Natalie's secretary, who had been with her since the startup days, knew her preferences well. The gathering was carefully curated - not close friends, but acquaintances worth maintaining. All respectable professionals around Natalie's age, they initially kept up appearances in the nightclub setting, sipping drinks and making polite conversation for the highborn lady's sake.
By the second half of the evening, seeing Natalie disengaged in the corner making idle chat with an escort, the group stopped catering to her and pursued their own amusement.
The man from the café finally seized his chance, approaching Natalie for a duet. She gestured to her throat apologetically.
Chloe smoothly intercepted with a cocktail, her voice dripping like honey, "Miss Natalie's voice is strained tonight. Let me make it up to you."
Frustrated after being brushed off all day, the man nearly snapped "who do you think you are" before Chloe downed half a glass of vodka in one go. The crystal caught the light just so, framing her peach-blossom lips and liquid gaze that spoke volumes without words. All the butterflies now danced in her eyes.
The man's throat tightened as his gaze trailed to her exposed neck. He drained his glass, about to speak when Natalie leaned back, subtly blocking his view of Chloe.
Her glance held an unspoken meaning. Flattered, he focused solely on Natalie.
Pressed against Chloe's soft curves, Natalie knew without looking that Chloe wore that tantalizing smile - why else would her ears burn so?
To outsiders, Natalie appeared to have it all - a beauty in her arms while flirting with promising talent.
Chloe's fingers traced idle patterns on Natalie's palm, the teasing touch maddening. Natalie forced herself to focus on the man's industry gossip.
When she glanced down, his eyes instinctively darted back to Chloe, who pretended not to notice as she poured juice.
Natalie saw right through him. Amusing, she thought, her smile turning wry. She nudged Chloe. "Isn't it about time?"
Chloe's gaze held such apparent devotion that it made Natalie self-conscious. "Yes, time's up."
"Thank you for tonight."
"Every day's a gift when you're here."
Natalie touched her nose, flustered by the flirtation.
With lingering reluctance, Chloe bid farewell. Every male eye followed the sway of her skirt - including the "perfect match" in the corner.
"Quite a character," the man remarked, stopping himself from calling her beautiful in Natalie's presence.
To his surprise, Natalie asked first: "Isn't she stunning?"
He sidestepped the trap. "Decent, but rather vulgar." He avoided words like "alluring" or "seductive."
Natalie arched a brow. "What makes her vulgar?"
Women were complicated, especially proud thoroughbreds like Natalie - landmines everywhere. If Chloe was an extravagant rose, Natalie was a narcissus with hidden thorns - noble, aloof, her dangers concealed. The type every man wanted to conquer, though most were condemned without knowing their crimes.
Was she jealous or defending Chloe? Unsure, he played dumb: "Hardly got a proper look—"
Others chimed in: "Checking out other women with Natalie here?" "That beauty always drinks for our Natalie - some friendship! Got designs on her?"
As the group teased, the man surrendered with a laugh.
The moment passed. When leaving, his drunken state foiled his plans to escort Natalie - a convenient excuse for her to dismiss him.
—————————
New York at midnight, the night deep and heavy.
She hardly needed to say a word—just outside the parking garage, Chloe's text arrived with nothing but a room number.
Chloe seemed practiced at this—though perhaps that wasn't the right way to put it. Booking a room was something any fool could do. No, it was more that she must have done this countless times before, so of course she practiced.
Natalie took the keycard from the front desk and swiped it at the door. The moment she pushed inside, though she hadn't had a drop to drink, a strange dizziness washed over her.
The lights flicked on, flooding the room with brilliance.
Chloe stood there in nothing but a robe, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, still dripping. Drop by drop, glistening, sliding down the porcelain curve of her neck, her collarbone, vanishing beneath the loose fabric that barely contained her.
The window was half-open. Wind from the sleepless city outside slipped in, carving this space into its own separate universe. The sheer curtains swayed with its touch, yet the room only seemed to grow quieter.
Chloe lounged against the arm of a single chair by the window, a wineglass held lightly between her fingers, dark red liquid meeting lips that needed no embellishment. One bare leg slipped free from the robe, pale as moonlight, imprinting itself in the gaze of the room's sole audience.
So quiet, so quiet. And yet Natalie could almost hear it—the distant, ancient call from some vast shoreline, a siren's song pulling her forward, step by step, until she was falling into the arms of the sea itself.
The woman was damp as morning dew, carrying a scent both secret and lingering. Wine passed between them, mouth to mouth, the intoxication deepening with every fevered kiss. The curtains swayed; bare feet tangled.
Chloe cradled her face, peeling away her dress in the midst of a desperate kiss, letting moonlight pool at their feet.
Wet hair, like seaweed, coiled around her limbs, dragging her deeper into the abyss of desire—down, and down, and down.
