BRIANNA

“Well, hey there, everyone!” The familiar voice hollered across the room, sharp and loud. We all raised our heads instinctively, trying to identify the source of the interruption. To my surprise, it was none other than Carlos, walking in confidently with a petite brunette girl sitting beside him.

I wasn’t expecting him to be here. But the look on Adrian and Manuel’s faces said otherwise. It was almost as though they had been bracing for his arrival. The atmosphere shifted immediately, a sudden tension thickening in the air the moment he joined us at the table.

“I just greeted everyone, and no one replied. That’s a rude thing to do, guys,” Carlos said, his voice teasing but carrying a sharp edge. His eyes scanned each of us, lingering for a moment on Adrian and Manuel before finally settling on me.

Cherry offered a small ‘hi’ and Carlos responded with a smile, his attention clearly shifting toward her.

“Oh, hi, Carlos,” I said, giving a small, somewhat awkward wave. Adrian’s eyes darted to me, and I caught the surprised expression on his face as his eyebrows furrowed in a question.

“How did you know his name?” Adrian asked, his voice low, as if the question was more important than the moment itself.

“Erm, I know him,” I said, feeling my cheeks warm as I shifted uncomfortably under Adrian’s gaze.

“What? How did you get to know him? Where did you even meet him?” Adrian pressed, his eyes narrowing as he took a hard look at Carlos, who seemed blissfully unaware of the scrutiny. He was too busy talking to his date, who had remained quiet and composed, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to stir up the tension between the three men at the table. But I was also tired of being pressed for answers. “He helped me once when you sent me on an errand to fetch a file from your house, which turned out not to belong to you.” I paused, glancing pointedly at Adrian, my voice dripping with a slight edge. “He gave me a ride to the address you gave me when he saw how I was walking under the scorchingly hot sun.”

Adrian turned red, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by the memory. I could see him mentally apologizing for that moment of carelessness, but it didn’t quite make up for everything else.

“Oh, really?” Adrian began, his voice softening but still laced with a touch of defensiveness. “Sorry about that time, though. I guess I was immature, but you kind of deserved it.” His smirk, though, told another story—a mix of regret and pride.

I didn’t realize when I hit his chest, laughing lightly, but the action surprised both of us. I cleared my throat awkwardly when I noticed what I had done.

“Sorry about that,” I murmured.

“It’s fine,” Adrian replied, his tone more neutral now. The conversation fell into an awkward silence.

Carlos, ever the talker, broke the quiet. “Adrian, Manuel, how have you guys been doing?” he asked, his voice attempting to be light and friendly, but I could feel an underlying tension still hanging in the air.

“We’ve been doing fine, obviously,” Adrian responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes.

Carlos raised an eyebrow. “Why so rude, huh? I’m just trying to start a conversation.” His voice wasn’t angry, but there was a hint of challenge there, like he wanted to provoke them further.

“A conversation?” Manuel scoffed before Carlos could finish his thought. “Have one with your date. We’re not interested in having any conversation with a pest like you.” His words were harsh, and I froze at the venom in his tone.

I had never seen Manuel act like this before. The Manuel I knew was always carefree, playful, the life of the party. But now, something was different. This wasn’t the same guy I’d always been around. Something was clearly going on between these three men, and I had no idea what.

Cherry, sensing the growing animosity, placed a hand on Manuel’s arm. She began speaking softly to him, trying to calm him down, but the damage had already been done.

Carlos, now visibly uncomfortable, shifted in his seat. His date stayed silent, likely unsure of how to navigate the situation. Adrian, however, wasn’t done.

“Don’t you feel shameful about yourself?” Adrian’s voice was low, but it carried a sharp edge. “You even have the balls to show up here after everything you did to us. You’re a goat in a human body.” The insult was harsh, cutting deep.

My suspicions were confirmed then—something definitely happened between them, something unresolved that had been hanging over all of them. And now, they were all stuck in a sort of silent war, with me and Cherry caught in the middle. I’d have to ask Adrian about it later.

The table fell into an uneasy silence after that outburst. Carlos didn’t say anything in return, his expression stunned, as if he hadn’t expected the conversation to take such a turn. He looked from Adrian to Manuel, and then to me, his gaze searching for some kind of support, but none came.

