02.Stranger in the bar

            Mia Miller

I stepped through the bar door, my eyes frantically searching for Charlotte amidst the crowd. My hands trembled, and my heart pounded in my chest.

There aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe everything I'm going through.

I scanned with my eyes and finally spotted Charlotte in a corner of the bar.

I fought against the tightness in my chest as I made my way through the bar's corridor, trying to focus on the flashing lights, which seemed to try to calm all the pain within me.

"Mia, are you okay?" She approached and hugged me.

"Charlotte…" My voice could barely sustain the pain engulfing me. "He… He was with her."

I hadn't even sat down yet, and I began recounting every detail.

My words escaped amidst sobs, anger and hurt overflowing with every syllable. Her embrace was a safe harbor at that moment. The weight of betrayal settled in my chest, turning each breath into an effort.

"Everything I believed to be solid has crumbled, Char. I trusted him so much… and her, Fallon. She was there, arranging everything… our wedding, as if nothing had happened."

My voice faltered, my hands trembled. Everything inside me was in shambles. Trust, hope… all torn apart by the most devastating betrayal.

"I don't even know how to face this. How will I move forward?" Tears streamed incessantly, the lump in my throat suffocating me as words barely managed to express the pain.

"I can't believe it. They really did this to you?" Charlotte was outraged. "How could they?" She slammed the table.

"Yes," sighed Charlotte, not without frustration. "I wanted to surprise, and ended up being surprised. Betrayed by the two people I trusted. I was about to lie down with him."

"I'm going to kill that girl and that wretched man!" she exclaimed. "I always told you he wasn't any good, him and that fake blonde wannabe, I can sense the malice in people, Mia."

As she vented her anger, I recalled the times when Charlotte also seemed to have a certain animosity towards Fallon. It seemed like more than just suspicion, something I always interpreted as rivalry.

"You're right," I muttered, shifting my gaze to the ceiling.

I sat beside her and asked the waiter to serve me the strongest drink available.

"In fact, I was certain this had been going on for a long time. Behind my back… I remember once, a strange situation. We were all at a party at Fallon's house, and I walked into the room and saw them conversing differently," I recounted to Charlotte.

"Stupid!

"Was it because I didn’t want to sleep with him before the wedding?" I lowered my head.

"Mia," she slapped me on the shoulder, "Are you crazy? Stop blaming yourself. Even if you gave her everything, sex isn’t everything, believe me, I know."

The flashbacks invaded my mind remembering the intense looks exchanged between them.

 The tension in the air, something that seemed beyond a simple conversation. 

Every time he questioned things, he said I was crazy.

They acted so naturally that I began to doubt my perception at the time.

That memory has now echoed in my mind, solidifying my suspicions. It was as if everything was falling into place, confirmed by the scene I seen in the apartment.

Everything I dreamed of... never existed.

As the strong drink ripped my throat, everything inside me burned. That shot fell like a blade, rage consuming me, and I wished to forget.

The pain and frustration mixed with the burning of the drink, and I just wanted everything to go away.

"Mia, that’s enough drinking," Charlotte took the glass out of my hands.

"I called you here to drink," I took my glass back, looked around the bar, and then looked at Charlotte. "I’ll let you decide how my night ends. If I have to put the glass down, will you help me find someone?"

"You’re not serious," she smiled as she stood up from her chair.

"I have nothing to lose, I saved myself for nothing," I declared with a completely determined look.

It was then that I felt someone approach us.

The voice echoed seductively, commanding my attention.

"Can I sit next to you?" The woody scent made me turn.

I faced the man leaning against the counter next to us. He seemed to be about six feet tall, with a perfectly defined jawline and a stubble that left me speechless.

I kept my eyes fixed on the ground for a moment, trying to hide the intensity of my nervousness. I touched a strand of my light brown hair, aware of its presence.

But, the man seemed so confident and so at ease.

While composing myself, I noticed subtle details of his appearance: 

His hair was unkempt but stylized attractively and his shirt was fully lined.

 He was on another level. He was strong and handsome like I had never seen before.

For a moment, I forgot I could be in love with Collin.

"Hi?" my voice came out hesitant, my mind working quickly to find the right words.

"Do you want to get out of here?" her deep, soft voice whispered in my ear, a proposal full of mystery.

I tilted my head, forcing a smile to hide my nervousness. My eyes met his, and for a moment, I got lost in the intense blue of those eyes.

I felt like there was only us there like everything else was gone.

Still trying to find the words, I nodded, agreeing silently. 

He seemed to understand, a smile forming on his lips as he waited for my response.

He appeared to be a mature man in his thirties and was the most handsome.

I had never seen it in my life. I confess.

The way we looked at each other.

It seemed that at any moment, he would undress me with his gaze.

"Yes," I whispered.

Charlotte gave me a questioning look.

Before I could say anything else, she discreetly pulled me aside and stared at me.

"Mia, this is not the kind of man you want to get involved with. Don't do this," she murmured quickly.

"Why not him? Do you like him?" I smiled. "He’s hot. I need details." She looked at me seriously.

"Of course not. I just don't think it's the right time."

"Look at me, Charlotte," I held her arms. "My life is a mess, and I won't deny the hottest man I've ever seen all this time."

I didn't give myself the luxury of thinking.  I just grabbed the mysterious man's hand and followed him to the parking lot.

And there I was, feeling like nothing else mattered after that betrayal.

After he opened the car door.

 I sat in the passenger seat next to him, and immediately his hands slid down the length of my thigh, touching the inside.

My body wanted him, and he would be my first man.

I was tense and nervous, but I wouldn't let him find out.

He was analyzing me, his eyes traveling over every inch of my body.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Mia," I observed the luxurious car around me, "Mia Miller. And yours?"

"Ethan."

"Aren't you going to tell me your last name?" I gave a sideways smile.

"That's the least important thing right now. What matters is what I want with you."

His thumb caressed my face delicately, and waves of desire coursed through my body. It was like something electric; I couldn't stop wanting him inside me.

His hands moved to my waist and pulled me towards him. It didn't seem like we would have time to leave that car. His temperature was extremely hot, something I had never felt before.

Her caresses became more intense, and her kisses that started on my neck were now on my chest.

I had received caresses before, but they never aroused the desire I felt today.

At least losing my virginity to a stranger would never hurt me. I wouldn’t see him again.

Our tongues teased each other.

 And he had an extremely hot body temperature.

I didn’t want to wait, I wanted him. I barely knew his last name, and that was better.

With one hand under my dress, he looked at me.

"Are you sure you want that?" he arched one of his eyebrows.

"Yes, I am," I murmured between moans.

His hands skillfully got rid of my dress and panties. Something about him looked extremely different from the other men.

What was wrong with this guy?

Without wasting time, he positioned my body over his, making sure I was in control.

At that moment, I was in the parking lot of a bar having sex with a man I met less than an hour ago.

It was incredibly good. He took me to heaven without even taking me off the ground.

This wasn’t the usual Mia Miller.

But today, I would do anything.

I just didn’t know how much tonight would change the course of my life.