Accidental Night with the Wrong Bartender

Elara's POV

The rest of the words got stuck inside my throat from his sudden closeness.

The scent of his cologne covered me and I could feel myself getting lost in his gaze.

Those eyes... They were different from the ones I saw a few hours ago.

I stretched out my hand... Attempting to touch his sculpted face, but the bartender suddenly moved away.

My legs shifted and my body effortlessly swayed to the side... I was about to fall.

"Hey..."

But I didn't.

The bartender reacted on time. He moved quickly, grabbing my waist... He caught me midair.

Maybe...

The way his eyes stared at me... It felt nice to look at his blue eyes.

I did it again, I raised my hand to his face. This time he did not move away...

My lisp curved upwards.

“I don’t want to think anymore,” I said, more to myself than to him. "... don't leave me too," I whispered to him.

Then I lifted my head, covering the little space between our faces before he could react. My hands fisted into the fabric at his chest, warm and solid beneath my fingers. I rose on my toes and pressed my lips against his.

The kiss was hard, messy, and desperate.

I poured everything into that kiss... betrayal, humiliation, heartbreak, the fear of being alone forever. For a second, he was stiff beneath my touch, his body refusing to respond.

I thought he wanted me?

Or this... Is this a mistake?

Shouldn't have come here?

Had he backed out already?

It wouldn't be too strange if he backed out. Not everyone would want a stranger to birth their child away.

Another tear fell from my eyes, then I pushed myself away in a moment of sanity.

I pulled away from him, lowering my gaze. "I'm sorry. If you don't..."

I couldn't complete my sentence. I felt something soft slam against my lips. His kiss was faster than mine, and much more experienced.

I responded eagerly... The little sanity I had was disappearing in an instant.

Then his hands caught my waist, again. It was strong and steady, dragging me towards him.

I felt myself lifted effortlessly, my legs instinctively responded wrapping around him. Heat flooded through me, dulling the pain, muting the noise in my head.

I wasn't sure what came over me to agree to this.

All I knew was that tonight, I didn’t want to feel empty anymore... I didn't want to feel unwanted and unloved anymore.

My plan was for a week... But this, this would do.

He carried me toward the bed, and as my back hit the soft mattress, my thoughts scattered completely.

The bartender hovered above me for a few seconds staring down at my messy body.

I panicked...

Was he not going to finish what he started?

But then his lips curved into a small smile and he shook his head. "You little temptress..."

He bent down and kissed my neck. Trialing kisses from my neck downwards.

I closed my eyes.

This felt... Right.

...

The bright rays of light made my eyes itch.

I looked away, but it didn't go.

But the second I opened my eyes, I was hit by a huge headache. I had to close them back immediately.

"Argh..." I groaned, then I tried to bring my hand to hold my head.

...it didn't work. It felt like as though my hand was being held down.

I opened my eyes again, my eyes swept across the room I was in.

It was... Big, and beautiful... it didn’t look like belong in a bar or a cheap hotel room.

I remember that I was at a bar...

For a second, I thought I was still dreaming... until the mattress dipped when I shifted and silk sheets slid against my skin.

Silk?

My eyes snapped open, all the drowsiness disappearing from my eyes.

"Where the fuck am I?" I harshly yelled, turning around.

The headache was still there... It clouded my memories, but I struggled to remember.

What happened yesterday...

I had caught John, my boyfriend, and Polly... Someone I thought was my best friend kissing. And they had no remorse.

Then...

I went to a bar,

I saw Polly's Instagram post...

The bartender...

My heart began to race.

I was so drunk and tired. I actually thought of something stupid that night. The bartender had agreed to it.

He was supposed to have sex with me... Multiple times for the next few days.

"How the fuck did I ask him to do that?" I groaned, squeezing my face in frustration.

I sat up, the sheet slipping down, memories crashing back all at once... his voice, his hands, the way he’d watched me like he already knew how this would end.

And...

I turned to the other side of the bed.

He was still there.

His handsome face stared back at me...

God... He was beautiful.

'Was this the same bartender?'

I didn't get to see his face before but...

No,

I shook my head looking away.

I had already done something stupid, I couldn't nake it worse by looking at his face.

I was too ashamed..

Panic crept up my spine.

I had to leave.

Hell... How could I have...? How could the bartender have even agreed to this?

No...

I couldn't do this.

Maybe it was because I was too drunk yesterday, but... I didn't want to die.

Not yet anyways.

Although I didn't have much to live for, but... John... Maybe he had changed his mind.

I couldn't do this to him.

"I have to leave..."

I swung my legs over the bed just as a knock sounded at the door.

It was sharp and professional.

I froze.

Another knock followed, firmer this time.

“Sir,” a woman’s voice called through the door. “Your schedule has been adjusted. The car is waiting.”

Sir?

My stomach dropped.

I scanned the room in a blur... my dress was neatly folded on the chair, my bag placed on top like someone had taken care not to wrinkle either...

I remember last night, he had carefully removed the dress from my body.

My cheeks became hot in embarrassment...

A flashback suddenly came to my head... How soft his lips was on mine.

Subconsciously, my hands went to touch my lips.

"Sir..." The knock came again bringing me out of my trance.

Hell...

My eyes widened.

This wasn’t casual... Or normal.

Was a bartender called sir?!

Did he have such a pretty room?

The handle suddenly turned,

I didn’t think. I grabbed my clothes and bolted into the bathroom, locking the door just as it opened.

My reflection stared back at me from the mirror... pale, wide-eyed, lips swollen with last night’s mistake.

What have you done? I asked myself, shocked at how I looked.

There were hickeys almost everywhere on my neck!

The voice outside paused. I heard footsteps, then the soft murmur of a conversation I couldn’t make out.

Seconds later, the door closed again.

Silence...

She was gone!

I dressed in record time, hands shaking, heart pounding so hard it hurt.

Then I slipped out of the bathroom. I grabbed the door about bolting out from the room when, I paused.

My eyes went back to the man lying on the bed.

We did have a deal... I couldn't just leave like that...

I returned to the room, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote.

'I changed my mind, once is enough.'

Then packed every bill in my purse and laid it nicely on the table.

It didn't seem like he needed the money, but... I broke the deal first.

"There."

I slipped out through the side door I hadn’t noticed before, the hallway stretching endlessly in both directions.

No one stopped me or chased after me.

The elevator ride down felt like a free fall.

When I finally stepped outside, the city air hit my lungs, sharp and real.

I didn’t look back.

I told myself it was just one night.

Just a mistake.

Just something I could forget.

I didn’t know then that forgetting would be impossible.