Poolside Confessions

POV Valerie.

Bree, Fiona, Gemma, and I pushed our way onto the packed, sweat-slicked dance floor of Club Obsidian. The thumping bass of the DJ’s set vibrated through the floorboards and echoed straight into my chest. My friends moved their bodies to the rhythm, completely lost in the high energy of the crowd. Despite the deafening music, the sweeping strobe lights, and the intense heat of a hundred bodies pressing in around us, my distracted mind lingered stubbornly on the image of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger. I was already kicking myself for quietly disappearing on him at dawn. The phantom sensation of his touch still burned on my skin, making the sweaty bodies bumping into me feel like a cheap imitation of intimacy. I needed a distraction, but the alcohol was not doing the trick.

After downing my second burning shot of tequila at the glowing main bar, I switched my drink to plain water. I had a mandatory, tense lunch with my dad tomorrow afternoon. I was not about to endure his sharp criticisms while nursing a pounding hangover. Showing up smelling like a distillery would just give him another piece of ammunition to use against me. My friends rolled their eyes and made dramatic faces at my glass of ice water, but I stood my ground. I ignored their peer pressure. I could enjoy myself without losing my senses.

The crushing crowd on the dance floor eventually became too much to handle. The air was thick with cheap cologne and sweat. I needed a physical breather. I signaled to the girls that I was stepping away for a minute. Bree and Fiona kept dancing without missing a beat, but Gemma decided to slip outside with me.

We pushed our way through the heavy double doors into the cooler, humid night air of the club's lavish pool area. It took some searching, but we managed to find a rare, quiet spot tucked away near the glowing blue water, far from the chaotic main party.

I took a slow sip of my water and looked at my friend. I could sense something was deeply bothering her tonight. Her smile had been forced since we got into the Uber.

"How are you doing, Gemma? Really?" I asked.

She stared out at the rippling pool water, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I just don’t know if all the fighting is worth it anymore."

"Are you thinking about leaving him?"

"In all honesty, yes. But where will I go? I think that is the only reason I am still with him. I have nowhere else to go."

She was tragically trapped in a toxic relationship, staying with a manipulative boyfriend simply because she felt financially tethered. He held all the cards, and she was left sleeping on eggshells.

"Gemma, you can come and live with me," I offered her without a second of hesitation.

She turned her head and stared at me in shock.

"Are you serious? I know you have a huge need for personal privacy. You hate having people in your space."

"I am dead serious. Please don’t stay in a toxic relationship just for a roof over your head. He probably knows you feel financially trapped, and that is exactly why he treats you this way."

Gemma hesitated, biting her bottom lip as she weighed the option.

"What about your privacy?"

"As long as you don’t want to know exactly where I am twenty-four-seven or try to tell people when I am not coming home, I am good. I respect your space, you respect mine. Whenever you are ready to move out, there is a room waiting for you."

Hearing my sincerity, she threw her arms around my waist, hugging me fiercely. I could physically feel the crushing weight seem to lift right off her tense shoulders.

"Thank you, Val. Thank you so much."

"No problem, Gemma. I am always here for you."

We sat by the water for a little while longer, watching the drunk club-goers mingle under the neon lights.

"We should probably get back inside before Bree comes looking for us," I suggested.

"She probably would," Gemma said with a soft, genuine laugh.

Armed with a fresh virgin cocktail from the outdoor bar just to keep up appearances with the group, we eventually headed back inside the thumping venue. The heavy bass hit us like a physical wall the second we crossed the threshold. We quickly located and rejoined Fiona. She was standing nearby, nursing her drink while we watched Bree shamelessly dirty-dancing with some random guy she just met.

"We are back, Fiona!" we screamed over the pounding bass.

"Thank God!" she yelled back.

We were just settling back into the carefree vibe, swaying to the beat, when the atmosphere shifted drastically. Fiona and Gemma’s eyes suddenly went wide with panic. They both grabbed my arms simultaneously, their fingers digging into my sleeves.

Trying to read their terrified expressions in the sweeping laser lights, I shouted, "What?"

"Don’t look now, but Trent just saw you and is making a beeline straight for us!" Gemma warned me loudly over the pulsing music.

My heart rate spiked instantly. A cold rush of anxiety hit my veins.

"Oh, fuck. I knew it. I am not in the mood for this. I am going."

"We will come with you!" Fiona offered frantically, already moving to shield me.

"No, you guys enjoy yourselves. I will be okay!"

I waved off their frantic offers to escort me out. I turned on my heels and headed straight for the front door. I wove through the dense crowd, dodging spilling drinks and swaying bodies, desperate to reach the safety of the exit.

Before I could reach the heavy front doors, Trent lunged forward out of nowhere and seized my arm. His grip was harsh, his fingers digging into my skin to stop my momentum.

I ripped myself out of his grip. I didn't even stop to argue inside the packed club. I marched directly out the front doors and stepped onto the concrete of the humid Las Vegas night. I pulled out my phone and ordered an Uber to escape.

"Valerie, I am talking to you!" Trent screamed at my back.

His loud, hostile tone cut through the noise of the street traffic, instantly drawing the sharp attention of a massive nearby club bouncer standing at the velvet rope.

I stopped dead in my tracks. I shoved my phone into my purse and spun around to face him.

"Leave me alone, Trent."

"I need to talk to you!"

"About what? We have absolutely nothing to say to each other."

"I have a lot to say to you. I want you back."

I stared at him, feeling a sharp spike of pure anger wash over me. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"

"I said I want you back."

"Did I ever give you any indication over the last few months that I would even consider taking you back? No."

"I can dream, can't I?" he insisted pathetically.

"The only thing you are dreaming of is getting your hands on my father's fortune and the VIP treatment that comes with me. You don’t want me. You only want what I can give you financially."

Trent's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

"That is not true!"

He lunged forward and grabbed my arm tightly once again, his fingers bruising my skin.

Before I could react, the bouncer was standing right beside me in a blur of motion. The sheer size of the man was intimidating, easily blocking out the flashing neon lights of the street.

"Take your hands off her right now," the bouncer warned in a deadly serious tone.

Trent glared up at the massive security guard, tightening his grip on my arm for a split second before letting go.

"This has nothing to do with you, man."

"Clearly Miss Thornton does not want to talk to you. Please leave her alone."

Trent puffed out his chest. His fragile ego was bruised in front of the long line of people waiting outside the club. He made the catastrophic mistake of shoving the massive security man's chest.

The bouncer didn't flinch. He simply pushed Trent backward. The movement was effortless, but the impact was solid. Trent stumbled back, losing his footing, and planted firmly and humiliatingly flat on his ass on the hard pavement.

I suppressed a sudden urge to laugh out loud at the pathetic sight of him licking his wounds on the concrete.

I turned to the giant man standing beside me.

"What is your name? Sorry, I have never asked."

"TJ, Miss Thornton."

"Thank you very much, TJ. And my name is Valerie. Or Val."

"My pleasure, Val."

My black Uber pulled up to the curb, the hazard lights flashing. TJ courteously stepped forward and opened the heavy car door for me. I slid into the backseat, feeling a deeply satisfying moment of vindication and safety.

Just before TJ closed the heavy car door to shield me, Trent’s furious voice carried sharply through the humid night air.

"I will get you back!"

*In your dreams,* I thought bitterly to myself.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the leather seat as the driver safely took me home.