11 10. Red Fairy Lights

Caroline closed her bedroom's door behind us, completely blocking all the noise coming from outside.

It was a typical girly bedroom, but instead of pink, everything was in red, even the lights she chose to switch on. My retinas were almost overwhelmed by the red bed sheets that covered her huge bed that centred the room and the red fairy lights that framed her white, crowded dresser. The huge balcony that sure overlooked the disaster- party- was a relief from all the redness along with the black TV screen hung on the crimson walls.

It was too much like her but was warm and secluded. Safer.

"So...Romeo...Tell me more about you." She said, sitting on her bed as I dizzily sat next to her. The red light wasn't very illuminating. It was quite dark and intimate. I hoped she hadn't done it on purpose.

I pushed my hair from my eyes and looked at her no longer glowing face in the faint light. "I thought I told you everything you wanted to know in the cab," I was almost irritated with her and the whole ambience. "What more do you want to know?" I sighed and glanced at her.

"Let's start with age?" She suggested quietly, fluttering her eyelashes at me. "Then what you study?" Her eyes twinkled and I pursed my lips in distaste. Yes, we hadn't discussed that. All we talked about was my arm's injury and my 'taste in women'. It was an awful conversation.

"I'm twenty-five. I studied architecture."

"Really?" She squealed and I wondered if I said something particularly amusing because I was planning on being absolutely mundane to bore and revolt her. It didn't seem to work. So I narrowed my eyes at her curiously.

Why was she so curious about me? I knew for a fact that she was no threat and should she ever be, my gun was tucked nicely in my back pocket. "Yes," I replied, averting my gaze to the door- my saviour, really.

Turned out that I'd rather be at the party.

"My dad was an architect, too."

I smiled. "That's -uh- interesting."

Good. Keep it as boring as possible. Act like an oblivious douchebag- I reminded myself over and over again.

"It's not easy," I said out of nowhere. "I mean being an architect." I made that up completely. I never worked as an architect so I wouldn't have the slightest idea.

"So true! I remember Dad's endless nights. It was stressful for him. He died." She said simply, shrugging. I almost 'gasped' at her bluntness.

"I'm sorr-" I frowned slightly and started shaking my head but she waved it off.

"Naw. No problem. It's been like eight years." She said, pulling down on her dress that overrode her thighs.

How does time passage make things like those so trivial? Would that be how I'd say it one day when I talked about Audrey and a child I would have had? They just...died?

She then laced her hands with mine and I looked at them in...surprise? Surprise, my days...I almost laughed at her action. Why was she holding my hand? What did she want? Did she want comfort? Company? I didn't know and even if she did, I didn't think I would be able to provide her with any. I was barely keeping up with pretence.

But a look in her eyes and I knew what she wanted. I've known women in bed and the way they showed their desires like I know my name. And she, Caroline, wanted me.

The red lights were pulsing above us as her smile faltered and she started leaning closer, closing her eyes. I was watching her lips part softly and realized that that was the second time today. She was either so desperate or oblivious to my disinterest in her. I visibly rolled my eyes and leaned in too- curious and mesmerized by her face's serenity, eyes closed and lips lonely. I obviously didn't want to kiss her but her lips found mine. She kissed me slowly and softly before pulling back.

She panted, looking embarrassed because I definitely didn't kiss her back. If she hated me for it, I wouldn't have been surprised. But it was too early to lose her and a kiss under red lights would mean absolutely nothing to me. I planned on winning her temporarily. Priorities.

So I cupped her face and pulled her into another soft kiss as her hands travelled over my bare torso to my back, pushing back my jacket. I cringed under her touch as she moaned softly and climbed over my laps unexpectedly. She smells of coconut and almonds, I noted uselessly as I felt her golden curls fall over my face, and I wondered if she wanted me to deepen the kiss or just let her go. I was literally counting the seconds for it to end.

Her hands reached for my pants' button and my dilemma was over.

I frowned. It was a kiss or nothing, so I immediately held her hand down to stop her before pulling back from the most feeling-less, awkward kiss I've ever had. I looked hard into her sparkly, hazel eyes with a questioning look.

I shook my head and panted as I watched her bite her lower lip...not seductively, but more like 'I-realized-I-messed-up' kind of way.

She instantly got off my laps as I quickly reached for my jacket and draped it over my shoulders. She then turned around, facing the door with her face in her hands. I watched her curiously and amusedly before she turned to face me again.

"Oh my God. I'm sorr-sorry, I-I don't normally do that. I- don't-" She flustered, switching on the white lights. I squinted at their intensity, confused for a second before I realized that there was some reason behind that kiss and it wasn't because she fancied me. "I'm just- it's just that- oh my god-" She started sobbing out of 'God-only-knew-where' as I gaped at her in horror.

One more encounter with a crying woman and I might've as well better dropped dead. I could've just stared at her, told her that she deserved it, and just left, but then I'd be back to step one. Losing her. And business was all about sacrifices. She was business to me.

And so I sacrificed my insolence.

I got up immediately and dragged her back to the bed where she sat crying. I stood above her, trying to evaluate this dramatic situation. "What happened?" I asked tentatively with a sigh, and she looked up with black tears streaming down her pale face. I almost cringed at the sight, but I knew it was from the lady products she used. Mascara- that was what Audrey taught me when I caught her crying black tears too.

