Chapter 11 Happy Hour

Something is definitely wrong with me or I must be getting old... too old at twenty nine. He whispered under his breath. The club held no allure for him as it usually did when he first opened it a few years back.

David had handed over the operations of the club house to one of his oldest and trusted friends while he focused on the hotels.

Abbey had not given him reason to regret his decision. They had an agreement on profit sharing, and he still is the master of his business but only few people know that. Another one of many lessons he learned while climbing the ladder of success, was to surround oneself with people of like minds, groom them, and delegate responsibilities to them. One will be surprised how much you can achieve when you delegate to people who have same vision as you. This has given him the leeway to walk freely without anyone paying him unsolicited attention but at the same time he kept smiling to the bank.

He scanned the crowd looking for her. She had told him he would be coming. It would be better for her if she didn t stand him up, he thought as she searched the crowded room. The party light made it difficult to recognize anyone. He nodded greetings at some of the regulars who have met him there at one point as he squeezed his way among the crowded dance floor. The music was loud enough to burst brains, he massaged his nape and decided to sit at the bar so that he would be easily noticed when she comes in. he was nursing a bottle of beer to kill his boredom in spite of being surrounded by the noise and partying. You know what they say about being lonely as nothing to do with your location, but it is most times a state of your heart.

"I was hoping to find you here." A female voice whispered to his ear.

Dave will know the voice anywhere. He didn t turn to face her but a smile turned the corners of his lips. And he took a chug of his beer.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I know how much you like to enjoy your evening, plus I have someone I want you to meet."

"And is that reason enough for not coming to see me often enough?" Dave turned towards his younger sister but froze when his dark eyes met with Brenda s instead.

"I want you to meet a very good client of mine Brenda Lewis"

Dave recovered quickly enough, talk of the devil. He was here to meet with Rosie, peradventure he might forget Brenda in her company, but the she-imp will not leave him be. Here he was facing the very nightmare he was running from.

He drank from his beer bottle, he stood from the stool he was perched on, using his full height to his advantage, and he extended his palm for a handshake, making Brenda tilt her head up to him because he was standing too close.

It must be a curse of some sort for her to be plagued with Dave s uncouth presence, she imagined, placing a smile on her face she choose to act invisible, maybe then God might just grant her wish and make her invisible to Dave. She met the man recently and he was already turning her ordered life topsy-turvy. She had no choice when he extended his hand to her in greeting. If he wanted to pretend like they just met then so be it. She took his hand, her smile still in place she pretended… if only she could see how unperturbed by his presence she seemed, then she would know she definitely deserved an Oscar award. "This is your brother is he not?" she blurted out without thinking. She knew Dave has a sister when they were young but they never really met. She only saw her once from a distance. And since Dave was never cordial enough to tell her anything since they met again, she did not want to say anything or even ask anything about him either.

She watched him move closer, she heard his deep voice close to her ear. "Fate must be on a mission here Brenda, don t you think?" but he said out loud "I believe I met Miss Lewis earlier this morning at the hotel."

"Ooh Yeah, you did?" The way Dave looked at Brenda was not lost on Ella

"Watch out for my brother, and don t fall for his charms, he is known to be notorious with women" Ella was looking at his brother s interested eyes but was directing her warning to Brenda.

Brenda scoffed in response. If only Ella knew.

"I believe Miss Lewis has nothing to fear, seeing as she is immune to my charms." He said with a wicked glint in his eyes, sarcasm, evident in his voice. "It is a pleasure meeting you again" he took her hand, firmly clasped in his larger one, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand.

Brenda s breath caught in her throat, she understood she was referring to their storage unit encounter. And the motion of his thumb teasing her hand was really spewing webs in her thought region. "Ahem… it is nice to meet you too" she was trying to retrieve her hand, but he was not letting go, Brenda didn t want it obvious to Ella, who was a little distracted by the noise in the club and looking around for the company they were expecting.

Dave was obviously having a field day at her expense. When she saw Ella wasn t looking on, she yanked her hand away from his clasp causing to lose her balance, she almost fell over backwards but Dave s strong hands shut out, and then pulled her close to his solid chest, his finger send a feathery touch to the small of her back sending waves of pleasure down her spine. And almost like she imagined his touch, he let her go. She knew she was a mess when it comes to Dave Campbell. She can be strict and all righteous with any other person except the hot Adonis standing before her and looking her over with dreamy eyes.

"When are they coming?" Ella asked oblivious of the intimate moment that just transpired between the two.

Who? Brenda almost asked, as a result of the fog in the form of Dave clouding her reasoning. But caught her tongue in time to reassure Ella, they will be here any minute.

"Who will be here any minute?" Dave asked her.

"Greg and Josh"

"Oh! You mean your fiancé?"

"Yes… No, Greg" She felt the need to set things straight probably because his voice sounded steely and was completely different from the patronizing voice he had used with her when she was in his arms a moment ago. And those eyes are definitely not smiling at the moment.

"Hello Ladies" Greg joined the group followed closely by one of his friends. "Sorry we are late" he announced in his bubbly manner. Greg trained his eyes on Dave "What s up Dude, I didn t know you will be joining the party too," his eyes met with Ella s "And you must be Ella, I heard so much about you from Brenda, you really made an impression."

"Oh! Thank you and it is so nice to meet you." Ella smiled up at him.

"I didn t know there was a party" Dave said through clenched teeth, interrupting the young man sizing his sister up.

"Well it s just to relax after a hard day s work. You are free to join us though." Greg invited Dave. something about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, but he has a feeling it will be a bad idea to have Dave for an enemy.

His eyes went to the entrance and saw Rosie tall form sashayed her curvy form in to the room. "Aah, Rain check, there comes my date for the night, we have special plans for the night," saying the latter part with a meaningful look at Brenda. He turned to leave but stared at Josh; sorry I don t think I introduced myself, I m Dave Campbell"

Josh held out his hands "I m Josh Richards"

"Enjoy your evening guys" he said and slipped away to meet Rosie.

Brenda couldn t turn his eyes away from His retreating back, especially when she saw the hot number of a woman, who was his date for the night.

"Should we get a seat?" Greg suggested, watching Brenda s disconcertedness.

"Sure!" She peeled her eyes away from Dave s broad back, pretending not to feel the green eyed monster breathing down her neck as Dave s company kept brushing against him in a not too subtle manner.

"I didn t know he is your brother?"

"Well, a lot of people don t know he is. And we like to keep it that way." Ella took a seat beside Ella facing Josh.

"There s something about him though" Josh said to no one in particular.

"I get what you mean;" Greg said "He has that king of the jungle look about him."

"That s my brother you guys are talking about." Ella chuckled rolling her eyes.

"Can we take Dave Campbell off our menu list for tonight and order real food?" Brenda scoffed.

Everyone laughed and the conversation moved to a safer one for Brenda