The macho man stared at Andrea, probably thinking she was just another drunk person saying anything to get inside.
Andrea's gaze stayed fixed down the hallway…"Please… let me enter. I know him. I want to thank him at least."
The guard looked at her, still unsure.
Then his attention shifted to three women approaching in a bodycon outfit with everything showing, butt cheeks almost out. They didn't even speak. They simply walked with swaying their hips confidently.
The macho man immediately stepped aside for them.
Andrea blinked, confused. How was that possible?
She watched them walk past her, hips moving left and right, disappearing into the very hallway she wasn't allowed to enter.
Did she have to dress almost naked too before they allowed her in?
Still stunned, Andrea watched a second guard walk up to the women inside the hallway. His voice carried enough for her to hear.
"Come inside. He's already waiting for you guys. Come."
Andrea and the macho man glanced at each other. Then the macho man sighed and made a small "move aside" gesture with his hand.
"Ma'am, you can't still be here," he said firmly.
Andrea's heart was still heavy with guilt…The way her boss had walked away without a word…She felt like he was embarrassed to even be seen near her. Maybe he didn't want anyone to know he knew her. Maybe seeing her drunk in a place like this made him ashamed of her.
She looked at the macho man again.
"Please… let me in. I know him. He's my boss. I need to thank him before I leave."
The macho man gave her a bombastic side-eye."No one knows anyone here," he muttered. "And even if you do, you keep it shut."He folded his arms, studying her like a nobody….Then he shrugged. "Since you claim he's your boss, why don't you thank him at work? On Monday."
Andrea moved slightly…He had a point.
Why was she forcing herself in here? She could thank him in a professional, normal way at the office… not while stumbling around drunk in a club.
She slowly turned around, ready to walk away.
As she turned, another group of barely-dressed women arrived. Their outfits were even smaller than the previous set. Andrea stepped aside as they strutted past her. The macho man didn't even question them…he immediately stepped aside and let them in.
Andrea felt a sting in her chest…Of course. Anyone half-naked could go in freely…
She lowered her gaze, ready to leave.
But when she was about to…A voice called out from down the hallway.
"Guru! Let her in.VVIP 3 said she should come."
Andrea's head snapped up so fast she almost lost her balance.
Her eyes widened, tipsy but sharp with surprise.
She turned to the macho guard with an I told you I know him face.
The macho man frowned…But orders were orders.
He stepped aside….
"Go," he said gruffly, still giving her the side-eye.
Andrea took a shaky breath and walked inside.
As she walked down the hallway….The cocktail…whatever was in it, ashwagandha or not was giving her confidence she didn't normally have. She kept whispering to herself, Just thank him and leave. That's all.
But halfway down the hallway, she stop…as she heard loud moans and screams with high-pitched giggles and wet sounds. She couldn't tell if the women were in pain or pleasure. Her tipsy brain struggled to make sense of it.
She slowly turned her head toward VIP Room 2.
A woman's leg was hanging halfway out of the half-opened door. A man's voice shook as he muttered, "FuuuccCCk… fuck!…" like he couldn't breathe.
Andrea's face twisted in disgust….She hadn't actually believed the half-naked girls were going in for that. Seeing them was one thing. Hearing this was another. The place suddenly felt hotter, darker and wrong.
She took a tiny step back as her brain screamed, Go home. Just go home, Andrea.
She was about to turn around and walk out when the same man who had told the guard to let her in appeared in front of her.
"Miss," he said. "VIP Room 3 is to the left."
Andrea stopped, swallowed and nodded weakly.
Her legs felt heavy as she walked to the left. When she finally saw the door with "VIP 3" glowing above it…She didn't know what she was about to walk into.
Or why he wanted to see her…But her hand still lifted toward the door.
Andrea knocked twice but there was no answer.
Her fingers trembled a little as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The first room was empty. The bed was neatly made, everything clean and arranged like it hadn't been touched. Even the loud music from the hallway sounded far away in here, almost like she had stepped into another world.
Andrea turned slowly, trying to call his name….But she stopped.
From the inner inside of the room, she heard soft giggles. Women's voices. Whispering something and Laughing…She frowned and followed the sound to the door on the right…
Her hand trembled as she pushed it open.
And then she froze.
Sebastian sat there..bare-chested, relaxed on the couch with two of the same women she had seen earlier walking past her into the hallway when she wasn't allowed inside….Now it looks like even more of their naked bodies was out…as they draped over him like they were part of the furniture. ..