"I- I broke up with my boyfriend-" She said slowly, looking at her hands. "W-Well, he broke up with me- ditched me, really." She choked out the words as more silent tears came rolling down. "-because-" She paused, letting a sob out. "-because he thought I was very clingy and unattractive. And then I thought I might want to see if I can try it with you. To see if I was really that unattractive and-" She then stopped to look at me for a while, "-and I'm really sorry."

And look at me, instead of being useful, I was busy listening to lovers' theatrics. Talk about nightmares.

I looked down at her thoughtfully. "Why would you do that?" I asked in disbelief and she looked at me pleading.

"I'm sorry-" Her lips quivered as she sniffed more.

"No. Not that." I said, referring to the kiss we shared. "I meant why would you doubt yourself?"

She stopped crying and stared at me. She probably wasn't expecting sympathy from my side. If it was the real me who was having this conversation, I might've suggested finding a dildo and leaving me alone.

"Because...I loved him so much-" She started. "And I trusted him more than anyone. So when he said t-that-" She stuttered, looking down, then into my eyes. "-it broke me because it must have been true."

I looked at her speechlessly. I never understood women who cried over rotten men. I mean, instead of thanking God for their riddance, they bawled their eyes out. And no, I didn't know what she expected me to do with what she was telling me. I could surely harm that guy, but based on the previously explained concept, that'd only make her cry more. Or commit suicide. I didn't know.

"I just feel so lonely and lost without him, Romeo." She rambled on quietly and I pushed back the hair from my forehead irritably. "I'm so sorry. I -just- feel terrible. I shouldn't have dragged you in this."

Hell, you shouldn't have- I thought bitterly as I pursed my lips.

But of course, I didn't tell her that. I wanted her complete trust in me. I wanted her to allow herself to be vulnerable around me so that it'd become normal to ask her anything I wanted whenever.

So I decided to be poetic.

I sighed and sat next to her again. "It's okay. I understand what you're going through. It's not easy to lose someone whom you...loved." I said forcefully as I averted my gaze to the door.

And I decided to take a risk too.

"I lost my 'was-soon-to-be' wife. She was killed-" I said, looking at the white fluffy carpet (white! yes!) on the ground. "Yes. It's difficult to lose someone you loved. And you do feel lost. But you get over it-" I lied, but I gained her sympathy.

She gently touched my forearm. "Oh, Romeo, I'm sorry."

I looked at her and smiled halfheartedly. "I'm the one comforting you."

She chuckled before a final sniff, then got up and took a deep, deep breath. "Okay, we have to get back to the party and stop acting like two depressed grandmas."

I smiled, raised my eyebrows, and followed suit.

Yes. Enough of that sappy drama.

...

Alexander's POV.

I watched Katy unclasp her bra as she danced on a pole on the music's beat. I smoked my cigar as I smirked at her lithe figure that managed to seduce me in every possible way. She then approached me and sat on my lap with her G-string.

I laughed, throwing my head back as she winked through her mask. I was about to pull down her bra, but she swiftly got up, shaking her head playfully as her black curls followed to get back on stage.

My phone rang, distracting me and I looked down, finding Philip's name flash on the screen.

He better have good news- I thought as I answered the call.

"We found her. We found the girl you're looking for." He was panting the words out and my lips parted in pleasant surprise.

"Good. God, that's excellent! Did you get her?" I asked the most important question.

The reply didn't come instantly. "No, but we will manage to follow her, now that we know who she is and what she looks like. I've already sent Ledger and William to keep an eye on her."

I sighed. "Okay. Good. Just make sure you get her and bring her to me ASAP. And make sure you don't hurt her unless absolutely necessary." I yelled over the music.

"Okay, Sir. Oh, and Sir?" I heard some shuffling on the other side.

"Yes?" I said, watching Katy laugh at something I had no idea about.

"We also found a motel reservation with the name ′Julius Caesar'. I think that's your son."

I almost choked on the scotch I was drinking. "Great progress."

"But we're not sure if he's quite the one...yet," Philip added slowly and I nodded understandably.

"Then do the necessary to make sure it is him. And when you're sure, I want him beat for a lesson but alive for me." I dictated easily with a smirk.

"Understood, Sir."

"Good job, Philip. You really never disappoint me." I chuckled lightly and could almost hear his heart swell with pride. He was always loyal to me.

"It's a pleasure, Sir."

I then hung up and dialled Augustus' number with a wide smile. Everything was going the way I wanted.

"Aye, Daddy!" He was definitely drunk.

"Hello, Augustus," I said, smiling.

"'Sup, my old man?" Very drunk.

"I called to tell you that you don't need to look for the Julius guy anymore. And to delete the picture I sent you of him," I said slowly so that his messed up brain could make sense of what I was saying.

"Oh? Okay, I guess. I didn't even open it." He laughed.

"Thank you, son-" I said, raising my eyebrows, feeling my heart lift.

"Ooh! Daddy's in a good mood today-" He then stopped for a moment. "Wait- is that Katy I hear laughing in the background?" Katy the stripper.

"Aha-" I laughed more. He was disbelievingly despicable.

"OH MY GOD, DAD, WITHOUT ME?" He bellowed playfully, drunkenly and I smiled.

"If you were here, we would be doing this together."

"Okay. Fine. Tell me what she's doing so that I can imagine it." He pleaded and I shook my head, grinning.

"No."

"Dad! You're too old for that anyway! Consider your son's dire condition! Oh my God, Dad, you cannot be serious." He was laughing himself.

"I'm hanging up-" I stated finally with a wide smile and was about to hang up when he shouted-

"I LOVE YOU-"

I smiled, cutting him off and returning my focus on Katy.

It was a good day.