1. The Mysterious Bartender

"One... two... three!"

The sexy, long-haired girl spun the empty beer bottle lying flat on the bartender's table.

Tonight, she wanted to spend the night with one of the three handsome men surrounding her with hungry eyes.

The guy in Black, the guy with Narrow Eyes, and the guy with the Soft Voice.

Kia couldn't remember their names at all, thanks to the alcohol that had nearly taken over all her brain functions. So, she named them based on her subjective judgment. A whim.

The beer bottle began to spin, and Kia giggled as one of the men kissed her neck with burning desire.

"Stop it, Soft Voice! No touching unless you’re the winner," the beautiful girl in the tight black dress yanked at the hair of the man who cheated by making an early move.

Kia smiled at him and then brushed her lips. "If you win, then tonight, I’m all yours," she whispered seductively. "You can do whatever you want with me, darling."

Ah, yes. She wouldn’t lose either way.

All three men were incredibly handsome, and Kia just wanted to have fun tonight. Forget Alex--that bastard--Guntoro, who dared to leave her to marry the woman his parents chose!

'Just wait, Alex. I'll send you a photo of me with the guy I sleep with, and let’s see if you still go through with marrying that slut!' Kia fumed inwardly, her anger burning hot.

Kia then turned her attention back to the beer bottle still spinning on the table, but its movement was starting to slow down.

Finally, the glass bottle stopped moving.

Kia tilted her head, feeling confused when the mouth of the beer bottle pointed toward...

...a man in a bartender’s uniform standing behind the counter, locking eyes with her.

Kia’s perfectly arched eyebrows shot up. "Wow," she said with an amused smirk. "Well, looks like we have a winner."

The guy in Black looked the most upset among the three disappointed men. He reached across the long bartender’s table to grab the collar of the bartender’s white shirt. The alcohol seemed to cloud his judgment as he lost to someone he deemed insignificant.

"Say you won’t accept this lady’s offer," the guy in Black growled at the bartender.

The bartender only gave a lazy smile, then deliberately looked Kia up and down, from head to waist, as the rest of her was hidden by the table.

"Sorry, but only a blind and insane man would turn down such a tempting offer," he said with a grin. "I accept your offer, miss."

The guy in Black's anger flared even more at the bartender’s words, as if ignoring his warning. Cursing loudly, he swung his fist at the bartender.

"Aarrgghh!!" A scream of pain echoed, followed by the sickening crack of breaking bones.

Kia blinked in shock at the scene before her. Since when did the bartender have the guy in Black’s face pressed against the table, his arm twisted in a powerful hold? The bartender moved so fast that Kia didn’t even see it!

Strangely, not a single club employee or security guard tried to intervene, even though the guy in Black clearly needed help.

"Don’t touch me, unless you want to lose the use of one of your hands," the bartender muttered threateningly into the guy in Black’s ear as he grimaced in pain.

"Okay. I give up, please let go... it hurts so much," the guy in Black pleaded, now the one caught in a vulnerable position.

But instead of releasing him immediately, the bartender raised his head and looked at Kia. "What do you think, miss? Should I let him go, or should I break his arm?"

Kia raised her eyebrows high, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you just ask for my opinion?" she asked to confirm.

Her posture only emphasized her chest, slightly spilling out from the low neckline of her dress, revealing a flawless cleavage as white as milk.

The bartender's grin widened as he enjoyed the sight before him. "Yes, I’m asking for your opinion."

The bartender's raspy, deep voice sent a shiver through Kia's stomach. Her throat suddenly felt dry, especially when she locked eyes with him again.

The long-haired girl cleared her throat softly, trying to shake off the strange sensations in her heart. 'It’s just the alcohol,' Kia told herself.

"Let him go," Kia said firmly after a moment of silence to regain control.

The bartender nodded slightly, and soon after, he released the guy in Black. His two friends, Narrow Eyes and Soft Voice, helped the unfortunate man to his feet. It didn’t take long before the three of them left, under the gaze of the club’s patrons who had witnessed the spectacle for free.

Kia watched the three men leave, clicking her tongue softly. Cowards. Didn’t they have any intention of defending their friend’s honor? Usually, friends would stand up for each other. Or maybe it was just her confused mind thinking that way.

Kia jumped when she felt someone suddenly standing beside her. It was the bartender, who had effortlessly leaped over the counter and was now looking at her with a sly grin.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Show-off," she muttered, making the bartender chuckle.

"So, what now, miss?" he asked, the remnants of a small laugh still lingering in his voice. "Shall we head straight to the hotel, or would you like to have a few more drinks first?"

Kia leaned her elbow on the table, resting her face on her hand, and looked at the man in front of her with a curious gaze.

"Who are you really?" she asked, intrigued, then reached out her other hand to touch the man’s face. Her finger traced his temple and down his cheek, then over his sexy, curved lips.

"You're too handsome to be just a bartender. Hm... do you also have a side job as a gigolo?" Kia asked enthusiastically.

She had never met a gigolo before. And if this man really was one, it would be her lucky day. A gigolo would definitely know how to satisfy her desires.

The man caught Kia’s playful fingers that were teasingly zigzagging down his chest, making his blood race. Then, still gazing into Kia’s eyes, he kissed her fingers.

"I belong to you alone, miss. I’ll be anything you want me to be," he said, deliberately repeating the words Kia had earlier said to Soft Voice.

Kia laughed at his response. "Handsome and funny. Ah, you’re just perfect, darling." She then slid off her bar stool, standing so close to him now that she could smell the faint but masculine blend of musk and woodsy notes. A scent she found quite pleasant.

The girl stood on her tiptoes to whisper to the bartender because of the significant height difference between them. "Take me away from here, take me as far as possible... where no one can find us."