~ Daniella ~

“So who are those men in the table with you last night Dan?” Ericka asked me the moment we were alone in our cubicle. The rest of our friends (my team) were on the dance floor shaking their booties and grinding with other men. Mason, Ericka’s beau, went to the bartender station to order some flaming margarita for us. We are in a night club called Lotus Spade in the upper downtown, outside of the fabulous Beverly Hills city.

It is our last day here in the city since tomorrow we will return to New York. Good thing Ms. Elaine granted us an extra day stay in the chateau, all expenses paid by her and her husband. Since it is a Saturday, after taking care of the wedding decorations and flowers for the whole day, we decided to celebrate our successful and trouble-free wedding event last night by coming to this club. It is also timely that it is mine and Ericka’s night-out day.

Everything in the reception went as planned (well... except for the violinist but that was already solved thanks to Mr. Vincent Altair). After his Allegro Moderato piece, the newlyweds requested another one since they loved hearing him play. After that, two more requests arrived to which Vincent was kind enough to play. The audience was so captivated with his mini-concert that they almost forgot that it was a wedding party. They actually asked for multiple encores in chorus. Luckily, the host was skillful enough to transition to the next part of the program and dismiss Vincent out of the stage without a problem.

I never saw Vincent after that again because he left the area through the other side of the ballroom.

Right after the reception, Ms. Elaine and Mr. Aaron congratulated me. They said that they will recommend me to their friends if they needed a wedding planner. Not that I would need such an advertisement from them since...you know, the Rosecraft Company is already popular, but it is always great to know that through my efforts more credits will go to the company which I will inherit someday.

“Ah, those two?” I gave Ericka an innocent face. The lights of the club were playful. The colorful lasers swayed all over the place. I could see her grooving to the beat, but her attention was still on me.

“Yup,” she said whilst throwing a peanut in her mouth, “those two with you in the Fancy Pants Club table.”

I pressed my lips as I recollected my time in that particular table. In no way am I going to mention his name because it will only bubble up my suppressed irritation. “Weren’t you at the party last night too? I’m sure you know who the man next to me is. He was in the stage giving a message to the newlyweds.”

“Uh, na ah,” she shook her head. “Remember you assigned me at the entrance door. I never got the chance to see the whole of the program.”

My eyes widened in realization. “Oh yes, I forgot.”

Ericka then leaned closer to me and gave me a hopeful look. “So? Who are they?”

She really is determined on juicing up information.

“The one with the yellow turban is Rohan,” I started after a sigh. “He is the secretary of the Fancy Pants Club.”

“Uhuh, I’m listening,” Ericka noted.

“And...the one next to me is the president, Mr. Erik Romano Fancii.”

I saw her roll her eyes then. “Well duh...” she voiced, “it is a no brainer. Look at the rhyming words. Fancii and Fancy. Get it?”

I chuckled at her statement. She can be a comedian sometimes. I took my glass of tequila and drank it in one gulp. The liquid immediately stung my throat in the most desirable way.

“But he is stiff,” I heard Ericka say then. “He needs to loosen up a bit.”

“Oh, believe me,” I stated, “I so agree with you with that.”

She tapped a finger in the corner of her lips and leaned back on the cushioned chair as if she was thinking. “The other one though, Rohan, is that his name? He seems easy to get along with,” she remarked once done.

“Yes, he is. Can you believe that he is a Kamasutra guru?”

I don’t think it is an information that needed her attention but I guess I was wrong.

“Oh yeah? He is?” she straightened; eyes lighting up. “Can you ask him how much is his fee?”

I gave her a perplexed look. “Why are you asking?”

She bit her lips then and confessed, “Because I’m planning to take Mason with me for a session.”

Wow. I never expected this straight-A college student would be courageous with regard to this kind of topic.

“Kee, you know you don’t need to tell me that right?” I said feeling my cheeks blush. I so don’t need an image of my friends making out or getting hot and horny right now.

“I know,” she sighed, “but I want you to feel the burn too.”

Oh my Lord, I believe the burn she is talking about meant desire.

“I think it’s high time you get a boyfriend, Dan.”

There she is again, playing cupid. We had talked about this several times and it always ended up with me saying ‘graduate first before love life.’ But now, I can’t do that anymore since I have graduated.

“Hmmm, sorry, I don’t plan on having one anytime soon,” is what I just replied.

Ericka gave me a skeptical look. “Huh, I bet you’ll swallow your words when someone makes a move on you.” She tossed another peanut in her mouth and eyed me mischievously. “Like perhaps...the vice president?” she added.

If I’m going to weigh it down, I think the reason why she said that is because of what happened last night; those two kisses in my hands that weren’t necessary for a man who I just met. But I believe Vincent is just being a gentleman. I guess Ericka saw it in a different light.