Andrea's eyes went straight to his toned bare chest then slowly lifted to his face.
Her dizziness vanished instantly…It felt like someone poured a bucket of ice water over her whole body.
Shame burned through her, either for herself or for him.
She had come here wanting to thank him… wanting to at least stand with some dignity after everything that happened downstairs.
But seeing him like this?
It made her feel stupid…What was she even doing here?
Like they were both a mess… but his mess was worse. ….
And Sebastian… didn't even look surprised to see her.
Sebastian's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Is that a face of pure judgment?"
Andrea blinked fast a she snapped out of her imagination.
"No… no, sir,I'm so sorry sir" she said quickly, bowing her head.
Their hands kept sliding over him, rubbing his arms like they were tending to some pain he didn't even show. One of them traced her fingers dangerously low, almost slipping into his pants, which made Andrea shift uncomfortably where she stood.
She felt like she was invading their privacy…And she hated how much embarrassment she was feeling for him.
The same man who dragged her out of danger downstairs… walked into a room full of half-naked women without even looking at her properly.
Andrea lifted her head slightly, trying to look anywhere but at them, when something in the corner caught her eye.
Plenty of files and documents were scattered across a table.
Her brows tightened.
Why would something like that be here? In a room like this?
Sebastian followed her gaze almost immediately and stood up.
One of the women hurried to the wall, pressed a button, and a curtain slid down, blocking the view of the documents.
Andrea lowered her eyes….She knew he didn't like that she had seen them.
"I heard," Sebastian said slowly, "you wanted to thank me."
"Yes," Andrea whispered. "I wanted to say thank you. You saved me from that man."
There was a sudden silence.
Then the two women slipped out quietly, leaving the two of them alone…
Sebastian smirked faintly.
"And who told you I take a simple thank you?" he said.
"What would that do for me? If you want to thank me…"
His voice dropped, low and dark. "…there are other ways."
He stepped closer, circling her slowly.
Andrea lowered her head, trying not to breathe him in but she still did.
His cologne smelled clean and sharp at the same time.…A hint of something foreign. Paris, maybe which reminded her of someone she once knew.
He said something, but she didn't catch it.
Then his finger tapped her shoulder…
Andrea flinched…."I… I'm sorry, sir," she whispered.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to his.
Sebastian said nothing more. He just stared at Andrea in a slow, intense manner... She felt exposed… uneasy… yet unable to move.
She didn't know what to say or even how to breathe.
She just stood there, frozen under the weight of his gaze…
He stopped right in front of her, even closer now. Then he lifted his hand and gently raised her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.
Andrea's heart kicked hard. The tipsiness was still there, making everything hotter and heavier.
"Oh… blue eyes," he murmured.
Andrea felt heat shoot straight to her face..She blinked fast, trying to avoid his stare. Those weren't her real eyes, and the way he looked into them made her uncomfortable.
"Nice ," he added, studying every flutter of her lashes.
That was enough for her. Andrea quickly pulled away from his hand and stepped back, not wanting him to have even one second to notice the lenses. Her reaction made Sebastian chuckle quietly.
He moved forward again, not letting her escape his space.
"How about you?" he asked, glancing at the bed behind him. "Since you decided to interrupt me."
Andrea's eyes widened immediately with heat rushing through her for a completely different reason. What was he talking about? Was he trying to sleep with her…
"Am I that intimidating?" he teased with a low chuckle.
Then, as if he hadn't just heated up the room a moment earlier, he pulled his hand back and walked past her, calm and collected.
His phone rang.
He ignored it.
Andrea glanced at it, expecting him to answer.
It rang again. And again. And again. Still nothing.
Maybe realizing ignoring it made him look careless in front of her, Sebastian finally walked to the phone and picked up...Even then, his eyes stayed on her. Andrea lowered her head until she heard his voice.
"I'll be there soon," he said shortly…
Andrea looked up. His whole expression had changed. The teasing smile was gone. His jaw was tight and his face was cold like stone.
He ended the call, grabbed his shirt off the table and headed straight for the door.
Without a goodbye or even a glance back, Sebastian walked out. Andrea stayed where she was, feeling the hurt rise inside her. The disrespect stung even more because he had left her there like she meant nothing.
She stood there for two… maybe three minutes, hoping-stupidly that he might come back. But he didn't.
Then the door opened.
One of the club guards stepped in…"Miss… Miss," he said. "Mr. Pierce asked me to tell you there's a driver waiting to take you home. The car is ready whenever you are."
Andrea stood there in silent without moving..