The CEO favorite is a college stripper (BWWM)

Chapter 36: Girl trouble

Susan's POV

Tonight, I am not at the club.

   Achilles invited me to stay over at his place since we'd be taking a flight to Italy with Tarantino the next morning. Achilles has told me not to inform Taleela of my arrival in Italy. He wants us to surprise her.

   And as we take a drink from a tall glass of lemonade, I think about how surprised she's going to be when she sees me at the gala.

   And oh, Achilles told me that she's going to be attending the gala, all thanks to Kal. I wonder what dress she'd be wearing that night. I am more than excited to attend the Elite Gala and if anyone told me I was going to attend last week, I'd have ripped off the person's throat for feeding me with such lies.

   Tarantino interrupts my alone time by standing in my view. Looking up at him, I raise my brows in askance. He hands over a plate of grilled lamb meat to me and I immediately sit up, remembering that Tarantino had promised to make me his favorite food.

   The spiced aroma wafts into my nose and my mouth waters immediately. Achilles, who is laying on the lounge seat next to mine, gives Tarantino a look.

   "Trying to snatch my woman from me, right?"

   Tarantino laughs. "You know I've got eyes only for Sarah."

   Curious and noticing the look of ardor in his eyes, I question him. "Who's Sarah?"

   Achilles nods at his brother to take the wheel. Sighing, Tarantino settles into one of the seats close to us. "Sarah is my childhood friend. My best friend."

   I wiggle my brows, already interested in the juicy tales. "Tell me about her."

   Tarantino chuckles. "I already said she's my childhood friend."

   Achilles scoffs, coming over to where I am seated and taking a chunk of meat. Throwing it into his mouth, he speaks. "Anyone would see that there's a lot more than you guys being best friends. It's in your eyes."

   "Okay, fine. I'll tell you about her," Tarantino says, looking at me. "Only because you're a woman and I might need your help sooner than later."

   I nod. As I throw a large chunk of meat into my mouth, I get ready for details. "Asides from that, I have to admit that this is really nice," I say gesturing to the plate sitting on my lap.

   "You're welcome."

   "So, who's Sarah?"

   "She's my childhood friend. I already said that before. But we're going through a rocky phase. She's still finding it hard to realize that she's in love with me and each time I tell her how I really feel, she bails out on me and goes MIA for months."

   "That's when he decides to take a long trip to somewhere far away from Crete."Achilles chips in and earns a glare from Tarantino.

   "I know she loves me. It's very obvious in the way she acts when she sees women around me. One time, she told this lady that was really interested in me that I was gay!"

   I can't help but laugh, and soon, Achilles and I are having serious fits of laughter. Tarantino doesn't seem to find anything funny. He watches us both with anger in his eyes.

   "You guys are done laughing?"

   Achilles nods. "I'm sorry, but this is really funny. Sarah did that for real?"

   Tarantino nods. "I was so mad. I have never been so mad at Sarah like I was on that night. And know what she did?" He asked. We both shook our heads, I and Achilles. He has us listening to him with so much captivation. "She kissed me. That was our first kiss together. God, it felt so right. So real. So perfect. After that night, I never saw her again."

   "Up till now?" I ask, surprised that anyone would do that to Tarantino.

   "Yeah, up till now," Tarantino says, looking sullen.

   "When did this happen?"

   "The last time I came home. Three months ago. She's been ignoring my calls and sending them to voicemail. Even ignored my texts on all socials. I am planning on moving on from her. I'm tired of the games she's playing with me."

   "She really likes you, Tarantino. I believe that she's unsure and having conflicting ideas." I explain to him.

   "What stupid conflicting ideas!" Tarantino exclaims, shocking I and Achilles.

    Achilles gives me an "I told you so"  look. And I tell him to calm down with my eyes.

   Tarantino is fuming and pacing from our side of the pool to the other end. When he comes back to where we are seated, he continues. "She makes me look like the stupid one when she's the one who is." Achilles laughs and is silenced by my glare.

   Tarantino gives him a look and he apologizes. "I saw her last night at Trenton's party but she was with another guy, sucking off his face. Has to be the most irritating thing I've ever seen."

   Honestly, Tarantino is acting like a high school boy. I think he needs to calm down. Sarah is trying to get him to react and he's doing all that and falling for everything. I think I have an idea.

   "I have an idea, Tarantino," I say. He urges me to go on. "I think you give her so much attention and you also react to whatever attitude she gives you. That's why she keeps doing that to get you mad. She knows how smitten you are and she's taking it for a game which is quite toxic of her. I suggest that you send her a text tonight since she doesn't pick up your calls."

   "But, what do I say in the text?" He asks, coming to sit beside me.

   "I'll help," I offer and stretch out my hand. "Where's your phone? Hand it over."

   Once his phone is in my hand, open, and in her direct messages on telegram, I begin to type. For two minutes I keep typing and once I'm done, I hand it over to Tarantino who immediately begins to read.

   "Tell me if it's okay with you."

   For a full minute, Tarantino's eyes dance around the screen. When he looks up at me, his eyes are filled with uncertainty and I can see emotions swirling in his eyes. Oh, damn. He's gone, dude.

   "This is too blunt. What if she's hurt by it and decides not to speak to me forever?"

   "Then so be it." Achilles replies. I look at him, warning him to stay out of this but he only shrugs. "I already read it over her shoulders and I think it's a good message. If she's smart enough, she'll know you're serious. And you also have to apply discipline. She's avoiding you, damn. And each time she comes back, you accept her with open arms. You're being so petty. I advise that you follow Susan's advice. Stay away from her for as long as you can till she comes running back into your arms."

   "What if she doesn't?" Tarantino's voice has thinned down to a whisper.

   I place my hand in his and find out that it's shaking slightly. I squeeze lightly and he sighs. I do not like seeing Tarantino this way. He's so full of energy but now, he looks so confused. "Achilles is right. You have to take it that way. I know how much it hurts and I feel your pain. But you have to stay away from her."

   Before I can finish speaking, he hits the send button. I smile at him. He stands to his feet and walks back into the house with sunken shoulders.

   When I turn, Achilles is looking at me. "What?"

   He shakes his head. "Nothing. I like how you handled Tarantino's situation. I've been trying to do it for a long time now but he doesn't want to reason with me. I'm guessing it's because he's so used to me. He had to be told by someone else."

   "Karanos?"

   Achilles laughs really hard. "The last time Karanos told him to ditch Sarah because she wasn't worth it, Tarantino sent a punch his way. Karanos was quick to catch his fist and it resulted in him dislocating his fingers. They're not in talking terms."

   I chuckle and continue eating my meal. I had totally forgotten about the plate of grilled food sitting on my lap. "You guys are something else."

   Achilles smiles and plants a kiss on my bare shoulders, sending shivers down my spine. I blame it on the cold but I am fully aware that it isn't true.

   Achilles kisses my arm and continues till he gets to my collar bone. I drop my plate on the floor as I turn to face him.

   In no time, my two-piece bikini is off my body and I am naked, Achilles atop me. His lips graze my belly up to my heaving chest. Wary about Tarantino's presence, I stop him. Achilles leans up to look at me with a raise of his perfectly carved brow.

   "Tarantino can come out anytime."

   Achilles shakes his head. "He's not going to do that. He's definitely in his room thinking about Sarah and wondering what he did wrong when it's obvious that he did nothing."

   We both chuckle and go about our business, savoring each other beneath the moonlight.