Several Kinds of Hunger

Part 6

The man in the mask makes his way to me and my heart is beating a little faster than usual. Maybe he's not coming over? I foolishly think. There is no way, right? I try to fool myself again. But it's no use, he's definitely walking towards me and I panic. So what do I do? I gulp my entire drink and choke on the twist. I feel like both my esophagus and trachea get blocked and I desperately try to liberate it with a cough but it's not use. I stand up gasping for air, thinking I'm going to die right on the spot. Suddenly, I feel two strong arms from behind me, wrapped around my waist. I'm bent slightly forward and I feel a fist around my navel and the other grasping it to locked them both in. I feel the intense, hard press into my abdomen and a thrust so forceful that the blockage in my throat is dislodged and oxygen makes its quick way into my body.

"Oh my God!" I gasp for air. "I thought I was going to die." I compose myself to only feel the mortification set in.  A thousand faceless eyes are on me and I suddenly wish I did die to evade the embarrassment. A hand grabs my shoulder and I turn around. "Are you alright?" A deep, sultry voice fills my ears.

I stare, mesmerized at who I am looking at. The man in the mask. The very one who was making his way to me, the one I got so nervous about the I almost choked to death. The one who just saved my life. "Are you alright?" He asks again.

I nod slightly and I'm pretty sure my mouth is open. My brain must have lost all of the oxygen because a word cannot form or come out of my mouth. I don't know if it's because of my brief encounter with death or the fact that I've fallen under the trance of the man in the mask. I keep looking at his face, well his mask more specifically. Where mine is clearly mysterious and beautiful, his is mysterious and daunting. The designs on his are much more present and masculine. When I meet his eyes, I see the he is staring at me as well. His eyes narrow and then they open, like he's adjusting his vision and taking a better look.

We're both looking at each other, as if our eyes our doing the talking since our mouths can't. I blink, blink again and I realize that I've been holding on to his arms this hold time. I bring them back to my side and try to regain my composure but I weave a little to the side. I feel like I'm going to fall but he's quick to grab me and stop me from doing just that. I hold on to him and feel the define muscles under his suit. "You need to sit down." He says and helps me to the sofa. I see him wave to someone and a masked person comes immediately. "Please bring a bottle of water." He instructs. The masked server nods and disappears. He turns his gaze to me and I feel some concern for me. I avert my eyes away from him, but I still feel the heat from them. Why is he so...attentive to me? We're strangers for God sakes. The masked server returns to us and hands him the bottle. He nods at the server and brings his attention to me as he hands me the bottle. "Drink" he tells me.

I take the bottle from him and uncap it. As I bring the bottle to my lips, I close my eyes and drink. My body already begins to feel much better with every ounce of water replenishing it. I close the bottle and look to him. "Thank you." I finally utter. He grabs the bottle and opens it again, bringing it to my mouth. "Finish it." He orders me.

I look at him and open my mouth. He holds the bottle with such elegance that I don't mind him nourishing me. With the last drop down my throat, he brings his arm down and I wipe my mouth and then lick my lips. His eyes grew big as I did that. "Thank you, again" I say.

His eyes move from my mouth to my eyes. "You're welcome."

"No." I shake my head. "I mean, thank you... you know, for saving life." I earnestly smile.

His guarded eyes become softer and I earn a smile. "Again, your welcome. You need to be more careful though. Drinks are lethal, but not enough to kill you."

I laugh nervously. "I know. I was just caught so off guard. I panicked and tried to down my drink"

The man in the mask tilts his head slightly. "What caught you off guard?"

"You did." I whisper.

I hope he didn't hear me. But by the way his body comes forward, getting closer to me, I know he did. "Did you know I've had my eyes on you? Ever since I saw you?" He states and I immediately start to feel hot. "I haven't taken my eyes off from you since you first stepped in." He admits.

I feel like I need another bottle of water because he has completely raised Fahrenheit and left me thirsty. "You have?"

He nods. "You're new here, aren't you?'

I laugh, a little out of place. "How do you know that I'm not just a regular member. Just got bad luck with a certain drink?" I playfully say.

He scoots closer and is now close to my face. "Because no member is ever alone. They're always with someone." He wickedly smiles and I suddenly feel like Jell-O.

That smile is criminal. The way it rises and lovely creases form on each side of his mouth. He has perfectly sculpted lips and pearly white teeth. He's sporting a shadow of stubble that definitely belongs on his face. I know he has a defined nose, but I really can't tell because its covered by the mask. What I can see is his eyes. They are dark, but I can't tell their color with the dim lights in the club. I love the way the mask shapes the outline area of the eyes making them so damn alluring. It's clear that the man in the mask is handsome. Imagine what he looks like without it?

I just met a man in a mask that has peaked my interest more than any other man in my life. My brain finally makes its appearance and reminds me of my poor manners. "Oh my God! How rude of me! Nice to meet you." I extend my hand. He looks at me like a crazy person, which I am at the moment. Nevertheless, he takes it and his hand comes in contact with mine. His grip is firm and confident. I immediately feel a jolt of electricity as he shakes my hand. My heart begins to race faster and I feel the sweat form on my forehead. Thank god for the mask in being able to hide that detail. "Nice to meet you too..." He says but his tone stays in question. He must want to know my name and all I do is shrug. "I don't have one."

"Hmmm." He hums and breaks our contact. He brings his finger to his lips and taps it. "Interesting." He says and licks them. I feel drugged by that sexy gesture and I become lightheaded again. He certainly knows what he is doing because if he asked me to kiss him right now, I'd be on his lips in seconds. I feel his eyes on my face, somewhere low.

"Do I have something on my mouth?" I touch, fingers roaming on my lips.

He stills and his hand gently comes to mine, bringing it down. "Please don't do that." He groans.

"Sorry. "I flush.

He looks at me and then back at my lips. "I've just never seen lips so full...and red." His husky voice whispers.

The full effect of his charm has gotten to me and the weird part about it? Is that there is a familiar sense. It's the sense you get when you meet a stranger and after spending a few moments with them, feels like you've known them for a while. A natural familiarity that springs out when two people find themselves drawn to each other.

I immediately feel the urge to find Blair. I break our moment and abruptly stand. "I have to go." My voice shakenly comes out and I start to back away. He stands and it dawns on me how tall he is. "Go?" He asks. "I was hoping to show you around the club." He adds and puts both his hands inside the pocket of his pants.

"No thank you. I need to find someone." I quip and turn around to leave. I manage to take a few steps until I'm stopped, again. "I didn't get a name." He whispers in my ear. I turn my head slightly but not completely. "No, you didn't." I swallow heavily. He turns me to face him and he brings his fingers under my chin, making my eyes meet his. "Goodbye, beautiful" he says.

"Goodbye, stranger." I respond.

I back away and walk towards the bar with shaky legs. I hope the masked bartender from earlier can direct me to Blair's office but as luck would have it, Blair spots me and makes her way to meet me. "There you are. I've been looking for you." She says. I turn my head to see if the masked man is still there, but he's gone. I look around, but he's nowhere to be found.

"Is everything okay?" She asks me, breaking my concentration. I look back at her and nod. "Yeah." I say and breath, preparing for what I'm about to ask her. "Please take me to your office." I say, a little too eagerly.

Blair looks at me suspiciously and angles her head carefully. "What happened in the fifteen minutes I felt you alone?"

I bring my fingers to my lips and can't help to smile.