Dean

I had seen a lot of beautiful girls in my life. Girls in black dresses, girls that knew they were beautiful. But the truth was, I'd never lost my breath when I looked at them. It was all the same, I approached them, flashed a smirk, maybe I had to shell out cash for a drink. It didn't matter anymore, because I wasn't easily surprised. I wasn't the type of guy that was going to spin a tale about how you were the first thing I thought of in the morning and the last before I buried my face into my pillow. There would always be another warm body next to me. One that had put on a good show for a few hours. There might be an argument afterwards when I simply told her to take her stuff and leave. All girls thought they were the end all means of changing the playboy.

I guess, the real problem was that the only thing I couldn't ever be honest about with these one-nighters, was that if I really had the balls, I'd admit out loud that there was one girl that took my breath away. She could break me if she really wanted to and I'd be left a shell of the man that I am today.

In a perfect world, she would rush to my house and tell me how much of an asshole I was, but she loved me with all her soul. Then I'd grab her, holding her close to me while I looked in her eyes, telling her how my world was her. Then, we'd live happily ever after. In that perfect world, she wouldn't be sick and suicide wouldn't even be a thought on her mind. But, this wasn't a perfect world and not all love stories read like a young adult romance.

She stood in front of me in that tiny figure hugging dress which showed off every curve. At that moment, she was probably more beautiful than Linda Evangelista. Now that was a ticket to Cougar Town that I'd punch!

As always, Venise flashed me her best goofball face in order to break the mood and make me realize that if I didn't pick my jaw up off the sidewalk, then the cool that I'd been playing for years might be sabotaged. We grabbed an Uber and headed off to Foundation, a super trendy nightclub. I had been there several times when in town for business and they had the best VIP area for my tastes. I picked it, because it also had some of the best DJs and I knew by the way V and Ari were acting, that dancing was Number One priority tonight.

"Oh my god! I'm so excited, I looked online and the DJs are hardcore!" Venice couldn't control her excitement. "I don't think I've been this excited since that one time Zac Efron walked into Starbucks!!" Oh god, here we go again with the Efron story.

"So we're doing bottle service, only way to go," I commented, as I looked over at Ari who was soaking up the view as it zoomed by. She was so lost in the images outside of her window that my words were silent to her.

"Hells ya! I can't believe you reserved our own table!" Venise looked like she was about to blow her top from excitement.

"Is there any other way to do things?" I was a little shocked, then I remembered that they didn't usually go out with me in my element. It helped to have a name that traveled far in the business sector. All it took was one call and they about offered to send me a complementary ride.

We walked straight into the club, bypassing the throng of people standing in line waiting a turn. It was a shame that most of them wouldn't make it inside to even get a glance of the interior, there were some cute girls in that line. I guess not too cute if they weren't ushered directly in.

A beautiful blonde with a fairly decent rack showed us to our table. She had her eyes fixed right on me and she gave me a sly wink as she brushed against my arm.... Amateur.

I ordered a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and the waitress rushed away to grab it after taking the girls' cocktail order. Several minutes later, drinks in hand and Ari was up on the plush seat on her knees looking out over the crowd. I could see a faint glimmer of happiness in her eyes. It was faint, but it was a beginning. If I could just get her to see there was something more, then my master plan would be successful. I had laid out all the stops for this trip and called in quite a few favors. I wasn't a flowers on a first date kind of guy, but for her I'd cash in all my favors and buy out every flower shop.

The DJ was playing a remix of Betty Who's "Mama Say," and I could see that Ari was itching to go dance. She peeled off her coat and set it on the seat, revealing a very open back to that little dress number. My heart beat a little stronger for a minute when she bent slightly over the back of the circular seats to view the dance floor. A girl came around to coat check for us just as Ari pulled Venise over to the floor in front of our area and started dancing. I leaned back with my arm over the back of the seat and enjoyed my first real drink of the trip, my eyes fixed on the beautiful dancing creature in front of me.

Several drinks later and I could see a slight stagger to Ari's actions. I wasn't the only guy with their eyes on her. A few had looked my way and decided not to risk a possible problem by making a move. However, there was one cagey dude that had been inching closer in her direction all night.

The DJ threw on Flume's Illenium Remix of "Say It," featuring Tove Lo, and I shifted in my seat, because that smug asshole finally saw his opening. I leaned forward, laying my arm across my legs and swirling the drink in my other hand, my eyes plastered on his every move. Make a move asshole, I dare you.

Her hands went up and her head leaned back after the first verse, and instantly his arm wrapped around her waist. He pulled her in his direction and I could tell she was fighting him a bit to pull away.

His grip strengthened around her waist after the second verse and with it, she had begun to snap out of her trance and was pushing him away. I was over the red plush seat in front of me, my glass shattering on the floor underneath, and in an instant, I was in between them and directly in his face. I towered over him by a good four inches. He didn't stand a chance against me if we were to square off right here, right now. He sensed that this was a fight he didn't stand a chance in and so he backed away, his hands up in surrender. She felt my hands wrap around her and her body relaxed against me. Venise had no clue what was happening at this point, still lost in her own trance.

That damn Tove Lo and chicks getting lost in her songs.

.....................

She stayed pressed up against me for security and as she was about to pull away and look into my eyes, the DJ pulled a smooth move and changed the song. It was a slow song and couples began to pair off. A dude in a blue shirt had his arms wrapped around Venise in a classy way, and I didn't see a reason to be worried about her. As Skyler Grey's "Come Up For Air" surrounded us, I moved her closer to my chest. It was a song I was quite familiar with, it was a constant on one of her playlists.

