Chapter 43 They Are Here!

Chapter 43 They Are Here!
Kai’s POV

Queenie. 

Heat crept up my neck the moment my eyes landed on her name. 

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. How far gone am I already for this girl? One message and my pulse was racing like I’d run a marathon.

I swallowed, brushing aside the rush of excitement, and opened it.

The message read: “Hey… I was looking for you after the toast but didn’t see you again. I wanted to thank you for tonight. I know it was you who staged what happened to Dorothy. You made me feel better than I have in forever. Happier than I’ve ever been, honestly. Too bad we won’t see each other till Monday. How can I ever repay you for this?”

I didn’t reply. I just stared at the words for a long moment, a slow smile spreading across my face. I slipped the phone back into my pocket, the glow fading.

“Oh, I know how you can repay me,” I said softly to myself, voice low and determined as I looked down at the glittering poolside again. “I know just how.”

Minutes later, the low rumble of engines started cutting through the night air like a pack of sleek predators. 

I stood at the top of the wide marble staircase inside the condo, peering out through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. 

One by one, expensive cars rolled up the long driveway…shiny black Lamborghinis, a silver Rolls Royce that gleamed under the floodlights, a couple of red Ferraris purring like they owned the whole damn mountain. 

What followed was the slamming of doors, voices rising in different directions as the rich kids spilled out in clouds of designer perfume and loud confidence.

I felt a slow smirk tug at my lips. My heart kicked up a notch, that familiar mix of nerves and fire.

It’s go time.

I adjusted my crisp white server jacket, took a deep breath that smelled like expensive cologne and chlorine from the pool below, and headed downstairs. 

The bass from the DJ’s speakers was already thumping through the floors as I reached the main level. He was set up near the pool bar, headphones on, nodding his head while he dropped a heavy beat that vibrated in my chest. 

Lights flashed…blue, purple, gold…sweeping across the deck like a nightclub had crash-landed on this billionaire’s mansion.

The first wave of rich young masters and ladies poured down the wide steps from the upper terrace, laughing and shoving each other playfully. 

Their voices echoed off the stone walls, shrill and carefree. Some had already changed into poolside gear…tiny bikinis that barely covered anything, board shorts slung low on tanned hips, oversized sunglasses even though it was night.

Others were still in their fancy dinner outfits…girls in shimmering cocktail dresses that caught the light with every step, guys in tailored shirts with the top buttons undone, watches flashing on their wrists worth more than some people's whole family’s yearly rent. 

They clutched phones and drinks, giggling in tight clusters, the kind of laughter that said we own this world and everyone in it.

I scanned the growing crowd, eyes darting from face to face. Where is she? 

My pulse hadn’t slowed since that text. Just thinking about her made my stomach tighten in that good-bad way.

The wired earpiece tucked in my ear crackled to life suddenly.

“Kai, bar service. Young masters and ladies are thirsty. They want the ‘85 Excellence vintage out by the pool. Move.”

I scoffed under my breath, shaking my head as I pushed through the swinging doors into the sleek condo bar area. 

The bottles glowed under soft lights…rows of crystal decanters and labels I couldn’t even pronounce. 

I grabbed a silver tray that was already loaded with five delicate glasses, and turned towards the right direction.

The wine smelled deep and rich, like dark cherries and old money. 

Philip, another server on shift, loaded up his own tray beside me. He was a tall guy, maybe twenty-five, with tired eyes that had seen too many of these nights.

“Good luck out there, man,” he muttered, clapping me once on the shoulder. “Don’t let any of these rich people’s taunts get to you. They bite when they’re bored, but we need the extra cash.”

‘I bite back,’ I thought to myself as I smirked back at him, gripping the tray steady. “Oh, I’m ready.”

He nodded and headed off in the opposite direction toward the lower deck. 

I pushed through the glass doors and stepped out into the warm night air. The poolside hit me all at once…humidity clinging to my skin, the sharp scent of chlorine mixing with coconut sunscreen and weed smoke drifting from somewhere. 

Bass pulsed heavier out here. Bodies moved everywhere, dancing loose and wild under the string lights and colored spots. 

Girls squealed as guys cannonballed into the glowing turquoise water, splashing arcs that caught the light like diamonds.

I wove through the crowd, serving the first round with a polite smile plastered on my face. 

“Excellence ’85, miss?” A girl with platinum hair snatched a glass without looking at me, her friends bursting into giggles as they toasted something about “finally being free from parents.” 

I kept moving, the tray balanced perfectly even when some drunk guy bumped my elbow. I had a refill run back to the bar…more glasses, more of that deep red wine…then straight back out.

Still no sign of her. 

My eyes kept searching every cluster, every flash of dark hair under the lights. 

Where the hell is she? Did she go home after the main event? I thought she was going to be here…

Just then, a loud, sharp whistle cut through the noise…like a master calling his dog or a horse across a field. 
I didn’t turn. Of course not. 

I kept my face neutral, jaw tight, serving another group who barely noticed me. A second later, one of the other servers…a skinny kid named Marco…tapped my shoulder hard.

“Yo, Kai. They’re calling you over there.” He pointed toward a decorated canopy set up next to the deep end of the pool, draped in white silk and fairy lights that twinkled like stars. 

Palm fronds and fresh flowers framed the entrance. Inside, a low table was piled with bottles and snacks, loungers arranged like a private VIP section.

The poolside around it was pure chaos and joy. A group of guys were doing backflips off the diving board, landing with massive splashes that made the girls nearby shriek and laugh. 

Music thumped louder, bodies grinding and jumping. Someone popped a bottle of champagne, foam spraying everywhere as high-pitched laughter rang out…shrill, wild, unstoppable. 

The air was thick with it all…sweat, perfume, spilled liquor, the metallic tang of rich excitement.

I swallowed calmly, adjusted my tray, and walked over. My shoes felt heavy on the wet stone tiles as my heart hammered every now and then wondering where Alina could be?

As I ducked under the canopy’s draped entrance, the lights softened, casting everything in a warm, golden glow.

And there she was.

Alina.

But she wasn’t exactly alone. Not like any of that bothered me.

The more the merrier…right?