Connor spent almost all of his time at Lilia's Bakery, working part-time shifts on weekdays and full-time on weekends. He rescheduled his part-time job at Iris for the morning during weekends before going to the bakery. Lilia baked in the kitchen with Connor, while Zailey was in charge of everything on the floor.
"Ma, I'm going out tonight... I'll be back by two at the latest," Zailey said as she was summed the day's revenue.
"You're not planning on going clubbing again, are you?" Lilia asked.
"It's been so long! And I won't get into anymore trouble!"
"Nope. Not taking any chances. We almost had to sell our souls trying to cover your last scheme."
"Ma, they came up with a good plan this time! We won't get caught anymore. I already missed it two weeks in a row, please!"
Lilia sighed, when suddenly, her face lit up as an idea popped into her mind. She turned towards Connor who was arranging treats and setting them on top of the table.
"Connor!" Lilia exclaimed.
"Connor?!" Zailey turned to him with shock.
He tilted his head to the side with a confused expression.
"Wasted Paradise... With Zailey?" He asked after listening to Lilia's five minute business pitch.
"I'm sorry if I'm forcing this on you. You don't have to do it," Lilia said.
"Can't she handle herself?" He asked.
"Of course I can. Stop this, Ma. He's not coming!" Zailey said.
"I'll go," Connor said.
"What? Why?!"
"It's not a bad way to earn some money, if I'm hired to be your babysitter."
"Stop treating me like a baby! I'm not-"
Lilia interrupted her, "You either go with your babysitter or don't."
Zailey brought her palm to her forehead and bit her lip in frustration. She knew it was just another plan Lilia had devised in that beautifully-styled little head of hers.
"Ma... Come on. He's a man. If anything you should be more scared."
"He's not just any man. He's Connor. I trust him more than you."
"You've known him for what, a couple weeks... You don't trust me that much?"
"Paying him for babysitting is cheaper than paying for property damage. So, make your choice. Take Connor or stay here."
***
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure I don't need a pacifier! Now quit it!"
They stood in front of the club, waiting for the rest of the crew to show up. After a couple minutes, Zailey heard Josephina and Nathan bickering.
"If you could just listen to me," Nathan pleaded.
"Oh, so you can make up another lie about how she needed help?" Josephina turned to Nathan as they reached the front of the club.
"Are you jealo-" He tried to get a word in.
"Zai! You're here!" Josephina cut him off and ran towards Zailey and Connor. "Come on, everyone's waiting."
The four walked over to a group of people leaning towards the wall, smoking. The group was made up by Jacque, Elizabeth, Destiny, Henry, and his girlfriend, Kayla.
"Hey! Everyone's here?" Henry stood up offering them each a blunt.
Zailey was about to take one when a hand slapped her arm away. She looked to her right to find Connor shaking his head. Rolling her eyes, she made another attempt. Connor grabbed her arm tightly, intervening once again.
"If you need somewhere to put your lips on, it'd be much more pleasurable to put them here," Connor placed his pointer finger on his lips.
Her friends did their best trying to retain their laughter, but to no avail, they were already spraying their spit on each other. Zailey glared daggers at Connor, the heat rushing to her cheeks.
"Some boy you got there," Henry said putting his stash away.
"To what do we owe the presence of the great Connor Davis?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm Zailey's baby-" Connor replied but was not able to finish.
Zailey nudged his stomach, "B-Baby! We're dating now."
Right as the words flew out her mouth, she mentally slapped herself.
Connor knitted his eyebrows and shot her a confused glare.
Elizabeth looked down and bit her lip, "Who would've guessed you'd be Zai's first boyfriend."
"It turned out that way, didn't it," Connor said gritting his teeth, still looking at Zailey. "What an honor."
"Well, that explains why you've been such a good girl lately," Nathan winked, "So you can be a bad girl in bed."
Zailey breathed a laugh, suddenly getting nervous, "Am I the only one that wants to go in now? Let's go!"
