9: Take me to your place
950 Words
The next two days were the weekend, so Serena set work aside for a bit. She signed up for a hiking group and joined a bunch of backpackers to climb Twin Peaks in a neighboring city. She didn’t return to New Belmont until Sunday night.
When Veronica called, Serena was in the middle of a shower. Veronica’s soft voice drifted through the curtain of water, reaching Serena’s ears. “I overheard a guest tonight, and they mentioned Timothy went for a late-night swim at the city’s swimming pool. You might still catch him if you hurry.”
Serena quickly turned off the shower, threw on a modest swimsuit, and slipped a dress over it before heading out.
Timothy wasn’t like Martin, the old p*****t, and wouldn't be easily lured by beauty. If she wanted to talk business with him, she’d need to summon the same tenacity she had back when she worked in sales—going after him relentlessly was the way to go.
But what Serena hadn’t anticipated was the traffic. Even in a city like New Belmont, the streets were clogged at night. By the time she arrived at the pool, Timothy had already left.
With the ticket already bought and her swimsuit on, it seemed a waste not to get in the water. Serena decided to take a few laps. After swimming back and forth for a couple of rounds, she surfaced and was taken by surprise when she saw a familiar face on the side of the pool.
The swimming pool was almost empty at night, and the woman in the bright pink bikini stood out like a sore thumb. Her well-endowed figure—especially her chest—made her impossible to ignore.
It was a member of The Remingtons Family.
Xiara.
Serena couldn’t help but smirk as she climbed out of the pool, wrapped herself in a towel, and walked toward her.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Remington. Here for a swim too?”
Xiara blinked in confusion at first, then turned to look at Serena, her expression immediately turning disgusted. “What’s it to you?”
“Nothing much. Just saw an old friend and thought I’d say hello.”
“No need! Next time, stay far away. Seeing you just brings bad luck!” Xiara sneered, turning her back and walking away without a second glance.
Serena chuckled to herself, thinking that after five years, Xiara had really gotten comfortable with her “princess” persona.
But…
What was she doing here?
As far as Serena knew, Xiara wasn’t the athletic type. It seemed odd for her to be dressed so scantily and at this hour, in a place like this. Something wasn’t right. What was she up to?
Taking advantage of the opportunity to catch something on The Remingtons Family, Serena quickly followed Xiara. She watched as Xiara approached a man, and her earlier arrogance immediately turned into a more submissive demeanor.
“Adrian, aren’t you going to swim?” Xiara’s voice was so sweet, it could almost be mistaken for syrup.
The contrast was striking. Adrian’s cold, detached expression made it clear he wasn’t particularly interested. “Mhm.”
Serena was stunned. She had never expected that Xiara’s companion would be Adrian.
At that moment, Adrian had already changed back into his clothes. It was the first time Serena saw him in casual attire—he looked much less imposing and more relaxed, not as aloof or untouchable as he usually did.
Serena glanced between Adrian and Xiara, and Veronica’s earlier words immediately came to mind. She couldn’t help but laugh—The Remingtons Family had clearly sent Xiara to try and charm Adrian.
Xiara was clearly pushing her assets in Adrian’s direction, but when she saw him preparing to leave, she quickly grabbed his sleeve. “Adrian, could you give me a ride back to the hotel?”
Adrian looked at her, his gaze questioning. Xiara weakly replied, “The thing is, my clothes accidentally fell into the water, and I don’t have any other clothes with me, so…”
“This young lady really is careless,” Serena said, stepping forward. Without giving Xiara a chance to respond, she tossed her own dress over Xiara’s shoulders and casually draped her arm around her. With a smile, she added, “If you don’t mind, you can wear my clothes for now.”
Xiara’s face turned a deep shade of red, but with Adrian standing there, she could only grit her teeth and say, “I don’t know you. I can’t wear your clothes.”
Serena didn’t respond, but instead turned her attention to Adrian with a sincere tone. “It’s only right to help someone in need.” She then glanced at Xiara and said, “I’m sure someone as beautiful and kind as this young lady wouldn’t turn down my help, would she?”
Xiara’s smile was stiff. “Of course not.”
Serena finally released her shoulder, feeling satisfied with herself. It was at this moment that Adrian spoke up, his voice calm and direct.
“Your clothes for her? What about you?”
Serena feigned difficulty. “Oh, right, I don’t have anything to wear now. What should I do? I can’t just walk out like this, can I?”
She hesitated for effect, then took a few steps closer to Adrian, letting her bare feet gently graze his casual shoes. Her toes lightly caught the hem of his pants. “Sir, would you mind giving me a ride home, or…”
She paused, leaning in close and whispering in his ear, her breath warm against his skin, “Take me to your place.”
- Writer
