Late at night, the music in the club was loud enough to make the glass on the table vibrate. Colourful flashing lights swept across the crowded dance floor, painting everything in blue and violet for a split second before darkness swallowed it again, along with people dancing like there's no tomorrow.
Reena Cole sat in the corner booth, her elbow resting on the table and a half-empty glass of liquor in her hand. Her eyes were red, not from the alcohol but from anger, humiliation, and the image she couldn't erase from her mind from that evening.
Across from her, Ashley Quinn leaned forward with her arms crossed, glaring at the drink in Reena's hand as if it were personally responsible for everything that had happened tonight.
"I swear," Ashley said, her voice barely audible over the music, "if I ever see that dumb Patrick Finn again, I'm throwing a chair at his head."
Reena let out a short, bitter laugh and took another sip. "Make sure you aim properly," she muttered. "His brain is already small enough."
Ashley snorted. "Oh, please. Not his penis. I don't want to know his size. Especially when I'm drinking. But seriously, Ree. What kind of idiot cheats on someone who literally bakes him cupcakes to apologize? Especially with that snake with her plastic butt?"
Reena's fingers tightened around the glass. The memory replayed in her head like a cruel movie. A week before, that evening… Standing outside Patrick's apartment door with a box of handmade cupcakes in her hands — chocolate with vanilla frosting, his favorite. She had spent three hours baking them after their argument the night before. Three hours thinking about how to make things right and she came up with this as a solution.
She had knocked. No one answered. So she tried again, but still no one answered. So she called Patrick's phone. She could hear the phone ringing inside but still no one answered. Suspicious crept into her mind, what kept him busy that her boyfriend couldn't pick up her phone call? Then, she noticed the door had been slightly open.
She hesitated but eventually pushed the door open and when she stepped inside, only to be welcomed by moans and groans with harsh skin slapping sounds. Reena swallowed hard with her trembling hands that had been holding the cupcake box tightly, her suspicion increasing as she entered herself inside the apartment, knowing she is going to regret her life decision of even letting Patrick in her life.
So there is her boyfriend— no, ex-boyfriend, Patrick Finn was being ridden by Claudine Rose, her unfavourite academic rival and her enemy since high school, on his couch, fully naked.
When the both shameless humans noticed Reena's figure, Patrick's eyes widened in shock but Claudine was not even trying to hide what they were doing and continued to ride Patrick, making the guy struggle to even speak.
The cupcakes had slipped from Reena's hands and crashed onto the floor as the frosting spattered everywhere, making a mess. In a few seconds, Patrick groaned as he was about to finish, making Claudine jump out from him as he came just like that.
Reena made a disgusted face after witnessing such an unholy scene and walked out of the apartment, letting Patrick shout her name and Claudine laughing in the background and encouraging Patrick for another round.
And now she was here, drinking like alcohol is just a gas drink. Across her, Ashley slammed her palm on the table suddenly. "That snake Claudine knew exactly what she was doing."
Reena shrugged weakly. "Well, congratulations to her. She won. Succeeded in her mission of snatching what's mine again,"
"Won?" Ashley stared at her like she had just said something insane. "Reena, she didn't win anything. She stole trash. A worthless and shameless. That bastard cheater with his small dick doesn't deserve you anyway."
Reena laughed again, softer this time. "Still hurts though."
Ashley's expression softened slightly but still maintained her composure. "Of course it hurts. You dated that bastard for two years, only to be disappointed that he is a small dick person."
Of course. Two years. Two years of wasting her time on someone not deserving. Reena tilted her head back and finished the rest of her drink. The alcohol burned down her throat but she doesn't care.
"Another?" the bartender asked as he walked past.
Reena pushed the empty glass forward. "Yes, please. I need to forget that I saw live porn."
Ashley shook her head in disbelief and pointed at her. "That's your fifth."
"Fourth."
"Reena!"
"No worries," Reena said lazily. "I know my limits. Just let me ruin myself tonight."
The bartender looked at the both girls and sighed as if this was one of his daily work dramas and placed another drink on the table. Ashley shook her head but didn't stop Reena from drinking. For a while, they just sat there. Watching the crowd. Listening to loud music. Cursing Patrick Finn and Claudine Rose in creative and unimaginable ways.
Eventually Ashley's phone started vibrating violently on the table. She groaned in annoyance but cursed herself after seeing the caller's name. "Shit. It's my mom."
Reena raised an eyebrow as she couldn't hear the loud music. "What?"
"It's my mom, girl. She is going to kill me now." Ashley answered the call and immediately turned away, lowering her voice. "Hello, Mom… Yes, Mom… Ummm, outside. Somewhere noisy… No… Just hanging out with a friend… I know… I'm leaving soon… Yes, I'm safe, very safe… No worries. I will send you my location… Yeah sure… I'll be home in twenty minutes… Okay, bye…"
After a small confirmation for her mother, Ashley hung up and sighed dramatically as Reena swirled her drink while waiting for whatever Ashley was going to say.
"It's almost midnight," she said, grabbing her purse. "If I'm not home in twenty minutes my mother will send the police."
Reena frowned. "Already? That's too early."
"You say that like we're not college students with curfews."
Reena blinked slowly. "Oh… right."
Ashley stood up but leaned down and squeezed her shoulder. "Come on, I'll drop you at your dorm."
Reena pushed her hands and said, "No. I'm going to stay for a few minutes."
Ashley looked at her worriedly and asked, "Are you going to be okay? How are you going to go to your dorm if you are alone here?"
Reena waved her hand dismissively. "I can book a cab, then sneak into the dorm apartment without the warden noticing me. I'll be fine."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Ashley looked at her for another second before sighing. "Fine. But text me when you get back."
"Yes, mom." Reena countered while sipping her drinking.
