Troubled Indeed

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I didn't know it was even possible to fall deeper in love with the person you already loved. But this is exactly what happened to us in a god-damn strip club, out of all places. Both of us needed last night to happen, it brought us back together.

After mind-blowing sex, we fell asleep on the couch in his office and woke up sometime in the morning, when both of us realized there was no more music coming from downstairs.

I'm only wearing my underwear and his T-shirt, and he's in his boxers – his perfect body on display just for me.

"Does this place serve coffee?" I ask Anthony as I stretch.

"Babe, it's a club," he says mockingly, "Of course we have coffee."

He gets up and goes for the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I ask him, noticing he is about to walk out in his underwear.

He shrugs and shakes his head no.

"Babe, your pants – and sneakers for that matter, you can't go down there like that."

"It's my fucking club, I can do whatever I want to," he says, taking a superman pose.

I laugh out loud. He's so funny sometimes.

"Please? For me?" I put my hands together in a praying motion.

"There's nobody here," he exclaims.

"I'll flash you if you put them on," I reply, batting my eyelashes.

"Oooh, bringing out the big guns, are we?" he says while grabbing his jeans from the floor and pulling them on.

I can see he can't hold back his smile, and I knew this would do it. He stands up straight, hands on his chest, looking expectantly at me. I guess I have to deliver my end of the bargain. I lift up his T-shirt and get his instant reaction.

"Yep, still perfect," he says with the widest grin, "I'll get you your coffee, my Queen." He bows with his right hand on his chest and left hand making a wide gesture in front of him, then leaves the room, leaving me in giggles.

This is the perfect time for me to get dressed. As soon as I'm ready, I get the chance to look around his office. I notice there are two biker helmets, a black one and a white one, on top of a cabinet in the other corner of the room. I wonder if he used to ride before we met. I always thought that biker guys were hot. I pick up the white helmet with golden wings on the sides and admire it when Anthony walks in with two steaming cups of coffee.

"Did you find anything interesting?" he asks me.

I place the helmet back on top of the cabinet.

"Did you ride a motorcycle before we met?" I get straight to the point.

"Still do."

"How come I never heard of it or seen you on a bike? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Slipped my mind, I guess," he says as he steps closer and hands me my coffee.

"I've never even seen you with a motorcycle or in biker gear," I'm astounded, "Is that a secret or something?"

"Hah, no, of course not," he replies, "My bike is my therapy. I go for a ride whenever I feel overwhelmed or stressed out."

"Where do you keep it?"

"I have one here in the garage behind the building, and another one back at home," he says casually as if it's not a big deal.

"And it never occurred to you to say, "Oh, by the way, I own two bikes and ride them every now and then?" I say sarcastically.

"What would that change?"

"I don't know. Maybe I want to go for a ride with you?" I reply.

This conversation is heading the wrong way and I definitely don't want to pick a fight after what we experienced yesterday.

"I'm sorry," I say as I take a deep breath, "It's just I don't want to get back to reality. I know I have a wedding to prepare for my mother and it stresses me the hell out. I don't want to fear Simon showing up again, which means I have to keep Benji by my side all the time. I don't trust any nanny."

"Babe...," Anthony says slowly as he takes my cup, places it on the table next to his, and hugs me, "Do you want me to take you for a ride?"

I look up at him like a child on Christmas.

"I didn't think that was an option. I don't have proper clothes or gear to do that," I say, feeling giddy at the same time.

"It's a good thing that I was two steps ahead of you."

He lets go of me and pushes a wall panel slightly and it clicks open. Oh wow, there's a secret closet in here. He takes out a set of white leather pants and a white jacket with golden wings imprinted on the back. The outfit with the helmet makes a perfect set.

"Is this for me?" I can't quite believe what I'm seeing.

"Yeah babe, got it a week ago, but then this shit with Simon happened and I forgot about it."

He takes the white helmet and shows me the back of it. There, in the little gap between the golden wings, it says "Vicky".

I can't believe I didn't notice it before when I was admiring the helmet. I hold the gear and the helmet for a moment, my brain trying hard to put one plus one together. He intended to tell me about his motorcycle after all. It's just that all kinds of crap came in the way.

I place everything I'm holding on his table and with three long leaps jump in his lap. I kiss him hard, which takes him by surprise.

"So, is that a yes? Do you want to go?" he asks me.

"Absolutely. Fuck yes!!" I reply eagerly.

"Fuck yeah!" he mimics me with a smile, taking his own full black suit out of the secret closet.

It takes us roughly fifteen minutes to get ready. I kept gawking at Anthony as he put on his suit. He looks so hot in his gear. And since it was my first time ever going for that kind of ride, he had to help me get dressed as well.

By the time we get outside, I get anxious. I want to see his motorcycle. He opens the garage and there it is, in the middle of the room stands a perfect all-black sports bike, with golden wings across its gas tank, and the word "Ninja" written below.

"Why are there golden wings everywhere?" I ask when he pushes the bike out into daylight.

"They symbolize you. You're my guardian angel. I added them the moment I realized I was in love with you."

I step closer to him, and as much as I'd love to kiss him right now, I can't because we're both wearing helmets. So instead, we join our foreheads through our helmets and hug.

"I love you," I say, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I love you more than life, babe."