Chapter 87
1146words
His long legs crossed the entryway, walking casually into the dimly lit building. A merry tone slipped into his mind and he began whistling, he knocked the usual way on the door and it was pulled open for him to enter.
"Hey, man," Nate, the large bouncer who usually stood at the gate greeted with a gruff nod and stretched his hand.
Ryan accepted it for a shake, patting his back in response.
"Rossi has been waiting for you," Nate told him as they both walked through the dark hallway. Since they were already used to the passage, it wasn't hard to find their way past.
Ryan grunted in a sign that showed that he had heard, "How mad is he?"
From this point, he could hear the loud bass and thumping of the music that was still at the lit end of the hallway.
"Pacing mad, Thorne," Nate answered, pushing aside the beaded curtains for him to pass through, "Pacing mad."
When he fully came into the club, he wasn't surprised to see the place already pumped up. The strippers were already lined up in front with howling and beady eyed men ogling lustfully at their bodies.
A small scoff escaped him when he saw one of them quickly tuck in his wedding band into his pockets before welcoming Lisa, one of the better strippers in the club.
"You're late," Theo grunted the moment he sat on the bar stool, leaning against the counter.
He wasn't too surprised at the irritation on the other man's face, "I had things to do," He answered, calling out for Sandy, "One glass whiskey, in ice please!"
"I hear you, honey!" Sandy hollered right back and he grinned, resting back on the stool and facing the glaring man.
"What?"
Theo cocked a brow, "You went to see that chit again, didn't you?"
Ryan lifted his own brow, "I don't follow-"
"Don't fuck with me, Thorne," Theo interrupted brusquely, his heavy set blue eyes narrowing dangerously, "You told me you would end things, you said that it was just a one time thing!"
Ryan groaned internally, this was the hundredth time that they were having this very conversation and he was tired of it already,
"So what if it's not?" He shot back to Theo's surprise, "What if I actually like her more than that?"
Theo had a look of utter astonishment, his mouth opened wide and face flustered. Sandy walked in at that moment, dropping a glass ice cold whiskey at his front.
"Thanks," He smiled at the brunette who winked at him.
"What's going on here?" She asked, throwing her boyfriend a wary look. Theo didn't answer, so he did instead.
He jabbed a finger in the direction of the scowling man, "Theo here is overreacting over a small isuue-"
"Small?" Theo sputtered in anger causing Sandy's brow to raise higher, "You're losing focus over someone who's not even in your league."
Ouch.
"I mean, you don't even like rich people," He threw his arms in the air, "You told me that they disgust you and now, you're rolling the sheets with one."
Ryan quietly sipped from the whiskey, humming in satisfaction at the taste. Sandy always knew the best ones to get.
She must have been reading his mind because her ears perked up and she faced him, "That good, huh?"
Ryan chuckled softly, bobbing his head in agreement, "Yeah."
"Are you two even listening to me?" Theo barked and they both flinched in shock, "He's going to lose his career because of someone who isn't even worth it."
Sandy cleared her throat and calmly asked, "Is she pretty?"
Theo's face blanked. Ryan smiled and brought out his phone, swiping on the most recent photo that he'd taken of her.
"Here," He passed the device to Sandy who eagerly plucked it from his hold, eyes widening slightly.
She whistled lowly, bobbing her head, "She's a stunner and has great boobs too," She handed the phone back to Ryan, "Those are definitely not fake, I can understand why he's latched onto her."
Ryan was just about to tell her that Aurora's qualities were more than what was on the exterior when his phone buzzed.
His drowned out Sandy's and Theo's bickering instead, his eyes fell on the screen, only to see two texts from Aurora. An unconscious smile rose on his lips and he hastily typed back a reply,
"You see what I mean?" Theo barked again causing his eyes to rise upwards, "Look how he's smiling like a lovestruck fool. I'm telling you, that girl is no good for him."
Sandy swatted his hand, glaring at him angrily, "Don't say things like that, you're not his father!" She faced him then, smiling warmly, "Don't mind him, Theo. If you like her then go for it."
He winked at her, tucking his phone into his pockets and taking his glass again.
Theo watched him through narrowed eyes, snorting derisively, "You know the nationals is in a few months, you can't fuck this up. We've stressed too much for you to ruin it right now."
Ryan sighed, dropping his now empty bottle, "I know," He shifted to properly face him, matching his glare, "I'm more than aware of how much I've stressed for this competition."
Theo's eyes further narrowed at the snide implication in his tone and Ryan squared his shoulders.
"You don't know what you're getting into," Theo hissed, his blue eyes darkening, "That girl is going to fuck you up so bad then you'll know I was only looking out for you."
Ryan smiled wryly, jumping to his feet, "I guess we'll find out who's going to fuck up who in time."
Sandy gave them both suspicious look, "Where are you off to? You only just arrived."
He shrugged weakly, pulling out his phone and waving the device in the air, "I got to go, duty calls."
Theo threw him a disgusted look while Sandy rolled her eyes in a playful gesture.
"Be careful, brother," Sandy quipped as he began walking out, "Else you'll soon catch yourself falling in love with her."
Ryan shook his head. Love? That was a foreign notion to him. There was no way that he would fall in love with the spoiled princess, they were both just living in the moment.
Or so he told himself.
However, if only he knew then how deep he had fallen and how deeper he was going to fall in love with her then maybe he would've listened to Theo,
....or not.
