Wrong Injection

CHAPTER 19

I waited patiently in my bedroom, dressed in my favorite blue jeans and a simple white T-shirt, ready to hit the club with Gabby. I was feeling confident and stylish, but I still had to finish getting dressed. I hoped Gabby would arrive on time, as I had planned a long night out and didn't want to waste any more time at home.

Just as I was lacing up my shoes, I heard the door click open, and mom walked in with Gabby. "Dude, I thought you were not coming," I said, looking up at Gabby with a mix of surprise and amusement. "It's already past 9."

"I had to take care of something on my way here." He said and I chuckled, knowing that Gabby always seemed to have some mysterious errand or task to attend to.

Mom, however, caught us off guard with her next comment. "You boys look sharp tonight! I'm sure the ladies at the club will be all over you." Her blunt remark left us both taken aback, but I couldn't help but laugh at her straightforwardness.

"Mom!" Gabby and I exclaimed in unison, our voices laced with shock and amusement. We couldn't believe she'd actually said that.

"Hey, I'm still young and hip, you know!" she said, winking at us. Seeming to enjoy the attention. And Gabby and I burst out laughing, unable to contain our amusement.

"Mom, you're forty-nine, not getting younger!" Gabby teased, and her face fell into a mock scowl.

"Says who?" she asked, playing along, and we all erupted into laughter again. I grinned, feeling carefree for the first time that evening.

"Alright, let's get going!" I said, grabbing my car keys. Gabby reached for the keys, but I jerked my hand away. "No way, man, I'm driving tonight." I walked out of the room, Gabby following close behind, still chuckling about our mom's earlier comment.

It was past 10 pm, and the club was just getting started. Gabby and I were having a fantastic guys night out, and we didn't see ourselves leaving anytime soon.

The club was new, but it had all the excitement of an established one. Our night had almost been ruined when our favorite club failed to open, but thankfully, this new club saved the day.

"Spotted any girl you want to take home?" Gabby asked, and I scanned the room to see if I could find someone who caught my eye.

"I'm not sure," I replied, unable to find anyone who suited my taste. "What about you?" I asked.

"Yeah," Gabby said, though he didn't elaborate.

"Oh, I see. Is she the one?" I asked, nodding towards a girl dancing enthusiastically alone in the middle of the dance floor.

"Nah, she's over there," Gabby said, pointing to a woman in an all-black, short dress. She appeared to be the club's owner, judging by the people congratulating her on the new opening.

"She's not bad," I said, staring at her as she seemed familiar, yet I couldn't quite place her.

"Yeah, hey, wait – she's walking closer," Gabby said, and I looked at the woman again. This time, my eyes widened slightly as I finally remembered who she was.

"Bella," I murmured, feeling surprised.

"Hello, Sultan King West," she said with a warm smile as she approached us.

"Hey Bella, congratulations on your new club," I replied, glancing at Gabby, who looked puzzled.

"Thank you," she said sweetly. "I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves?"

"Yeah, we are," I said. "We didn't expect to have this much fun in a new club, but you've really outdone yourself."

"Aww, thank you so much," she said, beaming. "It feels great to hear that from you. Please do visit often."

I paused for a moment before asking, "By the way, do you hear from Veronica? I haven't heard from her in a while."

"Same here, I haven't been in touch with her for a while," Bella said. "I've been busy setting up the club, so I haven't had much time to socialize. Sorry about that."

"No worries, if you do happen to speak with her, could you please ask her to give me a call?" I asked. Deep down, I wanted to ask about Milani, but I hesitated, unsure of how to bring it up without arousing suspicion. After all, Bella had met me through Veronica at the hospital, and I had only seen her with Milani a few times while observing her from afar.

"Okay I will," she said. "But are you two having some issues? Sorry to ask, but it's a bit unusual that you're not in touch with your girlfriend." She asked with a curious tone, and I cleared my throat, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"It's complicated. I'll fill you in sometime, this isn't the right place to discuss it. May I have your number? It would be great to catch up sometime, if you're open to it?"

"Sure," Bella said, and we exchanged contact cards.

"Thanks, I'll give you a call," I said, and just then, Gabby cleared his throat to remind me of his presence. I had almost forgotten he was standing there. "I'm so sorry, Bella," I said, turning to her. "This is my friend Gabby. Gabby, this is Bella." I made the introduction, feeling a bit embarrassed for neglecting Gabby until now.
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"I'm surprised you're taking Bella so seriously after just a few weeks of having fun," I said to Gabby as he flipped through the channels. He smiled, clearly smitten.

"She's so sweet. She's the sweetest girl I've ever met."

"Every girl is sweet, dude," I said, curious about his sudden change of heart. "What made you change your tune about her?" Gabby's expression turned serious, and he looked at me with a hint of surprise.

"I took her virginity," he said, his voice low. "I still can't believe she trusted me that much." I was taken aback.

"You mean..." I trailed off, and he nodded. The conversation brought back memories of Milani, who had also wanted to give me her virginity. "Congrats on your newfound love, I suppose." I raised an eyebrow, teasing him.