PROLOGUE

(Tamara's POV)

"Tamara, the party hasn't even started and yet you've already drank a lot!" My dearest friend, Celyn, scolded me gently.

It was true. This is her bridal shower and the party hasn't begun yet but I was already drowning myself in drinks.

"So, what? After all, you're rich, Lyn! Johann is rich, too! You can pay for every drink I'll take this night!" I answered lazily.

I knew I was already really drunk and dizzy.

"Well, Tamara, that's not my point. I'm all willing to pay for whatever drink you want to take right now because it's my party, charge everything to me! My sentiment is you’re going to drive yourself back home after this party, aren’t you? How can you drive properly when you’re too drunk!” She continued as if she was my mom.

I just shrugged my shoulders. Unbothered. "Whatever, Lyn. You invited me here, and I'm your best friend so let me be!"

I was unbelievable, wasn't I? I just attended this party and yet I had the guts to act like I own this place and this night! Well, I guessed this is the perk of being somebody's best friend!

"Of course, you're my best friend, so, you have to be thankful!” she responded with a silly grin.

I chuckled. "Haha, that's right! Love you!"

“If you weren't just my best friend, I would have thrown you to the Pasig River ever since a long time! Haha, love you, too, Tamara!" she humored back.

We just shook our heads while laughing. That’s how our friendship goes, and that's how we bond. We joke around a lot, and we love to laugh together. Yes, sometimes, we may have had misunderstandings in the past, but we never let this beautiful friendship down. It always remains forever, and we treasure it.

“Why don't you be like Yasmine? Look at her! We're already talking and laughing here, yet she still remains silent and just smiles around while listening to the two of us! Hmmm! Maria Clara as ever!" Celyn started to tease Yasmine. Our other beloved best friend!

That's one fact about Yasmine. She's always been the quiet type and just loves to smile around, no matter how noisy Celyn and I make when we are with her. She's truly the epitome of a girl who can't break a plate!

Honestly, I don't even understand how Yasmine became our best friend in the first place because compared to Celyn and me? She seems to be very prim and proper, someone who would seem not to bother herself getting around and involved with talkative people like both me and Celyn! Yas is such an optimistic girl, especially in the days we were in the university, while Celyn and I were… hmmm, let’s just say we are her total opposites! Celyn definitely the chatty kind while I was and still am, up to this day, having a bold personality.

Well, maybe, that's how it goes for some. Despite of differences, the three of us clicked to be best of friends forever. It has been years already, and the friendship we have is still solid as a rock. And now, look at them. I am proud of what they have become and achieved in this life. Yasmine’s happily married to her first love Clinton, and they have a son, and now Celyn’s gonna get married to her longtime boyfriend—Johann. Time flies so fast!

"I'm keeping quiet here just so both of you wouldn’t tease me!" Yasmine answered laughingly.

Even her laughter seems to sound like a giggling angel. No wonder why Clinton is so in love with her!

"Yes! Yasmine knows that you will be the one to treat us tonight, Celyn, that’s why she’s silent!" I continued, grinning.

"Of course, it's my party! It’s not that I’m going to make you pay for my bridal shower, right? Duh!" Celyn snapped and rolled her eyes.

We all laughed again.

We are in a high-end bar at the moment, but my friends and I are inside an exclusive party room—a very classy and daring-ambiance place, suitable for Celyn's bridal shower.

Moments later, the lights will be off because there will be a macho dancer who will come out to entertain us. This is a bridal shower that’s why there will be hunkies! Or maybe, they will entertain me just because of all the three girls in this room, I am the only one that remains single and have even no intention of marrying anybody! I feel like I’m not yet over my youth. Hello! That’s why I won’t let anyone cut the freedom I still enjoy today!

While the lights haven't been turned off yet and the real party hasn’t started, I’m going to pour myself with liquors! Yeah, I know I'm not the bride, and yet I dare to be the first one to get wasted this night!

I'd be lying if I would say I drank too much because I just wanted to enjoy myself. The truth is, I have a problem. A sh*t at home with my family. At least now that I am here in a bar, I could just forget everything, even for a while!

"Okay, girls. Get ready. The show will start in a minute!" announced the excited emcee of the party.

"Yeah, let's get ready! Can't wait!" I shouted wildly while raising my glass in the air.

Truth be told, my friends have no idea of ​​the problem I have at the moment. I decided not to tell them yet, not now. We'll have fun first, and as much as possible, I don't want to ruin the enjoyment we'll get just because of what I am going through. I know they will worry because they both care for me, so I won't say anything and keep this to myself.

I need more drinks! I feel so thirsty!

I'm going to let out my frustrations with every liquor I'll take while macho dancers aren't showing yet. And if I see them later and I like them because they can give me thrills then I'll maybe think of considering them!

