Chapter Four

It takes me more than a second to gather my bearings; so apparently Aaron has just saved me from having alcohol poured all over me, and he still has his hands on my shoulders while he peers deeply into my eyes.

"Are you alright?"

I'm tongue tied, hyper aware that literally everyone that saw a drink get thrown at me is starring at us.

I nod my head, yes, to tell him I'm okay. But he still holds onto me. And I don't think I want him to let go just yet.

His presence is far too intoxicating, his eyes too mesmerizing, his scent too mouth-wathering.

My hands on his chest are clutching his extremely soft t-shirt, and beneath the mushy material I can feel his hard body all around me.

It's almost like I'm in some type of trance, a trance that breaks when Aaron looks past me, his eyes suddenly going cold.

Gently he moves me to the side, next thing I know he's standing face to face with my harasser, who instinctively shrinks back.

He actually has to look up to meet Aaron's harsh face.

"I see you're still getting into trouble." Aaron says this like he knows the guy.

"Man, this isn't what it looks like, she came at me first-"

Again Nadia is all up in his face. "Shut the fuck up, you fucking started this."

Aaron briefly glances her way.

Both of the blonde guys friends come up to his side, they instantly start to plead on his case to Aaron.

An average height man wearing glasses, dressed very professionally in a two piece suit, goes up to Aaron and whispers something in his ear.

Aaron seems to contemplate whatever this man is telling him.

When the man is done whispering to him, he listens some more to the blonde guy and his friends.

"It really was an honest misunderstanding-"

"it's never going to happen again-"

"Swear to god, she started it-"

He holds out his hand, instantly ending their rambling.

"You're done, you and your friends. I don't want to see you here ever again."

"You can't decide that-"

"I just did." Aaron States matter-of-factly.

"You do buisness with my family." Blonde guy States. "You wouldn't want to offend my father."

Aaron doesn't look like he gives a fuck. "Try me."

"I won't let you just kick-"

Again he cuts him off. "Alec," he calls to the man in the suit.

"Yes sir?"

"Have security escort Mr Price, and his friends out." Aaron begins. "Make sure to have his access to both the bar, restaurant, night club and hotel revoked."

Alec nods his head, taps on the bluetooth device on his ear as he speaks to who I presume to be security.

At this point the boy looks like he might burst into tears. I actually can't help but feel bad for him as about four buff bouncers emerge and escort he and his friends out.

Tk and Imani appear just then, worried looks on their faces.

"Omg, Nadia are you okay?" Tk begins to access his sister. "Some guy told us that somebody had thrown a bottle at a black girl. Was it you?"

"No, it wasn't a bottle- it was a drink he threw, and he threw it at Yasmine not me."

Tk's eyes are as round as saucers as he looks my way.

"No way, what happened?"

Before Nadia and I can say anything Aaron interrupts us.

"I sincerely apologize. The young man who threw his drink at Yasmine has been a nuisance since the night club opened." He starts. "For personal reasons I didn't kick him out soon enough, I'm afraid I'm to blame."

No way, he owns this night club?

Apparently Tk is thinking the same thing, because he asks Aaron this exact question.

"Yes, I and my partner own the night club." He stretches out his hand and flashes a dazzling smile as he introduces himself, and I swear Tk, Nadia and Imani look like they might combust at any minute.

They all shake his hand excitedly, and when it gets to my turn he hold on a little longer than necessary.

"Yasmine, it's a pleasure meeting you here."

Is it? I want to ask. Cause the last time we met it wasn't a very pleasant encounter.

"Do you guys know each other?" Imani asks, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

Aaron nods his head. "Yasmine and my sister are very good friends."

"Oh, how nice..." Imani coos, she looks like she's seconds away from literally throwing herself at him. "Girl why didn't you mention Aaron to me before?"

Why is she suddenly talking like she and I are friends?

Nadia seems to be catching unto whatever it is Imani is doing. "When exactly could she have had the time to talk to you about him?"

Imani shrugs, "well it's never too late to make friends; this is Nadia and Tk. If you were wondering why they look alike so much it's cause they're siblings, and of course you already know Yasmine, and I'm Imani, it's a pleasure meeting you."

She places a ton of emphasis on the word 'pleasure'.

"The pleasure is all mine," He gestures toward Alec, who says a casual hello to us. "This is my assistant Alec, and like I said I am immensely sorry."

Finally I speak. "You don't have to apologize, it wasn't you're fault."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I still feel responsible, to compensate would you four care to join me and my friend at our private lounge?"