The tension was thick, almost suffocating. The band began playing a catchy tune, and the atmosphere shifted as people started to get up, heading to the dance floor. I felt the urge to get away from the weight of the conversation, to escape from the weird dynamic at our table.

Manuel, seeing the change in mood, took Cherry’s hand and led her to the dance floor, the two of them disappearing into the crowd of dancers. Adrian looked after them for a moment before his gaze turned back to me.

“Wanna dance?” he asked, his voice soft but insistent.

I hesitated. “Yeah… but I don’t really know how to dance though. I have two left feet,” I admitted, my voice tinged with self-consciousness.

Adrian chuckled, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll teach you how to dance. I’m a pretty good dancer, and with my teaching skills, you’ll be a pro in minutes.”

I scoffed at his confidence. “Yeah, right. You, a dancer? I don’t believe that one bit.”

“What’s not to believe?” Adrian asked, laughing. “You’ll see. I’ll prove it.”

“Mr. Adrian, the grumpy and bossy man, knows how to dance? I highly doubt that,” I said, raising an eyebrow as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

“Alright,” he said with a mischievous smile, “seems words can’t convince you. How about I show you?”

I rolled my eyes, but the offer was too tempting. “Show me then,” I said, finishing the last sip of champagne in my cup.

He offered me his hand, and I took it without hesitation, standing up as he led me to the dance floor.

We stood close to each other, the music vibrating through the room, the beat carrying us along.

“Are you ready?” he asked, his voice almost playful.

“Yes,” I nodded, my heart fluttering nervously.

“Okay then,” Adrian said, his voice taking on a more serious tone as he placed his hands on my waist. “I’ll guide you. Just follow my lead.”

I placed my hands on his shoulder, and as his touch settled on my waist, an electric surge ran through me. I flinched slightly, caught off guard by the intensity of the sensation.

“You okay?” he asked, noticing the change in my expression.

“Yeah,” I whispered, my voice breathy as I adjusted to the closeness between us.

He smiled reassuringly. “Okay, let’s start. Sway to the rhythm of the music. From left to right, then back. That’s it. Now twirl, and we keep going like that.”

Within a few minutes, I was catching on. My body relaxed into the rhythm, the awkwardness fading as I felt the music take over.

“See? Told you you’d know how to dance if I taught you,” Adrian said smugly, a triumphant grin on his face.

“Yeah, yeah,” I teased. “It wouldn’t have been this easy if I wasn’t a fast learner, though.”

“Whatever,” Adrian said, rolling his eyes. “You can’t ever just agree with me, can you?”

“Never,” I laughed, louder this time.

“You stubborn little witch,” he muttered affectionately before letting go of my waist and spinning me around. I twirled, feeling the cool air rush past me before he caught me back in his arms.

This time, though, his hands slid lower. A subtle shift, but enough for me to feel the heat radiating between us. His hands were on my ass. I froze, my mind racing. Did he realize what he had done? Did he mean to?

But I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. The truth was, I didn’t want him to move his hands. I was enjoying it.

“Brianna,” Adrian murmured, his voice low and thick. “You look gorgeous.”

I swallowed hard, my breath catching in my throat. “I know, you’ve said it before.”

He leaned in closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “Well, I’m saying it again. You look like a goddess with the way the lights are hitting your face right now,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

My heart skipped a beat. His words were so soft, yet they held such weight, and I felt an unexpected warmth spread through me. Was he just saying that, or did he really mean it?

I couldn’t focus on the question long enough because Adrian’s hands were still firmly on my hips, his body so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating from him. The music continued to play, but it felt like the rest of the world had faded away.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to relax into the rhythm, forgetting everything around me. The heat of his touch, the way he moved with me, the soft intensity in his gaze—everything felt charged.

Is it just me, or was it getting hot and stuffy in there? We were so close now that it felt like we were practically pressed up against each other. It was as if we were the only ones in the room. My mind kept telling me that people were around, probably staring at us, but I pushed it aside and focused on what I was feeling with Adrian.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, and before I knew it, his lips descended on mine.