Out of the World

10. Loosening up

Nina

Arriving home, I went up and took a long hot shower. I wanted to wash this crazy night away, but I couldn’t. I had to find another job that paid well immediately; otherwise, I was completely s.crewed.

Putting on my oversized sleeping t-shirt, I went to make myself some warm tea. The warm shower didn’t do its job, and I still felt frozen inside.

Laura came across me, and I stole a glance at her. She had a bottle of beer in her hand. Her hair was in a sexy sleek bun and she had a skin-tight golden dress. Everything in her, from the eyelash extensions to the stockings, screamed party night.

“Nina, you are home early! Great! Do you remember my friend, DJ Ludicrous? I told you about him a few times. He is doing this gig at Insomnia tonight and he said he could get me and a friend in. Neither my friends Tatiana nor Natalia can come, so do you want the second ticket? Come on, say yes! I can’t go there on my own.”

“I don’t have any money or time for that. I have to go job hunting tomorrow morning,” I told her, pouring the water for my tea into a large cup.

“I know that you love to dance!” she said, and I shook my head at her. “Nina, you are always humming something under your breath and moving your hips while you do the dishes or clean the house. Come on! Don’t be that boring. Insomnia is the most popular club right now! And you can get in for free! Come on, I don’t want Ludicrous to know that I went there just to see him, so I need a tagalong.”

A sigh left my lips. She was actually right; I loved to dance. But, no! What I loved didn’t matter, especially not when I was about to become homeless.

“I was fired. I need to find a new job,” I sighed deeply.

“Maybe they are hiring in the club, I mean, they are growing so fast and you have some experience. Just put on a cute dress, cover the purple bags from under your eyes and make yourself pretty, pretty hireable. The manager is around and he is friends with my hot DJ! I can ask Ludicrous to put in a good word about you after the two of us get to know each other better! Contacts are everything, Nina. Besides that, the ticket includes two long drinks or four shots, isn’t that wonderful?” Laura giggled.

A sigh left me. I didn’t have anything else to lose. Finding a good-paying job tomorrow or in the next few days was impossible. This was a far-reaching chance, but my best chance now. Plus, relaxing a bit, dancing away from my problems and even drinking a shot would do me good.

“Yes! I will go with you, but I don’t have a dress.” She smiled at my words and headed to her room in a rush. I certainly didn’t have anything to wear to the most popular club in town.

“Here, you can wear this! It doesn’t fit me anymore now that I am working out and put more junk in the trunk! ” she said, slapping her own bvtt before handing me the tiny black dress.

“That will be nice! I’ve always wanted to give you a much-needed makeover! I can put the before and after photos on my insta!” Laura giggled, clapping her hands together.

“No Insta, please,” I asked her and she nodded with a pout.

I was now Laura’s project for tonight, but it wasn’t a bad thing since she would help me look presentable and hopefully get the job or at least a gig.

After almost an hour, I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes roamed up the tight mini dress, dark make-up and Laura’s meticulous updo.

“I know, right? I did a great job! You can’t even recognise yourself. Now, come. The Uber is already downstairs,” she told me, pulling me with her.

Arriving at the club, Laura pulled me to the bar, “First, we have to get into the mood!” she smiled, getting each of us two tequila shots.

“I should stay sober, at least until I talk to the manager,” I shook my head.

“Nina, if you are sober, you will keep this Orphan Annie's sad face the whole night. Alcohol will help you to loosen up and become your nicest* self! Come on, Tequila in and pout off!” Laura told me, and I narrowed my eyes. Hell, she could be a j.erk at times, but she was right. A shot or two would help me to loose up and forget the craziness of tonight.

“Come now, let’s dance!!!” Laura pulled me with her as soon as I emptied my second shot.

Heading to the dance floor, I started moving slowly, my feet beating with the rhythm. But soon the music and the alcohol seemed to involve me and take me to another world. My body moved freely, undulating with the hot rhythm of Reagaton. I closed my eyes in an attempt to dance as if I was alone in the club, but all I could see behind the thick curtain of my eyelids was his handsome face.

Damn, I would need more alcohol. To my luck, Laura already had a bottle of Vodka in her hand. I didn’t even want to know how she got it. I only took a large gulp and moved faster, senseless.

Between more gulps, I rocked my hips and tried to forget everything. Well, everything but him. No alcohol, no dance, and I was sure that not even time would do it. Zorion was imprinted on my mind. I could even swear that his summertime smell was dancing around my nostrils. I was so drunk! But I didn’t care, the music was vibrating inside me and, for the first time in years, I almost felt free.

Giggling at this thought, I rocked my hips fast, lifting my arms and letting the beat take me away.

~ * ~

Zorion

Following Nina, I headed to a big club in town. Even though it was crowded and my mate was tiny like a pixie, I could find her with ease. Taking a seat at the bar, I watched her with fascination.

She was moving freely on the dance floor. She was mesmerizing, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. She was gleaming, a soft sparkle of light surrounding her. Was it an effect of the mate bond or was I indeed crazy in love?

Her blonde flatmate was dancing for the crowd, but Nina had her eyes closed and let the music take her to a semi-hallucinating state, as if she was alone with the music, and nothing else mattered —just the song, the rhythm and the movement.