Alec's eyes widens as he stares at his boss in surprise.

"Oh my gawd! Yes, yes, yes...!" Imani squeals- Yes she actually squeals-"We would love to join you."

He turns to me. "Would that be ok with you Yasmine?"

The way he says my name- with that raspy voice of his, and those soul searching eyes- it makes his question seem more intimate that it is.

Since Tk and Nadia seem to be just as excited as Imani to head to his private lounge, who am I to so no.

"it's fine by me."

He smiles. And since I have never seen him smile it takes me by surprise how hot his smile is.

"Perfect. I'll have Alec escort you guys, I have to handle something but I won't be long."

The private lounge is more like an entirely separate club. The folks here are professionally dressed, the music is low, and nobody dancing.

Alec leads us to a section were we all sit, and proceeds to ask us what we'd like to drink. "Everything's on the house of course."

At the sound of potentially free cocktails my ears perk up, but before I can order, Nadia places her hand on my thigh.

"Can Yasmine and I be excused? We'd like to use the restroom."

I give her a confused look.

"Yes, of course, would you like someone to take you there?" Alec inquires.

"Nope, just directions would be fine."

He tells us to take a turn down the hallway, and then use the last door to our right.

In the ladies room Nadia clasp her hands around mine.

"Hey, you good?"

"Yeah I'm okay."

I know she's asking cause she's farmilar with how anxious I become after being in stressful situations.

"Really, Nadia I'm good." I assure her.

"Cool, if you want to go back to your hotel just tell me okay? And we're out."

I thank her, extremely grateful that she's watching out for me.

"Aaron Ashgroove, huh?"

"What?"

She fans her face dramatically. "That man is such a dreamboat..."

"Yeah, he is."

"Woah, isn't his father like SUPER rich? His family is into Oil right?"

I tell her that I'm not very certain how exactly the Ashgrooves made their wealth. And instantly she

on her phone googling.

"Yep." She confirms. "Oil money, wait and his brother is Angel Ashgroove? Like the Actor?." She puts her phone back into her purse.

I nod my head. "Yeah and his other brother is Archer from the Dallas Eagles."

She looks at me confused.

"Hockey." I elaborate.

"Ohhh... okay wow so the whole family's famous and or rich. So you and Aaron ever dated?"

To say I'm flabbergasted is an understatement. "What? No!"

"Hooked up?"

"Jesus Christ, no Nadia. I barely even know him, why are you asking."

"Because he was looking at you like either you guys had fucked in the past or are intending to."

No he wasn't, yes he was being nice to me but it's just because he's probably trying to make up for being such a jerk the last time we met.

"Just to clarify- he's ain't your man?"

"He is not my man, we have never had sex in the past, nor do i plan to do so in the future."

She seems to be relieved by my reply. "Well good to hear, cause you know Imani wants him, right? And she's gonna be all over him when we go back, guess I won't need to check her."

Nadia might not need to check her, but I definitely want to. Imani's behavior is downright embarrassing.

She's leaning into Aaron and her already short dress is now riding so high her thigh I think if I look really close I might just see her crotch.

Her hand trials up and down his arm, as she tells him something that seems to light up his eyes.

Well he seems to be enjoying himself.

Nadia nudges me. "Told you she was gonna be all over him."

There's a black man who bears a striking resemblance to the actor, Regé-Jean Page, and Tk is engaging him in conversation.

When we arrive at the booth, Aaron instantly fixes he's gaze on me as he makes introduction.

"Ladies I'd like to introduce you to my buisness partner Marvin sailor."

Marvin stands up to shake Nadia's and my hand, he's just as tall as Aaron and his handshake just as firm.

He does something similar to what Aaron had done earlier, he holds on to my hand a tad too long.

A wry smile on his lips.

"So you're Auroras friend..."

i don't know what he means by that, cause its not a question he's asking. It's a statement.

"Marvin." Aaron says, his tone of voice chiding.

He let's go of my hand and sits back down. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you." I reply taking a sit next to him, away from Aaron and Imani. Nadia plops down next to me.

I look around the room, trying me best to avoid Aaron's peering eyes on me. I don't understand how he can be sitting with Imani but still look at me.

"So Yasmine..." Marvin starts, "Do you live around Manhattan?"

Imani shakes her head. "She's actually a Texas girl."

I don't like the condescending way she says Texas. What's wrong with Texas?

