Page 23 of Kayden: The Past
9
Breaking the Rules - Danielle
I should’ve thrownher number in the trash and never gave her another thought. I wish I had, but I didn’t—something pulled me to Danielle. Maybe it was her beauty or her wildness—I have no clue. I thought with my dick back then, and I didn’t use my head. My mind was too clouded, and my heart too broken to make an intelligent and thought-out decision.
I put her number on my fridge and stared at it for days. I didn’t call her. I would never betray Ron in that way intentionally. I couldn’t avoid her forever, and her place of work was a regular hangout for me and my friends. I convinced my friends to go to the dance club in the flats instead of the strip club where Danielle worked.
Aqua was a late-night club that stayed open until six in the morning and was the trendy spot to hang out. It sat on the edge of the Cuyahoga River and had a beautiful outside area with a deck overhanging the water. The building faced the water and was made of glass, showing a spectacular view of the city at night. Girls danced on the speakers, people made out on the couches, and sex happened in the bathrooms. It was crowded and loud and the perfect spot to get lost and dance my ass off.
We ordered drinks and stood at the bar watching the girls on the dance floor. I didn’t want to be the guy asking a girl to dance. I’d wait until someone came to me. The music blared through the speakers, playing the song“I’m Horny” by Mousse T. Most of the girls were dancing with their friends, showing off their bodies, almost offering themselves up to just the right taker. I watched as men approached them and started to dance, only to be turned away. I didn’t want to be the creep being rejected tonight.
The guys and I weren’t talking because the music was too loud to be heard. Bobby nudged me and pointed to the patio doors and held his fingers up to his mouth. I shook my head, wanting to get some fresh air and talk—not much was happening inside the club for me to stick around. I followed him outside and watched as he lit a cigarette. “It’s packed tonight, bro,” Bobby said as he took a long drag off his cigarette. “Want one?”
“Thanks.” I took the cigarette and lighter, cupping my hand when I flicked the lighter, trying to block the wind. “It’s packed, which gives us all more options.” I looked around the exterior. White lights were strung between the trees overhead, illuminating the grassy area, and lights dotted the deck on the riverbank. A couple hammocks filled the open space, and couples lounged on them, kissing and getting to know each other a little better.
“How’s work at the new place, Kayden?” Bobby asked. He worked at my previous employer and knew what a lying rat Jessica was—how she lied to get me fired.
“It’s going really well. There are no females working there, so I know I won’t have that bullshit happen again. How about you? I’m sure you were all happy to see me go—more sales for everybody else.”
Bobby chuckled, “We weren’t happy to see you go, but yeah, we’re all making more money now that your smooth-selling ass is gone.” He inhaled, almost sucking down the remaining portion of his smoke. “I got some good news that will make you happy.”
I raised my eyebrows, not much made me happy lately, but Bobby thought he had a morsel that would bring me joy. “Shoot.”
“Jessica,” he said, sucking down the cigarette to the filter before throwing it on the ground. “She was fired yesterday. I almost called you to tell you the good news, but I thought I’d wait until I saw you. I wanted to see your expression.”
A smile crept across my face, and my insides grew warm with the knowledge that her ass was out on the street. “What happened?”
“I don’t have the entire story, but from what I hear, someone called corporate and complained about your firing and Jessica’s role in it. Somehow, they convinced them to pull up the security camera footage, and they saw her come on to you and not the other way around. She was fired for filing a false complaint.”
I smiled and laughed, thinking about the video someone had to watch. Neither of us knew that the store had been outfitted with cameras. I’m sure we wouldn’t have fucked if we’d known they could see us, and she sure as hell wouldn’t have filed the false complaint. “Bitch deserved it. You’ve made my night, Bobby. She got her just reward.”
“Trust me. Everyone is happy as hell to see her go. I might make assistant store manager now. Will you come back if they call you?”
I know Bobby wanted me to come back in a way, but no one really wanted the competition I brought to the table. I couldn’t go back. She’d ruined my reputation, and I’d feel like I had to look over my shoulder constantly. “Nah, I like where I am now. I’ll leave the hustle to you in that store.”
He pretended to be sad, but I knew otherwise. “Sorry to hear that, man. We miss you,” Bobby said. “Let’s get back inside with the other guys and find some grade A pussy.”
“Did you find your manhood all of a sudden? I thought it wasn’t your style to be so forward?” I asked, surprised by his complete one-eighty.
“My way just wasn’t working. I’m sick of watching you guys have all the fun while I sit on the sidelines being a fucking altar boy.”
I slapped him on the back. “Welcome to the dark side. Let’s go find what you seek, my friend.”
I ordered another drink, watching the clock carefully. All liquor sales stopped at two a.m. and were replaced by bottled water. Cleveland didn’t allow liquor to be sold after two, and most bars shut down at that time, but Aqua found a way around it. I turned my back on the dance floor. I didn’t want to watch any more bumping and grinding. The club was more crowded than when we’d walked outside. People poured into the place after one, looking for somewhere else to dance the night away after everything else closed.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and slowly turned my head to see who I caught. My stomach sank as my heart began to pound in my chest. Danielle.Fuck. I didn’t turn around, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. Maybe she got the picture when I didn’t call her. I hoped she just wanted to say hi.
“Hey, Kayden,” she said in my ear, leaning forward and pressing her breasts against my back. My cock grew hard as I remembered her mouth on my skin and the feel of her tongue on my shaft. “You never called me.”
I turned around slowly, and my arm brushed against her body. I stared at her for a moment, and I could see the hurt in her eyes. I leaned in and smelled her hair as my lips touched her ear. “I didn’t think it would be right to call you, Danielle.”
“Ron and I were never serious, or I wouldn’t have given you my number.” I felt like shit. I wanted her. The rub of it all is that I knew Ron had girls on the side. Danielle isn’t the only girl he was seeing or fucking. He had never been a one-woman man. Would he care if he lost one of his girls or if he shared her with me again? “I knew I wasn’t the only one Ron was seeing. We made no commitment. We broke up a couple days ago.”
I didn’t know how to respond. Ron was still my friend, and I wouldn’t throw his business out there for others, including Danielle, to know. “I just don’t know, Danielle.” Even if they did break up, you never dated your friend’s ex. It was just an unspoken rule.
“Come on, at least dance with me.” Her lips brushed my ear, causing a shiver to run down my body. I didn’t see anything wrong with dancing with her. I’d been balls deep inside her; what was a dance? She held out her hand and waited for me to respond. I enveloped her fingers in my grasp and ushered her quickly onto the dance floor before my conscience got the better of me.
Danielle danced like music was part of her soul. I’d watched her on the stage, but the songs were always slow and sexy and chosen to help show off the female body and bring in the most cash. The speakers lining this dance floor pumped music into the air, the techno beat causing my insides to move with the vibrations. Danielle smashed her body against mine. We danced with our bodies intertwined as she wrapped her arms around my neck, and my body reminded me how much I wanted her.
