Chapter 76 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

In the living room, Matt noticed the sudden change in Candace and raised a brow, “Are you okay? Why do you suddenly seem uncomfortable?” He asked, touching her shoulder slightly.

“I think I should probably leave now that your friends are here,” Candace said, wanting to stand up, but Matt pulled her down.

“Why? What is the problem? We were having a good time a moment again, and now you just want to leave?” He asked in confusion.

Candace looked away from him in embarrassment, “Your best friend and his fiancee, they know me,” Candace confessed without meeting his gaze.

“Know you? Like from the club where you work?” He asked, looking at her with interest, and she nodded her head.

“They were at the club two nights ago, and I attended to them,” she said, still looking very embarrassed.

So Bryan and Sonia knew who she was? That explained the few seconds of awkward silence when they just came in. He was curious to hear what Bryan would have to say once he got the chance, but for now, he was more concerned about the lady in front of him.

“So what?” He asked, making her raise her head to look at him in surprise.

“You are not embarrassed?” She asked in confusion, and the corners of his lips curved in a knowing smile.

“Why should I be? From what I can see here, you are the only one who is embarrassed, and I wonder why.”

He had particularly picked interest in Candace because she had stated on her profile that she was a stripper. He had been curious to meet the lady who had been bold enough to tell others that she stripped for a living, and that was why her sudden embarrassment seemed strange to him.

“It is one thing for you to know what I do, but it is another thing for your friends to know. I assume you brought me here because you like me. I don’t want to be an embarrassment…”

“Look, I told you this before, but I’m going to tell you again. I’m someone that likes to think that every legal job is honorable. You were proud of your job enough to add it to your profile on the dating app, so why are we having this discussion?” Matt asked, and Candace relaxed a bit.

“Besides, they patronized you, so they can’t judge you. Relax, Bryan is not like that,” Matt assured her.

“I just don’t want you to be an embarrassment to you or anyone else. You know people can be hypocritical,” She said with a little frown, and Matt gave her a reassuring smile.

“It’s not a big deal. I only feel jealous that Bryan got to see your body before I did,” Matt said with a pout, which made the dimples on Candace’s face wink.

“Can you do me a favor though?” Matt asked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“What favor?”

“Let’s act like I don’t know anything, okay?” Matt asked, making her brows pull together in confusion.

“Why?”

“Let’s just say I want to mess around with Bryan and see what he’s going to do. So let’s act like you didn’t tell me anything,” Matt said, and Candace gave him a nod.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Sonia stood by the door glaring at Bryan, “Leave them alone.”

“I was just going to meet them, come on! You don’t expect me to go out there while they are together and tell Matt that his girlfriend is a stripper, do you?” Bryan asked incredulously.

Sonia looked at him doubtfully, “So where were you going to then?” She asked narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

“I just want to get a glass of water, I’m thirsty,” Bryan said, waiting for her to get out of his way.

“I will get you the glass of water myself. Don’t step out of the room. I still don’t trust you,” Sonia said with a shake of her head, making Bryan want to scoff

See who was talking about trust. Who said he trusted her either? Bryan returned to the bed and sat down, “You can go and get the water. I’m waiting.”

“Good boy,” Sonia said with a smile as she removed the single key from the door’s keyhole before stepping out of the bedroom, making sure to lock Bryan inside as she left.

Bryan looked at the door in disbelief and shook his head. What a crazy woman! She really locked him in his bedroom? In his own house? He couldn’t believe he was in this situation. He just couldn’t believe that of all the sane people in that hotel’s lobby that night, he had the misfortune of choosing the one lady that behaved as she had recently escaped from an asylum. God help him.

Once Sonia fetched his glass of water, she returned to the bedroom and locked the door using the key, “Here is your glass of water,” She announced as she approached the bed and handed it to him with a bright smile on her face.

Bryan watched in disbelief as she dipped the key into her jacket like she was safekeeping it where he wouldn’t touch, “Can I ask you a question?” Bryan asked after taking a sip from the water while she bent down to take off her sneakers.

Sonia straightened up before answering him, “Sure,” Sonia said as she walked to the front of the bedroom mirror and pulled her hair back into a messy bun.

“No offense. But are you mentally stable?”

She glanced at him over her shoulder and tried not to laugh out loud at his funny question. Most times she asked herself if she was mentally stable too.

“I don’t think I am. Why? Want to take me to a psychiatrist?” she asked with a mocking smile as she turned in his direction and took off her jean jacket, leaving only her crop top. She paused long enough to drop the jacket on the table next to her, and then slowly took off her trousers while waiting for him to answer her question.

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