Chapter 9 - Don't Sulk

[Rinten: I thought you ran away. I am glad I didn't scare you away.]

She sighed in relief and logged out of the game. She went to the other room and sat down on the couch. Lily spared her a glance but quickly looked back at the television. Cage was yet to come on the screen, but they waited patiently.

Soon the games commenced.

Cage didn't win any of them, but he performed admirably throughout. Katherine was mesmerized by his beautiful hands. Flashes of inspiration passed through her.

Once the show was done, Katherine found herself running to her room with the need to draw. Lily had been right. His beautiful face indeed inspired her. The erotic romance cover she was designing came out lovely. The picture would be a hit, she realized.

- - -

"Please, no," she groaned as she was standing in the line in front of the club. The queue was long and snaking along the street, people in fashionable and outlandish clothes dotted the road, waiting to enter. "I can't believe I am walking into this warzone."

"It's Friday night, Kitty. Even monks come out to play during these hours." And that was what bothered Katherine the most. The place was crowded, and people were ready to stick to one another and dance. Katherine was not meant for this life, she told herself.

Lily tugged on Katherine's arm as the unwilling girl resisted going into the club. They walked to the front door. Lily was dressed to the nines, looking like the siren that she was, with a flaming red dress and slinky stilettos that went perfectly with it, showing off her glorious body and unimaginable curves just the right way. Katherine wondered how Lily would function properly on those heels, but left it all to practice. She was ushered into the club, loud music greeting her. Her ears ached at the assault. She looked around and realized that she was underdressed for the occasion. Katherine was dressed in black jeans and a purple-coloured halter top that crisscrossed along her back and showed off a little bit of skin and matching jewelry to go with it; she had never been one to put on much makeup.

Lily gave her hand a little squeeze of reassurance when she saw how ill at ease she was.

"This is what we need after a long week at work," she reasoned lightly, looking forgiving a look of sympathy. She knew how little her friend enjoyed such a scene, but at times she needed to let her hair down and release all the pent up tension she had bottled up inside her. "Don't sulk," she screamed over the booming music, something that made Katherine laugh in delight.

She was slowly getting used to the beats flowing through her body, and the crowd seemed to be in a frenzy, hollering and grinding into each other. It was the weekend; it was time to party.

"I am not sulking!" she screamed back, a musical laugh following. She headed into the crush of people and headed towards the bar.

"Katherine Austen is back on the market, boys!" Lily screamed, making some people turn to look at them. Katherine giggled but swatted Lily's hand away.

The place was buzzing with energy, and it hadn't changed from the last time she had been there. Katherine saw several men turn towards their way and ogle at her friend but didn't give it much notice. Lily was a magnificent looking being who deserved all the attention in the world.

When they were seated on the bar, the bartender moved towards their way with a big smile on his face.

"Hi, what can I get you?" he asked, leaning over the counter. Katherine moved back, uneasy with the closeness of the person, but she knew there was no other way around to ordering drinks.

Lily giggled as she nudged her and discreetly pointed to the bartender who was very interested in Katherine.

Katherine rolled her eyes but played along, enjoying the attention she got. This bartender regularly saw them in different states of drunkenness, usually with Lily laughing and rolling around on the dance floor, teasing men who come near her. He was particularly taken with Katherine, who drank little and spoke even less to the man.

They ordered their drinks and leaned back into the bar, looking around.

Lily downed her drink in one go and slid out of her high stool and got down to dance. There would be a lot more drinks coming her way, so she needed to pace herself.

"Katherine, long time no see!" the bartender, Nathanial Brown was his name, called. Katherine gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded her head. "Been busy with work?" he smirked. She yet again nodded. "How have you been?" he continued. This time, Katherine couldn't ignore his questions; she was past being rude at that point.

"I'm good, what about you, Nathan?" She had mistakenly given her name and job description away on a particularly drunken night when she was feeling wretched and that had amounted her no little discomfort on the parties to come. Nathan seemed to be a fixture in the bar, and he was not showering her with compliments because he wanted a tip. It was his other more carnal interests that had him invested in her. Katherine knew this. Though she wasn't ecstatic about the development, she felt pleased that she wasn't wholly discard-able.