Chapter 7
The deafening music inside the bar drowned out everything else, even the faces of the patrons, blurred by their drunken stupor.
I swayed in rhythm, my body moving to the beat under the stage lights. The men in front tossed money my way, like none of them had wives waiting at home.
In the middle of it all, my eyes wandered to the far end of the bar.
And then, I froze.
Our gazes locked for just a second, but it was enough. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing before he looked away, continuing his stride. I followed him with my gaze, curious.
It was him—Governor Hendrix, with Airon and the rest of their crew from last time.
Without a second thought, I stopped dancing, stepped off the stage, and made my way through the throng of disappointed men shouting protests behind me.
I didn't care.
I kept walking, eyes locked on the group as they ascended the stairs to the VIP room.
The moment I stepped through the door, an uproar of shouts and laughter hit me like a wave. My eyes scanned the chaotic scene—shirtless bodies, intoxicated and entangled, some making out in dark corners, others sprawled across couches.
This was their idea of fun.
I shook my head, unimpressed. But my focus quickly returned to the man I was here for.
I spotted Hendrix at the far end, sitting with a drink in his hand, his expression unreadable. I started toward him, but before I could get close, a heavy arm draped around my shoulders.
"Hey, Akhlys! Miss mo na ako?" Airon's voice slurred in my ear, too close for comfort.
The group erupted in laughter at his words. I didn’t even flinch. I shoved his arm off and took a seat near Hendrix instead, ignoring the disappointed looks from the guys.
"Oh, suplada!" Airon chuckled, sliding into the chair next to me after shooing away the person beside me.
"Bakit ka andito?" he asked, too lively for my liking.
I arched an eyebrow. "Am I not allowed here?" My tone was sharp, uninviting.
He laughed again, not taking the hint. "VIP room 'to, Akhlys. Big time ka na ba?" he teased, pulling me closer by the waist.
I shrugged him off immediately, aware of Hendrix’s gaze on me from across the table. "You pay for me," I whispered, leaning in briefly before pulling away.
Airon laughed out loud and yelled, "Wow! Sugar daddy na pala ako!"
His friends burst into fits of laughter, but my eyes were on Hendrix, who now reached for a bottle, filling his glass before downing it in one go. His indifference only fueled my determination.
The conversation around me blurred as I kept my attention on Hendrix, but then someone set down a bottle of hard liquor on the table with a loud clink.
“Laro tayo! Ang talo magbabayad ng lahat ng inumin!” one of the guys, clearly drunk, yelled.
I winced at the thought.
"Sige na, KKB na lang!" Airon joined in.
I wasn't interested, but the boys were persistent.
Hendrix, however, remained seated, sipping his drink, unaffected by the chaos around him.
"Akhlys, sali ka!" one of the guys called out.
I shook my head. "No."
"Bawal ang KJ!" they jeered, but I ignored them, my eyes once again on Hendrix. He hadn’t even glanced my way, not once.
"Ano, Akhlys? If you were given a chance to date a billionaire—"
“I would love that,” I cut in, my response earning wild cheers from the group.
“That wasn’t the question!” someone complained.
“Spare me,” I retorted, rolling my eyes.
“Andito ka lang para kay Gov, 'di ba?" another one teased, clearly aware of my intentions.
At least someone was catching on. I wished they'd stop talking to me, though. My goal was right there—Governor Hendrix.
"Naku, may asawa na yan si Gov! Ako na lang landiin mo, walang sabit!" one of the guys said, trying his luck.
“You’re not my type.” My eyes flicked briefly to him, then back to Hendrix, who still wasn’t looking at me.
"He’s just better looking by one shower than me!" the guy persisted, drawing more laughter from the group.
I held back a smile. Dreams are free, after all.
"Let’s start," Hendrix’s deep voice cut through the noise as he refilled his glass.
My eyes widened. Was he actually joining?
“I’ll join too!” I quickly said, not wanting to miss this chance.