***
"Alright, so everyone's good? Zai, Connor, you got the plan down?" Henry asked.
"We're good," Zailey said, and looked at Connor.
He took her hand in his and smirked, "Definitely."
She glared at him and whispered, "Let go, idiot."
"How could I let go of my beloved girlfriend?" He said, teasingly.
"You really have to do this?"
"Don't you wanna make us believable?" He smirked, interlocking his fingers with hers.
They all proceeded to the back lot, stacking boxes on trash cans to get as high as the open window. One by one, they boosted themselves up to the window that led to the building's storage section. They went through a door leading to a stairway that contained an empty room at the other end. Zailey and Connor looked down to see the window they first entered through, about 10 feet down. The balcony was close enough to climb to the rooftop of Wasted Paradise, and they took turns helping each other reach the top.
As everyone reached the top, the only two remaining were Zailey and Connor. As Zailey climbed to the top, the sleeve of her shirt got caught on a nail on the wall. She was left standing on the edge of the thin balcony railing.
"Hey, what happened?" Connor asked from below.
"I'm... Stuck. My sleeve is caught," Zailey answered, gesturing at the sleeve of her jacket with her head. "Over here..."
With her other hand, she was holding onto a small wooden ledge for balance, making it hard for her to disentangle it herself.
"Okay, hold on, I'm coming up," Connor said as he climbed up.
Zailey held her breath, butterflies forming in her stomach as he stood less than an inch away. The lack of standing space forced them to press their bodies against each other, both tightly holding onto a small wooden ledge. Reaching for the sleeve, he attempted to pull it from the nail. After a few seconds, Connor managed set her arm free.
"You guys alright over there?" Elizabeth called out from above.
"Y-yeah! I'm good!" Zailey said with a shaky voice, detangling herself from Connor.
She started to climb once again, successfully making it up.
"Now, aren't you glad your mom assigned me to be your babysitter?" Connor whispered.
"Don't rub it in," she said.
Connor chuckled, and dusted himself off.
"Thanks... I mean it," she said shyly, before quickly running off to find the others.
"Anything for you, baby," he said, making sure to enjoy the astoundingly charming, flustered expression that seemed to appear more frequently on her face.
The sounds from the club echoed through as they went down another set of stairs that led to an elevator. The elevator brought them down to the noisy and busy club.
"Wow.... It's all so..." Zailey struggled for words, awestruck from the sight before her.
"Overwhelming, isn't it?" Jacque said. "Look at some of those celebrities!"
"So everyone! We'll meet at the rooftop at one? You got four hours!" Henry said, taking his girlfriend, Kayla, by the waist and proceeded to the dance floor.
Destiny checked her phone, "Well, I gotta go! I'm meeting with the hottie I met here last time!"
"Have fun with your little boy toy!" Josephina teased. "In the meantime, why don't we all get something to drink. We need a little energy boost!"
The rest of the crew proceeded to the bar and got themselves at least two glasses to drink. They set their things down on an empty booth and left to go to the dance floor. Josephina and Nathan were left behind, talking to resolve their conflict, while Zailey, Elizabeth, and Jacque dragged Connor to dance.
Zailey eyed Elizabeth, noticing that as she danced, she shifted closer and closer to Connor. Keeping her suspicions in line, she shook it off and continued to dance. After a while, Zailey went back to the bar, weaseling her way through the small crowd in front of the counter.
Since Wasted Paradise was strictly exclusive, there was no need to worry about crowding. Everything remained clean, with janitors constantly circling the club. The bartenders were efficient and friendly, and the security kept themselves ready on standby.
"What can I get you?" A bartender approached Zailey who sat herself on one of the bar stools.
It took a couple minutes for her to finish it before going for another round. She took her fifth glass back to their booth.
She turned to to the dancefloor when she heard glass shattering and a familiar voice shouting, "Get away from my girl!"
"Henry, you're drunk," Connor said calmly.
"Don't think I didn't see my girl grinding on you! Stay in your fucking lane, bro," Henry growled.
