Damaged

9 | sweet disposition

We go to the bar in the edge of the club and I order six shots of tequila for us, three for each one. I look around and realize how much i've missed coming here,  how much i've missed going out clubbing in Manhattan and having fun in the city. I feel the music make the floor tremble and I watch the people moving on the dance floor, their actions commanded by the music.

I breathe in the air, the charged atmosphere making me feel awake and alive under the ever-changing lights of the club. I turn back to the bar and start fishing out my wallet.

"It's on the house!" The barman shouts over the music and I smile at him.

I put some salt on my hand and on Ava's and we each grab a shot glass.

"Cheers!" She says and smirks. I lick the salt from my hand and we clink our glasses. I quickly pour the amber liquid down my throat and feel the familiar burn. I grab the slice of lime and bite on it afterwords.

I feel exhilarated and smile at Ava. We repeat the process with the other two glasses and i'm pleasantly surprised that she's keeping up. When i used to come here with other people I always drank more than them to actually feel drunk and buzzed.

"Come on, let's dance!" I grab Ava and drag her to the dance floor.

People part ways for us and we stop at the middle of the crowd. I start moving my hips to the beat of the song, getting lost in the lyrics.

Sweet disposition
Never too soon
Oh, reckless abandon
Like no one's watching you

I rake my hands through my hair and start feeling the alcohol running through my veins, numbing my senses down and making my mind swim with the flow of the song. The beat becomes more intense and i close my eyes.

A moment a love
A dream aloud
A kiss a cry
Our rights
Our wrongs

I let my hands roam my body as I dance to the silky voice playing through the speakers. I throw my head back and feel the thrill of the shots combined with the club's atmosphere and the electrifying music. I open my eyes and my gaze lands on the bar where a dark haired man is staring at me.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I mutter incredulously. 

The man on the bar is none other than Mr Clarke and I laugh at the irony of the situation. I came to the city to escape a certain man and i happen to find him in the fucking club I went to do the escaping.

I look at his face and the way he's wearing an astonished expression, his eyebrows pulled together with confusion and surprise. I'll give him something to be surprised about.

Without breaking our eye contact I start dancing sensually, touching my hips, my breasts and my hair. I discreetly lower the neckline of my dress, revealing more cleavage as he continues looking at me. I lower myself to the floor and then stand up straight again, watching as his green eyes darken with lust and become almost black. I throw my head back and feel the music making my body vibrate with it's intensity. I close my eyes and revel in the feeling of Mr Clarke's stares, allowing myself to smile.

I feel a pair of rough hands gripping my hips and I feel the person's warm breath on my neck, making me uncomfortable.

"You look so fucking hot dancing, baby," I tense as I hear the strangers drunken voice, the smell of alcohol reeking from him.

"Get your hands off of me," I say as I try to remove his hands from my hips and fail to do so. I try again and the man tightens his grip, making me whimper.

"Oh no darling, we're going to have some fun," He pushes my body against his and I feel his erection against my back. I struggle desperately, trying to get away but the man has a iron grip.

"Get away from me!" I shout pathetically. I feel the man snaking his hand down my leg and into the interior of my thighs and I start screaming.

"If you don't remove your grimy hands from her in the next second, you're going to seriously fucking regret it." I watch as Mr Clarke tries to control himself, his white knuckles clenching and unclenching as he looks at the man.

The stranger lets me go, and as i'm walking towards Mr Clarke he slaps my behind making me gasp.

"Fucking bastard," Mr Clarke shouts and hits the man square in the jaw, making him fall to the floor. He punches the man again as he's lying down, making blood squirt from his nose.

"Come on," he grabs my hand and leads me away from the dance floor. We cross the dark club, snaking between the people inside. Mr Clarke opens a door and we enter the smokers' area of the club which is outside. I breathe in the cold air and try to calm down.

He leads us towards a bench and we sit down, my bare legs touching the cold wood.

"Thank you," I say to him fervently and watch as he takes a pack of cigarettes from his pocket with his eyebrows still frowned. He places the cigarette between his lips.

"You don't have to thank me, Luna" I watch as he lights the cigarette and inhales the smoke, then proceeding to exhale it slowly into the air.

Encouraged by the alcohol still running through my body or the adrenaline of what just happened, I delicately grab the cigarette from his rosy lips. I watch as his green eyes follow my movements and then stay on my mouth as I bring the cigarette to my lips. I inhale and exhale slowly, just like he did, and then hand the cigarette back to him.

"You shouldn't do that," He says, eyes dark and still staring at my lips, "I'm your teacher, and you're way too young anyways."

"You just saved me from being raped," I retort back. He shakes his head in agreement pensively, it's obvious after everything that happened that he's not only my teacher anymore.

"What are you doing here?" He looks at me curiously.

"What are you doing here? And how old are you anyways?" I test my limits with the question and wait to hear his response.

"Came here with friends. And I'm twenty six, I actually can be here," He laughs and shakes his head at me, finding it amusing.

"I'm with a friend," I answer him, "But i don't know where she is right now."

I suddenly become worried about Ava, i haven't seen her since i saw Mr Clarke in the bar. What's his first name?

"What's your first name?"

"Alexander," He rakes his hand through his hair and lights another cigarette, this time offering it to me. Alexander Clarke. I like it.

"Nice to meet you, Alexander "I say and smile at him, "I'm Luna."

"Pleasure to meet you Luna," He laughs at me and we shake hands. I suddenly shiver from the cold and he takes of his leather jacket, draping it over my shoulders. I smile, thanking him.

"I'm still your teacher, you know," His eyes slighlty dimmed and his eyebrows pull together. I notice as he inches away from me and I clear my throat.

"I know that Mr Clarke. I've got to find my friend," I tell him and stand up, "come on."