“Oh, Tamara! You’re really silly as ever! Excited to have a glance at the macho dancers, huh!” Celyn kid aside.

I grinned. To be honest, it’s not any macho dancer I am looking forward to. Whoever he is, or no matter how good he can dance and entertain us, no matter how gorgeous and yummy he would appear in front of us, I’m not really interested. What I’m after with this party is complete fun and burst out of laughter I and my friends would get the moment that the real sense of the party starts! Who wouldn’t want to laugh with their friends, right?

That's it. Nothing more and nothing less. All for fun, nothing would be of any seriousness here!

“Well, I know you are more excited to be romanced in bed by your fiancé, Celyn!” I teased her back.

And she blushed! “Oh, shut up, Tamara!”

Yasmine’s cute laughter echoed in the room. D*mn! This one sounded like a giggling little pretty angel!

I looked at her, too. “Look at that! The virgin’s laughing!”

Celyn backed me up, “Right, Yas! For all we know, among the three of us here, you were the first one to have had your s*xperience with your lovey-dovey Clinton back when we were still in college!”

It was true. Yasmine may appear to be like an angel, but she was the first to have had her experience since a long time ago and that’s why she and Clinton have already an almost teenage son now.

So, you see? I may be the one to appear wild and bold in our group of friends but look— I am the one who still remains single and of have no plan of cutting ties with any macho papa in the market, at least not yet!

Yasmine blushed as Celyn did a while ago, and her ears turned red! I chuckled and shook my head. She was guilty, and she's cute when she gets hit with sexy teasings!

We screamed in a great amount of surprise when without any word or warning from the emcee in front, all the lights in the room had turned off.

“Woah! Will the show start already?” Celyn exclaimed with pressure, tittering.

She's the bride, so she's sitting in our center. I'm the one on her right side and Yasmine is on her left.

Lights around our room were replaced by disco lights.

"Girls, are you ready to see your entertainer this evening?" The emcee asked in a teasing tone while grinning at us.

The three of us shouted with loud laughter, "Yes! We're ready!"

"Then brace yourselves as our dancer will start to make your night hot, right now!"

Emcee went out of the mini stage and this area was filled with smoke and behind it was the walking sexy and gorgeous hell of a man clad only in his boxers while slow dancing.

"Ahhhh!” Celyn and Yasmine were shouting and obviously having fun as they are laughing at the top of their lungs when the macho dancer kept on grinding his hot well-toned body in the middle of the stage.

The two silly girls even covered their eyes while blushing as if they were teenagers who never experienced seeing a topless man in front of them! 

I almost rolled my eyes as I shrugged my shoulders and laughed and drank from my glass. For all I know, Yasmine had already seen Clinton all out in front of her, and the same goes with Celyn to Johann! So, why are they still screaming as if it’s their first time to see abs and muscles and rock-like chest! D*mn, they must be virgins!

I silently watched the macho dancer churn in the mid. Okay, like most macho dancers, this one has perfect six-pack abs. Tall, muscular... provocative.

What’s so surprising, after all? He's a macho dancer, so it goes that way, and he has to have a great body that women crave and is pleasing in their eyes, because who wants to see a macho papa with a big belly, short in stature, and not s*xy? So, it’s not that impressive. This man before us today is no different from any other male performer anywhere. Typical. Usual. Common.

He began walking toward us and then he stopped in front of Yasmine and danced for her.

“My goodness! Please not me! I don’t want to betray my husband! I’m already married! Huhuhu!” My dear *virgin* friend cried.

The man understood and so he moved to Celyn, instead.

“Oh, please not me! My fiancé’s gonna wring my neck!” The latter also begged.

“To this woman! You can surely dance for this woman because she’s the only one who remains single among the three of us here! No one’s gonna get angry even when you dance in front of her!” The crazy Yasmine pointed at me to be the macho dancer’s subject just because I am single and no one’s gonna be mad that a sexy man would dance for me!

“Yes! She’s right! Tamara here is the only available girl among us! You can dance for her for as long as you want and you can even flirt with her because right now she’s single!” Another crazy friend of mine added. Who else would it be—the ever talkative and energetic child-like Celyn!

I simply shrugged it off and then shut both of them up. What’s the use of scolding them? It was so obvious that they were pushing me toward that guy!

I tilted my head lazily as I took another sip of my glass and gazed at the man now standing in front of me and looking at me deeply.

Alright. I’m gonna be a judge tonight! Let’s see if this hottie here would get a grade A from me for his entertainment skills!

The tiny spotlight was directed at his face, allowing me to examine it in greater detail. He appeared to be a half-westerner, perhaps a half-Spanish or Mexican. His body is toned, and he has wet sexy lips, brownish eyes, a naturally lifted nose, and thick brows. His good looks appeared to be like a muscled cowboy star in typical telenovelas.

