Chapter 30
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THE lounge next to the pool was glowing under blue glittering warm lights, the air rich with laughter, the clink of bottles, and the pounding rhythm of music spilling from the tannoy speakers. The table Adrian, Vivian, Leonard, and Jakes occupied was littered with bottles, some empty, some half-filled, others barely touched. Disposable cups were scattered about like casualties of a good night.
Adrian leaned lazily into his chair, his arm slung around Vivian’s shoulders, his laughter bubbling uncontrollably at something Leonard had just said. Vivian swatted him playfully, giggling herself, her cheeks flushed from the drinks.
“Gentlemen!” Leonard raised his plastic cup like it was a goblet of gold. His words slurred slightly, his grin wide. “And… and lady Vivian, of course. Tonight, we celebrate… because… what are we celebrating again p>
Vivian burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
“You… you don’t even know what we are celebrating p>
“I do!” Leonard protested, wobbling a little as he leaned forward. “We are celebrating life, my people. Life! Because if you check it, huh… life is short. So, drink up!” He tipped the cup back, spilling a bit down his shirt, then slammed it on the table triumphantly.
“Bravo!” Adrian clapped lazily, grinning. His eyes drooped a little from the alcohol, but his mood was buoyant. Leonard, my guy, you talk sense… when you are drunk p>
“Correction, my brother,” Jakes chimed in, his voice heavy but cheerful. “Leonard talks nonsense when he is sober, and sense when he is drunk.” He leaned back, laughing at his own joke, nearly tipping his chair over.
Vivian gasped, tugging Adrian’s arm.
“Did you hear him? Jakes! You almost fell p>
“Almost doesn’t count,” Jakes replied, wagging his finger and chuckling. “Close is not enough p>
The four of them laughed together, the sound blending with the thumping beat of the music that seemed to grow louder, faster, as if feeding on their intoxication.
Vivian reached for her cup, taking a long sip before smacking her lips.
“Mmm. Adrian, I think this one tastes like… like trouble p>
Adrian took her cup, tasted it, then squinted.
“Tastes like… like bad decisions waiting to happen.” He gave her a crooked smile, leaning in close. “Lucky for me, you are my favorite bad decision tonight p>
Vivian blushed and slapped his chest lightly, laughing too hard to form a reply.
Leonard suddenly straightened up, his eyes darting across the pool.
“Ahhhh! See… see those angels over there.” He pointed, nearly knocking over an empty bottle. “Two of them. Sitting there, looking like… like God just finished painting them p>
They all turned, and indeed, two ladies were seated on the other side of the pool, chatting and sipping their drinks.
“Ugh, my people, excuse me,” Leonard announced, picking up his cup with exaggerated importance. “Duty calls p>
“Duty?” Vivian giggled. “You mean disaster p>
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Leonard shot her a wink, his steps swaying a little as he made his way toward the women, cup in hand like it was a passport.
Jakes shook his head, then turned his gaze elsewhere. Not far from them, a woman sat alone, scrolling through her phone. He gave a lazy wave, his hand flopping more than gesturing.
“Hey, hey… you,” he called.
The woman looked up, raised a brow, then smiled faintly. Jakes beckoned with two fingers, and with a small laugh, she rose and walked toward him.
“Aha!” Jakes muttered as she arrived, pulling out a chair. “The night just keeps… improving p>
Vivian laughed again, burying her face against Adrian’s shoulder.
“Your friends are too much p>
Adrian tilted his head toward her, grinning.
“And me? Am I too much p>
“You?” She looked up at him, her eyes glassy but warm. “You are just enough p>
Adrian’s chest swelled with a silly pride only alcohol could fuel. He pressed a kiss to her hair, pulling her closer.
Just then, his phone buzzed on the table, screen lighting up. The vibration made the half-empty cups shake slightly. Adrian glanced at it, squinting at the screen. Without bothering to see who it was, he picked it up clumsily, tapped it silent, and placed it face-down again.
“No interruptions tonight,” he slurred with a grin, lifting his cup with the other hand. “Tonight… is for us p>
Vivian beamed, clinking her cup against his.
“For us p>
The music thumped harder, the beat matching their laughter as the night spiraled deeper into its haze.
Meanwhile, back at home.
The house was quiet, too quiet for Amelia’s liking. The kind of silence that pressed heavily on her chest. She was seated on the couch, the TV muted, the only light spilling from the lamp beside her. Her phone lay on the sofa, and for the umpteenth time that night, she picked it up, unlocked it, and scrolled quickly to Adrian’s number.
She dialed.
Ring… ring… ring.
Her heart leapt with every buzz, only to sink deeper when it stopped. There was no answer.
She sighed, pressing the phone to her chest for a moment before redialing. Again, it rang. Again, no response. She stared at the blackened screen, her lips parting in disbelief.
“No… no… come on, Adrian,” she muttered under her breath.
She tried again, but this time the automated voice of the network provider greeted her: “The number you have dialed is not available at the moment, please try again later p>
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Amelia froze, staring at the phone like it had just betrayed her. Her heartbeat quickened.
“What do you mean not available?” she whispered, panic slowly rising.
She glanced at the large wall clock opposite her. The black hands glared back at her with indifference,11:58pm, it told her. Just two minutes to midnight. He had promised her he would be back before 10pm. He promised.
She shot to her feet, restless. She walked to the window, drew the curtain, and peered outside, hoping, no, praying, praying to see the glare of Adrian’s headlights breaking into the driveway. But the compound remained dark, empty.
Her lips trembled. She returned to the couch, sat, and almost immediately stood again, pacing up and down the living room with one hand holding her waist and the other pressing the phone tightly in her palm. The floor beneath her feet bore witness to her agitation.
“Where are you, Adrian?” she whispered again, fighting the lump forming in her throat.
Back at the lounge.
The night had taken on another life. The bass-heavy track blasting from the tannoy seemed to pump directly into the veins of everyone by the pool. The atmosphere had grown hotter, wilder, and drunker.
Leonard, his shirt partly unbuttoned, was in the middle of the dance floor with the two ladies he had earlier spotted. He had one arm wrapped around one’s waist while the other twirled the second as if he were a king in his own court. His laughter carried across the poolside like a victory cry.
Not too far away, Jakes was locked in rhythm with the woman he had beckoned over. Their movements were clumsy yet passionate, the alcohol guiding their steps more than the music did. He whispered something into her ear, causing her to laugh and tug at his shirt collar playfully.
Adrian, however, had remained seated for a long time, his cup swaying loosely in his grip as Vivian leaned on him, giggling and singing along to the lyrics. But as the song shifted to a faster beat, something stirred in him.
He suddenly sprang up, swaying on his feet but determined.
“Come on, Vivian!” he shouted over the music, his voice slurred but loud.
Vivian, laughing so hard her shoulders shook, jumped up as well.
“Finally!” she exclaimed, grabbing his hand.
They moved into the dance floor, their bodies melting into the crowd, their laughter mixing with the music. Adrian spun Vivian once, almost losing balance himself, but she caught him with both hands, and together they burst out laughing again.
The four of them- Leonard, Jakes, Adrian, and Vivian were all lost to the night, their movements untamed, their joy unchecked. Bottles clinked, people cheered, and the poolside became nothing short of a frenzy.
Time dissolved, slipping away into the blur of music, laugliter, and reckless abandon.
And all the while, Adrian’s phone sat forgotten on the table, face-down, and silent.
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Olivia Harris
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.