Chapter 2 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Hey, sweety! Heard you’re new around here. Need me to show you around?” An average-looking young man asked with a suggestive wink as he let his eyes travel down Celsie’s legs.

Ewwww! She thought as she tried not to look at him repulsively, “No thanks.” Celsie said with a forced smile.

“Are you sure? There’s plenty of places I could take you to if you know what I mean.” He said as he leaned closer to her and placed a hand on her exposed thighs.

“Thanks for your offer, but I’ll pass,” Celsie muttered through gritted teeth.

He was so close that she could perceive the alcohol on his breath mixed with something else she couldn’t tell. The idea of having someone like him on the same bed with her was so repugnant that she was beginning to feel like retching.

“She said NO! Why don’t you get lost.” The young man who had been sitting quietly beside her growled ferociously, making the guy with the bad breath scurry away.

Of course, she had been aware that someone was sitting beside her, but she just hadn’t taken note of him until she heard his voice, so she turned her head slightly to look at him and froze when their eyes met.

He was staring directly at her and she noticed a smile was dancing playfully on his lips as he looked at her. His eyes looked as though they were laughing at something funny. His voice had not sounded like he was having fun a moment ago, so what was he finding funny? she wondered as she cocked her head to the side and raised a brow as though asking him what he was finding so funny.

Benne tried not to chuckle as he looked down at her journal which was lying open on the table between them, before looking into her face once again. He grinned when her eyes widened in mortification and chuckled when she quickly snapped her journal shut.

Celsie blushed a deep shade of red as she quickly looked away from the handsome devil.

Although their gaze had held for only a few seconds, she had gotten a clear picture of his facial features before turning away. The brown-looking handsome devil was blessed with an oval-shaped face with a prominent lower jaw and chin. And his face was decorated with the finest hazel eyes she had ever seen on a man, and a well-defined straight nose with full symmetrical lips.

Celsie silently pray that he wouldn’t say anything or expose her to the others. The last thing she wanted on her first day here was to be labeled as a pervert or a man-eater. That would be very bad for her reputation around here.

“Since we just shared such a deep secret, don’t you think it’s safe to say we are friends now? And as such shouldn’t we at least say Hi to each other?” The handsome devil asked her, breaking the silence which she had just begun to be thankful for.

She gritted her teeth, and then pasted a smile on her face before turning to look at him, “Hi!”

“You can call me Benne. I heard you say your name is Celsie earlier. I can call you that, right?” He asked with a grin as though he knew something she didn’t.

“Sure.” Celsie said, and then cleared her throat, “About what you may have seen…”

“May? Not may. I actually did see it.” He assured her in a very confident tone leaving her speechless.

Had it been a less embarrassing situation, she probably would have demanded an apology from him for invading her privacy by sneaking a peek from her journal, but she couldn’t do that for fear that he might decide to expose her to the world. So instead she forced a smile, “Uhm…”

“There’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. Nothing at all. It’s normal. People do these things all the time. I can assure you it’s not a big deal. I could just pretend like I didn’t see anything.” He said with a straight face but she could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll really appreciate that.” Celsie said with a smile of gratitude, grateful that he was responsible enough to let her off the hook so easily. She decided she was just going to drink really quickly and disappear from the club before she embarrass herself any further.

“Sam, can I get another glass, please? And get one for the lady too.” Benne called out to Sam before looking at her, “Since it’s your birthday, permit me to buy you a drink.”

“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary. I’m almost done here.” She quickly assured him.

“You can’t say you’ve been to a club or had a double martini if you did not get drunk or get on the dance floor. Plus I don’t see any man leaving with you either. Aren’t you going to check that on your little list?” Benne asked, wiggling his brow playfully as he glanced at her journal which she had tucked into her purse.

Celsie felt her face heat up again, “You promised to pretend…”

“I didn’t promise. I said I COULD just pretend.” Benne reminded her with a wink, “So how about I help you tick that? I’m feeling very generous tonight..” He said with a grin, showing her he was really enjoying himself at her expense.

Celsie was feeling completely embarrassed now since this wasn’t the way she had envisioned the night when she made her plan hours earlier.

Things like these usually happened in stages in most of the movies she had seen, one minute a lady was drinking and the next she was chatting with a guy, and next they were kissing and groping in the dark as they try to undress each other and find their way to the bed or end up on the couch or on the floor, who cares where?

When she was making her list, she never imagined or planned for someone else to see it apart from her best friend, Sonia, to who she had planned on sending a picture of her checklist.

‘Okay! Celsie, you can’t chicken out. You wanted to do something daring, here is your chance. You’ve got a sinfully gorgeous man offering to be your one-night stand. You’re going to grab this opportunity now.’ She said to herself, and then gulped down the remaining content of her glass before flashing him a courageous smile.

“How about we have that drink first?” She asked making him smile.

“Sure. Let’s do that. And then we can dance, and then we will go over to my place or yours.”

“Yours. Yours is absolutely fine.” She told him quickly. Of course, she didn’t want a one-night stand knowing where she lives. The last thing she wanted in her life at the moment was a one-night stand who might decide to show up on her doorstep the next day wanting another stand.

She really was not interested in a relationship of any kind with any man. All she wanted was this one-time experience, and then after that, she would return to her loveless workaholic life. That was exactly the way she loved it. She loved being a career-driven lady who was able to take care of her herself and her loved ones. The last thing she wanted was that trouble and distraction which was usually associated with being in a relationship. Those boring long calls, spending hours visiting and doing sweet nothings, incessant and unnecessary misunderstandings et veteran. Those were things she was avoiding.

“My place it is then,” Benne said with a nod.

“I see you’ve gotten yourself a friend,” Sam observed as he handed them both their glasses.

“Yeah, she has. Get her more glasses, she needs to get drunk.” Benne said to Sam who gave him a questioning look before glancing at Celsie.

“Yeah. I need to get drunk.” She assured Sam with a small smile of gratitude, and then he gave her a nod before returning to his position.

“So tell me about yourself,” Benne said as he sipped from his glass slowly while looking at Celsie with interest.

“I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be telling a one-night stand anything about myself,” she murmured to herself, and then realized she had just spoken out loud when she heard him chuckle.

“What are the chances of seeing your one-night stand again? It won’t hurt to tell me something about yourself. I’m a stranger to you after all and you may never see me again. You could tell me something you’ve always wanted to tell someone about yourself.” Benne said with an encouraging smile.

Celsie felt her face pull back into a responding smile. Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol which was slowly beginning to move in her bloodstream or something, but soon her tongue gradually loosened up and before she knew it, she heard herself start saying some things to him.

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