“What? Vincent?” I suppressed a laugh. “Oh...he is too beautiful for me. I think you are aware of that.”

She chuckled and then placed an elbow in the table while supporting her face with her hand. “I know right. He is so dreamy and such a gentleman.”

Huh, she just took the words right out of my mouth. I scooped my share of peanuts and started eating them whilst contemplating on our subject. Vincent Dominico Altair is a hot man. Like hot just like his two other club members. But his type is what women would call a lucky catch... a prince charming. I don’t see him as my prince charming though. I prefer my man...

“How about the president?”

I coughed out a peanut as an image of Erik flashed in my mind.

“Oh goodness Kee, I think I’m gonna puke.” The glass of water instantly relieved me as I drank it. “Why would you have that kind of idea?”

She shrugged her shoulders then. “Nothing... just intuition I guess.”

“Well, that intuition of yours is messed up. It needs fine-tuning because believe me when I tell you, that man is untouchable with his oh-so-perfect principles in life and his roguish attitude.”

She giggled and rolled her eyes Ericka-style. “You seem to know him quite well even just for a few hours together.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “One minute. One minute is all I need to know that that man is a no-go.”

“Mhmmm, that sounds like a challenge,” she nodded towards Mason’s way as we saw him approach our cubicle with two salted margaritas in hand. “And I happen to know you love challenges, boss.”

I rolled my eyes. God, sometimes her keen sense of things makes me shiver.

“Oh my God!” she suddenly shouted and stood up, “Is that him!”

“What?!” I scrambled from my seat too; stretching my head to make sure I could see. I could feel my heart pounding like crazy. “Where?” My brain honestly assumed that Ericka was pertaining to Erik, but I think it was just out of panic that it did so. “Wait, who are we talking about?” I crossed my arms in my chest.

“Oh my God, Daniella. Look at your face!” she burst out, then danced in a silly manner, making heart shapes with her hands.

I can’t really get angry with my friend, so instead of dissing her because of her prank, I plopped myself back on the sofa and said, “Zip it, Kee. I’m not patronizing this topic about him anymore.”

She stopped and smiled evilly on my way. “You’re cute,” she said, wriggling her brows.

“And you’re bossy.”

“You are the boss!”

And then we both laughed. Mason, who now joined us, looked confused. “What’s this girly commotion in here?” he asked whilst hooking an arm around Ericka’s waist.

“Nothing,” I said, then grabbed my friend’s wrist. “You wouldn’t mind me stealing your girlfriend for a date right?”

He raised his hands and said, “No problem at all, boss. Go ahead.”

***

A few minutes of dancing together with my girls had me in a great mood. It was fun and at the same time liberating. Because we were in the middle of the dance floor, I could see the whole of the club. It was spacious. There were balcony-type cubicles and private VIP rooms on the second floor, a wide stage in the center that had band instruments set up, and more cubicles on the first where ours was too.

I found that this club has a lot of customers. Probably, I can say that the class of people that come here are in between the middle and high class. Most wore designer clothes and had blings dangling in their necks and wrists.

The dance floor was alive because of the many people crowding up including my team and me. It would have been a normal event for a club but the way the people danced, including those around us, were out of the ordinary. They actually looked like they were in a high.

Weird.

I would have opened this up with Ericka, but before I could tow her out of the dance floor, I felt my cellphone vibrate in my hand.

Now, who would call me at this hour?

After tapping Ericka’s shoulder, I shouted in her ear, “I’ll go out for a sec! My phone is vibrating!”

“Sure!” she answered loudly.

And there I went, out of the club managing a flight of stairs before passing the tall, scary-looking bouncer with a braided beard.

Unknown number?

My mind blurted out as I checked on my cellphone screen.

Seeing a classic lamppost a few feet away from me, I went there and answered my phone. This location is right. It is enough that I can hear the caller’s voice amidst the booming sound of the club music.

“Hello?” I answered anxiously.

“Good evening, Ms. Rosecraft,” I heard a man’s voice say. It is familiar, but because it is through the phone, I can’t discern who it came from.

“Who is this?” I said, hoping it isn’t a prank call.

“It’s Vincent.”

Oh goodness. My heart actually leaped in response.

“Oh hi!” I said, quite dumbstruck that it is him. “You...have my phone number?”

“Yes,” was his only reply. In the background, I can hear soft jazz music playing and the sound of billiard balls hitting each other.

“May I know from whom or where you got it?”

I heard him chuckle then. For some reason, I have a feeling that he had our conversation in a speaker. “Would you get angry if I tell you I researched it in your curriculum vitae?”

“Uh, no,” I answered, “that won’t make me angry, but that will give me chills. You have some potential to become a stalker.”

I heard him laugh then, the same hearty one in the backstage last night. “You’re hilarious, Daniella. I like you.”

Okayyy. I am not going to think of the word ‘like’ as something else other than for friendly purposes.

