Love Be My Oxygen

2 | Muse

Lewis

My room is completely dark apart from the light streaming from my laptop that illuminates my face. It's 4am and I need to wake up at 8am to start work but the words won't seem to come from my head onto the page.

"Ugh," I slam the laptop shut and fall back onto my bed frustrated with the complete lack of inspiration. Writers block is all I've been experiencing for the past few months, it's like I no longer have the ability to write anything.

I stare at the ceiling wracking my brain for ideas for the next book I can write. All I want is to show the world the ideas in my head but that can't happen when my mind is blank.

Before I know it, sleep consumes me and the alarm I set on my phone is blaring and there is a buzzing vibrating through my desk. The 9-5 life doesn't suit me or my sleeping pattern.

I push myself out of bed and into a shower, going over the presentation I'm giving to the senior board about the current state of our stock shares and investment management. The family company is soon going to be resting on my shoulders, I'll have everything I could ever want. If only I shared the same dream as my father.

This life of grandeur isn't mine, I haven't earned any of it. Maybe that's why I feel like a fake in the designer suits and fancy cars that I drive.

My phone buzzes again from the sink and I shut the water off, wrapping a towel around my waist before answering it without checking the caller ID.

"Lewis speaking"

"Always so serious, lighten up mate. Just wanted to know if you're coming tonight?" Grayson's voice came through the speaker without a care in the world.

"That's tonight? I've got a lot of shit to do today. I don't know how long these meetings are going to take," even I can hear how lousy my excuses sound.

"You're not seriously considering ditching me on my birthday?" His tone is joking, knowing that I can't say no to him.

"Fine but I can't get too wasted this time, you know how Frank loves it when I come to work hungover," he laughs with me at the memory of my Dad's frustration when I showed up to work after having one too many the previous night.

I hang up the phone once it goes silent, each of us accustomed to the abruptness of calls in our busy lives. I run my fingers through my hair and start rubbing foam onto my face to shave and look presentable for the day ahead.

Grayson has been my friend since we were 5, I could trust the guy with everything and so can the rest of the family. That's why he is one of the senior directors in the company.

I am ready within half an hour and driving along the road towards the large office complex that we work from.

My Dad owns a large bank that specialises in keeping offshore accounts for wealthy clients. It is all above board on the outside but there are secrets and deceit coating every transaction. But that's just how it is, when you want to live in mansions you have to learn how to swim with sharks and not get eaten alive.

I have become very good at keeping up appearances and running the business as my Dad is getting older and soon won't be able to with his current health state. I don't want to be a banker, constantly going through loopholes and teetering on the edge of what is right or wrong.

My passion lies in writing, creating action stories and painting villains who turn out to be the hero and vice versa. There is little money in writing, that's what my father says anyway. And he does speak truth, I want to be able to start a family and give them the life that I've been given. He has given me everything and I'm not going to throw that in his face for a dream.

The work day passes uneventfully, my presentation goes well and everyone is updated on what the company is doing. I'll call that a success.

When I get back to the house I can see Grayson's white Lamborghini sitting in the driveway and his figure leaning against it with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Are you ready for tonight brother!" His excitement is so pure, he's always been the carefree one out of the two of us.

"Yes I'm ready, need to let loose. Almost forgetting what it feels like to stop giving a shit," I say the words as a joke but the truth behind them resonates with me. I really do need to relax more, perhaps getting completely drunk isn't the worst idea.

I walk through the front door and into my room to pull on a black button up and black jeans to go out, leaving my gelled back hair alone. Grayson is laying across the couch in the living room as I walk down the stairs.

"Where we going first?" My voice is light and a smile spreads across his face, ready to spend time together again since we've been so hectic as of late.

We stumble our way into the fourth bar of the night, far beyond the point of return. My mind is hazy as I order some beers and talk away about anything and everything knowing that Grayson is too drunk to take in what I'm saying. Hell, I'm too drunk to take in what I'm saying.

I laugh to myself for no reason and my eyes wander around the room. Normally I'd look for a group of girls to entertain for the night but there isn't anyone catching my eye tonight.

"Here, Lewis. Lou, Lou. Brother. We.." Grayson's statement trails off as he forgets what he was going to say.

"We should what?" I laugh at the state that my best friend is in. I'm probably equally as much of a mess but at least I can't see myself.

"We, we should go to that strip club. The one with the models on North street." Normally Grayson's drunk ideas are horrendous but this one sounds appealing.

My eyes widen in an overly exaggerated motion and I nod my head enthusiastically at him. He laughs and we try to compose ourselves as we leave the club and walk across the road to the strip club.

The large men manning the doors take one look at us and shake their heads, "Not tonight boys."

Their statement sounds final but I know what status can do for somebody. I obnoxiously pull out my business card from my jacket pocket and push it into his hands.

"Care to r-reconsider?" I slur my words and have a cocky smile on my face knowing that they know who I am and that I have a lot of money to spend here.

"Sorry sir, go ahead. Have a good night," the bouncers step apart form each other and grant access to the club without any further hesitation allowing us to stumble our way inside.

The music isn't the same as the bar we have just come from, here it's coated with unspoken desire. Sex swims through the air effortlessly as we sit down in two arm chairs pointing to a stage. The clientele here isn't the usual dirty old men who frequent the other clubs in town, all of the men and women here exude money and wealth.

Before I can think about the other people in the room, girls begin to walk onstage and move in perfect harmony. Contorting their bodies so seductively, teasing me without even taking off the sexy lingerie that clings to their frames.

All of the girls on stage look breathtaking, but then again the would since they are paid to make men desire them. But one girl at the edge of the stage is what keeps my attention for the rest of the routine.

She looks younger than the other girls, with an innocent halo seeming to surround her delicate frame. How can someone seem so innocent whilst performing such provocative routines. She's like a beautiful drug I've never tried before, and I want more.

Note

Double update!!!

What do you guys think of Lewis? The man I'm imagining Lewis to look most like is Jon Kortajarena and I'm imagining Haillie as Barbara Palvin, what are your thoughts?