Fortune Favors The Bold

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: NO MORE SUBTERFUGE

Adonis couldn’t believe she just walked away from him without a word after that mind-blowing episode. Why was he so unable to control himself around her? They had just f*cked in the police headquarters for f**ck’s sake, like some two raunchy teenagers unable to keep a leash on their libidos.

But, wasn’t that what s*x was famous for? Wasn’t it well-known for being the better evil which tempted the whole world? Maybe she was right, maybe he should stay the hell away from her. But f*ck it! He couldn’t.

For now, he needed some breathing space, and going back home was not a good idea right now. He knew that after the arrest of his uncle, some melodrama scenes would be unfolding right now, and he was not ready to face the music yet. Checking on his mobile, he grimaced upon noticing eleven missed calls from his mother and three from Benjamin.

Rejecting the idea of facing them, he drove to the Q Nightclub on Broadway, a fifteen minutes’ drive. He was a member there, and the bouncers knew him well enough not to stop him, not when he was in one of his explosive moods. He was escorted to the VIP space which he preferred to avoid the crowd.

The lighting of the private lounge had a pale neon blue outlook, reserved for specific special persons only. Adonis didn’t pay attention to the occupants there, every man was accompanied by a gorgeous, something which he’d done extensively done in the past. Tonight, he just wanted to be left alone.

Thank God, he would be spared the sneaky come hitherto advances in the VIP lounge. One of the biggest advantages of the secluded area. Another was that they treated their clients in the VIP as niche clients and his drink was served according to his preference without him having to wait to order.

His Macallan whisky glass was placed on the table, and he gulped down the familiar liquid without even flinching.

“Adonis?” a familiar voice sounded from behind him, and he closed his eyes in dismay at having his peace being disturbed. He should have gone on the beach or something, he reflected internally. Coming to a known place when he wanted to be left alone was definitely not a good idea.

“Izo,” he greeted his friend with a smile, although it was forced. But he was so good at camouflaging his feelings that nobody could guess his real emotions. Well, nobody except Alaya. Hell, how had she managed to infiltrate his thoughts once again?

“Are you okay?” his friend asked worriedly.

“Huh?” he asked absent-mindedly, as the forbidden name inside his head had unleashed unwarranted memories which he’d been trying to suppress.

Izo took his hesitation as an invitation for the latter took the seat beside him on the couch and signaled the waiter to brink him some nuts. Great! Now, he would have to bare the presence of Izo Rhyming. There was nothing wrong with the guy, he was one of the most promising businessmen of the area, and Adonis even admired his craft, but a certain brunette was occupying his head right now.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit pale,” Izo insisted on without taking the clue. He stirred the cherry in his drink and Adonis glared at him in undisguised animosity. If only Izo Rhyming would pick a hint.

Adonis had no intention of engaging in a conversation with him even though it was rude, but he found himself grumble in spite of himself. “Why are you doing here all alone?” he rumbled, stalling the waiter when he refilled his glass and was about to take the bottle with him. The waiter immediately understood his request and placed the whisky bottle on the table before making himself scarce.

A wolf whistle sounded at his side, and he turned to see a huge grin forming on Izo’s lips. Adonis frowned. Some would say that his friend was drop-dead gorgeous. The ladies seemed to think so, with his baby blue eyes, a diamond earring to adorn his left ear and a killer body. Plus the trail of billions of dollars his family hailed from.

“That much booze must be a woman problem,” he said sassily with a wink. “Trust me, I’m a woman expert so I would know.”

Adonis indicated his cherry alcoholic drink with deliberate meanness. “What your problem?”

Izo lifted his cherry lime vodka lemonade in surprise and scoffed carefreely. “Oh, that’s my favorite drink. No big deal here,” he replied totally unfazed that Adonis was teasing him about having such a ‘girlie’ drink. “What’s more important is who is the lucky woman who managed to possess the heart of the ice man?”

Adonis gulped another glass of whisky in one go without flinching. If he had to deal with Alaya’s thoughts and that infuriatingly man at his side, he needed more than one glass of whisky. “Who said it was a woman?”

Izo snorted loudly. “Oh come on, Fortune. You take me for a fool? We both know that you’re too uptight to drink that much. Besides, you look like you’ve sat on a nail right now, so why don’t you unburden yourself? You might feel lighter.”

“What if I don’t want to feel lighter?” Adonis retorted sarcastically.

“Oh you do,” Izo maintained his affrontery by coming closer to him and grabbing some pecan nuts from the table. “Sorry about the nuts, I’m on diet.”

Adonis didn’t even what kind of diet included pecan nuts – he wasn’t interested. The man looked like he didn’t have a worry in the world, and most importantly he wore no mask. He had no qualms about shouting his personal problems to the whole world.

