DARK SEDUCTION

chapter:40

This night was a complete and utter disaster. As I stood there, gaping, my suitor for the night walked away with another woman. I couldn't help but wonder if they were a couple or if this was some sort of twisted game they were into. I scoffed at myself of course, there was no way a guy with that look wouldn't be a man-whore. I should have known better.

What shocked me the most was Leila, who had come across as so nice earlier, revealing her true colors. It turns out she was only playing the nice card because of Max. She was annoying, deceptive, and downright cruel. For a brief moment, I wondered if they were laughing at my expense, talking about how gullible I was. It seemed ridiculous, but the thought nagged at me, planting seeds of doubt.

In fact, I was overanalyzing the whole thing. We had only met once, after all. But the humiliation of watching him leave with another woman, without even sparing me a glance, put a huge dent in my ego. It was the kind of blow that stings deeper than it should, leaving a bitter taste that lingers long after the moment has passed.

Leila may have been nasty, but the man-whore and the serpent deserved each other. I know for a fact that I don’t do bad boys. I should have been glad to have gotten rid of the two most deceptive and annoying people I had ever met. I should have been ecstatic that I got rid of that cocky man before I committed myself any further. But somehow, that wasn’t how I felt. The heart is so full of betrayals, always uncooperative with the brain, leading us to make silly mistakes. My heart shouldn’t have ached so badly, but somehow, it did. I could positively feel it breaking, a dull pain spreading through my chest.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Sniffling, I concluded that something must be wrong with the drink or maybe it was just my bruised ego talking. Recalling Leila's words only made me angrier.

"Oops, so sorry, Annabelle. I doubt I’ll be returning your man anytime soon. I’m going to give him the best night of his entire existence something you obviously couldn’t do."

The memory of her smug smile was enough to make my blood boil. Suddenly, I felt really hot and bothered. Blaming it on the weather, I took another drink my third of the night and staggered to the balcony. Leaning on the railing, I let the fresh air clear my head a bit and reduce the nausea that was starting to creep in. I was desperate for a moment of peace, a chance to gather my thoughts and push the image of Max and Leila out of my mind.

But peace wasn’t in the cards for me that night. A guy, who had obviously followed me out from the party, materialized out of nowhere.

"Hey, babe. How are you enjoying the party?" he asked with a too-eager smile.

I didn’t want to speak to any guy right now, not after the intense humiliation I had just suffered. It was at the tip of my tongue to tell him to fuck off, but I held back. I was too used to dealing with annoying customers to resort to insults. "I’m great," I replied in a clipped voice. "Just enjoying the scenery."

I expected him to take the hint and back off, but instead, he kept coming closer.

"You know, you look really pretty, almost like an angel," he said, his voice dripping with what I assumed he thought was charm.

“Mmm, thanks,” I replied, feeling awkward and willing him to go away so that I could think in peace. He wasn’t my type over-oiled slick hair, sweaty palms, and way too touchy. He was a downright letdown compared to the cold, sophisticated exterior of Max. And he talked way too much. His voice jolted me from my reverie.

"Do you come here often? I haven’t seen you around before. Must be fate that we met tonight, right?" He leaned in closer, his breath reeking of alcohol, as he tried to engage me in conversation.