CHAPITRE 2

Sasha Jones Morales

“Hmm? Who is this Ella?”

My eyes stay focused on my phone, I'm too shaken to respond to Ethan directly.

“Sasha?” 

"It's my best friend. Finally she was”

“Your what??” He almost chokes “I’m your best friend”

"Of course it's you Cadwell. She was before you and I met."

"Why did you never tell me about her?"

I sit cross-legged before turning towards the mongrel.

"She went to study at Yale. I was supposed to go with her but I chickened out."

"You got accepted to Yale????"

I furrow my eyebrows and punch him, he groans while I take offense.

"Could you avoid looking so surprised?"

"Sorry. It’s just that it’s Yale, he replies, massaging his shoulder."

"Don't worry, I'm not offended, I cheated"

He rolls his eyes and I sigh just thinking about Ella

"Why do I get the impression that you're not super happy that he's coming?"

"I'm. Well almost…"

He raises an eyebrow and I continue

"She is a perfection incarnate. She is rich and she is beautiful. Well, thanks to me since it wasn’t really like that in high school. She's super intelligent, she has everything going for her and she's a sweetheart."

"What's the problem then?"

"The problem is that we have rarely spoken in the last five years. She doesn't know where I am in life. I had recently learned that she had graduated from Yale with honors and that she would soon join the family empire. Do you see the level there or not? I'm a waitress in a bar and I'm struggling to pay fifty thousand dollars a year for school."

He nods and I run my hands over my face.

"If she's your friend like you say, she won't judge you for your life choice. Not all of us are lucky enough to be born with a golden spoon in our mouth."

"It's not even his judgment that's the problem. It's me, seeing her, I'm really going to realize that I have a shitty life"

"Don't say that Sasha"

I sigh and get out of bed, I have to get ready for class

"Are you asking your handsome guy out for coffee today?"

" Shut up Cadwell, I really deserve better than asking a guy out for coffee"

"It’s funny that you say that but you’ve been talking to me for a month about the shine of her hair and her mysterious look…"

"You dreamed of all this dear friend, it must have been a hallucination"

"Avoid yeah"

"Yes, I can't wait to see my handsome brunette again who I called Jack in my head. And I will soon add you to my hunting list"

"I'm going to put this in, what do you think?

I hold up a black straight dress with a jacket of the same color in front of him, he smiles at me before approving.

"There is no outfit that will fail you."

I smile and take my outfit with me as I go to the bathroom.

…………

All that for this? This class is the one I like the least and it’s the only one I share with Jack so that in the end he is absent? Live my life.

History of Design no but who cares seriously.

"Excuse me miss, am I bothering you? This is the fourth time you have yawned."

"Excuse me ma'am but shouldn't you concentrate on your class instead of counting my yawns? I'm pretty gloomy"

She looks at me open-mouthed before resuming her lesson. We're not in high school anymore and there's no punishment she can give me. Especially considering what we pay to put our asses on these chairs.

My phone vibrates and I pick it up to check my message

From +55498….: Nine thousand today, does that tempt you?

I take a deep breath, nine thousand is a lot and if I accept I will have made eighteen thousand dollars in less than two days. I rarely have the opportunity to do so much in such a short time.

Moi: At what time?

I lock my phone and try to concentrate on this boring class.

……

I came out of my last class quite tired, I love this school but the classes are really intense. We draw, we work on solid materials trying to make something beautiful out of them, we work on software that will allow us to create models or prototypes much more quickly.

"Hey Sasha!"

I turn around, trying to remain as calm as possible, my helmet held tightly against my chest.

Brandon. Again.

"it tells you to-"

"No thanks."

He is rich, very rich like everyone who goes to this school, he spends his time trying his luck with me while he represents everything I hate.

"You don't know what you're missing, my darling."

"Oh if I know exactly what I was missing", a boring sex session devoid of any orgasm.

I roll my eyes and leave the building. I hate these stupid rich kids

I go down the marbled steps one by one and reach my motorbike which I climb over without wasting any time. Every time I do that people give me bad looks, it's a bit frowned upon especially since they all have expensive cars with drivers. But my school is only twenty minutes away and my motorbike allows me to go faster in a city that is mostly congested.

I start and drive quickly towards the big apple.

