Reena stared at him, her mind trying, failing, and struggling to keep up. She tried to process the stranger's words but she didn't clearly get the last part. "Reward, huh?" she repeated slowly, as if tasting the word. Her brows furrowed, then lifted. "So… what exactly do you want?"
He didn't answer. That silence should have been her cue to stop. For her to leave just like that without turning her back to this stranger. But instead, it made her curious. And reckless.
"Do you want me to…" She thought for a moment and reached for her handbag, taking out a lollipop, a soured one. "Do you want this?"
The stranger raised his eyebrow again, "Candy?"
Reena nodded her head, unwrapping the plastic of the lollipop, "I have these in my bag every day. You know, just in case. If I feel sleepy in the class, I need something in my mouth that keeps me awake."
"Are you implying you don't concentrate in your close but eat in class?" The stranger questioned while finishing his whiskey. He raised his hand at the bartender as a gesture of saying, 'another one glass of my usual whiskey'.
"Well, I'm not saying that I'm not paying attention. I'm just… You know, sometimes classes are boring and it makes me sleepy. So yeah. I need to eat something to keep my brain awake." She answered as she also finished her drink.
Soon the bartender came with the stranger's whiskey and placed it on the counter with a small nod. But before the stranger took the drink for himself, Reena was already reaching for it. "Let me have this. You can order another one." She exclaimed, and took a small sip of the whiskey as a test, only to wince. "Wait… The hell was that? It's…" She took another sip, testing again, "... Spicy…"
"It's a Rye Whiskey. Known for being spicy and dry. It is mixed with black pepper, cinnamon and dill. So, it can be spicy for you." The bartender explained, already getting another drink for the stranger and placed it in front of him. "Here, sir."
The stranger nodded his head slightly and drank his whiskey. "I assume you are not a spicy lover."
"Oh, wait. You don't know how obsessed I am with spicy food." Reena opened her handbag and took out a transparent pouch from it, showing it to the stranger. The pouch was filled with spicy sauce, wasabi, chili flakes, a few sour lollipops, and candy. "My whole life started with spicy food. So when I drank your drink, I wasn't expecting it to be spicy. That kinda caught me off. That's why I was surprised. From now on, I will be drinking Rey Whiskey."
"It's Rye. not Rey." The stranger corrected.
"Okay. Okay. Rye Whiskey." Reena rolled her eyes, as she continued taking another sip from the whiskey. She was already loving the spicy taste of the whiskey. "As for your reward, what do you want?"
"Guess." The stranger replied without looking at her.
"Well…" she began, sitting up straighter, suddenly trying to be very serious but ending up failing . "I have money." But there was no reaction from the stranger. So she continued. "Not a lot," she added, frowning a bit while looking for her purse in her handbag . "But enough for… you to stay, I guess. I mean I just need to rant."
Still nothing from the man. His eyes stayed on her, dark and patient, like he was watching a show unfold. Reena narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not satisfied with his silence. "Okay, not money." She waved her hand dismissively. "That's boring. Plus, I'm low-key broke."
She leaned forward, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. "A drink, then? I can buy you one. Or two. Depends how expensive your taste is, Mr. Handsome. And yes, I will buy it for myself too. Cheers with me?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. Not quite a smile. Not quite mockery. Just… a small interest. And that somehow made her mad. She was pissed for sure by now. Reena huffed, sitting back straight again. "You're really bad at negotiating, you know that?"
The stranger tilted his head slightly. "Am I?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "You're not even telling me what you want."
His gaze didn't waver. "That's because," he said quietly, "you haven't figured it out yet. You look like you know the world, Little one. You can figure it out."
Something about the way he said it made her stomach flip. Annoying. Confusing. Intriguing. Reena opened her mouth to argue but there were no words. She finished her whiskey and turned to him again, "Fine, I will… I will give you this, then."
Before the man could look at her, a soft pair of lips were pressed against his cheek, making his entire body go rigid and widened his eyes. Reena pulled back and looked at him. "This one?"
The man didn't look at her and answered with his deep voice, "That's only part of it."
That response made Reena scoff. Soon the music shifted in the club, the bass dropped harder this time, vibrating through the floor, through her chest, through her thoughts. She exhaled sharply and pushed herself to her feet. "You know what?" she muttered. "Forget this. You're too complicated." Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked straight toward the dance floor.
As she reached the dance floor, the crowd swallowed her instantly. Lights flashed—blue, violet, red—painting her skin in shifting colors as the music took over. At first, she just stood there. Then she moved. Slowly. Carelessly. With whoever was in front of her, behind her, beside her. She was just minding her own body, swaying her hips to the rhythm
The alcohol loosened her limbs, melted her thoughts, turned everything into rhythm instead of reason. Her hips swayed with the beat, her hair brushing against her shoulders as she tilted her head back slightly. For the first time that night… She stopped thinking about Patrick. Stopped thinking about Claudine. Stopped thinking about humiliation. Stopped thinking at all. Just letting the music take over her mind.
