Page 54 of Mayhem

Her by Megan Thee Stallion starts playing through the speakers as we take off from the school. Evie and I sing along. I stop thinking about the weird warning from Melanie or the Kings.

“Where should we go?” I ask Evie when we finally make it into the city.

“There is this great restaurant we should go to. It’s called The Den.”

I type the restaurant name into the GPS and drive through town to find it. I pull into the parking lot and look at the brick building with a black sign with red letters that reads out The Den. The outside looks bland, but it seems busy even for a Monday afternoon.

The inside is beautiful—marble flooring with black accents throughout the space. We are seated in the middle of the restaurant at a nice booth. I look around at the packed restaurant. Most men here are wearing nice suits. I suddenly feel underdressed even if I am wearing a navy blue sundress. I take off my leather jacket and tuck it behind me. I feel a little more appropriate here without it. The menu isn’t too fancy, so I feel more comfortable.

The waiter came by. He looks like he is in his mid-thirties. He is wearing a white button-down shirt and black slacks. All the servers are wearing the same uniform. We order our food and some drinks before he retreats to the kitchen.

“Hello, ladies.” A sultry voice says from behind us.

I turn around and have to pick my jaw up from the floor. I didn’t think any man could compete with the Kings, but this guy could give them a run for their money. He looks maybe a year or two older than us. He is wearing a black three-piece suit with some fancy Italian loafers. He has slicked-back black hair. He is so tall and built but still lean. He gives me a wolfish smile, exposing his perfectly white teeth. What catches my eye about his smile is his sharp canines.

Evie is practically drooling beside me, and I don’t blame her. I am at a loss for words. I try to say hello, but my brain isn’t functioning right now.

“The name is Dante. Welcome to the Den.” His smooth voice makes my body tingle.

“I’m Evie, and this is Serena.” Evie finally figures out how to speak, but I can't make my mouth move.

He sits down across from me and gives me a devilish smile. I can feel my face redden under his gaze, and I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. The waiter brings our drinks and puts a glass of whiskey down in front of Dante. He takes a sip. His eyes never leave me.

He has such a commanding presence about him. Everyone eyes him warily as he sits with us. I suddenly feel like I could be in some real danger with him here, but he is so relaxed, not a care in the world.

“I haven’t seen you ladies around here before.” He comments while putting his empty glass down. It’s not even on the table for more than a second before the waiter brings him another. The waiter keeps his head down when serving Dante.

Evie starts rambling about how we are from Fallingbrook and that I am originally from Florida. He nods along with what Evie is saying, but his eyes keep glancing at me. He is polite, responding to her when needed and smiling at her. I can see her melting for him. I still haven’t said anything, but Evie keeps the conversation going by herself.

Not long after, the waiter brings our food and a meal for Dante. I watch while he takes a bite of his steak, his sharp canine making it look like he could rip apart flesh with no problem.I wonder what those teeth would feel like in my skin.

I need to calm my libido. I shouldn’t be thinking about any guy right now like that when I am still so stuck on the Kings. He catches me staring at him and winks at me. I duck my gaze from him and try to hide my rosy cheeks.

“So, do you ladies have any plans after lunch?” He looks at me, waiting for me to respond. “I know a great place we could go to.” He is so bold.

“We have plans.” I finally find some words to say.

“We do?” I kick Evie under the table. “Oh yes, we do.”

“Another time I guess.” He wipes his mouth with his napkin. “I hope to see you again, darling.” He looks me in the eyes and kisses the back of my hand.

Dante gets up from the table and walks to another group of men. All are older than him, but they get up when he approaches. He whispers some words to them, and they all nod. His eyes darken when one of them says something back to him. He is tense but keeps his composure. He replies to whatever, and the older man visibly swallows and backs away. His head bowed, and he nods to Dante.

Evie and I finish. I ask the waiter for the bill, but he tells me I don’t need to pay. The bill has been taken care of. I look back at Dante and see him watching me. He raises his glass to me and smirks. I give him a little wave before grabbing my jacket and walking out with Evie.

“Looks like you have another admirer.” Evie teases me when we get back to my car.

“Shut up.” I laugh back at her.

We didn’t have plans after lunch, so we drove around until I found a salon. A brilliant idea pops into my head, so I pull into the parking lot and drag Evie in. She profusely protested that she couldn’t afford this, but I plan to pay for both of us. My mom makes a great living, but I also have my savings. When my dad passed, he left everything in a trust fund for me.

What’s the point of having money if you can’t spoil your friends?

Evie and I spend the rest of the day getting pampered. Facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. The perfect girls' day. It was exactly what I needed after dealing with all the craziness I have been in lately. I don’t think I have ever been so relaxed by the time we finish.

I went to pay, but the lady only charged me for one of us. I argued about paying for both, but she insisted the salon was having a two-for-one deal. I could see the lie in her eyes, but I didn’t bother arguing. They say you should never look a gift horse in the face, so I take it.

I dropped Evie off at home and promised to pick her up tomorrow morning. I hug her before she jumps out of my car. I make sure she gets to her house before taking off. The drive isn’t long, and my mind keeps playing lunch repeatedly. Dante's smile flooded my thoughts.

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