HIS ITALIAN WIFE( HIW BK 2)

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Stranding on the dais, I let my gaze wonder to the crowd below, drinking in the glorious view. It was only ten fifty but the club was lit as hell and full to the brim. Armed with a glass of water, I swallowed down the Advil to calm down my headache. Maybe it was due to the fact that I had been thinking so much lately of Andrew and his utter betrayal. After placing the glass back in my office, I locked it up and went downstairs to join the crowd.

I nodded to a few usual customers, stopping to chat with a few others before I finally made it to the counter, where Kim sat again, totally drunk as usual. He was trying to flirt with one of my waitresses but then he went a step further when he tried to grab her butt, making her shriek out in fear.

“Kim, I would really appreciate if you kept your hands to yourself,” I went to the waitress’s rescue, feeling rage boiling inside me. He had no right to disrespect any of my workers. Not on my watch old man.

“Thank you,” The waitress, Linda, whispered gratefully as she made her way to the next customer.

“If it isn’t for Miss. Perfect,” he sighed, clearly aggravated by my presence.

“I think it’s time for you to go,” I stated point blank. Truthfully speaking, he had no right to be drinking himself to death on the grounds of a broken heart. He had been constantly cheating on his wife, not to mention abusing her both physically and emotionally.

“I’m a customer, so I can choose when I want to get out of here Lana,”

“And I own this club, so I can kick you out if I want to,”

“Really?”

“Yes but out of my respect for you and your age, I won’t do that,”

Fishing out my phone, I dialed Andrew’s number. After two missed calls, he finally picked up the third time. Motioning to Mourad to keep an eye on him, I headed towards my office while talking to Andrew.

“Babe,” his voice reverberated through my eardrums but it was pretty loud in the background. It sounded like he was at a party of some sort. Andrew had never been to a party since we got together.

“Are you at a party?” I questioned in surprise.

“Yeah. One of my old pals just got back in town and so I could not turn down the invitation,”

“Well, since you don’t sound any drunk I want you to come to the club so you can pick your-“I stopped when I heard a pretty familiar voice in the background.

“Who are you talking to Andrew?” Rose’s drunk voice, filtered through the ear piece. What the hell?

“Is that…Rose?” I asked in a small voice as I closed my office behind me.

“Babe…listen-“

“f**k you Andrew,” I cut off the call.

With my chest heaving, I tried to calm down my temper. Why was Andrew at a goddamn party with her? We just had a fight over his alleged guilt pushed action of helping Rose get out of jail for an entire week and suddenly he was with her in a party. What was wrong with Andrew? Pulling my last shreds of control; together, I took a deep breath before dialing Devon’s number. He picked up immediately, his sleepy voice coming through.

“Lana?”

“I’m really sorry to wake you but your father is drunk and misbehaving again,” I heard him let out a weary sigh.

“I’m on my way,” he muttered.

“Thank you, “I cut off the call.

Choosing to shut my brain off Andrew hanging out with Rose at a party, I went back downstairs, wearing my usual practiced smile.

“One really strong shot Mourad,” I placed an order, much to his surprise. I never drink while I’m at the club but if I was going to get through tonight, I needed my brain a little buzzed. Mourad gave me one look but thankfully never asked me a question.

“Since when do you drink?” Kim slurred but I ignored him.

He was really drunk and before a minute could elapse, he laid his head on the table blackened out. Thankfully, Mourad was quick enough with the drink and even though I knew drinking like this was not really a good step, I still did it. Taking the shot, I muttered a thank you to Mourad.

“Whoa! Since when do you drink?” I froze with drink midway towards my lips, turning around to meet the familiar bluer eyes. I placed the drink back on the table, my gaze planted on him, trying to absorb the shock of seeing him here. He had been the last person I had expected to see tonight and that too at my worst moment.

“Nick,” It had been years since I last saw him.

“Lana,” he benefitted me with an easy smile.

“It’s been so long,” I muttered, unsure of what exactly I was supposed to feel. I had missed him terribly because he had been the one person who had never made me feel like trash despite the worst parts of me coming to light. Out of sheer delight of seeing him again, I found myself hugging him.

“Don’t shut me out like that ever again,” I stated in a small voice.

“I was trying to get over you Lana and you don’t have to worry now, I’m here to stay,” he whispered against my hair.

“Thank you. I really need a friend right now,” I whispered back as I pulled back from the hug.

“Is everything okay Lana?” he questioned.

I was about to tell him everything was fine, when I spotted Andrew at the entrance and he was not alone. He had his arms wrung around Rose’s waist.

Heavens help me before I kill somebody.