Chapter 16 - Irina.
993 Words
As Paul finished his conversation with Nick and Alan, I turned back toward him.
The tension in my body had started to fade, but the exhaustion from everything that had happened tonight was beginning to settle in. My nerves were still tight, like a wire pulled too far.
Suddenly I felt a hand on my waist.
Light.
But steady.
Paul stood beside me, his hand resting there gently, almost protectively, as if he was trying to calm me down.
"I'm sorry I made you wait," he said softly, his voice sincere.
I glanced at him sideways.
My expression was strict, slightly annoyed. I didn't want him to see that his tenderness affected me so quickly. But despite myself, my body relaxed a little under his touch.
"It's time to go," I told him.
My voice was calmer now, though it still carried a firm tone.
"Just one minute. Bathroom and we leave," he said before stepping away.
I nodded.
I watched him disappear toward the restrooms before reaching into my bag for my cigarettes. I pulled one out and started searching for my lighter.
My hands trembled slightly.
Part habit.
Part the lingering tension from Nick's earlier remark.
My eyes slowly scanned the room while I waited.
The club was clearly designed to impress. The lights, the velvet couches, the expensive drinks, the perfectly curated atmosphere — everything screamed wealth and status.
I made a faint, almost mocking expression.
Trying too hard.
Then suddenly...
He appeared in front of me.
Nick Martinez.
Standing there with that arrogant posture of his, as if the entire room belonged to him.
"Do you like the place?" he asked.
His voice carried that unshakable confidence that made people either admire him... or hate him.
"I've seen better," I replied coolly.
My eyes drifted around the club again as if I barely cared.
His smile tightened slightly.
Just enough for me to notice.
And for a moment, I felt a small, forbidden satisfaction.
"If you want it to look truly classy," I added with quiet sarcasm, "maybe you should make sure the bathroom doors stay closed."
Nick smiled again.
That same arrogant smile that made it clear he wasn't used to being challenged.
"You're throwing those little comments because you wish you were one of those women, right?" he said quietly.
There was a sharp edge in his voice.
A challenge.
I looked straight at him.
Disgust filled my expression.
"Don't you dare," I said coldly.
I grabbed my things — cigarette in hand, bag on my shoulder — and walked straight toward the exit.
I was furious.
But determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.
Paul hadn't come back yet, and Nick's presence behind me made me want to get out of that place as quickly as possible.
Outside, the cool night air hit my face.
I stood near the entrance, holding my cigarette between my fingers, my eyes fixed on the door while I waited for Paul.
Anger burned quietly inside me.
Like a slow fire.
No one like Nick Martinez would ever control me.
And as I glanced once more toward the entrance, I saw him still standing inside.
Unmoving.
Watching.
That same confidence surrounding him like a second skin.
And I knew one thing for sure.
This night had already left its mark.
And whatever this was between us...
It had only just begun.
A moment later Paul appeared behind me, his eyes searching for me immediately.
"Why didn't you wait inside?" he asked, clearly surprised.
I looked at him calmly, hiding the tension still lingering in my chest.
"I just wanted some air," I said. "I'm really tired."
He didn't question it.
He simply smiled and opened the car door for me.
His black car shone under the city lights, every detail polished and perfect.
As I sat down, Paul walked around to the driver's seat and started the engine.
The streets were still busy, full of late-night traffic.
But for some reason, I felt calmer now.
Like I had left the tension of the club behind me.
Paul immediately began talking again, excitement practically glowing in his voice.
"You can't imagine how excited I am," he said. "I start tomorrow with everything Nick assigned to me."
I listened.
And yet... I didn't.
My thoughts kept drifting back to Nick.
To that arrogant smile.
To the cold confidence in his eyes.
To the challenge he had left hanging in the air between us.
Paul's words faded into the background as the image of Nick replayed again and again in my mind.
I tried to focus.
Tried to listen to Paul's plans, his excitement about the opportunity.
But something inside me wouldn't settle.
My fingers played absentmindedly with the cigarette between them.
Paul kept talking — explaining every detail of their conversation, the plans he already had for the job, the incredible opportunity he believed he had been given.
His enthusiasm was contagious.
And despite my distraction, I could feel a little of his excitement reaching me.
Still...
My mind returned to Nick again.
His arrogance.
His power.
The dangerous confidence in the way he moved.
Paul was comfort.
Familiar.
Safe.
Nick...
Nick was something else entirely.
A challenge.
An unknown world I wasn't sure I wanted to get close to.
By the time we reached my house, exhaustion had finally begun to take over.
The car stopped outside.
Relief washed over me.
But there was also something else.
A quiet, unsettling feeling that tonight had changed something.
Paul leaned over and kissed me softly.
"Goodnight," he said.
"I love you."
I smiled faintly and stepped out of the car.
With one last glance at the street, I walked toward the house, ready to leave the tension of the night behind me.
At least for now.
Because deep down, I already knew something.
Nick Martinez wouldn't disappear so easily.
And soon enough...
He would find his way into my personal space.
- Writer
