Lila couldn't stop squealing as Ava pulled up to the clubhouse. She practically vibrated with excitement as she fanned over the car.
"Oh my God, Ava! This car! I'm obsessed!" She said, running her hands over the dashboard as they parked. "I want a rich husband too." She said making doe eyes at Ava. Ava just laughed softly, shaking her head slightly at her friend's enthusiasm.
As they stepped out of the car into the clubhouse, the noise greeted them first. Loud music blasted into the night air. The heavy beat practically shook the ground beneath their feet. Inside the clubhouse, bodies were packed tight. They swayed and moved with the music, laughter and conversation blending into the rhythm.
Ava hesitated at the entrance, taking it all in. She wasn't used to this many people in one place. The noise, the heat, the sheer chaos of it all.
"Drink first?" She suggested, leaning close to Lila to be heard over the music. She needed to loosen up to enjoy the night.
"Definitely." Lila grinned. She tugged her by the hand toward the bar.
Ava ordered a Summer Blossom, something light and refreshing, while Lila went straight for a
Tequila Sunrise. Her energy way ahead of Ava's, she wasn't sure she could keep up.
They found a couple of seats at the corner of the bar. They sat, sipping their drinks and watching people dance. Lila chattered on, laughing at drunken dancers and pointing out ridiculous outfits. Ava smiled. She was slowly relaxing little by little under the soft warmth of the alcohol. After a while, Lila grew restless.
"Come on, let's dance!" She suggested already hopping off her stool.
Ava hesitated, glancing at the packed dance floor. She wasn't sure she wanted to join the sweaty bodies. "I'm good right here." She tried to avoid it but Lila was having none of it.
"Please, Ava! Just one dance! That's what we're out to do."
Ava gave in as she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just one."
The moment they stepped onto the floor, the music seemed to have gotten louder. At first, Ava was still. She moved awkwardly as shifting her weight side to side but after a few minutes and a few more sips of her cocktail, her body began to loosen up. She closed her eyes for a second, letting the beat guide her, the alcohol helped a lot.
She was starting to enjoy herself when she felt someone come up behind her.
At first, she didn't think much of it. It was a crowded dance floor, after all. Her nose picked up the smell of a male cologne mingled with sweat as he pressed closer, swaying his hips against hers in a way that made her skin crawl. His hands found her waist, his touch uninvited and lingering more than to be brushed off a a mistake.
Ava's body tensed as she stepped forward to create space but he followed, sliding his hands further up her sides toward her ribs. That was it. She spun around and slapped his hands away sharply. She then turned to Lila and shot her a look, a silent signal that she was out.
She retreated back to the bar, needing air, needing space.
She ordered another Summer Blossom and sipped it slowly, her back to the crowd.
"A little crowded, don't you think?" Ava heard a voice say beside her.
She didn't even bother looking. Unwilling to talk, she flashed her ring in the air and muttered, "Married," hoping he would get the hint and leave.
But instead, the man laughed. It was a low, amused sound that prickled at her nerves.
"I don't think you are," he said. The humor in his voice made her turn her head sharply to glare at him.
He was tall and dressed in a black button-down, his sleeves rolled casually to his elbows, a bit too official for clubbing. Ava had no idea who he was. His face was unfamiliar with sharp jawline and a careless smirk playing on his lips.
"And why exactly do you think that?" With a frown on her face, Ava demanded, crossing her arms.
"You don't look like the type to let someone tie you down all in the name of marriage." He said simply as he shrugged.
Ava's frown deepened. "Marriage isn't about tying someone down," she shot back.
"Sure," he said. He was clearly unconvinced and his tone dripped with lazy sarcasm. "If that's what you think."
"Do I know you?" She asked sharply. She hated the way he spoke like they were best of friends.
"No, but I do know you, Ava Sinclair."
That made her blink.
He held out a hand. "I'm Adam."
It was a simple and plain gesture but still, Ava's instincts flickered uneasily.
"How do you know my name?" She asked, ignoring his extended hands.
"I inquired about you and I went by your agency once," Adam said. "I was looking for a matchmaking service. They said you were taking a break."
Ava gave a careful nod, a bit relieved that he wasn't some crazy stalker. "I am. Someone else can assist you."
"But I want you," Adam said, smiling a little too easily. "You're the one I heard about. Best matchmaker they've got I hear."
She hesitated. She hated rejecting a client... but something about him put her on edge.
In the end, professionalism won out. "I'll talk to my boss. If I'm cleared to take new clients, I'll let you know. If I can just get your con….."
He leaned in slightly, his voice lower. "No need for that. I paid for a private clubroom upstairs, we can talk properly."
Ava hesitated again, glancing around as she searched her brain for an excuse. "I can't, I came with a friend. I can't just leave like that."
"I don't think she would mind."
She looked to see Lila was laughing with some guy near the dance floor, completely absorbed.
"Fine," she said finally. "Give me a second."
She quickly sent Lila a text, letting her know she was going upstairs, just to be safe.
Adam led the way through a side stairwell and down a hallway. Ava's heels clicked sharply against the floor as the music faded behind them.
He pushed open the door to a dimly lit room. The smell of alcohol and perfume was thick in the air. Half-naked women lounged around the couches laughing loudly.
Ava stiffened immediately but Adam turned to the group and with a casual flick of his hand, told them all to leave.
They filed out with giggles and lingering glances and then it was just the two of them.
"Sit," Adam said, pouring two drinks from a decanter on a side table.
Ava ignored his words and stayed standing.
He didn't seem to mind as he shrugged and sat down himself, setting one glass on the low table in front of her.
"My family's been pressuring me to settle down, they run a brewery that they want me to inherit." Adam said easily. "They want me to marry before the end of the year."
Ava nodded slowly, keeping her arms folded. "And what kind of woman are you looking for?"
He smiled. "You."
Ava's stomach twisted as she shifted uncomfortably. "I told you already," she said firmly. "I'm married."
Adam chuckled again, the sound cold and too knowing.
"Who's your husband? What would it take to make you leave him?"
Ava would have laughed at his words but at that moment, she just wanted to use the exit. "A lot more than you have," she said sharply.
He laughed again. It was louder this time like she had just told the funniest joke in the world.
"Someone else from the agency will assist you, goodnight."
He said sat back on the couch with a twisted smile on his lips, it creeped her out. Ava turned to leave. She made it two steps toward the door when a wave of dizziness hit her making the room tilt sharply around her. She staggered, catching herself on the couch. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Was it the alcohol she had taken but she hadn't had enough to feel like this. Or was it…
Realization hit like a slap to the face. She had been drugged. She could hold her liquor like no other and she had a very light cocktail, except the bartender had missed something in her drink.
Panic flooded her system as her vision clouded over, her legs refusing to listen to her commands. Her thoughts were all over the place. She slumped back onto the couch, struggling to stay awake.
She felt Adam's presence as he came closer. His hand brushed her hair back from her face, his fingers were cold against her skin. She tried to shove him away but her arms felt like they were moving through water.
One of his hands slid lower across her shoulder and down toward her chest. Her vision darken.