Meanwhile, from the booth, the stranger watched her. Unmoving. Unbothered. But his eyes followed her through the crowd with quiet precision.
He has other things to do. Business to deal with. But somehow, he couldn't stop, just watched her dance. She didn't belong there. And yet, she drew his attention anyway.
He could feel the cold metal behind his back, his thing, reminding him to get back to business. Do what he was supposed to do, not to watch a random stranger dancing there. But he couldn't, more like he didn't want to.
On the other side, Reena was too engrossed in her dance and didn't notice when someone stepped too close behind her. Didn't notice until she felt it. A hand on her waist. Sliding. Wrong. Definitely in the wrong way. Her body stiffened instantly. She turned around, only to meet with a man, an old man with a belly that hung heavily over his belt, not the stranger across the booth, but someone with a creepy grin. Her eyes were sharp despite the haze of alcohol. "Don't."
The man only grinned wider, leaning closer like he hadn't heard her. "Relax, girl. Let's enjoy it together." The man tried to reach her waist again.
"I said don't touch me." She shoved his hand away before he could touch her. Hard. But the old man stepped forward again, hand reaching her again like he thought persistence would change her answer. It didn't. Before he could touch her again, Reena landed a slap across his cheek, making the old man's head tilted aside.
The old man slowly looked at her, not with his creepy grin, but with reddened eyes that filled with anger. " You bitch!" The old man raised his hand, grabbing her hair, making her yelp in pain, "Didn't you come here to have fun, whore?"
Before Reena could think about kicking the old man's groin area, another hand caught his wrist, twisting it. Firm. Unyielding.
"Didn't you hear her?" The voice was calm. Too calm. Reena froze. The old man in front of her did too while he let out a yelp from the pain of his wrist being twisted. Eventually because of the pain, the old man let go of Reena's hair reluctantly. "Now get lost."
The old man didn't waste his time and disappeared into the crowd without another word. Just like that. Gone.
Reena turned around while fixing her hair. And there he was. Closer now. Too close that she could smell his cologne. The intensely concentrated, luxurious aromatic-woody fragrance mixed with his Rye Whiskey scent.
"You again…" she muttered, her voice softer this time.
He didn't respond. Just looked at her without anything in his eyes, Emotionless. Reserved. Definitely cold-blooded. But she doesn't know why, why does it excite her when he is like this. When they just met an hour ago. And suddenly, something clicked.
Reena blinked. Once. Twice. "…Oh. Now I get it." Her expression changed. Slowly. Dangerously. Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile, taking a step closer to the stranger. "So that's what you meant."
There was still no denial from the stranger. No confirmation. Just that same steady gaze, making her heartbeat quickened. "You want something I've never given before," she said, tilting her head slightly. "That's your reward?"
A pause. Then she let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "Wow. I can't believe that it took me long enough to think." She stepped closer again. But close enough to feel the warmth of him along with his cologne, close enough to make a mistake. Mistake that she never dared to do before.
"You want to sleep with me," she said bluntly, her voice low but clear. "Don't you, Mister Stranger? Is that what you were implying?"
He didn't deny it. Didn't soften it. Didn't pretend. He just took one slow step closer. And that was answer enough. "If I say yes to it?"
Reena's breath hitched. Just slightly. Not because she was afraid, but because the stranger didn't deny her. "Fine," she whispered. And before she could think better of it, she grabbed his collar, stood on her toes and kissed him.
For a brief second, he didn't move. Like he was giving her time to stop. To pull away. To change her mind. But she didn't. And that was enough for him because the next moment, his hand came up, wrapping around her wrist, not rough, but firm enough to ground her. He pulled back just enough to look at her."Are you sure?" he asked quietly.
This time, there was no teasing in his voice, only certainty. Reena met his gaze. Her thoughts were a mess. Her pride wasn't. She nodded her head without saying anything.
Somehow, her responses made him feel something. Something in his expression shifted. Shifted to something darker. Decided. And he definitely was not going to ask again.
In an instant, the stranger was already dragging her with him as the music faded behind them. The crowd blurred. The night moved too fast. And before Reena could think about the consequences of her action, they were already gone. Out of the club.
The night air hit Reena the moment they stepped out of the club. Cool. Sharp. Real. But it didn't sober her. If anything, it made everything feel clearer… louder… more dangerous. She didn't remember agreeing to go anywhere. And yet, she followed him. Step after step. Like her body had already decided before her mind could catch up.
When they reached the stranger's car, he opened the door for her, "You have two choices. One, get in and follow me. Two, get in and ask me to drop you off where you live, then forget whatever happens tonight. One minute to think."
