Taking Time

Month Five

Sasuke waited in one of the backrooms of the gentlemen's club he'd been a member of for a few weeks by then. He read his fingers across the leather seat he was in while sipping the rest of his glass of white wine. The club was exclusive, and he was fortunate enough to secure a membership that kept his account private. Many individuals like him attended these clubs after hours and they needed lips to be sealed. Sasuke wasn't embarrassed by his attendance at the club, but he knew that it wouldn't bode too well for his business ventures if people got too connected with his personal life.

Across from him, lounging on the silk bed sheets, was a woman, dressed in some black lingerie set. It was revealing of every inch of her body. Sasuke stared at her, for the millionth time, hoping it would spark some animal within him to devour her.

However...

He took another sip, finishing off the last droplets.

It didn't.

"You know, you're my favorite customer..." Her voice was sultry, even when she didn't need to be. It was as if she knew the effect she had on men and it came out naturally. Thankfully, Sasuke wasn't put under the spell.

"How so?" Sasuke asked, looking at his watch for the time.

2:30 am.

She chuckled as she turned over onto her back, staring up at the mirror above the bed and herself in that bed. The decor itself was a tacky choice, but again... It was a gentlemen's club, so Sasuke only expected it.

"Because we just sit here for one, sometimes two hours a night, and talk." She exhaled.

Sasuke placed his empty glass on the side table and crossed his legs. He knew he needed to leave, but there was something about being in this club that helped him relax a bit. Out there—in the world—he was reminded of his troubles, traumas, fears, and failures. It was like the reality of his life crashed into him full force and there was no escaping it. He liked to believe he could handle himself, but time and time again he was proven wrong. To be honest, his lack of control is what caused him to get a membership at the club in the first place. He needed to fuck his feelings for Naruto out of his system. Yet, as he'd sit in these rooms with these unclothed women, he realized just how stupid that notion was. What he had with Naruto couldn't be fucked away by random women... It wasn't in him to do that. And no matter how much he wished it was that easy, he knew it would only make him feel worse after. And so, his plans had started to shift as time progressed, day by day.

Each meeting he had with a woman, he'd drink a bit to loosen up, and then they'd get him to open his heart in some way. He wasn't shaken by it. He wasn't even upset. After the first few times, he felt total relief. He'd bottled up everything for months. He wasn't even able to properly grieve the falling out of his first love and him. This club and the anonymity it provided gave him the power to let it all out. It wasn't like a waterfall of emotions... It was barely emotional at all, but yet, he was just heard. Sometimes, the women would even drop a bit of advice or ask a question that truly challenged Sasuke's thoughts. It was eye-opening. And when he showed up, at some random hour past midnight, he knew he'd be able to relax a bit. It was as if he hadn't relaxed in a millennium.

"I will say, I'm happy you told me his name this time." The woman said, her eyes moving to look at Sasuke. "It's funny how you can feel so much more connected to someone when you hear about something that's hurt them."

Sasuke watched as she flipped over on the bed, messing with her hair a bit and fixing her top before she leaned onto the palms of her hands to look at Sasuke with more purpose.

"The way you walk about him and this break-up..."

"Broken engagement," Sasuke mumbled, correcting her.