A Desire to Last a Lifetime

(Eliana's POV)  "Eliana, the party hasn't even started, and you’re already drunk!" My best friend, Aubree, scolded me gently. It was true. This is her bridal shower, and the party hasn't begun, but I’m already drowning myself in alcoholic drinks. "So, what? Come on, you're rich, Aubree! Your husband, Sebastian, is richer! You can pay for every drink I'm taking this night!" I answered lazily. I did not mind feeling dizzy. We are in a high-end bar at the moment, but my friends and I are inside an exclusive party room—a very classy and daring ambient place suitable for Aubree's bridal shower. I am with my two best friends—Aubree and Layla. They are girls my age, and I am currently twenty-five years old. The three of us have been best friends since college. "Eliana, that's not my point. I'm willing to pay for whatever you want to drink because it's my party, so charge me for everything! But I worry you’ll drive yourself back home after this party! How can you drive properly when you’re too drunk!” she responded, a bit sounding annoyed. I just shrugged my shoulders and grinned. She sighed and shook her head softly. While the main event has not yet started, I want so badly to drink more until I completely lose my mind and temporarily get over the things that stress me these days. I would be lying to say I’m drinking hard because I only want to enjoy myself. No, I’m drinking because I want to get wasted and forget my personal issues, even just for this night! “May I have your attention, please?” the emcee in front said. “Are you all ready? In just a few moments, the real show will start! Are your hearts ready to be entertained by our male stripper tonight?” Her tone was playful, teasing, and excited. “Yeah! I’m f*cking ready! Bring it on!” I answered hyperly and even raised my glass to show that I’m so on it! “Woah! Eliana! You seem so excited, my friend!” Aubree chuckled at me. “I am! So, where is he? Bring him out already! I wanna get entertained! I can’t wait to see a sexy man dancing in front. Come on!” I rode the fun. Probably, I became this wild because of the influence of alcohol. And I don’t care! I actually love it! I can’t wait to be thrilled! “That’s my friend!” Layla cheerfully said, supporting me. I winked at her. She chuckled. The three of us have completely different personalities, but I guess our differences are things that made us stronger as best friends for life. I admit I am liberated, wild, and upfront. Aubree is a little girl at heart, while Layla is the kindest, calm, soft-spoken, and every boy’s dream girl. But apologies to them because they stand no chance anymore as Layla is now happily married with a son. Meanwhile, Aubree is engaged and about to be married, that’s why we are here now in her bridal shower. And here I am, single, wasted, and on for any fun! Speaking about being wasted, where is my other set of drinks? I’m thirsty! I want more! Yeah, more! Truth be told, my friends have no idea of what I’m going through right now. It’s not because I don’t trust them, or they’re not interested because, in fact, whenever they know that one of us is having a problem, we will always be there and ready to lend a helping hand and listen. It’s just that I don’t wanna spoil the moment. My best friend is having a memorable event in her life, and I can’t just ruin it because I am going through a family drama, so I’ll just keep it to myself and drink it all night! “Well, girls, your wish is my command!” After the emcee spoke, we almost screamed in surprise and excitement when all the lights in the room were turned off. Only the spotlight on the mini-stage remained so that we could see clearly the entrance of the male stripper and his dance number tonight. “Woah! Are we starting already?” Aubree exclaimed with pressure, tittering. She's the bride, so she's sitting in our center. I'm on her right side, and Layla is on her left. The disco lights were also on to add more excitement to the atmosphere. “Girls, hold your hearts out because, in just a few seconds, we’ll finally be meeting tonight's hot male entertainer!” The three of us shouted with loud laughter, "Yes! Show him! Show him now!” “Brace yourselves because your night is about to become hot, no ordinary night ever!” The emcee went out of the mini stage, and this area was filled with smoke and behind it was the walking s*xy and gorgeous hell of a man clad only in his boxers while slow dancing. "Ahhhh!” Aubree and Layla were shouting and obviously having fun as they were laughing at the top of their lungs when the male dancer kept on grinding his hot, well-toned body in the middle of the stage. The two silly girls even covered their eyes while blushing as if they were teenagers who had never experienced seeing a topless man in front of them! I almost rolled my eyes as I shrugged my shoulders, laughed, and drank from my glass. For all I know, Layla had already seen Tristan being all out in front of her, and the same goes with Aubree to Sebastian! So, why are they still screaming as if it’s their first time to see abs and muscles and a rock-like chest? D*mn, they really loved playing virgins! I silently watched the male dancer churn in the middle. Okay, like most macho dancers, this one has perfect six-pack abs. Tall, muscular... provocative. What’s so surprising, after all? He's a male entertainer, so it goes that way, and he has to have a great body that women crave and is pleasing to our eyes because who wants to see a macho papa with a big belly, short in stature, and not s*xy? So, it’s not that impressive. This man before us tonight is no different from any other male performer anywhere. Typical. Usual. Common. He began walking toward us, stopped before Layla, and danced. “Oh my goodness! Please, not me! I don’t want to betray my husband! I’m already married! Huhuhu!” My dear ‘virgin’ friend cried and begged him. The man understood, so he moved to Aubree. “Oh, please, not me! My fiancé is going to wring my neck!” The latter also begged. “To this woman! You can surely dance for this woman because she’s the only one who remains single among the three of us here! No one’s gonna get angry even when you dance in front of her!” The crazy Layla pointed at me to be the macho dancer’s subject just because I am single, and no one’s going to be mad that a sexy hell of a man would dance for me! “Yes! She’s right! Eliana here is the only available girl among us! You can dance for her for as long as you want, and you can even flirt with her because, right now, she’s single!” Another crazy friend of mine added. Who else would it be—the ever-talkative and energetic child-like Aubree! I simply shrugged it off and then shut both of them up. What’s the use of scolding them? It was so obvious that they were pushing me towards this guy! I tilted my head lazily as I took another sip of my glass and gazed at the man standing in front of me, looking at me deeply and intensely...