Page 35 of Goodbye To Tomorrow

"You own a club?" She asked confused.

"I own a lot of things, Karine," I said, I couldn't help but feel proud at how amazed she was or at least that's what I thought.

"The news said clubs were a bad investment," she stated.

"It's quite the opposite; the clubs are making so much money." I tried to save my ego and still feel special, but she simply didn't want to lose so easily.

"Show me your club then," she said and gave me a saucy grin.

"Let's go," I winked at her and, managed to say. After a few seconds, we were in the car, driving to my club.

*****

Karine

This idea was crazy. Instead of taking care of him, I was pushing him into a deep hole of sin. Why then was I feeling so good? Maybe, because one day with him was bringing me a lot of fun. God, I hated myself for being so weak in front of him. I knew that this idea was wrong, but I wasn't able to change it because I wasn't controlling my voice. He said that everything would be okay, and I believed him.

So here I am in his car, being driven to his club to see “the good life.” It can be, as long as I am by his side, it can be. I thought to myself.

"What thoughts are running amok in that brain of yours, Karine?" He asked while his eyes were focused on the road.

"I am thinking about how bad this idea is." I couldn't help but be honest.

"Bad decisions make good stories," he said with a smile on his face.

Tell me how am I supposed to tell him 'no' while he seems so happy? I won’t do it.

"We are here," he announces thirty minutes later and helped me get out of the car.

“Great!”

"We'll have some lunch first, if that’s okay with you? Then I will show you the club," he explained.

"Doesn’t the club open when you say so?" I repeated his words.

"It does, but it would be weird if we were the only people in the club. The crowd will start coming in for drinks around lunch time, and thereafter," he said and I nodded, probably because I found the rationale behind that sentence. But a part of me was still thinking that we were doing something wrong.

Then the time just started to fade away; we were having lunch, talking and eating at the same time. The most important thing was that a smile was on his face, all the time. It was like he wasn't my boss and I wasn't his nurse; he wasn't ill, and I wasn't drinking with him even though that was forbidden. There were only two of us and we were spending the time like we didn't care about tomorrow.

"It's time," he stated after a few hours.

"But am I dressed properly for the club?" I asked.

"You're perfect the way you are," he said, and I didn’t want to read too much into those words. He was just being nice...He’s a nice guy. I repeated in my mind, but that didn't stop my cheeks from becoming flushed. Luckily, he didn't see that.

"Come on," he replied, and I followed him.

The noise was so loud that I wasn't able to hear my thoughts; Jiraiya was doing more than okay.

"You said that you haven't had any alcoholic beverages in a while!" I repeated his words in a serious tone.

"Correct. I haven't. But even though you're on a diet, that doesn't mean you're not allowed to look at tasty food," he said.

"Just relax and dance!"

"I’m not a very good dancer," I said, trying not to look embarrassed.

"Just follow me," he said and came closer to me, putting one hand on my waist to pull me in closer. After only a few minutes, I was dancing with him like I was born to be held this close in his arms.

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