Chapter 58 Cooperation
As one of Cliff's OG fan club members, Erica's presence at his show was definitely welcome. Cliff crouched at the edge of the stage to greet her, his eyes lighting up when he noticed the petite Caroline beside her—immediately recognizing her as the stunning beauty he'd had that viral moment with during his Seaside City performance.
Caroline had left quite the impression on him, and not just because of her drop-dead gorgeous looks and undeniable class. Their interaction video had absolutely blown up online—over two million likes and nearly three hundred thousand comments, bringing him a massive influx of new followers.
An opportunity like that? No way Cliff was letting it slip through his fingers.
He plucked two roses from the bouquet a fan had given him, tucking one into Erica's updo and placing the other delicately behind Caroline's ear. The white rose against her ivory gown made her look positively ethereal—like some fairy-tale princess stepping into the real world.
He continued interacting with both women, purposely creating plenty of photo-worthy moments for his assistant to capture.
Meanwhile, Maddox's car pulled up outside Bubbly Bar. Leopold stepped out, saying, "Can't stay out too late tonight. My girlfriend's sick, and I need to get back to her soon."
Maddox's lips curled into an exaggerated pout. "So you get a girlfriend, and suddenly your best friend doesn't matter anymore?" He dramatically gestured at the air between them. "How many years have we been friends? Do I need to remind you?"
Leopold shook his head. "That's different. If she weren't sick, I'd be down to hang all night. But she's not feeling well."
Maddox wasn't actually upset—he was just teasing. If anything, he was thrilled Leopold had finally found someone. Getting a girlfriend hadn't been easy for his friend.
"Just messing with you," Maddox said. "Stay for a bit and then head out."
The moment they entered, they were hit with pulsing music and the synchronized singing of a crowd of women. The electric atmosphere instantly lifted Maddox's mood.
"Hear that?" He said, eyeing the crowd gathered around the DJ booth. "That level of coordination? These girls are definitely club regulars."
Leopold couldn't care less. He found a table on the periphery, ordered a beer for Maddox and lemon water for himself—he'd be driving later.
In the dim lighting, Caroline hadn't noticed the newcomers. Cliff had made his way to where she stood and crouched down, extending his hand toward her.
Remembering their previous interaction, Caroline gave him an embarrassed smile and politely declined with a wave of her hand.
The crowd was absolutely electric. Cliff, drenched in sweat, peeled off his jacket and tossed it onto the console, revealing his perfectly sculpted physique. The crowd erupted in screams—some offering napkins, others reaching out to touch his abs. Cliff welcomed it all; this was exactly what everyone came for. He took one woman's wrist as she held out a napkin and pressed her hand against his abs, gazing intensely into her eyes as he slowly guided her hand across his stomach.
The scene was enough to make anyone blush.
"Now that's star power," Maddox remarked appreciatively.
The room filled with masculine energy, and when Cliff suddenly swept Caroline up with one arm, the screams became deafening. The atmosphere instantly shifted to something more intimate and heated.
Caroline's ears burned as she shrank back, gripping the edge of the console tightly. This level of interaction was beyond her comfort zone. She pushed against the platform, trying to get down.
Erica held up her phone, shouting, "Oh my God, don't fall!"
Caroline tried to push through the crowd to get down, but the platform was too high. Cliff looked slightly apologetic. "It's too high—don't jump."
Leopold, who had been looking down at his phone, glanced up at the sudden eruption of screams. His eyes landed on Caroline standing on the platform.
His mouth twitched. So this was why she was "too tired" to have dinner tonight?
Maddox was equally captivated by the scene, taking a swig of beer to wet his throat. He pointed toward the pair on the platform and said to Leopold, "That fan is pretty hot."
Leopold slowly turned his head, his dark eyes drilling into Maddox, who caught the glare from his peripheral vision.
"What?" Maddox asked. "You know the girl on stage?"
He'd meant it as a joke, but Leopold replied, "Yes."
"Who?" Maddox asked.
The music was too loud, so Maddox asked again, disbelieving, "Who?"
Even in the dim light, Leopold's icy fury was palpable.
Leopold set down his water glass and stood up, cutting through the packed crowd until he reached the stage. Just as Caroline was hesitating about what to do, she spotted Leopold effortlessly vault onto the platform with one hand.
Erica covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh crap."
Before Cliff could react to the unexpected guest, Caroline was pulled away. In full view of everyone, Leopold wrapped his arm around her waist, cupped the back of her head, lowered his shoulder slightly, and placed a deliberate kiss on her lips.
Caroline's eyes widened in shock as she stared at him.
Just a soft kiss, but it sent her pulse racing wildly as her mind went completely blank.
Maddox's jaw dropped, stunned by what he was witnessing. He never in a million years thought Leopold would lose his cool like that.
Cliff, a veteran of the nightlife scene, instantly recognized the relationship between them. He spoke into the mic: "And who might she be to you?"
Leopold looked down, answering smoothly, "My girlfriend."
The crowd below went wild with cheers and applause, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.
Leopold jumped down from the platform and held out his arms to catch Caroline. "Want to stay longer?" He asked. "I can wait."
Erica laughed awkwardly. How were they supposed to continue now?
Caroline shook her head. "I'm done. Let's go."
Leopold could tell she'd misunderstood. His lips curved into a gentle smile as he pointed toward Maddox sitting at their table.
"I actually came with my friend," he explained. "You two keep having fun. I'll be at that table back there."
Caroline was still flustered from being on stage. She couldn't quite meet his eyes, feeling inexplicably guilty despite having done nothing wrong.
"Go hang out with your friend," she said. "Erica and I will stay a bit longer and then join you guys."
"Sounds good," Leopold replied.
He turned and walked away gracefully. Erica let out a relieved breath. "That was terrifying. You don't think he followed us here on purpose, do you?"
Caroline knew Leopold better than that. "No way."
"How can you be so sure?" Erica asked skeptically, peering through the crowd toward the table where she could make out Leopold sitting across from someone whose face she couldn't see clearly.
"Should we stay a bit longer?" Erica asked.
Caroline had lost her patience with staying, but she'd promised to accompany Erica. "Weren't you here to support Cliff? Go ahead and take your videos. When you're done, we'll leave."
Erica nodded. "Okay, I'll just get a couple more clips, and then we can go."
Despite her words, knowing they were being watched made Erica self-conscious. Songs she would normally sing along to suddenly made her shy, and even dancing felt awkward and stilted.
"Help me get some footage too," Erica suggested. "Different angles will be good for editing."
Leopold finished his water and signaled for another glass.
Watching Caroline holding up her phone to record Cliff, Leopold narrowed his eyes dangerously, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek before letting out a humorless laugh. "So she likes that type of guy, huh?"