CHAPTER 1

As I stepped into the dull lightened bar, the heavy scent of alcohol mingled with hushed conversations going on in every corner made it rowdy and I desperately needed a drink, and the anonymity of this place offered a temporary escape from reality. I took a seat on a worn-out stool, feeling a mix of loneliness and longing.

“My usual please,” I said to James who worked as the bartender in the club.

“Hey Bails, I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?” He asks in his what I have always assumed to be an Irish accent.

James was a charming guy with loads of tattoos on his body and face, it took me a while to get used to seeing him without being frightened.

“You know I only come here when life becomes unbearable,” I say and He chuckles.

“Those types of days, right?” Give me a minute, I'll have your drink ready in no time.” He says leaving me.

As the loud music of the club clouded my ears, I couldn’t help but wonder why the club was so packed today.

“Here you go, damsel,” James says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“That was fast,” I say as I take the glass from him and raise it to my lips, savoring the familiar burn as the alcohol slid down my throat. The liquid warmth spread through my body, momentarily numbing the pain that had been gnawing at me.

James leaned against the bar, his piercing blue eyes studying me intently.

“You know,” he began, his voice low and raspy. “Sometimes life throws us curve balls that we never see coming. But it’s how we handle those moments that truly define who we are.”

I nodded, understanding the truth in his words. Life has been particularly demanding lately, with one problem after another being thrown my way with no way of solving it. The weight of it all felt suffocating most times.

“It’s just…everything feels so overwhelming,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. In fear that I might seem weak if I admit it. “Sometimes I wonder if there’s truly any light at the end of this dark long tunnel.”

James placed a gentle hand on mine, offering a comforting squeeze, and said softly. “ It might seem that way but always remember that at the end of everything, there is always light at the end of every dark tunnel and you’ll be fine at the end. You got this. Time heals even if it seems like it’s taking an eternity.

Thanks, James” I muttered, a hint of gratitude in my voice. He nodded understanding my need for isolation.

As I sipped my drink, a stranger appeared beside me. He had an air of mystery about him and his piercing dark green eyes bore into mine. Hesitantly, he spoke. “Mind if I join you?”

I shrugged, gesturing to the empty seat beside me. “Be my guest.”

“What led you to this bar this evening?” He asks as I fiddle with the glass in my hand.

“To forget.” Glancing at him, I continue. “ It doesn't seem like this is your kind of scene either.”

“Hundred percent true, I suppose I came here for the same reasons as well-” I nod as I take a sip from my glass and he continues.

“-mind if I know your name.”

“I do. No offense intended.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll have to refer to you as an angel.”

“Classic,” I say, rolling my eyes and he laughs.

We spent the night joking around, swapping stories, and drowning our sorrows.

“What do you say, we leave here together-” I don’t react so he keeps talking. “-just a one-night thing and we can forget it happened the next day.”

“Not interested”

“Suppose I pay you.” This piqued my interest.

I really do need the money. After all, I'm here to drown myself in alcohol because of the mounting finances that I have no way of paying.

“Consider me interested,” I say, and down the liquid left in the glass for little courage. He grins and calls James so he could pay for our drinks.

James approached our table with a curious expression. The stranger handed him his credit card and nodded toward me. “Put her drinks on my tab as well,” he said with a sly smile.

As James swiped the card, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. What had I just agreed to? But the allure of quick cash was hard to resist, especially in my current financial situation.

James gives me a worrisome glance but I dismissively waved my hand to reassure him that everything is fine

Once the transaction was complete, the stranger stood up from his seat and extended his hand toward me. “Shall we?” he asks. His eyes gleamed with mischief.

I hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether this was truly the right choice to make, but then again, life hasn’t really been fair to me. I took a deep breath, extending my hand to take his hand.

Together, we walked out of the bar into the chill night air. There’s just something soothing about walking at night.

So, where are we headed?” I asked, trying to sound unbothered even if I was mini freaking out.

“ I know a hotel not too far from here,” he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “It’s cautious and perfect for what we have in mind.”

“So do you do this every time you visit a bar?” I ask jokingly looking at him and he chuckles, shaking his head. We got into the car and he drove and parked in the hotel’s lot.

I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension as we approached the hotel entrance. Once inside, he booked us a room under an alias while I nervously glanced around.

As soon as we stepped into the elevator, there was an unmistakable tension between us. It was both thrilling and unsettling at the same time my stomach tightened with each step. The elevator ride seemed to stretch on forever until finally, we reached our floor.

It looks like I’ll be spending the night with a stranger.

I stepped into the dimly lit hotel room, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. Tonight was supposed to be different, an escape from my mundane existence. The stranger I had met at the bar seemed to promise just that.

He was waiting for me, lounging on the edge of the bed with a smirk playing on his lips. I couldn’t deny the attraction between us as our eyes locked. “So Angel,-” he purred, his voice like velvet. “ -I hope you aren’t having second thoughts about this, no need to fret, there is nothing wrong in mixing pleasure with business.”

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering in my chest. “I…I am not,” I managed to stammer, my hands trembling slightly.

He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down my spine. “Good, because I’ll fuck you so hard that you won’t be able to get up tomorrow.” He whispers. His voice dripped with a mysterious allure.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, casually tossing it onto the bed beside him. I couldn’t take my eyes off the money, my head reeling.

He smirked, reading the desire in my eyes. “This is for you, Angel. A Little reminder of our time together. But remember, it’s just for tonight.”

I hesitated, my mind racing with clashing thoughts. Should I go through with this? What would it mean for my already complicated life? But the temptation of escape was too strong to resist even if it was only going to last for a moment.

With an unsteady breath, I nodded. As he moved the money from the bed to the bedside table, I realized I was going headfirst into a challenging world of forbidden desires.

The stranger locked gaze with me and I knew that this one night was going to be the first of many more first I would never have considered in my life.

Little did I know. This was just the beginning of what is yet to come and also what will make me come out of my comfort zone facing harsh realities in which this stranger would be a trigger or a blessing.