She was dancing for herself, and she was a great dancer. At every beat, her body moved in sync with the music.

I wouldn’t let her go around unprotected anymore. I checked around and now I knew well that her neighborhood wasn’t safe. I couldn’t even imagine where she came from earlier tonight. Surely, another dangerous place.

My eyes caught the sight of a man approaching her. He placed his hands on her hips, and she turned around to say something. I couldn’t hear her, but the frown on her face was clear. Of course, men would approach her; she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and although they were human, they weren’t blind.

There were only two things I couldn’t allow: having her in danger or having other men touching her. Nina was my woman, my mate, my honey. Mine.

My legs moved on their own accord, closing the distance between us and, with a few large steps, I was just behind her.

“Leave me alone!” she said through gritted teeth. My little honey is fierce, and she didn’t know how much this fierceness made me hard for her. Shaking my head, I tried to focus, as I had no time for my own desires now. It was all about her; her safety and comfort.

“Listen to the lady and let her be!” I said slowly.

“Who do you..” lifting his face to look at me, the man barked. His fists were up in the air and his face contorted in an angry frown.

One look of my now unquestionably cold blue eyes was enough to make him comply and make everyone around take a step back. I could feel my aura increasing in waves, charging the club; it undoubtedly impacted humans as well. Everyone but her. She didn’t take a single step away. Instead, she only wrapped her arms around me and murmured, “Zorion”

My arms circled her and pulled her closer, yet not close enough. Taking a long exhale of her sweet scent, I calmed down a little.

“Baby, I am here,” I cooed at her, running my fingers through the locks of her hair that escaped her bun.

“You are following me again.” Her voice was soft and no louder than a whisper.

“How could I not when I saw you crying and bleeding in the streets? I won’t leave you alone if you are in danger or in pain. I simply can’t.” Reaching down, I said these words close to her ear.

“I want you here… you can follow me this time. Only this time,” Nina giggled, her gaze unfocused and her feet moving unsteadily. She was very tipsy.

A chuckle left my lips at her words, and I pressed her tightly against my chest, kissing the top of her brown-haired head. To my surprise, her hips started to sway to the rhythm of the song and, looking up at me, she smiled, “Dance with me, Dream Guy! I might be a little tipsy and step on your toes though,” she giggled.

“I am fine with that since I would rather have you closer,” I replied, lifting her by her waist and pressing her small and delicate frame against mine. This way, I could look closer at her face, and see the cute freckles on her nose and cheeks.

My nose buried in the crook of her neck and I exhaled deeply, breathing her as if she was the air.

“So close, so beautiful, MINE.” Once again, the words left my lips before I could contain them, but this time Nina only looked up at me and ran her fingers through my hair.

“Your golden hair is as soft as I imagined,” she moaned, almost making me lose control. My Angel, if you only knew how much effort I had to make to not press you against the wall, devour your lips now and make your moans become screams of pleasure.

With her in my arms, I moved to the rhythm of the song. She moved with me, her hips pressed against my belly. Her eyes were closed, keeping her entranced and smiling. It was great to see her not so tense and full of reserves.

I liked drunk Nina; she was carefree and seemed to have her guard down. It allowed her to embrace our bond.

“I will fall,” she murmured, lacing her arms around my neck and pressing her breasts close to my chest. The strapless dress exposed their beautiful shape, and it made it so hard to resist her. Almost impossible.

“You are safe in my arms, my Angel. I won’t ever let you fall,” I murmured.

“Not even fall in love, Mr. Stalker?” she laughed, throwing her head back slightly and catching me off guard a bit “Kiss me.” She brought her face close to mine and was about to kiss me when I pulled her away gently.

“We can’t have our first kiss while you’re drunk, Nina.”

“Why not?” She beamed a lopsided smile and clenched her eyes, clearly making some effort to be able to concentrate or even to see things.

“Because I’m not sure if you know what you’re doing, and I want you to remember our first kiss. I want you to remember everything, every sensation from the first time I touched you.”

Maybe for her, I was only a hookup. But she wasn’t anything like that to me; she was my damn soulmate!

“How cute! I don’t care, though I don’t think I’ll forget... just kiss me, Mr. Dream Guy.” She chuckled a bit, pressing her body closer to mine.

“I’m sorry but no,” I exclaimed, even though I was dying to do much more than kiss her.

“Ouch... you’re no fun!” Nina’s pretty face contorted in a frown. “And you’re too funny when you drink!” I said back. Her pink tongue licked her pouting lips, driving me insane. For the sixth Pit of Hell, she would make me lose my mind and steal her away in a magical portal.

“Don’t judge me! It’s my one night to have fun... and I want to call you fun tonight,” she laughed. Drunk Nina was very blunt. Too blunt for my own good.

“Nina, please,” I said, I was about to put her down. Having her lips that close wasn’t a good idea.

“Just kiss me, Zorion. I won’t ever forget it. How can I possibly forget anything about you?” She sounded much softer now.

“Are you sure?” I asked, looking intently into her eyes.

“More than anything. I want you… I want it more than anything.” For the first time since we met, her voice was raw and vulnerable, matching the look in her eyes. The walls around her heart and mind had fallen for a moment and I couldn’t do anything but walk right in.

I also wanted her more than anything.