"Woah there," Zailey cut in, taking Connor's wrist. "Be careful who you're accusing, Henry."
"Zai! Kayla was dancing on him, why aren't you mad about this like I am?!"
"Because as you said, it was Kayla doing it. If you have a problem between the two of you, keep it between the two of you. Don't blame others for your bullshit," Zailey said. "My man would never do anything like that."
Henry looked down in contemplation before biting his lip and stepping forward, "I'm sorry, Zai... Connor... I know you didn't try anything."
Connor and Henry shared a nod of acknowledgement before Henry and Kayla exited the dancefloor.
"Zailey..." Connor started, ears slowly turning red.
"So you've been dancing with other girls," the drunk Zailey wrapped her arms around his neck.
He pried her arms away, "I was trying to look for you, then she grabbed me and started to dance-"
She cupped his face with her hands as her eyes met his, "Don't dance with other girls. You're mine."
"Don't worry, sneakers. That's not something you'll ever have to worry about."
"Good." She said giggling uncontrollably.
"How much have you had to drink?!"
Zailey tried to make a nine but struggled to hold her fingers up.
Connor took a sip from her glass, "Why is this so strong?!"
"Strong... Speaking of strong. Have I ever told you how fucking hot you are?" Zailey ran her fingers down his abdomen.
He chuckled. "I don't think you have."
"It's like a chocolate bar." She licked her lips before collapsing face first onto Connor's lap.
"Never knew drunk Zailey was such a master at flirting," Connor said. "But now that just means I could never let you drink without me."
He took her by the shoulders and rearranged her so that back of her head laid against his lap.
Zailey gasped as took her hand and put it on her stomach, "Oh! Look! I feel something kicking! Connor! Is it your baby?!"
She took Connor's hand and placed it on her belly.
"That's your breathing."
"Oh," Zailey giggled uncontrollably. "Wouldn't it be funny if it were? Our baby would be reeeaallyyy good-lookin!"
She turned to face his body, her face leveled with his crotch area.
With furrowed eyebrows, she pointed at his pants zipper, "Hey, is this your-"
"Other way, sneakers!" Connor placed his hands on top of her head and directed her face to the ceiling.
She reached for his face and running her fingers down his cheek.
"Stop," Connor pinched her cheek, "You're starting to give me butterflies."
"Why don't you two get a room?" Jacque teased, walking up to the two.
"She's drunk," Connor said.
"Well, of course, Zai's tolerance ain't shit," Elizabeth said.
"I'll take her home," Connor lifted her up, supporting her by putting her arm around his shoulder.
"It isn't time yet... You might get caught by the bouncers," Jacque said pointing to one near the door. "You might as well get a room here. Lay her down there until we leave."
Connor scratched his head, "Is there another way?"
"Not really, it's the easiest way."
"How did you deal with her before?"
"Well, we usually get by with fake IDs in normal clubs. And she crashed with us at our dorm."
Connor nodded, "How much is a room here?"
"It'd probably be 70, more or less."
"Something ya can't afford!" Zailey hiccuped.
Connor took the lemon slice from her drink and shoved it in her mouth. Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, he lifted her onto his back.
"Wait. Connor.... Are you sure about this? The rooms here are..." Elizabeth butted in.
"Relax Lizzie... He's her boyfriend!" Jacque reminded her. "And if Mrs. Tsang trusts him with her, we can."
Elizabeth clenched her hands and avoided looking at them, "Y-Yeah. I know."
"But listen pretty boy, if you do anything without our virgin Zai's consent," Jacque warned him, fisting her hands.
"Virgin?!" Connor's eyes widened at information he was not interested in knowing. "Jacque, I'm not-"
"If you want, I'll take Zai to the room... We'll get her when it's time to go," Elizabeth aggressively suggested.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of her," Connor smiled. "It's my job."
Zailey spit out the lemon and giggled, "What do you think you're doing right now? Are you kidnapping me? Why are you carrying me?!"
