Chapter 22 CHAPTER 22
ALINA'S POV
I moved to another floor then. Another hallway. The Eden Suites this time— the romantic fantasy suites. I was previously at the Inferno floor, the “fetish wing.” Reason why everything was so dark and raw. With nowhere to sit!
Eden Suites was different. Smelt different, plus I could properly see what was ahead of me. The Control board most importantly. It was the first thing I looked for. Before I ordered the drinks that is.
Lots of it.
"Bring it all out!" I ordered, ready and brewing with hot annoyance. My rage cooking slow. "He wants to blacklist me from a wing? Control what I do?" I grabbed two glasses, "Well good luck with that!"
I threw them back immediately. Eyes squeezing shut as I swallowed. The burn. "More!" I still let out, gasping. Breath short as I pushed it all back down. Wanting some more.
The bartender gave me a look on the third refill, his stare questioning but he let me be after spotting my automatic pass. The gold insignia. And I gobbled down those shots like there was a time limit. Which there was. To prove, 10 minutes into my display I got the spot on the control board again.
"Orders," the bartender simply said, retracting my glasses. Making me wonder just how they were communicating in the first place. I mean, was there some kind of special communication link they all had but I didn't? I worked here too, I should have one.
Or maybe...that bastard refused to let me have one. He refused to let me have what I rightly should have, just so he could continue policing my movements and actions for no reason!
The audacity he had.
The audacity to treat me like some toy!
I took all of his bullshits during the day, did my job, just because I actually had use for the opportunity this project gave. The money, freedom! But he...he couldn't take the hint. He couldn't stop behaving like a maniac or called himself to order!
I mean what the hell was this right now? This behaviour of his.
Chasing me all over the place like some kid who didn't get a proper childhood!
I moved to another wing. Again.
The third one in a span of 30 minutes! He had me moving all over the place like I was bloody lost and confused!
I may as well be, seeing as I chose the damnation section itself. The real damnation. The Deep End, where it was VIP invite-only zone.
The actual place where I shouldn't be, shouldn't be speaking to people, but let's see. Let's see what he had to say now.
I headed straight for the main lounge as soon as I reached the wing. Walking past men and women casually sipping expensive as shit wines, their clothes following the dress code but different. More put together and somehow appropriate. Everywhere calm. Collected. The music a slow jazz in the air, like some serious damage wasn't going on behind the booked doors of the wing.
But most of all, the bar was different.
No control boards.
I smiled as I saw that. All my roaming around finally feeling worth it. "The one place he can't possibly control to some extent." I said to myself, grabbing the bobbling glass of wine given by the bartender.
Game boards scattered all over the place. The female players, naked.
As in complete.
There were males too. Naked. Just a collar with the gold insignia bright on their neck.
No one would dare touch them with that on, they were just a tease.
"Nice," I commented, sipping my drink with a slow smile. My feet finding a spot to relax and just wash off all that anger that could've ruined my night left for one human being.
But I didn't even take few moments to relax before I felt him yet again.
This time in person.
"I see you don't listen," he mused behind me, coming up to the front. Just enough for his features to enter my line of sight. A smirk on his lips. Proud. For his activities tonight, no doubt.
My expression instantly became sour. Completely and utterly sour. Bitterness clinging to the throat, mouth. The sweet taste of wine now all trash and ridiculous to even hold onto now.
"You should try not to stare so judgmentally." He said, settling beside me. Sipping his drink as we stared down through the glass wall. "They're still people, not demons. They're only horny, which you are not above, Consultant Alina."
Consultant Alina?
Not above? What was that supposed to mean exactly?
I scoffed in disbelief, rolling my eyes for at least the hundredth time tonight. Anger sitting hot in my belly.
First, he tried to pick around at my lack of 'loosening up' at the beginning of the night, then questioning my outfit, which I'll have you know was a black lace bodysuit, a full body leather coat and high knee leather boots. A proper fit. Next, he went on to speak about my 'usefulness' on the floor. Or the lack of it rather, wanting me to go spend the night in the cold, uncompleted Seraph wing that I was managing. And now. Now, he wanted to talk about my 'bodily' functions??
Me being horny? Not above it??
Can this man be more in my face right now?!
I boiled.
"You know I have to ask," I turned to face him. Fully. Delivering his 'wish' cause clearly that's what he's been wanting all night.
My attention.
My hands crossed on my chest, features unimpressed and doing my hardest not to throw him down to this floor with nothing but my hottest glare!
"Do you wake up everyday, thinking of new ways to annoy me? Like you wake up and first thing on your mind is how to disrupt my day. To look for me all over the place just to get that 'morning dose of coffee' Night, in this context. Night dose of coffee."
