Strength and Mercy

Give Me The Night

Ava usually didn't go to clubs but Asia got her to come along. Ava convinced herself that it could be fun and it had been so long since she hung out with anyone. Plus, she figured if she could square down Kross then she could face anything. She wore a royal blue dress that just reached her knees and hugged her like a second skin with the shoes to match. She did a perm rod set on her hair and put it up curly puff with a bang. Asia went with a tight purple dress that amplified her curves and wore her hair in an updo. The club wasn't completely upscale but it wasn't lowbrow either. The place was dimly lit, packed to the wall, and the smoke machines made the place stuffy. The colorful strobe lights made everything look like it was moving in a sporadic motion. Anyone that walked in could feel the energy was high and it added to the atmosphere. The bass of the music pulsed through the veins of everyone in the place, causing most to dance but Asia and Ava stayed at their table and talked. They got on the topic of work and Ava talked about her encounter with Kross.

"Are you kidding me!" Asia screamed over the booming music.

"I'm serious!" Ava shouted back. 

"Oh my god, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was ashamed. You and the team were counting on me and I nearly screwed the guy in his office..."

Asia tried to comfort her friend, "I get why you're upset, he's a jackass and you're you. I'm surprised you did it but shit happens."

Ava snickered but her face quickly became solemn, "I shouldn't have let that happen though."

"How couldn't it have? He's a bastard but he's a sexy bastard! Plus, I saw the way he looked at you."  

Ava wrinkled her nose, "What do you mean?" 

Asia casually sipped her drink, "Nothing. So, have you heard from him since?"

Ava shook her head, "Not since the run-in a couple weeks ago and the company keeps giving me the run around about setting up another meeting."

Ava's mind drifted to Kaden. She could not wrap around how an individual could become as cruel as him. She could understand that as a businessman he would have to make calculating and cutthroat decisions but it wouldn't surprise her if he took glee in those decisions. She recalled him at the meeting in his tailored suit, suavely taking charge of the room with his imposing figure and distant attitude. The thought made her stomach coil and she became excited. The boom of the bass made Ava aware of her surroundings but thankfully she found Asia being distracted by her phone.

"Are we back on Earth now," she asked without looking up.

Ava sucked her teeth and she shoved her friend laughing. The two continued chitchatting but they soon got up when reggae dancehall blasted from the speakers. She felt as though the rhythm was demanding her to release her cares through movement and she wouldn't rest until she heeded that call. She lifted her hands in the air, closed her eyes, and let the music take her. 

Nightclubs weren't Kaden's cup of tea but his future associates practically begged him to come. Kaden figured he couldn't win them any other way so he went . He dressed in a nice white button up and black pants with designer shoes believing the meeting would be business casual. He soon realized that this was more of a night out and became sour company. Women paraded around their section hoping to score some attention and free drinks, some of the women were invited to the section. Kaden's acquaintances tried to egg him on to take the hazel-eyed brunette named Bambi that cuddled next to him. She was exactly his type, tall, lithe, and pale with a generous bosom. Her dress was olive green and low-cut, barely covering her cleavage. She was beautiful in her own right and any other time he would have taken her home but something nagged at him. Bambi continued to rub her chest against his arm hoping to retain his attention but to no avail. She tried speaking to him while rubbing his leg but he was more irritated than interested.