Natalie leaned her forehead against the cold tiles of the bathroom, warm water cascading down her back. Her body, still languid from the lingering effects of wine and intimacy, felt drained of all strength. The hot water seemed to dissolve her bones, leaving her mind too drowsy to think, wanting only to sink completely beneath the surface.
Chloe pressed a light kiss to her shoulder, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"What are you smiling at?" Natalie asked.
Chloe didn't answer.
Following Chloe's lowered gaze, Natalie caught sight of the faint blush of her own nipples, barely visible beneath the water.
A quiet embarrassment warmed her cheeks, and she sank deeper into the water, shooting Chloe a glare.
"Stop looking."
Chloe nodded with a smile. "I wasn't laughing."
Natalie scoffed. "You—"
Still kneeling, Chloe turned her eyes away, her skin porcelain-smooth where it met the air, her curves half-hidden, half-revealed by the water.
"Now it's your turn to look," she teased.
Chloe rose from the water, ripples spreading from her legs to the very core of Natalie's being. Wrapping herself in a towel, she bent down to touch Natalie's face. "Come on, the water's getting cold."
Natalie tilted her head. "You still haven't told me what you were smiling about."
Chloe reached for a smaller towel and began drying Natalie's hair.
"Because you're adorable."
Natalie frowned.
Leaning close to her ear, Chloe whispered, "Really, like a little kitten."
Heat rushed to Natalie's face, and she turned away.
"I'm not a child. You can't describe people like that."
Chloe helped her out of the water. "Not a child."
"Then what?" Natalie lifted her eyes, curious.
A kiss landed on her eyelid, light as a feather.
"Don't look at me like that," Chloe murmured. "When you do, I just want you all over again."
"Be good. Back to bed—it's too easy to catch a chill here."
Chloe bundled her up and guided her out of the tub.
Natalie leaned lazily against her, feeling her ears burn.
Winter was approaching, and the nights grew colder. Propped against the headboard, her long hair spilling into Chloe's hands, Natalie closed her eyes as the hum of the hairdryer filled the room. Outside, neon lights still flickered. Nestled in Chloe's embrace, the softness of her body brought Natalie an unparalleled sense of peace.
Chloe's fingers moved gently through her hair, the sensation perfectly soothing.
"Stay awake a little longer, sweetheart."
Forcing her eyes open, Natalie watched as Chloe fluffed the pillows and pulled her into bed, tucking the covers snugly around her.
In the last remnants of her fading awareness, she heard Chloe ask, "Can I stay tonight?"
Chloe's hair was still damp, cool against Natalie's skin. Wrapping an arm around Chloe's waist, Natalie nodded into her embrace.
———————————
The first light of morning streamed through the window—this time, she was the one who woke first.
How strange.
Natalie sat up quietly, unable to resist looking back.
Chloe's face was half-buried in the pillow, strands of hair clinging to her cheek.
Without thinking, Natalie reached out and brushed them aside.
Chloe, asleep, without her usual striking makeup.
Chloe, breathing softly into the pillow.
Chloe, who couldn't be further from anything vulgar.
She was beautiful even without cosmetics. Stripped of all her usual bold allure, without words or gestures to tease, she looked like a young bride—
Natalie covered her face, then glanced back. Chloe's arm still rested over her waist. Carefully, she moved it aside.
She slipped out of bed as quietly as she could, but the moment she stood, warmth pressed against her back.
Chloe embraced her from behind, arms loose around her waist, forehead nuzzling lightly between her shoulder blades.
The strange tenderness made Natalie want to stay. The hand she'd meant to raise to push Chloe away instead stayed at her side.
But Chloe, as always, seemed to understand her better than she understood herself. After just a moment of hesitation, she let go.
Natalie lowered her head awkwardly, unsure how to react. She opted to pretend nothing had happened, walking straight to the bathroom without a glance back.
Her driver had been waiting downstairs for half an hour, and the front desk had already sent up fresh clothes.
The bathroom door was slightly ajar when Chloe, wrapped in a robe, walked in and began buttoning Natalie's shirt.
In heels, Natalie stood a head taller.
In the mirror, their reflections stood close.
Natalie looked down at Chloe's crown, at her silent, beautiful face.
When the last button was fastened, Chloe glanced up with a small smile. "There."
She really did resemble a wife seeing her husband off.
Too domestic.
Natalie offered a polite smile and stepped back. From her wallet, she pulled out a stack of bills and set them on the counter.
Afraid Chloe might say something like "Thanks, boss," Natalie turned away first.
"Get some more sleep."
"Mm."
Natalie's hand paused on the doorknob.
Chloe leaned lazily against the doorframe.
"You're beautiful without makeup," Natalie said.
The door clicked shut.
Chloe yawned, eyeing the money on the counter. It seemed thicker than last time.
With a quiet laugh, she shook her head.