~Ecstacy Nightclub~

The nightclub was just as clangorous as it always had been. Rainbow lights, loud music invited people to move along the heavenly vibe. Through the crowded space, Raelle weaved her way towards the bar counter. Cloe was having difficulty following her around.

She was very perplexed about why Raelle suddenly thought about coming to a nightclub. This was so not the place where she would have expected her boss to come. Although this was a high-end nightclub, it still didn't fit with the image of Raelle Xiang who avoided wasting time over worldly pleasures.

Raelle slid onto the barstool. She leaned on the bar, her black hair lying over one shoulder. As her head lolled to one side, Cloe also took a seat beside her saying, "Chief, what are you up to?"

Raelle completely disregarded her question and waved at the bartender. The bartender was there to take her order in a flash, eyes dropping only momentarily to her low-cut neckline.

"I'll have a cosmopolitan and a martini for her," she ordered for herself and for Cloe as well.

"Chief, are you not listening?" Cloe questioned as soon as the bartender went to fetch their drinks. "Or you're just not interested in answering as always?"

"I can hear you. Stop being so loud!" came the reply from Raelle. Although the music was blaring in the nightclub, she still thought Cloe was talking too loud. Taking a pause, she answered, "Don't you always say I should enjoy myself? Here I am! Enjoying myself!"

Cloe's face twitched at that bullshit reply. "Chief, your definition of enjoyment had never involved 'nightclub!' What exactly are you up to?"

Before she could get a reply from Raelle, she watched as an arm wrapped around Raelle's waist from behind, and her chair was turned around to face the tall man. The man wore a black hat, a mask, and even put a hoodie over it. He looked very suspicious. But before she could do anything, Raelle's hand gesture told her to step away leaving her in disbelief.

The man's hand lifted to tuck Raelle's hair behind her ear as his raspy voice rang out, "Hi, beauty! I drove to the nightclub but now it seems I lost my way and ended up at a museum because you truly are a work of art."

"Really?" was Raelle's oh-so-not amused reply.

"Really!" he replied. "In this ocean of people, my eyes still settled on you. It must be destiny!"

"Well, that's a given," said Raelle. "After all, I believe people are gonna stare. I should make it worth their while."

His face came close to Raelle's ear as he questioned, "What would the beauty like to have?"

"Are you on the menu?" she retorted and he paused briefly.

It took every single cell of his body to continue this as he lifted down his mask and heard her saying, "Oh, you look like a cake. Now, I definitely would like a piece of that."

"Pffff!" Cloe was almost on the verge of dying now from shock. She got it that this handsome young man was flirting with her boss which was very normal but how come her boss was actually going along with it? Even till now, Raelle hadn't rejected his touch which had shaken Cloe's beliefs. She not only pushed him away, she was even flirting back!

What am I? Who am I? Where am I? I must be in an alternate universe!

The man's perfectly made brows arched up in amusement as his thumb touched her soft lips and said, "How strange... I've been thinking of having a bite as well." With that, his head leaned over. The distance between his thin pink lips and hers was just enough to put a sheet of paper between them. However, Raelle hadn't pulled away instead she gazed at him with a challenging gaze. Seeing the provocation in her eyes, he rolled his eyes and pushed her away saying, "I hate you! You're never fun to play with!"

Raelle pivoted her chair to face the bar counter where her drink was placed and replied, "I played along just as you always wanted me to. But you still didn't like it. How is that my fault?"

The young man raked his fingers through his thick hair and sighed out before taking a seat beside her. Under the lights of the nightclub, his fair skin seemed exquisite. Almond-shaped eyes, elegant brows, sexy lip line, and handsome facial contour. He looked to be about twenty-four or five and still had a boyish charm about him.

Cloe finally came around and questioned, "Chief, you know him?"

"You don't need to pay him any attention," replied Raelle.

"Hey! You can't treat your best friend like this!" The young man protested.

"Best friend? My boss doesn't even have friends!"

The young man seemed proud as he announced, "I'm an exception. But it is all thanks to me. It's because I'm such an understanding and patient person that we managed to keep this friendship for years."

Raelle didn't want him to continue, "Hyson, what are you doing here in G country? You don't have to spend the new year at home?"

Hyson sighed out, "It's just how things are. My agency organized the concert, I couldn't back off. But I'm leaving tomorrow. That's why I called you out." He took a brief pause to get a drink for himself before adding, "If I wait for you to call me out to meet, I might have to wait till next life."

Raelle shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Who told you to insist on having a troublesome friend like me?"

Hyson said irritably, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault for having a robot like you as my best friend." He shook his head and gulped down his whiskey before asking for a refill. "I heard you moved to H country?" Raelle nodded her head slightly. "So much for being best friends! You didn't even tell me! I get it that I had been traveling around the world because of concerts but you could have at least let me know that you moved to my country."

"Didn't think it was important," said Raelle calmly.

"Just say, you didn't think I'm important!"

"Whatever makes you feel comfortable," Raelle didn't bother saying her piece which frustrated him even more.

"You know once in a while, you should explain yourself!"

"Waste of time," came the prompt reply.

Seeing the interaction between them. Cloe was momentarily lost. She had always thought she knew everything about her boss but then where did this friend come out from? How come she knew nothing about him? Although Raelle's replies were very short and seemed distant, Cloe could tell that that wasn't the case.

With Raelle's personality, she'd never bother even answering someone unimportant to her. And let's not forget, this young man had been so close to her earlier but she didn't push him away like she usually would do. Since she didn't reject his touch, Cloe had all the more reason to believe that they were closer than they appeared to be.