He’d known Izo since college, they’d both studied at the Columbia University, although Rhyming had been two years his junior. There had never been any doubt about his success with women back in the glorious days as well. Rhyming had truly been an expert. Maybe he would know certain things?

“Alright,” Adonis capitulated in a rush before he could change his mind. “I do have this friend who has a girlfriend problem,” he stated stealthily. “Well, he doesn’t even know whether he can call her his girlfriend.”

“Ahhh,” Izo drawled comically taking a tentative sip of the red liquid. “Commitment issues. Go on. Has your friend screwed up?”

“Well, no. It was already complicated between them. Forbidden even which made the attraction even more illicit and irresistible. But now, he’s not sure where he is with the woman.”

“Hmmm,” Izo mused, his fingers circling the tip of his glass in slow motion. “How serious is he?”

“Sorry?”

“You know woman can feel it when you’re trying to self-preserve and not giving all of yourself. That’s why I give only my hundred percent to any woman I date now.”

Adonis scowled. “You change girlfriend every day.”

He shrugged insouciantly. “I am a power bank. I can recharge daily and give my hundred percent like a brand-new phone every day. But we’re not talking about me. So, your friend…,” he left the word hanging long enough for Adonis to understand that he was not fooling anyone. “…is he in love with the girl?”

Love? Adonis was taken aback at how strong it sounded. What he felt for Alaya would not be labeled as love, but then what did he know about the feeling? He’d never been in love before, not so much as to forget who he was and whom his loyalties laid with. With Alaya, every line was blurred.

What he knew was that he had great respect for her, something he had never experienced for any woman before, not even his mother. Her bravery and candidness could only make him admire her like one of his peers. He considered her equal as him, and although she’d hinted some nonsense towards about their social difference, he knew it had all been an excuse.

“I…I…don’t know,” he stammered before pouring himself another full glass.

“Well, ask your friend what he feels for the woman. If he thinks that she’s worthy enough of taking the risk, then ask him to go for it.”

“Go for it? Izo, I’m hardly going to propose to the woman! When have you turned into such a hopeless romantic?” he grounded in exasperation, realizing his mistake a tad too late.

Izo wasn’t missing a beat. “You? I though we were addressing your friend’s problem?” he asked suspiciously, then dropped any pretense as he broke into a mischievous grin. “Alright, you’re busted. But your secret’s safe with me. Listen. For the record I’ve never seen you so…haunted. Not even…,” he grimaced reluctantly. “..after everything that happened. And trust me, that was no pretty ride.”

There was a moment of silence as Adonis remained silent, appreciating the fact that his friend was so diplomatic about the tragedy.

“So,” he added in a firmer voice. “My take’s that she is pretty special, and you need someone to help you through the rough patch. I don’t know anything about forbidden, I’ve had affairs with married women and if that’s not the case, then nothing in unsurmountable.”

“Hell, no. She’s not married. Ewww you’ve slept with married women?”

“Hey! Don’t judge!” Izo muttered in comical outrage.

Adonis sighed. “Fine! She doesn’t anything to do with me,” he admitted unwillingly, the words being torn from him.

That confession left Izo dumbfounded. “Really? Is she an alien? From Mars maybe? I mean what’s not to like? A handsome hunk with billions to offer as additional incentive. Do these kinds of women really exist?”

Adonis let out a dry laughter in spite of himself. Of course in their world, women were the one falling themselves over them, using all kinds of pretexts to land in their beds, and then trying to play the victim card. It was a cliché scenario which had been played so many times that the fact that a woman would reject his advances was a novelty, to both him and Izo.

Izo slapped him on the knee. “Woaaah boy. you got to keep her. She’s special. More than I thought. Find a way to convince her to stay. Be more romantic. And drop your walls. Dude, you have such a solid barrier that you would bring the Pentagon to shame,” Izo advised with a wink, and a blonde appeared in the doorway. “Well, that’s my call. I’ll be on my way.”

Adonis shook his head as he hooked his arm with the pretty woman and waltzed towards another more private area, leaving no doubt about his intentions. With another glass in his hand, and head full of thoughts, he walked towards the balcony which gave him full view to the mango people on the ground floor.

Izo was right – Alaya was special. Not because she was refusing his advances, it was her prerogative after all. But because she was someone who had morals and knew how to respect her commitments. She wasn’t sacrificing her principles for him, anyone in her place would have already started to ask for money. He was in such deep trouble that he would probably have paid an insane amount to get his way.

But the feisty arrogant detective had helped him out of her own good will, and he should never have gone behind her back. He’d broken the flimsy trust between them, and he would have to do the repairs.

Something caught his eyes in the bar area, and in shock, his glass of whisky fell from his hand to shatter on the floor. Was that….? Oh no! He wouldn’t be responsible of someone was dead tonight!