Revenge, Rebirth and Second Chances

Party & A Chance Meeting

" How about you wear that red piece you got for your anniversary? That piece doesn't deserve to be wasted, Issa, especially not for that douchebag." Merissa gave in to Jim, and they soon left for the Paradise Club.

Outside the club, the parking lot is jam-packed and there is a long line. Merissa and Jim skip the line and show their VIP pass to the bouncer, the perks of owning the world-famous chain of hotels that Merissa's father started from scratch. The club owner Grace and her husband had stayed a few times at their hotel and had done business with both her father and her, so whenever they visited New York, Merissa had VIP passes. Grace wouldn't take no for an answer. Now the club was handled by their son, Jason, but he had insisted that Merissa keep her pass and that she would be granted entrance and the VIP booth whenever they wished to visit. In the last two years, Merissa hadn't had a chance to visit, but knowing that she was there on a vacation, she had packed the passes hoping to visit with Aaron on the little vacation she had planned. Merissa sighed, not wanting to think about that now. Entering the club, they went straight to the bar lined with bottles of ooze behind it. Merissa notices the strobe lights in the bar, the loud music, sweaty drunk people, loud voices and laughter, and people grinding on to each other while thinking to herself why she even agreed to come.

After ordering some shots and a bottle of red wine, they made their way to the VIP area. Merissa and Jim sat talking and drinking while watching the sweaty people dance on the floor below them. Seeing that Merissa was zoning out and not really having fun, Jim said,

"OK enough moping, let's go have some fun. You are going to let yourself loose tonight"

Saying that, Jim dragged Merissa onto the dance floor. Between the drinks and wanting to forget what happened, Merissa was soon drunk enough and grinding herself on the floor dancing along with Jim. She had seen Jim eyeing a girl and knew he hadn't wanted to leave her alone, so he was dancing with her still and having fun.

"Go, I can see you want her. I am fine". She yelled loudly at Jim, wanting him to hear her over the loud music on the dance floor.

Don't worry, I am going to be fine. I am going to do as you said, forget about that asshole and dance myself and have fun," She added, seeing Jim was going to argue back with her.

Jim was not convinced, but seeing her give him the look which said 'Do what I say right now, or you will regret it', he agreed. He did want to talk to the pretty girl he had been eyeing or was it eye f*****g. He honestly didn't care. He wanted to at least get her number so he could take her on a date later. She looked absolutely ravishing in the black and silver dress she had on. Maybe later, when Merissa didn't need him, he would take her on a date and probably end the night either at his or her place exploring those long legs and thighs he could see peeking from the dress.

Merissa went to grab another drink, keeping an eye on Jim but also not wanting any p*****t near her grabbing onto her on the dance floor. She sat on the bar stool looking around with a drink in her hand, slowly sipping, when she heard a deep voice.

"What's a beautiful woman like you doing sitting here alone?"

It was a cliché sentence and, without turning, she simply shrugged, not wanting to entertain anyone.

"Ah, I see, not much in the mood to talk, are you Miss Lopez? Or should I call you Mrs. Young?"

Upon hearing her name, she turned around to see who it was. It wasn't like people didn't know her, but most people who called her that were her business associates, who often referred to her by her last name. And this guy knew her maiden name too. He must have been someone she or her dad had a close relationship with, but she certainly didn't recognize the voice. She turned around to see a tall, dark, and handsome man in his late 20s. He wasn't a model. Merissa knew that but he should have been. His lush dark hair was sleeked back and styled. He had a defined cheekbone and a concrete jaw which ended with a gritty stubble. His golden eyes held a sparkle, and he had a smirk on his face, which made him look even more irresistible. He was wearing a designer and expensive suit, one could tell by a glance. But what stuck with her was how it clung to his taut and muscular abs. She could feel herself drooling over his body, lower down her eyes, she could almost see the v, when she heard a clearing of a throat and looked back up.

"My eyes are up here, cariño" she heard him say in his deep sexy voice which made her blush.

Looking up at his face, she could see that he still had that cocky smirk on his face. She turned her face around and, in an uninterested voice, asked him.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Woods"

She knew who he was, for he was her business rival, Justin Woods. Although they had seen each other in places like charity and other gala events, they had never really talked and stayed at a distance. She had gone to those events with Aaron and Aaron had always complained about Justin and held a deep hatred for him. They had often come close to fighting each other at those events, not wanting that to happen, Merissa had always tried to steer him away and keep them at a distance to avoid any incidents. Aaron would always try to one-up Justin on these occasions, as Justin would always make bigger donations for charity and at auctions. But Aaron took that personally and always felt that Justin was trying to show him down. Justin had often taken up some of their clients, but so had they, as business rivals. Merissa had felt that normal, but Aaron would always complain about how Justin was taking up his clients and he would take so-and-so from him to teach him a lesson. Merissa had never understood the deep hatred Aaron had for Justin, and it had always seemed to be more than a business rivalry between each other. She had often asked Aaron, but he had always been vague about it and made excuses about it being due to something Justin did that affected their business. Merissa had not believed it but had no choice other than to let it go, figuring that Aaron would tell her when he wanted to. That would definitely not happen now. Merissa signed, lost in her thoughts again when she heard,

"Why, what everyone else is doing, Miss Lopez."