"Ready for the party?" Leo asked Bradley and Mark.
"I really hate that I can't be at this party, but since I am not allowed, you guys have fun," Anne, Mark's fiancée, pecked his lips.
"They forced me to be part of this," Mark said as he stared at Leo with killer eyes.
Bradley laughed as he sipped the drink he had in his hand. After having dinner, the four decided to get a drink at the bar before the bachelor party started.
"We gotta go. Come on! Kiss your future wife and let's go," Leo said as he stared at Mark.
Mark shook his head and kissed Anne before leaving. At the same time, Bradley finished his drink and got up, leaving a tip for the barman.
"Please, don't do anything that could hurt us," Anne whispered to his fiancé.
"I won't. I am actually not even in the mood for all this crap. Not even Bradley is. We are going because Leo insisted."
"Don't let anything bad happen to B, okay? We don't need the press talking even more shit about him."
"True! I am going to take care of him."
Both smiled. Since Bradley decided to run his father's business, journalists and economists had criticized him. They did not think he could be as good as his father.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Bradley sipped his whiskey, having the last drop on the glass. He ordered another glass of it to a waiter who passed by. It had been two hours since he was sitting at the bar, observing that party that seemed more like an orgy. Leo was completely drunk, crawling after women.
The waiter gave him the glass of whiskey and Bradley quickly drank all of it, thinking that he would be happier if he were home watching cartoons with his niece.
A few women tried to hit on Bradley, but he was not in the mood. He was probably the only one who wasn't drunk there, and Mark, of course, was also enjoying the party by himself.
Bradley decided to approach Mark, sitting on the couch next to him. "Why this face?"
"Do you think it's easy for me watching all these women and not being able to have fun?" Bradley laughed. "What about you?" Mark faced Bradley. "You barely look at the girls."
"I think I am tired of the type of life I had before running my dad's business."
"Relax and enjoy. Aren't you single?"
"I am not having fun at all."
Actually, Bradley had someone back in Philadelphia. Her name was Lauren. Pretty, polite, and intelligent. It wasn't love what felt for her, but she had all the features to be his wife. His mom loved that girl and gave her blessing, even if they weren't in a serious relationship. On the other hand, his friends didn't like her. They found Lauren a bit sly and fake. And Bradley knew about their opinion.
"I am done. I am leaving," Bradley announced as he got up off the couch.
"I am going with you."
Both friends left. While Mark headed to his room, Bradley decided to walk on the beach until he reached the bar by sea he used to go to while staying on the island. He felt the warm water on his feet while staring at the horizon and thinking of what he did in the morning. Bradley closed his eyes as he remembered her face.
The cold wind hit him, and he felt weird, trying to put himself in her shoes. Stefani was probably too desperate. But he didn't want to keep thinking of her nor trying to find answers.
Bradley walked towards the bar. It was crowded, full of couples dancing. He smiled when he met the bartender who always served him. "Busy night here, huh?"
"It is always like that here. Even in winters, we have a lot of visitors. What can I serve you tonight?"
"A whiskey, please!"
The barman promptly prepared it for Bradley, who thanked him. It was nice to watch those people having fun. A few couples dancing, groups of friends laughing and talking. He sipped his whiskey as he closed his eyes, enjoying the taste of it while tapping one of his feet in the rhythm of the song. He turned his neck and saw that familiar face again, sitting at a bench next to the bar. It was her... It was Stefani!
She was by herself. What was she doing there anyway?
"Hey!" Bradley called the barman. "That girl over there," he pointed. "Bleached hair... What time did she arrive here? Is she alone?"
The barman looked at her a while. "It's been one hour or so... I don't remember if she is with someone, but I guess not."
Bradley shook his head. Why in the hell did her family allow her to be alone there? Did they even know where she was? What if she was just waiting to go into the sea again? It was night, and there would be no one to save her.
He continued staring while watching her tapping to find a small glass. "Is she drinking? What did you give her?" Bradley asked, visibly annoyed. "How much did she drink?"
"She asked for a margarita, but she didn't like it. Then she ordered a tequila. Then another one."
"What?
She tried to end her life that day, and now she was trying to get drunk. He got up as he walked towards Stefani, not even noticing how pretty she looked in a white dress that showed her neck. He took the glass from her hand as she faced the counter, frowning. She laughed, remembering that she finished the drink before the person did that.
"Huh..." She was still smiling. "Sir!" Stefani called for the barman.
"Yes, ma'am." The same man who served Bradley approached her.
"Another tequila, please."
The barman stared at Bradley, who shook his head and gesticulated. "Water," Bradley whispered, placing his hands on the counter while staring at her.
"Whoever this is... I feel your presence," Stefani said without moving.
"Oh, yeah?" Bradley smiled with her comment.
Stefani lifted her eyebrows, recognizing that voice. She moved her head, facing his stomach. Even if she was blind, Bradley felt like she could see him.
"Introduce yourself, please," she tapped on the counter until she found the glass of water.
"She is so pretty," Bradley told himself in his thoughts when he remembered that he didn't think she was pretty at first. He observed all the details on her face. She was attractive for sure. It seemed that she had her hair done and makeup on her eyes. But how? He couldn't understand a thing.
Bradley couldn't help but smile at the funny face she made after drinking the water from the tiny glass. "What the hell," she mumbled. "This tastes like water," Stefani put the glass back on the counter.
"May I buy you anything?"
"I don't take anything from strangers."
"That's smart," he smiled. "What if I introduced myself?"
Now she was sure he was the man that saved her life. She closed her eyes as she remembered him saying: "You need to live." That man didn't even think of his own safety and jumped into the sea, only to save her. She took a deep breath, her heart beating fast.
"So... Can I introduce myself?"
Stefani recalled that the doctor called him Bradley a few hours earlier. Maybe that was his name. She frowned.
Stefani didn't want to be with him. He was probably just watching over her. That man wouldn't stop her from having fun. Stefani would enjoy that night just like everyone else. Bradley had no right to end her night like that.
