The Night We Met

XV

Roslyn

I'm on edge as I walk into Arca Archa, an extremely exclusive club here in Los Angeles. I didn't have the best day at work which left me moody and irritable. My boss, Rachel, yelled at me relentlessly today for seemingly no reason. I either shut the windows too loud or didn't answer the phone quickly enough - everything was an issue for her today and it put me in a foul mood. I'm not entirely in the best headspace to be out tonight but I wanted to see Harry. He called me a little while ago asking me to come out with him and some of his friends. I almost declined but he's like a drug I can't escape. Now that I've had a taste of him, I want him all. 

Sweaty, near-naked bodies jostle me as I try to make my way to the back of the room, where Harry told me he and Mitch are. He reserved a table for us, apparently. I talked to Grace about this earlier and she told me that Harry must have spent several thousand dollars at the very least to reserve a table, and that doesn't even include drinks or anything. Needless to say, my jaw was on the floor. I knew clubs could be expensive but not that expensive. 

Gold and red lights cast a warm hue on the room and make it difficult to properly see but I breathe out a sigh of relief when I just barely catch a glimpse of the back of Harry's head in the corner. He takes a sip of a drink before sliding into the booth, his back facing me. 

My heart pounds in my chest as I walk along the edge of the wall toward the red, velvet booths. I don't know why I'm suddenly nervous. I think it's a mix of meeting more of Harry's friends and not being entirely confident in my outfit. Grace lent me a dress that's a bit out of my comfort zone but she said it was perfect for this particular club. It's a black body con dress with a lace bustier and satin bottom. It's pretty and fits me well but I feel exposed. I'm just glad my hair is down because I feel that it covers me up a little bit more. 

I finally make it to Harry's booth. Mitch, who sits opposite Harry, is the first to notice me. He smiles and stands up when I arrive. 

"Hey Roslyn," he says and gives me a quick hug. He smells good, wearing some sort of Gucci cologne I believe. It smells similar to a cologne I saw in a store recently. 

"Hey Mitch," I tell him, giving him a smile in return. "It's good to see you."

"And you as well," he replies. I can definitely tell he seems more open with me than when we first met. Originally, he seemed closed off and protective of Harry but now I think he's taken a liking to me. He's warmed up. His body language suggests he's comfortable around me and he seems more friendly. 

My attention from Mitch is diverted when Harry slides out of the booth, taking Mitch's place. Immediately, I'm drawn to the striking man. His lips curve up into a smile and he looks at me through long lashes that I suspect have mascara on them. 

"Hi, baby," he whispers, which causes a chill up my spine. He leans down and presses his lips gently to mine while his hand snakes around and lands on my lower back. He pulls me closer to him as he nibbles on my lower lip. 

"Hi," I reply, equally as quiet when we pull apart. He pecks my lips once more before pulling away completely and breaking the small bubble we created. 

Harry gestures for me to slide into the booth. I feel ungraceful as I do and even more so when I realize there's another person sitting across from me that I've never met before. 

Harry clears his throat after he slides into the booth next to me. He places a hand on my upper thigh while gesturing to the girl across from us with his other one. 

"Roslyn, this is Sarah," he says. The brown-haired girl gives me a small smile and a wave, which I return. "Sarah is my drummer and friend. She's also Mitch's secret lover - "