There's something else I've noticed while he's dancing to enchant me. He seems to be staring right into my soul. His demeanor and expression both convey extreme seriousness.

I could almost smirk in annoyance. Why would he be so serious in the middle of his entertaining? Isn’t he supposed to smile to make us, his viewers, enjoy this kind of sexy show?!

What the heck? It's like he was only forced to do his job and even hates it to core! What seriously is wrong with him?

Why, then, did he choose this work like this if he didn’t like to dance? Oh, I'm sure it's because he's short of money. If that's so, then he has to do his obligation right, no matter how he dislikes it! And not to let us see that he despise it a lot by putting that almost angry face!

"Lyn..." I called my friend while still not breaking my eyes on the man.

Celyn glanced at me. "Yes, Tami?"

"Is this really the only macho dancer the bar can afford to send for us?" I asked using an insulting tone while still staring at the macho hombre.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, clueless.

"Look at him." I pointed the man with my finger. “There's no way he can keep us satisfied, and he doesn't even seem to have enough sexual allure! He's completely plain and boring!"

Shocked, my friends widened their gazes at me in disbelief. "Tamara!"

"What? I'm just telling you my observations!" I reasoned out.

I kept staring at him while sipping from my liquor glass.

"So d*mn boring!"

The anger he feels towards my words may explain the newfound blaze in his eyes. There's indignation in there somewhere! Let him rage! I'm not pleased with him! Sorry, but I'm not amazed. What a dull guy! Look at that frowny face—it's not even thrilling! Just plain, and I don't enjoy it at all!

"What else can you do aside from dancing and plastering that smirk on your face?" I asked him mockingly.

His expression became even more aggravated and triggered. It's as if I'm about to be devoured. Honestly, who gives a d*mn?

With my stiletto raised to strike at his sturdy chest, I downed another glass of alcohol. Yes, I did just lift my foot so that my heel brushed against his naked chest.

"God! Tamara, what are you doing?!" Celyn shouted, feeling totally scandalized because of what I was doing.

"Finding thrills?" I grinned and challenged the male stripper.

I saw him take a deep breath as he looked at my red stiletto on his naked chest. He was already having trouble breathing when he caught sight of my bare, smooth thighs. There are no shorts on me, not even cycling shorts, and I am wearing a red dress. Naturally, he could see my panties with my position of sitting on the couch with one leg stomping on his chest. But I don't care!

What do I have to be embarrassed about, when I have expensive and damn sexy undies? Nothing! And, besides, I have white and fair skin from head to toe, especially on my legs, so I have nothing to be afraid of or intimidated by those deep-seated eyes of his!

My stiletto slid slowly down his chest, past his six-pack abs, and into the garter of his boxer briefs. I came to a complete halt and pushed seductively on him so that he stepped back slightly.

"Tamara, that’s enough! You're already drunk!" Yasmine, acting like a mom at the moment, caringly rebuked me.

She even tried to hold me on my shoulders but I gently raised my palm to stop her. I don’t want her to interrupt my enjoyment especially now that I'm just starting to have fun!

"What else can you do? Is that your only means of entertaining us? What a bore!" I dug into my bag, pulled out some cash, and tossed it into the man's face. "I've already paid the cost. We need you to stop being so boring and start captivating us!"

"Tamara!" Celyn also wanted me to keep silent already.

I am aware of how demeaning it was to throw money at the man. Yet, what other options do I have? I can't stand him because he's no fun to watch and totally a boring dude!

"Dance!" I kept shouting and ordering him as if I have paid even his soul just to please me and my demands.

Instead of dancing, he just stood there staring at me.

"I said, dance! We paid you here! My friend paid this bar for you to entertain us tonight so, dance!" My temper flared, and in a fit of rage, I slammed my high heel down on his body.

But still, that didn't make him move even a bit.

We shot each other hostile gazes. I got so frustrated with him that my eyes narrowed. His expression hasn't changed, he's still deadly serious. Not until I saw him grin. One hell of a sneer!

I came to a halt and felt as if all the air in my body had been sucked out of me, and I quickly lost my breath. That was the first time I saw him smirking!

"Confident enough to insult others just like that, huh?" he finally voiced out, huskily.

Suddenly, I felt so lost for words!

Just as I was about to put my leg down, he grabbed it and held it against his chest. He simply did not let my stiletto down!

"What the heck?!" I hissed at him.

He lowered his head as his tongue licked my ankle, going up to my toe and down to my waggling legs. My body turned to jelly as it reacted to his hot, mind-blowingly warm touches that traced every inch of my skin. D*mn it!

Never before have I been so swayed by a guy, and yet here I am in this bar with a man I don't even know, and I feel myself giving in as his subject of desire! I mean, with a freaking macho dancer!