I gulped hard and decided to go straight to the point. “Soooo, what’s up? Why are you calling this late an hour?”

“When are you returning to New York?” he asked directly.

“Uhm... tomorrow afternoon, why?”

“I’m just wondering if I can collect your debt to me now.”

“Huh? As in, at this moment?” I was taken aback. It just sounds weird to hear him say that.

“No no,” he quickly disagreed, “Tomorrow morning, at 10 o’clock. What you are going to do is to pose as a life model for my painting session for just 3 hours.”

I leaned against the lamppost, hooking my free hand in my shoulder. There were people passing me, minding their own business as I did mine.

“A model?” I said after my brain ingested the information. “If you don’t mind, can I ask where your original model is? I assume you have one.”

“Yes, I have, but she backed out because of a family emergency she needed to take care of.”

“And you think that I’ll be fit to become a model?”

I don’t have low self-esteem. I am confident with my appearance and many even tell me I am a charming gal. I just don’t think that I am fit to become an art model.

“Yes, of course,” he said immediately. No hint of reservation whatsoever. “So are you in?”

“Am I going to be nude? Because I will certainly not agree.”

I heard him chuckle again. “No, you just wear whatever you want to wear. Our session tomorrow is all about facial angles and light tones, so I only need your face basically for the club members to paint.”

Club members... My mind spelled out. Will the president join too? I wanted to ask that one, but refrained, for I still have a suspicion that I am in loudspeaker. Also, I don’t want Vincent to think that I have some unanswered issues with Erik, and by saying unanswered issues, I meant his declaration of revenge on me.

“Wow, it sounds amazing already,” I answered him even though a chill ran up my spine after remembering Erik’s words on my ear.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” he said.

I nodded although he can’t see me. “Sure.”

“I’ll just text you the place. Don’t worry, the class will only be held within the chateau.”

That sounds acceptable. I of course don’t want to leave the chateau for hours when I know that I’ll have my flight soon.

“That sounds good then,” I said hoping to hang the phone up. I bet Ericka and others are already wondering why I’m taking too much time.

“Wait, are you in a night club?” Vincent suddenly asked that. I could sense a bit of alarm in his voice.

“Yes, my team and I are in a club called Lotus Spade. Have you visited here? The place is amazing!”

I heard a faint disappointed groan then. I’m not sure if it's from him, but it sounded a bit gloomy. I don’t think that prince charmings can produce that kind of unfavorable sound at all.

“You should get out of that place now,” was his sudden command. I creased my brows and pressed my lips together.

“Woah, don’t sound like a parent now Vincent.”

“No, I’m serious, Daniella. You should get out of that night club now. It’s not safe.”

Now, the tune of his voice turned grave. It almost sounded like Erik in his bossy self.

I heaved a deep breath. I have no intention of giving him a sarcastic comeback as I treated him as a good friend, but still, I don’t want to be ordered without any justifiable reason.

“We are having fun here Mr. Vice President and I don’t want to become a killjoy on my friends,” I clipped, “Tell me... why should I do what you ask?”

I heard a scratching, thumping sound then. Next, a button pressed and thereafter, a voice of a man I never would have expected to hear.

“Because if you won’t, I’ll come and get your sexy ass out of there,” Erik Romano ‘the asshole devil’ Fancii threatened.

“Erik?!” I shouted in panic. After realizing that I actually said his first name, I immediately covered my mouth.

Oh shit!

“Ahh, I mean...ah Mr. President?!”

“Daniella,” he drawled. Dammit, I could actually visualize his stern face looming above me. “One warning is enough. I don’t think you are too dumb to be told over and over again.”

Even though I know he can’t see me, I stood my ground and squared my shoulders. “I don’t have time for an argument with you Mr. Pre.si.dent.”

“Then just get the hell out of there,” he ordered again.

I pressed my lips tightly. Finally, my suppressed irritation towards him has boiled up again.

“You know what you pompous ass, I will not leave just because you command me to. My friends and I are having fun here. You are not my boss. You are not my mother or my father, and certainly not my boyfriend, so you don’t have the right to command me just like that.”

There, I hope my words pass in that thick head of his.

“Good night, Mr. President.”

I hung up the phone not waiting for his reply. I had to because if I don’t I am pretty sure he would release an apocalypse of words again. Tonight is mine and my team’s night for a celebration party. I don’t want it destroyed just because of some overbearing man who wants all of his commands granted.

The words ‘not safe’ did linger in my mind though. What could possibly be in Lotus Spade that both Vincent and Erik worry so much? Is it the drunkenness of its customers? Or the prostitutes clearly visible in a corner? Or just because they think that we are too young to party in a high-class club?

After collecting cool air in my lungs, I successfully tuned out the negative vibes I had because of Erik’s phone call interruption. I went back inside with the hopes that nothing will ruin this night anymore.