Chapter Two

NOAH’s POV

The bass thumped through my chest, pulsating with the flashing lights that cut through the darkness. The air was thick with anticipation, mingled with the scent of sweat and a hint of cologne.

Colorful strobe lights dart across the room, illuminating a sea of bodies moving in unison on the dance floor, lost in the rhythm of the DJ’s hypnotic beats.

I sat in the bar section lined with an array of vibrant cocktails, their hues casting a subtle glow.

I leaned back at the bar, nursing a whiskey, letting the burnt orange heat slide down my throat.

My gaze drifted over the crowd a sea of bodies swaying, grinding, wrapping around each other. But none of them held what I was looking for, that elusive spark I couldn’t quite name.

“Tsk! Not good enough” I muttered under my breath sipping another handful of the burnt orange liquid that heated me up.

“Ciao, bellissimo(hello handsome)” A raspy voice cut through the music as heels thudded in front of me. I glanced up, spotting one of the women I’d noticed earlier.

 Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she took the seat beside me and ordered a drink, casting me a slow, inviting smile.

“I saw you staring” she gave an alluring look like she was begging for something I had.

“Oh, my apologies.” I returned the smile, though it barely touched my eyes. “I was looking for something… or maybe someone.”

“So, did you find what you’re looking for?” Her long slender arms reached for my chest, tracing on it with her fingers seductively while she bit her lower lip.

“No unfortunately, I think I might have to go back to her” I downed the rest of the whiskey in a single gulp.

“Your girlfriend?” Her tone was curious, but I was already losing interest.

 My eyes scanned her from head to toe again, taking in her tight lace mini-skirt and strapless top that barely held her curves in place.

She had brown eyes, wavy dark hair falling over her shoulders close, but not close enough

“But she has hazel eyes-.” I thought to myself racing back to the image of the woman I was looking for in another person. “Close enough, I reasoned, allowing a bitter smile to tug at my lips.

“Do you want to leave here?” I asked instead changing the subject. Her eyes lit up because it meant we were about to hook-up which I knew she was getting at.

She wasn’t the first person that had approached me since I stepped into the club and I turned all of them down because they didn’t match the description I was looking for however this lady was the closest I could find.

“I’ll use my imaginations I guess” I scoffed inwardly at my pathetic self.

The lady who’s name I didn’t even know followed me eagerly out of the club.

Back at my hotel, I let her cling to me, her scent filling the air as I blindfolded her, pushing away thoughts of anything real.

The whole time I kept my mind on the woman I actually wanted, different from the one I bent over before me, fighting to keep her name off my lips as I finally let myself go, losing myself in memories and longing I couldn’t control.

The woman I had mind was someone I missed so dearly and hadn’t stopped thinking about since I last saw her.

She stood in the white dress excitedly, her cute smile making me shiver from the urge I fought to put her close to me instead. For the last three years in Las Vegas, I continued to search for her in other women but none came close.

The next morning, my phone rang, slicing through the remnants of sleep. I ignored it at first, but it kept ringing. Groaning, I finally reached over, the brightness stinging my eyes as I answered.

“Why did you take so long to pick up young man?” A rugged voice croaked through the phone, unmistakably my father’s gravelly voice.

“Ugh! I was asleep, what do you want?” I replied, blinking to clear my blurry vision.

“You’ve been fooling around enough! I want you to come back to New York tomorrow! Your flight has been booked and I won’t take no for an answer! He commanded.

“New York huh… maybe it’s time I finally went back home to see her” I thought silently.

“Do you understand Noah?” my father’s voice pulled me back to the conversation.

“Yes dad” My tone was flat, but my mind was already racing with thoughts of her. “Is that all?” I continued.

“Yes! Your brother and I will be expecting you.” My father sounded almost disbelieving at how easily I’d agreed.

The line went dead, and I dragged myself out of bed, searching for a drink. The woman from last night was gone, leaving a note beside my phone with her number and a “call me” scrawled beneath it. I crumpled it and tossed it in the trash. I wasn’t interested in anyone else other than for a temporary distraction. No one else mattered.

My heart thumped excitedly at the thought of seeing her again… my little birdie. As I reached for a drink, I could feel the beginnings of a smile creep onto my face, my mind filled with one thought, one person.

The flight back home was smooth and soon I was standing in front of my father’s mansion around noon.

“Noah!” My mother called out at the entrance excitedly while my father watched behind her. I barely walked a few steps when my mother enveloped me in a tight hug, grabbing my face and kissing it repeatedly. “I’ve missed you my baby” she exclaimed gleefully.

The family reunion was short because after a few hours I headed for my brother’s house to see her. My body almost trembling from the excitement that coursed through my veins. The more I was close to seeing my angel on earth, the more impatient I got.

I pulled up the driveway of my brother’s house. She wasn’t around as expected neither was my brother so I decided to wait imagining different scenarios of her walking in and her reaction to my appearance.

The anticipation gnawed at me as I sat in the quiet of Simon’s house, my fingers tapping restlessly against my leg. I’d waited so long for this moment, and now each minute felt like an eternity. But finally, the door clicked open, and my heart kicked up a beat, my wait was over, the woman I’ve been longing arrived.

She walked in with that same graceful stride, her focus on something else as she stepped through the door, oblivious to my gaze fixed on her.

My throat went dry as I took her in, the years apart flashing through my mind in an instant. The faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air, like a soft whisper from the past.

“Hey little birdie” I called out, my voice a little hoarse, betraying just a hint of the emotions I’d tried to keep in check.