Reena narrowed her eyes, slightly frustrated that when he mentioned he would drop her off where she lived. It's not like she doesn't want to go back, she just can't because her dorm will be closed by now. If anyone knew she went out to the club at this time, the criticism she will be facing is worse than ever. Moreover, she has no strength to jump on the wall to sneak in. So she said, "Option one."
"Particular reason?" He questioned.
"Just because. And I don't think I need to answer that."
The stranger looked at her with a hint of dissatisfaction that she was not answering his question but he was not going to let it slide in either way. "Get in."
So she did. She did get in without protesting or speaking this time. They didn't speak. Not when the engine started. Not even when the city lights blurred past the window beside her.
Reena leaned her head back, staring out at the passing buildings, her heartbeat still uneven from everything that had just happened. From him. From herself. She didn't ask where they were going. And he didn't explain.
After a silence suffocating for ten minutes, the car finally stopped in front of a hotel. Tall. Quiet. Expensive-looking. The kind of place that made her suddenly aware of how underdressed she was. She stepped out of the car slowly, glancing up at the building before looking at him. He was already walking ahead. Not even checking if she was following. As if he already knew she would. And she did.
The lobby was calm, almost too calm compared to the chaos they had left behind. Soft lights glowed from the ceiling. The marble floors reflected their footsteps. The air smelled faintly of something clean and expensive. Reena felt… out of place. But she didn't stop. Didn't question it. Didn't turn back. Not now. She was too deep to turn back.
The elevator doors slid open with a quiet chime. They stepped inside silently. And the moment the doors closed, silence filled the tiny room. Heavy. Thick. Pressing.
Reena leaned back against the mirrored wall, crossing her arms loosely as she exhaled. She could see him through the reflection. Standing there. Watching her. That same unreadable expression on his face. It made her restless.
"Do you always stay silent and stare like that?" she asked, her voice softer than before.
He didn't look away. "Only when I'm thinking."
"About what?"
A pause. Then he continued, "You're surprisingly dense when you're drunk.. Especially when you are with someone you don't know. Reckless."
Her breath caught. Just for a second. But it was enough. Before she could respond in her sarcastic tone, he stepped closer. Slowly. Deliberately.
In an instance, Reena felt her back press flatter against the mirror as the distance between them disappeared. Too close. Way too close. Close enough that she could feel his warmth. Close enough that her pulse started betraying her.
"You know, you still have time to walk away," he said quietly. But his hand had already lifted. Brushing lightly against her jaw. Not forcing. Not stopping. "But it seems like you don't want to. "Which makes this even more interesting, Little One."
That… that response annoyed her. His calm, control, and mocking tone. Like he expected her to hesitate. But Reena didn't hesitate. She was as excited as he was.
So without a further word, she grabbed his collar, and kissed him. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It wasn't a careful kiss. It was a messy kiss. Hungry. Reckless. Everything she had been holding back all night finally spilling out at once.
And for a brief second, he didn't move. Like he was giving her a chance to stop, to pull away, to regret it. But she didn't, and that was all he needed.
His hand slid to her waist, steady and firm, pulling her closer as he kissed her back, slower, deeper, more controlled. The contrast made her head spin. The elevator kept moving. But neither of them noticed, didn't care to even realise.
Soon, the elevator doors opened, and they barely broke apart. Just enough to breathe. Just enough to move.
The hallway stretched ahead of them, quiet and empty as the stranger practically dragged her away. Reena followed him, her steps slightly uneven, not from the alcohol anymore, but from everything else. Every second felt heavier. Warmer. More real.
The closer they got to the door, the louder her heartbeat became. This was it. The point where she could still turn around. Still say no. Still leave. But she didn't.
When the keycard beeped and the door unlocked, they stepped inside.Reena gasped slightly when she saw the view of the city unfold before her. It was floor-to-ceiling windows. Lights stretching endlessly into the night. Everything looked small from up here. Distant. Like the world couldn't reach them. Like nothing mattered.
Reena barely had time to take it in before her back hit the closed door. A soft thud. His hand came up beside her head, pressing against the door. Not touching her yet, but trapping her there anyway. Her breath hitched as he leaned in slightly, his gaze locked onto hers, to close that she could feel his hot breath on her lips.
"Last chance," he murmured. "Say no, if you don't want this. Or…" He paused, leaning closer to her lips, "Say yes if you want this."
She should have thought about it, should have hesitated, should have remembered everything she stood for. But instead, she whispered, "Yes, I want this."
Without giving him another chance to talk, she grabbed his shirt, pulled him down, and kissed him again. But harder this time. Certain. Unapologetic.
She knew exactly what she was walking into. What kind of risk she is taking. But— She wasn't in her usual composed state right now. Now she is just a normal girl. A girl went through a heartbreak and was about to sleep with a stranger who she met an hour ago.
She knew she would regret this tomorrow. But tonight? She chose not to care.