Bound by Tension
17

Wasn't she supposed to shut her eyes or something? But no, she had them widely opened, looking totally out of breath and life.

She made me scared to attempt to kiss her. What if she got really angry and hit me or something? Or quit the job and charge me for sexual harassment. I was going to lose her forever. It obviously wasn't the right time to kiss. I did what I had intended to do in the first place, flicked the switch off to turn off the lights.

"Hames!" She exclaimed in fear as everywhere went totally black.

I felt something vigorously push at my chest (obviously her hands), making me almost stumble backwards but I was quick enough to stop myself from falling.

Her rapid breathing filled the dark room then I heard sounds before the door was pulled open. Light from the hall shone into the room.

With an even stern frown on, I struted to the corridor. She was resting against a wall with her hands on her knees, panting for air. "What was that for?" I asked gruffly.

She raised her head to me, still panting. It took a few more seconds before she looked like she was able to breathe normally again, standing up straight then shot me a death glare. "Why did you turn off the lights? What were you planning? To make me go crazy?"

"What do you mean? I turn off the lights whenever I'm about to leave the room. It's been a habit since I was a child."

"Well... I'm very afraid of darkness. Why did you have to lock me against the wall?" She drew her eyebrows in askance. "You seemed to have an ulterior motive than just switching off the lights."

I maintained a bold face and pose by shoving my hands into my front pockets, staring down at her with a wrinkled nose. "You were standing in my way and I had expected you to be sensible enough to move away but I guessed you're only good at being a secretary and-" I stopped myself from talking further.

"And what?"

Looking sexy, squandering my head, being annoying. I definitely didn't say those words out.

"Never mind, let's go."

"You were going to say something, I hate it whenever people start something and don't end it." She complained.

"And I hate it when people try to convince me to say what I don't want to say. I said never mind, let's go." I deepened my voice at the last words.

She sighed in surrender. "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry." She definitely didn't make an attempt to sound like her words were genuine.

Ignoring her rude tone, I walked away, strutting towards the elevator. She seemed to have heeded to my correction because she scurried to stand beside me, not remaining behind me.

We got into the elevay then the fact that I was going to the club with Imogen Mark popped into my brain. It made me feel nervous for some reasons. I was finally going to be out with her, not by lying it was for business reasons like the date with Amanda. Oh yeah, Amanda. I had to call her tomorrow, else she was going to be so mad at me.

***

"Wow, this is so nice." Imogen said, scanning the club. "Gosh, I'm granted the opportunity to stay in the VIP corner?" She asked rhetorically.

"Yes, you are." I replied, fixing my gaze to her as she continued exploring the whole club with her eyes. I couldn't stop admiring her, wondering how and what I was going to do to make her like me back.

She suddenly averted her gaze to me. It startled me because she obviously caught me staring but the Waiter arrived, saving me from supposed questions from her.

I immediately turned to him for our orders. "Uh... any of the best alcoholic beverages you have, and juice for her." I glanced at her, catching the displeased look she directed at me.

"Juice? I want something alcoholic too." She added.

"I don't get drunk easily by consuming certain amount of alcoholic. You don't seem like someone like that too, so I suggest you take something non-alcoholic. Like a non-alcoholic wine, it'd also be of great quality, one of the best you can ever taste."

"No, I want something alcoholic, I need to feel free. Yes, I don't get drunk easily too. I can drink 12 bottles and still remain in my right sense of mind." She retorted.

"Okay, if you say so." I turned my head to the Waiter. "Understood?" I asked and he nodded then I waved him off.

She had her eyes fixed on me for a few seconds as though she was contemplating on asking something before she returned to glancing around the club with a smile. It was the same club I had come with Kade earlier. The purple lights made her skin glow even more and made it seem like she was even more beautiful.

My eyes accidentally shifted from her and glanced towards a Man. He was with two other Men and was gazing at Imogen with lust-filled eyes. He constantly exchanged words with the other men, obviously about her with a smirk playing on their lips. What in the world was that for?

I attempted to glare at him so bad but he wouldn't look at me, this was definitely increasing my anger. I needed to let him know she was all mine.

The Waiter finally returned with our bottles and two empty glass cups. Imogen accepted her glass with a grin. She seemed more excited than I could've ever imagined.

"Thank you," she said to him, poured herself a glass, dropped her bottle on the table. "Thank you," she repeated. This time, she was talking to me.

I didn't know how to reply to her. Saying 'you're welcome' sounded so lame so I did nothing but kept staring.

She frowned a little at my silence, picking up her glass then gulping its content down her throat. Geez, what was with the rush?

I also accepted my glass from the man, pouring myself a glass then dropped the bottle beside hers.

"Gosh, this is so good." She exhaled, pouring herself another glass.

"Miss Mark, are you sure you won't get drunk?" I asked again. My tone wasn't harsh this time.

"Absolutely not!" She exclaimed, connecting the glass to her lips and swallowed its content in one drought, her face contorted as she dropped the glass on the table forcefully, not too much to shatter the glass. "Miss Mark," I called again.

"Relax, Mr. Hendrix. I don't drink all the time but don't act like my Dad trying to stop me from drinking. I need it." She obviously refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Okay, whatever you say." Of course I didn't want to be tagged as the role of her Dad.

After a few minutes of slowly sipping my drink and watching Imogen as she didn't stop downing hers, still glancing around the club for some reasons, my eyes went to the Man who had been staring at Imogen lustfully. He wasn't staring at her anymore. Good he wasn't, else I would've walked up to him and plucked his eyes out to keep them off my Woman.

"Aw, it's empty." She complained, turning the bottle upside down to let a few drops roll out of it.

"Yes, it is." I stated the obvious.

"I'll order a new one," she shrugged.

"No!" I snapped.

"Why not?" She frowned.

"You've had enough." I scolded.

"Please, just a little more." She made a puppy face that instantly made me lost. Why in the world was she so cute? "Please, I'm only given the chance to consume expensive things once in a while. I'm not paying for this, you are, and it's expensive and refreshing. Please, I promise I won't get drunk."

I didn't mind the fact that she was spending my money but it was quite funny she was openly admitting it. Her puppy face still haunted me. Who could resist a human puppy face? Well, I could, but not Imogen's. "Okay, fine." "Thank you!" She clapped once, called for the Waiter who walked back to us with bored eyes. She whispered her order into his ear then he left and returned with two new bottles.

"Why do you need two more bottles?"

"It's refreshing, but I won't drink it all." She smiled, taking the bottles from him, pouring herself another glass. She gulped it in two droughts, dropping the glass and poured herself another glass.

"Will you seriously stop taking it already?" I frowned this time, speaking with my boss-tone.

"I'm sorry but you're being mean. I can't define a good reason for you being here, kinda hanging out with me but I'd like it if you let me live my normal life. I prefer chugging as many bottles as I want so please don't be my boss here, again." She spat, gulping the content of the glass once more. How in the world did anyone drink that fast?

She needed to know how much I hated her rudeness but she was right, I ought to let her have her type of fun and not be so bothersome. As it seemed, she didn't seem like she was anyhow drunk so she was probably truthful about not getting drunk easily. Nevertheless, I was certain it wasn't so good for her liver.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

I finally let my glass leave my hand for the table, slipping the phone out of my pocket. Of course it just happened to be Mom calling. It was too loud to answer her call in here so I rose to my feet, casting a glance at Imogen. "You're leaving?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"No, I have to receive a phone call." I held my phone up.

"Okay," she nodded excessively, averting her gaze from me.

I stared at her for a few seconds, hoping she was going to be fine if I left her all alone, by herself (I knew it meant the same thing).