"
I gulp. "Um, yes."
"Okay, is there a problem?"
"Can we, um, sit somewhere and talk?" I ask.
He nods quickly. "Sure, why not. Let's go over to the other side." He's so accommodating. I wasn't really expecting him to be mean though. As a public figure, I was expecting him to be a bit more prideful, but he's nothing like that at all. We walk past Niklaus and head over to the lounge chairs at the other end.
XOXO