"Look for you?" He repeated, like I'd said the stupidest thing. "First of all, I'll have you know this building is mine and as such I can go wherever I want. Including here you're standing right now."
"But do you have to though?" I cut in, pressed. "Do you have to stand here, besides me. Right now."
"You make it sound like I want to be near you."
"Seems so to me."
"Then you have some clarity issues." he retorted, unfazed. "I'm here to stare down at my business below. In case you haven't noticed, these glass walls here can be used to view the area below. The lounge on all other sections. You'll know that if you're attentive enough and not just watching and judging people. You're not even supposed to be here. Hence, you're the one who wants to be close to me right now."
What?
"Oh my God," I chuckled in disbelief, looking around us. Feeling like I was losing my screws in my brain just listening to him right now. My anger level rising. The others around, oblivious to the explosion that was to happen here soon.
"You really think yourself something special, don't you? Think you're so irresistible and-
"I am irresistible," he bragged, cutting me a smirk. "If I wasn't you wouldn't STILL be standing here. Would you?"
"I am not standing here because of you. I was here before you came in for crying out loud!"
"Yeah, right."
What?
"I was here before you came in." I insisted hotly, closing in on him now. "I was standing right here. No. I was over there at the game board, then I went for another drink, went to check out the spot on the other side of the room, came back to this spot, faced these damned glass walls and minding my business before you came lurking around my ears like some ghost on Christmas eve! I was here before you came in!"
"Whatever, Consultant Alina." He drawled in response, as if too lazy to give me my blast a proper response. "Whatever."
Whatever??
Consultant Alina?
He kept calling me that recently. Which was my rightful title I know, but from his lips all I heard was mockery!
"I am not consultant Alina," I warned, my anger doubling over. "Stop calling me that."
"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow, taunting. Facing me fully now, that stupid arrogant ass smirk practically liting up his face. "You're no longer a consultant? I thought you said I should attribute more respect to your position in this place?"
"Respect. Not calling me by my title every second you get." I spat, teeth grinding. But he only got more amused.
"You see now you're confusing yourself." He mocked, chuckling. Green eyes sparkling with mischief. "How do you want respect without being referred to by your own title? Isn't that the first step towards showing respect? Consultant Alina?"
Cons-
Arghhhgggggg!
Whatever.
Fucking bastard!
He'll only keep turning things around to infuriate me even more! He was enjoying this. He most definitely does.
While I boiled with unseasoned anger, he laid back and watched me act out. Like some sick puppet show!
"Are you thinking about me right now, Consultant? You quite" He muttered, smirking arrogantly for some reason. My distaste increasing to impossible heights, if there were any still left.
I was disgusted.
Felt disgusted just staring at that smirk. The words, argh!
"You wish, air head." I spat, putting down my glass with a thud. Surprised it didn't crash. A glare on my face as I turned around. Leaving the bastard to smirk at himself as much he wanted.
Stupid Roman.
Stupid Oxygen.
Stupid Job!
I wished I could just resign right now and be done with all of these!
I stormed off. Heading back down to the main ground floor, the bar there. Where Mark was the bartender. And upon seeing me, smiles graced his face. A drink coming right up.
"Tough night?"
"Worse," I drowned the shot, cringing for the hundredth time tonight as I swallowed. The burn doing its job to rise above all else I was feeling, but still it wasn't enough. "I need something stronger."
Mark arched a brow, "Slow down there, drinker. That's your 19th glass tonight, and unless you don't wanna be taking off that precious coat and getting that ass drilled by two dildos at once, I suggest you take a moment. Breathe."
Oh.
Dildos. I wouldn't like that, not two at once. But wait hold on, 19th glass?
I've had 19th glasses of alcohol/wine?? What the hell was the time???
Oh, this place was wrecking me!
"You and the Boss though," Mark teased, still pouring me another glass. His eyebrows wiggling suggestively. "What's that, huh?"
"What's what?"
"Oh c'mon, you know. That's not nothing. You're practically in each other's face. All the time."
I blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice and then some more. "W-w-what? In each other's faces?"
Mark paused, features unimpressed. "You've appeared on the board thrice tonight. With official signal. How do you think that came about?"
"Official signal?" I repeated, frowning in confusion. "What is that? I only got to know about the board tonight."
Mark moved then. Closer to me but facing the electronic board above him. Pointing. "See the other name below yours? Notice the lack of red lines underneath it, unlike yours?"
I stared at it, and sure enough there was no red lines underneath the other name. But there was on mine. 3 lines.
"I see it,"
"Good. That's official signal, straight from the boss." Mark finished,
adjusting back to his normal position. "He's been the one sanctioning your drinking. Normally anyone will stop for the night, but somehow you didn't. Instead, you added 17 other glasses to your list! But most of all, you're still in the building and not outside it. That's the main point."