We were sitting at the venue with Martin, the dark-haired guy, and Claudio, the blonde. They turned out to be really fun, making us laugh the whole evening. Between drinks, I felt lighter than usual, far from the tension with Axel and work.
By the third drink, Claudio offered me his hand to dance. I took it, already a little tipsy. He was tall, curly-haired, with green eyes that sparkled under the club lights.
"You look amazing."
I smiled. "Thanks, you're not bad yourself."
We moved to the rhythm of the music, letting ourselves get carried away by laughter and steps. After a while, we returned to the couches, tired but happy. Greta and Martin had disappeared, lost in the crowd.
"Want to have lunch together tomorrow?" Claudio asked, with a sincere smile.
"Sure, I really enjoyed spending time with you." I returned the smile.
"Greta told me she had a beautiful friend, but I didn't expect this much."
"Stop it," I said, blushing slightly.
He leaned closer and lifted my chin with his hand, turning me toward him. His lips brushed mine lightly. I closed my eyes, completely caught up in the moment, and then we kissed. Sweet at first, then deeper, sending a sudden warmth through me and an energy I hadn't anticipated.
When he pulled away, he kissed my lips again and said, "Want me to take you home? You must be tired."
I nodded, still a little dazed from the kiss and his smile. "But we have to find Greta and Martin—they only have one car."
"Don't worry, I'll bring them back later."
In the car, Claudio told me a bit about himself: he came from a good family and was still studying to become a forensic doctor. The conversation was light, fun, and made me laugh.
"Greta told me you work for Axel Valenti," he said, curious.
"Yes, for two weeks now."
"I know he's not exactly a great guy."
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, he's the kind of boss he needs to be: strict and demanding."
"That's not all—I've heard things about him."
I turned to him, surprised. "Like what?"
"That he's involved with the mafia, stuff like that."
I shrugged. "Who isn't? That's how money's made these days."
Claudio gave me a puzzled look. "Still… be careful."
"You don't need to worry, I'm just Axel Valenti's assistant—I'm not exactly laundering money for him."
I hoped it would make him laugh, but I noticed Claudio frown.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, sorry… I shouldn't talk about your boss like that."
I looked at the car in front of us. "Don't apologize, nobody's perfect. Axel has his secrets and flaws too."
Oh God, why was I defending him? Claudio didn't seem to notice—or at least he didn't show it.
The rest of the ride was quiet until I broke the silence to point out that we had arrived at my apartment.
He stopped, gave me one last kiss, and waited until I went inside. Once I was through the door, I felt light and happy, with a huge smile. The evening with Claudio had been pleasant, sweet—a little escape from the tension and complications Axel brought into my life.