"Zailey, do you want another lemon in your mouth?"
"Shoe Fetish, Shoe Fetish," She sung. "Do you know Dumbo? I'm flying like Dumbo."
"Why Dumbo?"
"Because I use ears to fly too, watch," she grabbed Connor's ears and stretched them out.
"Ow!"
The room was fairly small, comprised of a queen-sized bed in the middle with a black leather sofa placed against the bed frame. There were two nightstands next to the bed, with a box of condoms laying next to the lamp. The room was dimly lit with a subtle red luminescence. Connor spotted whips and chains hanging over the metal headboard, trying his hardest to keep his gaze away from them.
He lowered Zailey onto the bed and straightened her body, though she refused to stay still, sliding her legs off the bed.
"You're just a pain, aren't you..." Connor gazed at Zailey, fluffing the pillow beneath her and placing her legs back under the blanket.
"And... You're a... A buzzkill," Zailey replied, drowsiness overwhelming her. "You take me away from everything fun."
"I'm just trying to keep you safe, sneakers," Connor said.
"Buzzkill. One stick wouldn't have hurt you know."
"One stick is all it takes. For some people, it's too late for me to protect them. At least I can prevent it from happening to you."
"Huh?" Zailey blinked heavily.
"Why don't you rest?" Connor insisted, tucking her whole body in the blanket.
"You too," She said patting the bed.
Connor shook his head, but Zailey clung to his arm, forcing him to stay beside her. He stayed standing next to the bed, not having the heart to pull away.
"Hey, Connor..."
"Yeah?"
"How much nicer would it be if you were my actual boyfriend?" Zailey asked before closing her eyes and planting her lips on his cheek.
His eyes widened, catching her as she collapsed towards him.
He ran his fingers through his hair, "Now if I could only get you to say that while you're sober."
***
The next morning, Zailey was awoken by a raging headache. She examined her surroundings, trying to recall the events from the night before. The room was spinning and everything was fuzzy. She checked under her blanket to see if she was still fully clothed, to find that she was only wearing a T-shirt and panties. Looking around for the rest of her clothes, she stepped out of the bed. She was startled when her foot landed on someone's arm.
"Ow," Connor said, in a husky voice.
"W-W-What are you doing here?!" Zailey screamed trying pulling her T-shirt down to cover her panties.
Still half asleep, Connor struggled to open his eyes. He quickly looked down.
She sighted her clothes around him, "What have you done to my clothes, you perv?!"
"Nothing! You're the one that threw them on me last night!"
Zailey cringed at realization, as she flashed back to last night. She remembered taking off her jacket and distressed shorts, before discarding them on the floor.
Connor, who was sleeping soundly on the ground, was awoken from his sleep as the clothes hit his face. He stood up from his makeshift bed as the clothes hit his face. Zailey was still in the process of stripping herself, lifting her T-shirt, when he saw her. He hurried to grab the hem of her shirt, preventing her from pulling it up.
"It's too hot! Let go!" Zailey protested.
"Stop it! At least keep this on!"
"No! Too hot!"
"Zailey!"
Connor reached and shuffled through the drawers until he found the room bill paper on the nightstand next to the bed. He folded it in half and swayed it back and forth in front of her. Zailey calmed down as she felt the cool breeze and went back to sleep. He fanned her for half an hour before deciding to lay back down on his makeshift bed on the floor.
Zailey snapped back to reality, refraining from showing any sign she recalled last night's events.
Connor stood up and glanced at Zailey's puzzled face, "Well?"
"I don't remember a thing," she lied.
"Well, I do. And Zailey..."
"What?"
He put a hand on his abdomen. "You're free to eat this chocolate bar anytime you'd like."
PUN ALERT! ~ Alcohol wasn't in my VODKAbulary, but when I searched it up on WHISKEYpedia... It said that if you drink too much, it is likely TEQUIL-yA.
YAAAAYY!! This chapter was really fun to write. Don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT, and SHARE!!