I arrive home quickly and I am surprised to hear the sound of the TV. I put my keys on the counter and walk towards the living room.

You do not work today? I ask, discovering Ethan on my couch.

I did not go. He replied in a hoarse voice.

I frown at his intonation and stand next to him. He has red eyes and a ton of tissue next to him.

"You are sick?" I ask, trying to hide my disgust. I hate being sick.

He shakes his head and I start to get a little scared. And it doesn't take me long to figure out what's going on.

"Dylan?"

"He dumped me."

He sniffles and I pick him up.

"I hate men, I growl", stroking his back.

"Me too". He responds against my shoulder.

He stands up before trying to recompose himself. I look at him a little worriedly and he places his hands on my shoulders.

"I want to go to ZENITH"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No, but I still want to go."

ZENITH is one of the most popular nightclubs in New York. If he wants to go there it’s because he wants to forget Dylan in the most extreme way possible.

"Ethan…"

"Please Sasha."

"I'm about to answer but my phone vibrates again."

From +55498….: Seven p.m

I close my eyes and respond by typing quickly on my keyboard.

 From me: I can't today

Nine dollars is absolutely nothing compared to the well-being of my friend

ZENITH here we come.

…………….

ZENITH CLUB 23H12

We arrive at the club around 11 p.m., there's definitely a lot of atmosphere this evening but I'm not really in the mood. She's coming back tomorrow, what can I tell her? why is it me she’s calling after all these years.

Ethan goes to say hello to a few friends and I walk away towards the bar, the music is much quieter on this side, I can tolerate the deafening sound of the nightclubs only after a few drinks.

"Hello Sasha"

"Hello bartender". I respond, leaning on the bar, "a martini please."

He prepares my cocktail as I look around the room. Ethan is talking with some nerdy friends but I have the impression that he has already found his sex party for the evening. He is really too strong unlike me.

I turn my head towards the other end of the bar and catch a glimpse of a man, a glass of vodka in his hand and his eyes glued to his touchscreen tablet.

"Who is it?" I ask the bartender as he places my glass in front of me.

"I don't know, I've never seen him"

Me neither and I know the faces of everyone who frequents this club.

I suck on my drink straw while looking at him. He wears a very classy tailored suit and his brown locks fall over his eyes. Everything about him is perfectly clean and neat, just like the watch on his wrist, which I can easily guess costs at least one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

And strangely I feel like I've seen it before somewhere.

"Sasha"

I turn my head towards the bartender who hands me another cocktail, I frown but he answers my question before I have time to ask it.

"It's the guy over there who sent it to you"

I turn back to the handsome guy and he raises his glass to me before focusing on his tablet.

Of course , as if I were going to have a drink offered by a stranger.

I get up and walk towards him and the details of his physique are revealed to me despite the low light.

"No thanks". I let go, sliding the glass towards him.

He takes his eyes off his tablet and almost falls, it's so magnificent.

He's really handsome, so handsome that I'll be ready to let him have children with me right away.

"Excuse me?"

Ok it’s okay this arrogant little guy doesn’t deserve to touch me

"You're the third person tonight, you got your free drink."

He shrugs his shoulders and goes back to fiddling with his tablet.

My mind is boiling so much I think there must be smoke coming from my ears.

"I can pay for my own drinks, and I wasn't staring at you."

"Oh please," he replies rolling his eyes with a smile on his lips, "It doesn't matter you know you won't be the first or the last-"

For the first time he really looks at me and I cross my arms against my chest waiting for him to finish his sentence.

He licks his lips and I raise an eyebrow before smiling.

Obviously.

"Now who is staring at who?"

"I'm not staring at you"

"Of course yes. But don't worry, you're not the first after all." I respond by imitating him.

I finally sat down next to him before taking the drink he allowed himself to offer me.

"I knew it", He blurted out in a condescending tone, surely thinking that I was going to consume her.

I bring the cocktail stick to my mouth and slowly remove the olive with my tongue before biting into it.

I turn my head towards him and our eyes immediately meet.

"You should stop staring at me like that, it’s scary." I let go, running my thumb over my bottom lip.

"But I-"

"Hm?"

I hate being bullied, so I always find a way to pass the buck. I work like that.

He smirks as if to hand me the victory and he is so attractive that I begin to reconsider the idea that he might impregnate me one day.

"What's your name?"