Nobody else seems to pick up on it, so Marvin just goes on. "Oh really, a shame cause I'm having my engagement party on Saturday I was hoping Aaron could bring you, when do you head back home?"

Once again Imani answers for me. "She's going back tomorrow, but maybe Aaron can bring me to the engagement party."

She says this and gives him a very suggestive look which he ignores.

Casually with flick of his wrist he signals over Alec.

"Please, have a waiter attend to us."

"Right away sir."

Our waiter is a cute Asian guy with ink black hair and a noise piercing. He listens to everyone diligently and doesn't bother taking notes of our orders, even though we've just listed Six different drinks, with imani's being the most complex.

When she's done listing off what she wants and doesn't want in her drink- the list being quite long and obnoxious- she goes back to throwing herself at Aaron.

And that's how the night goes, Imani telling Aaron that she likes his tattoo, and that she's got one somewhere were she's sure he'd like to see.

His responding smile to that is pure wicked, the man is just wickedly fine. I watch him casually run those long, elegant fingers of his through his delicious hair

Never in my life have I ever thought of a man's hair as delicious.

And I'm not the only one he has an effect on cause through out the night, women pass by our booth. With the excuse of 'congratulating' Marvin on his engagement.

Then they stay behind and unabashedly flirt with him, one of the ladies: An up- and -coming actress in a new N*****x hit series gives him her number, as Imani shoot daggers at her.

Through it all Aaron is unfazed, he's so cool in fact I'm very taken aback with his reaction to Micheal lee.

Micheal lee the Asian waiter, who casually strikes up conversation with me. "So sorry to be a bother." He says, after handing me my drink. "Are you Yasmine Daniels."

"Guilty."

He looks flustered, it's quite cute to see. "I and my brother have been watching you since we were in high school. This is so cool, you're like so awesome."

Now it's my turn to be flustered. "Thank you so much."

It's always a pleasure when I get to interact with subscribers.

"I'm Micheal lee." He shakes my hand.

"Nice to meet you Micheal."

"I'd ask you for a selfie, but I'm still on the clock." He looks genuinely sad.

I tell him that it's no problem, and I can just sign an autograph. He brightens up at the idea, and hands me a ruffled piece of paper, and a pen.

"I know you got a lot of shit about you're stance on WOKE hollywood remakes, but I totally feel you on that." He takes the paper and stuffs it into his pocket.

I smile. "Really, good to know someone doesn't hate me for that video."

"Fuck anyone who disagrees, hollywood needs to start catering to minorities- and lame remakes isn't gonna cut it."

Finally a subscriber who gets it! "Exactly the point I was tryna make."

He seemed satisfied with my approval. "So I'll be in Texas by the weekend, and I was wondering if you could maybe show me around, could I get your number."

Not happening.

As cute and intellectual as this guy is years of being in the content creating buisness has taught me that no matter how nice and innocent a subscriber looks you never give them your number.

Because then the most normal and innocent of people might become creeps.

I open my mouth to politely decline, but Aaron sneers.

"Leave."

Micheal and everyone in the booth is stunned. "Sir-."

"Fucking leave, NOW!"

And just like that the menacing Aaron I met in Auroras cabin is back.

Micheal doesn't argue, he just goes. Marvin tries to deflect the situation. "Man chill out-"

"What the fuck was that?"

He looks about ready to explode, even Imani has moved away from him.

Nadia throws me a questioning look. And Tk looks very uncomfortable.

Marvin tries to reason with Aaron but it doesn't seem to work.

"I want him fired!." Aaron tells Marvin.

No this isn't right. "You can't do that?" I say. "He didn't even do anything wrong."

Aaron pretends not to hear me and insteads signals Alec over. "The asian waiter who served us, tell management to drop him!"

Alec looks like he wants to ask questions, but decides against it.

"I don't understand what did he do?!" I cry.

"Flirted with the guest, that's what he did. He broke company laws." Aaron responds.

"He didn't flirt, he's just a subscriber who was being nice."

"Yasmine..." He pinches the bridge of his nose, agitated. "Do you know how many famous people The Basement host on the daily? if he can't handle himself around a YouTuber, whose to say what he'll do around an A-list celebrity?"

I am so tired, there seems to be no reasoning with him. I can't sit here knowing that I'm partially to blame for Micheal loosing his job.

I stand up to leave. "I'm leaving, have a goodnight everyone."

I don't turn back, even as I hear Tk and Nadia call after me.