The men cheered, thrilled at the prospect.
“Anong lalaruin natin?” I asked.
“Shot or strip!” the drunk guy laughed, clearly delighted by his own suggestion.
I frowned. “Anong klaseng laro ’yan?”
He gawked at me. “Seryoso ka? You work at a bar and don’t know this?”
I rolled my eyes. Was this required knowledge to be a stripper now?
“Explain it,” I said, my tone flat.
“It’s like truth or dare. The bottle points at you, you either do the dare or answer the question. If you can’t, you take a shot or strip.”
My jaw dropped. “That’s the game?”
Before I could say more, the bottle was spun, and it landed on Airon.
The group erupted into howls of laughter.
“Malas mo talaga, Airon! Twerk ka sa gitna ng lamesa!”
Airon’s eyes widened. “Gago ba kayo?”
"Dali na!" they egged him on.
He shook his head. "I'll just drink."
"KJ!" they all booed, but Airon didn’t care as he downed the shot and spun the bottle again.
This time, it landed on Hendrix.
“Hendrix!” they called out.
“What?” Hendrix asked, his tone indifferent.
“Kumanta ka ng 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!'"
The entire room burst into laughter, me included.
I watched Hendrix, waiting for him to respond. Instead, he grabbed his glass and took a shot, his expression never changing.
Typical.
The game continued, but when the bottle spun again, it stopped right in front of me.
“Akhlys!” they yelled, voices full of excitement.
“Fine,” I sighed.
There was a brief huddle of whispers, followed by a loud suggestion: "Mag-make out kayo ni Airon for five minutes!"
“What?!”
I gaped at them. Of all people, Airon? Sure, he’d kissed me before, but in front of Hendrix?
"No way!" I said quickly.
Airon nudged me. "Mabango naman hininga ko, promise."
I shot him a glare. "I’ll drink!" I grabbed the glass and downed the shot, the burn stinging my throat.
Laughter filled the room as I placed the glass down.
"Sayang, akala ko maghuhubad na!" one of them teased.
The bottle was spun again, and once more, it landed on me.
I groaned.
“Tanggalin mo ng pantalon si Airon!” another guy laughed.
I closed my eyes, exasperated.
"I'll drink," I said with as much patience as I could muster, taking another shot. The alcohol burned its way down, and when I opened my eyes, the room was spinning.
Everything was blurry, but I could still make out Hendrix across the room. He was finally looking at me.
The bottle was spun again, and, of course, it stopped at me.
"Talagang ikaw, Akhlys!" they teased.
I sighed. "What now?"
“Pumatong ka kay Hendrix hanggang matapos ang laro.”
I froze, my eyes darting to Hendrix. He was glaring at me now, his gaze hard.
"I-I'll just drink," I stammered, grabbing the glass and downing it in one go.
The room tilted as the alcohol hit me hard. My vision blurred even more, and my head felt like it was splitting in two.
"You’re drunk," a voice said beside me.
I looked up, squinting through the haze. It was Hendrix, standing over me.
When did he get here?
I giggled, swaying slightly. "You're cute," I muttered, poking his side.
His expression was one of pure exasperation. "Jesus."
Before I could say anything else, his hand gripped my arm, and he started pulling me toward the exit.
“W-wait,” I protested, stumbling as the room spun faster.
He ignored me, his grip firm as he guided me out of the chaos and into the quiet night outside.
I groaned, feeling queasy. “Gov, nasusuka ako.”
He didn’t stop.
“What’s your address?” he asked, his voice steady.
I blinked up at him, confused. “Huh?”
“Your address, Akhlys,” he repeated, more firmly this time.
I laughed. Why did he need my address?
We reached his car, and with one swift motion, he opened the door and practically shoved me inside.
I grabbed his arm before he could close the door. "Wait."
"What now?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
I grinned, poking his side again. "Ang pogi mo," I said, my voice slurred.
Hendrix sighed, running a hand over his face. "Jesus Christ."