Ashley rolled her eyes and headed toward the exit, disappearing into the crowd, leaving the lonely Reena with her alcohol.
The booth suddenly felt much quieter. Reena stared at the colorful lights on the dance floor and took another sip of her drink. She didn't even notice how much time had passed. The bartender wiped the counter nearby.
"You're going to feel that tomorrow morning and I can tell it's going to be very hard. " he said casually.
Reena smiled faintly. "I can make lemon juice so."
He chuckled and moved away to serve other customers. Reena rested her chin in her palm, letting the music blur into the background.
That was when someone sat down in the empty seat across from her. She looked up lazily and paused.
A man sitting there looked… completely out of place in the chaotic club. He was tall, his broad shoulders filling the dark coat he wore like it had been tailored specifically for him. His posture was relaxed but confident, the kind of confidence that didn't need to announce itself.
His hair was black, slightly tousled as if he had just run a hand through it. Under the dim lights, it reflected a faint sheen. But it was his eyes that stood out the most. Sharp. Dark. Observant. They studied the room with quiet patience before eventually settling on her.
Reena blinked a few times, clearly her blurry vision just to see the man's perfect face. For a moment she forgot what she was about to say.
His face was the kind that would make people turn their heads without realizing it, strong jawline, straight nose, and lips that looked permanently set in a calm, unreadable line. Even sitting casually in a noisy club, he carried himself like someone used to being in control of every room he walked into.
The bartender walked over and placed a glass of whiskey in front of him without being asked. So the man was a regular. The stranger lifted the glass slowly, his gaze drifting back toward Reena. Their eyes met again.
And something about the way he looked at her made the air between them feel unexpectedly— heavy, definitely not in a bad way.
Reena tilted her head slightly. "…Do I know you, Mister?"
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. Like he had just discovered something interesting."You don't," he said finally. "And yet… you seem like trouble."
Reena nearly choked on her drink. Trouble? She glanced around, thinking maybe he was talking about the club. But no. His gaze was locked on her, dark and deliberate. She scoffed irritatedly and continued drinking her drink, "Not really. Just encountered some piece of trash."
"That seems terrible. Judging by your words, can I assume it's about breaking up things?" The stranger asked while looking another side, as if he was searching for something or someone.
For a split second, a shiver ran down her spine, not from fear… but from something else, something she couldn't name. She looked at the bartender for help. The bartender glanced at her, then the man, giving a subtle shrug as if to say, 'Don't ask me anything about him, girl'.
"I—uh…" Reena faltered, suddenly aware of her flushed cheeks and the alcohol making her bold enough to speak. "I don't think I need to answer that."
"Relax," he interrupted smoothly. "I'm not here to ruin your night. Yet. I'm here for my things. As long as you don't throw up on me, you are safe."
Reena blinked. His words were casual, almost playful, but there was something razor-sharp underneath them. She realized she couldn't read him. Not his intentions. Not his expression. Not even whether he was joking. "Why does that sound like a threat?" She mumbled to herself.
And in that moment, with the music thumping faintly in the background and the lights casting fleeting shadows across his face, Reena knew one thing: this man was trouble but also someone good to irritate. A cool smirk formed on Reena's smile, "Mr. Handsome?"
The man looked at her and raised her eyebrow as if asking 'What?' while lifting his whiskey glass to his lips.
Reena leaned back in her seat, studying him with exaggerated seriousness. "You're handsome," she said casually, pointing at him with her drink. "But your personality is terrible."
The man took a slow sip of his whiskey with an unreadable smirk. "That's unfortunate," he replied calmly. "I wasn't trying to impress you."
Reena rolled her eyes while taking another sip of her drink. "Of course you weren't. Men like you never try. You just walk around looking expensive and expect women to fall over. Typical men's behavior."
His gaze sharpened slightly. "Do you usually insult strangers in clubs, or is it just a hobby ?"
Reena shook her head innocently, "You sound like I'm a bad person. So, to answer your question. Only the ones who sit at my table without permission, I find it annoying. That's all."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then the man chuckled softly under his breath, the kind of quiet sound that made her stomach tighten unexpectedly. "Fair enough," he said, setting his glass down. "In my defense, you looked like you needed a distraction."
Reena scoffed again, though the corner of her lips twitched. "Oh? As if you're the distraction?"
He glanced at her lazily. "I could be. At least to throw whatever you have in your little brain "
Her heartbeat skipped, annoyingly. 'This arrogant stupid man dared to call me little! Jackass!'
The man finished his drink and stood up, adjusting the sleeve of his coat. "However, I have my business on hold. So…" he said simply and stood up from the stool while fixing his blazer. "Enjoy the rest of your night. "
Reena blinked and didn't even realize she had reached forward until her fingers caught the edge of his sleeve, stopping him, "Wait."
It was clear that the alcohol in her system made her bold, reckless even. His eyes slowly dropped to her hand holding his sleeve. Then back to her face. Something unreadable flickered across his expression.
"Stay," she said, looking up at him. "You started the conversation. You can't just leave in the middle. I'm not done yet."
"I don't stay," he said quietly.
Reena tilted her head. "Why not? What? Do you have a problem sitting down?"
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly with a slight smirk. "Definitely , not because of my butt, Little One. But because," he said, leaning just enough for his voice to reach her over the music, "I don't spend my time without being rewarded. As you said, typical men's behavior." He repeated her words back with a slight intended tone.
For a moment, Reena stared at him. Then she laughed. Slow. Dangerous enough that she is getting involved. "Well then, Mister," she said, swirling the drink in her glass. "What kind of reward are we talking about?"
His gaze darkened. And for the first time that night, the man looked at her like she had just made a very interesting mistake. "Something you never gave to anyone before. I take stuff that is unused. Can you give me that, Little One?"