Beautiful Dreamer

17. In Your Dreams

No sooner had Rey Arrived than he began to feel like an outcast. It looked like a regular bar, but most of his anxiety was still fueled by his self-awareness and the knowledge that he did not belong.

Luckily, the bar may have been predominantly populated by those outside his usual crowd, but Mun assured him that he, too, visited the bar from time to time just for leisure and network.

"Try not to stick out. If you are too rigid, people will smell your discomfort, and someone always wishes to turn an innocent man into an animal."

"How long do we have to be here?" Rey asked, seeming impatient.

"Until I get a night snack, which is very rare. I have quite a reputation here and a temper I'm trying to tame."

"Meaning you are using me as your wingman?"

"You have the looks for it, and if Ari gets here, the better. He is a great magnet. Everyone seems obsessed with dominant women these days."

"You mean a hookup magnet?"

The man giggled, "Something like that."

Rey could feel his insides twist from discomfort upon hearing the remark but brushed it off and told himself to calm down. 'It's just for tonight, so think of the contract. This client is merely lonely, that is all. After four more of this, you'll never have to see him again.'

Scanning around, the place was rather crowded, a bar he would never have thought the client would consider coming to. Everyone had a kink for certain things, and perhaps this was his. After spending almost an hour, the air grew musk and merry, and Rey almost felt like he was attending a circuit party.

"Hey loner? I've been watching you for a while, and you seem lost." Rey turned, following the voice owner, only to find a stranger. The guy was casually dressed, a half-opened blouse clinging onto him and revealing most of his chest. Scanning him, Rey rested his eyes on the two drinks he held with his left hand.

"At least take me out on a date before you undress me like that." The stranger spoke meekly and sat right where the client was earlier, and for a moment, Rey panicked and began looking for him.

"He went to the washroom and sent me here to care for you." Placing the drinks on the table, the guy pushed one towards Rey and introduced himself as the bar owner.

"Nice to meet you," Rey replied but refused to greet the hand extended before him.

The guy chuckled, then retracted his hand away. "Can you try and be less obvious? Otherwise, you'll get yourself kicked out. Not by me, of course. I need my wealthy lonely customers to spend their money on drinks. However, half of the people here are drunk already and aren't in their right mind to take lightly your blatant rejection. You can leave if you don't like it here, but buy a couple more drinks first."

"I'm not one of them."

"I can see that." The man replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "I feel bad for you, though. Keeping company with the likes of that guy... He must have forced you here. He is well loaded, so I'll tab him instead of you. Behave well, okay?"

A light tap from the stranger on his shoulder almost made Rey choke from disgust, but he did his best to control himself from punching the guy in the face. He felt out of place and wanted to leave, but Ari promised to come. Checking his time, it was already past the hour with no sign of him. For a moment, Rey wondered if Ari had been the only average dominant female he'd ever met, as if that made any sense. Or perhaps Ari could be the only dominant woman he could entertain.

Thinking back, he remembered their little tussle on the trip with Ned and caught himself smiling, but the image of a naked and furious Ari made his smile vanish as soon as it had appeared.