She buried her face in my neck, as she lost herself in the song, her arms wrapping around me tightly. The moment felt right, it felt like a reward for all the pain my heart had endured unknowingly at her hands. At that moment, it didn't matter how many beautiful women had their eyes on me, there was only one girl in this club and she was in my arms.

My arms trailed down her exposed back and I could feel her skin hitch under my touch. Every movement made the fire burn inside of me. I was intoxicated by her smell, a mix of coconuts and whiskey sours. At that moment, I was in heaven and in an split second, I spun her to my right and pressed her against the wall closest to us. Her breath stalled for a second, unsure of what was happening.

She looked dead into my eyes, our mouths inches apart. I could feel her warm sweet breath in my mouth; it was almost like I could taste her. Her eyes were afraid, not because of me and my forcefulness, but what the moment could do to us. I'd never hurt this girl, but the truth was that I couldn't contain myself. The moment was like a drug and I was lost in it. I might have also been a little bit drunk.

She looked at me with those fierce eyes and I released a sharp breath and savagely took her mouth into mine. At first she was still, then her hands rose up to grab the back of my hair and I lost myself in her kiss.

It was a fierce kiss that would destroy worlds. She tasted like nothing I had ever experienced before and in my impulsivity, I was getting a little handsy. The euphoria of her was instantly too much and I knew that if I continued with where this was going, then things might get slightly indecent. In a flash, I realized that I was putting both our hearts at risk. I pulled away and as she opened her eyes and caught her breath, I once again screwed the situation up royally.

"Uh... I'm sorry, that was a mistake." I pushed back from her and ran my hands through my hair.

She looked defeated and gulped in a breath. "Uhh..." Her voice trembled and I could see the confusion and the tears well up in her eyes. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do right, I turned to walk away and left her pressed up against that wall, clutching her chest with both arms, in that dark corner of the nightclub.

I had my eye on the blonde waitress as I was leaving the club. She looked my way and I pointed to the door. She was on my heel in less than a minute and on top of me in the cab.

.............................

I rolled over in my bed the next morning, a headache brewing, the telltale signs that I probably had one too many bottles of Johnny Walker Blue last night. I was a tad relieved that the buxom blonde that accompanied me last night, was no longer occupying my space. What was her name? Ashley... Amanda...Ugh, who really cared?

I dreaded leaving the room to head down to the kitchen. The last thing I wanted was to have to face Ari. I monumentally screwed up and did the one thing I swore to myself I wouldn't do on impulse. Impulse control was never a real strong trait of mine. I think I was also a tad worried about incurring the wrath of Chicken Little with the massive hair.

I sauntered down to the kitchen where my worst nightmare came true. Seated on the bar stool was Ari, cereal bowl in hand and seated on the counter by the espresso maker, was Chicken Little herself and her face was none too happy.

"So, Romeo did you have a good night?" Venice stared daggers at me while I reached for a cup from the cupboard directly behind her. She leaned forward and only mouthed the words We.Will.Talk.Soon.Mr!

I had to admit, that for a second, I was slightly terrified. Venice may have been only five feet, five inches tall, but she was feisty and I imagined that somewhere deep down inside that little body was a tad bit of back alley knife fight.

"Your friend left about an hour ago," Ari didn't even bother to look at me when she said that. She just shoveled another spoonful of cereal into her beautiful mouth.

"Oh." That's all I could seem to say to her. Really, Dean?? I felt a little ashamed in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that I was not very familiar with.

"Yeah... Amy said you should call her sometime." She let out a singular really sarcastic laugh, pointed to a number on the fridge and went back to her breakfast.

"Amy huh?"

"Well, I did peg her for a Heather at first, but then she corrected me. I guess you did find something typical to do while in Seattle after all, glad we could help out." OUCH! Now that comment stung and I could sense her level of displeasure.

"Hey, so I was wondering if maybe we could talk about that?" Part of me hoped she wanted to, the other part really hoped she wouldn't.

"What's there to talk about? It's not like anything important happened," she said smugly, as she got up and put her bowl in the sink and started towards the stairs for the bedrooms. She looked back and simply said, "We're good."

I looked over at Venice, who by now was fuming and I could see it in her eyes. She hopped down off the counter, reared up on her tiptoes and grabbed me by the back of my hair, pulling me down to her level.

"If you fuck this up Andrews, I will personally murder you," her eyes were dead serious as she said this.

"Got it."

"I'll meet you out front in ten, Ari is having one of those days and the last thing she needs is your hideously beautiful face in her space."

"My hideous what?" I tried to contain my laughter, because she was totally pulling a Louise on me and even though I knew she was pissed at me beyond belief, we were still buds.

"You heard me pretty boy... Be careful or I'll slap it, I'll slap that smug, yet hideously beautiful face!" She flashed me a sarcastic smile, then balled her fists like a little Annie and walked to grab her jacket.

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A/N: Hey guys!

Please don't forget to vote and comment

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. What did you think about Dean revealing that he has ulterior motives to this trip? Do you guys think he is a straight up dog, or is there hope for him yet?

How about that moment? What do you guys thinks of that surprise he had in store for them and where could they be headed next?

Music inspiration for this chapter: Betty Who "Mama Say" it's such a fun song and whenit comes on my playlist I can't help but dance. Also check out Flume's "Say It" featuring Tove Lo and Skylar Grey's "Come Up For Air" which is one of my favorite songs on my playlist at the moment. I feel like it fits exactly who Ari and Dean are when it comes to each other.

Don't forget to check out my Twitter for updates: @amina_leeds

Amina <3