Page 9 of Giovanni the Savage

"Yeah right." She sighs. "But somehow you watched me dance."

"Let's just say you were in my field of vision."

"I'll take that." She pauses. "Do you club that often, because you seem to know your way around here?"

I smirk. "Knowing your way around here isn't subject to clubbing often. You could know your way around here if you came here tomorrow."

"Okay, let me rephrase. Seeing that you're a member," she teases.

A light laugh slips past my lips. Her eyes seem locked on them for a second before she blinks back to me. I don't miss the way she swallows.

"Being a member here is by association, and no, I don't club often," I admit. "I'm here for the bar."

"So, you drink often," she sasses.

"Today's my cheat day."

She inhales sharply at my wink, and I reward her by moving my stool closer to hers.

I'm so close to her that I'm breathing not just in her scent but also in her coconut-scented hair. Everything together is nothing short of magical.

"Why?"

Her persistence in knowing why I'm here makes something flutter inside me. Like she knows I won't just decide to drink randomly, or she knows I'm not here for the girls.

That flutter opens my big mouth, and I start spilling the truth to a random stranger.

"I lost my dad earlier this week."

My voice has dropped a notch, and I'm waiting for her eyes to leak with pity or sympathy as I usually see, but they don't.

She exhales. "You're strong."

I'm taken aback by her response, but I keep quiet because I'm curious. She's the first person to have said that when I told anybody the news. The first words I usually hear are “I'm sorry,” as though it will change anything.

"Why do you say so?" I ask, leaning closer to her.

She shrugs and blinks. "In my opinion, being able to get out of bed after losing a loved one is a win. So, I think you're strong."

Who is this woman, and where has she been all my life?

"Thank you," I whisper sincerely.

She gives me a tight-lipped smile and takes another sip of her drink.

"Thank you too. You came right on time."

I smile genuinely despite my mood and take some time to admire the woman seated before me.

It's funny that she's thanking me for coming right on time; little does she know that she came right on time, too.

CHAPTER THREE – Luna

I make my way out of the club into the chilly autumn breeze. However, it's not chilly enough to crack the broad smile on my face.

Tonight turned out better than I had expected. After having drinks with the good Samaritan, we talked for a while before he mentioned that he had to go and take care of business. I know I could've waited for him to come back, but a part of me isn't comfortable with the flutters he causes in my belly.

It's a new feeling I don't want to investigate further. So, when he left, I took my purse and left the lounge.

---