Paradise 69

8

THE ADDRESS WE GOT from the local girls could be glimpsed from afar. There was a walkway of tiki-torches placed along the entire passage. There was a tall muscular man standing by the front door.

"This is David of Michelangelo."

"What?"

"Oh, apparently Giuliana's hormones are racing. That's all."

"Let me get information from him."

There were many people on the beach. Almost all of them were in bathing suits. A few of them are dancing. Others are drinking. Couples are on the sidelines. There is a guy with long braids hitting on wooden Hawaiian drums.

Giuliana comes back about a minute later. She motions for the three of us to come closer.

"David of Michelangelo said that only people with those glowing in the dark bracelets are allowed in the VIP area."

"What was that girl's name? Lexy? She never mentioned anything about glowing in the dark bracelets."

"How are we going to look like in front of all these people if he doesn't let us through?" Adrianna glances over her left shoulder.

"This will be terribly embarrassing!"

"Hang on!"

I turn around and approach Giuliana's David of Michelangelo. Adrianna, Giuliana, and Vittoria follow me.

"Excuse-me sir. We would like to speak with-"

David of Michelangelo silences me with a wave of his hand. Muttering something in his language to someone through a wrist microphone.

I lean towards Vittoria and whispers in her ear.

"Is he speaking Persian?"

She shrugs at me without taking her eyes off him. A few seconds goes by, and he waves us in. We stop by another security guard. This one asks us to show our I.D. Then, a third security guard asks us to step forward, and to spread our arms wide open. He runs a metal detector device through our bodies.

"I wonder why this place is heavily secured?" I ask while glancing around. But the sound of the loud music, and the base mutes my voice.

This place is huge. The lights are out with colored spotlights. Sofas in almost every corner of the room, men dressed in suits. Girls with glaring-short dresses. It looks like one of those exclusive places where you serve champagne and shot drugs. Maybe...just maybe I have seen too many movies!

"I bet they'd pay bars of gold to get your virginity." Vittoria approaches me from behind and speaks in my left ear while looking at this one particular guy.

"You're bluffing!" I get away from Vittoria, and approach Giuliana and Adrianna.

They are standing by the counter of the bar. Giuliana is about to pay when a man suddenly shows ups. He approaches us from the shadows.

"Don't accept anything from them." He leans towards the bartender. "I'll pay for these young ladies!"

We all turn around together. We find ourselves in front of a man in a black suit. He's too wonderfully good-looking. A flashy watch on his wrist. He has the impression of being an important person. He's got a diamond earring in one ear.

"Thank you, sir. But there is no-"

Giuliana gives me a nudge with her elbow.

"Thank you for being very kind to us. It's not every day that I get to meet a gentleman like you."

His grin widens, and he reaches over, and runs his thumb down her cheek and across her lower lip.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Giuliana Giuseppina. What is yours?"

"My name is Karim Shamil." He glances at me and Vittoria. "Who are they Ms. Giuseppina?"

Giuliana glances at us, and then back at him. "They are my friends."

"Very well! Well. Come, let me introduce them to my friends!"

We follow him. He welcomes us in a room on the second floor. There are the same tables and sofas upstairs. There are tables full of fruits, dishes that seem to come out of a five-star kitchen.

We approach the sofa that was in the center of the room. There are three men talking, and drinking. They look up at us, and smile.

"Gentlemen, I present to you these beautiful ladies!"

The guy sitting in the middle exchange glances with me. His jaw drops when our eyes meet. Holy cow- he's so young. So young and attractive, very attractive. He's tall, dressed in a fine suit.

Adrianna, Giuliana, and Vittoria don't take five minutes to throw themselves on alcohol with the other guys. The guy sitting in the middle of the couch gets up and approaches me.

"Please. Help yourself at the buffet." He points towards the wall. He is holding a glass with a drink inside. I smell his breath. Alcohol.

It takes a moment for me to find my voice.

"I'm not really hungry at the moment."

"Would you like any refreshments?"

"Um-no."

"What is your name?"

"I'm Scarlett." I look at him, and he holds my gaze steadily, impassive.

"Scarlett..."

"Scarlett De Santis." My heartbeat quickens. Why? Is it because of his overwhelming good looks? Or it is because of the way his eyes are blazing at me? Or is it in the easiness my friends all jumped into the other guy's arms?

"What is yours sir?"

Your size...no not size! I want to know your name! What is your name?

No one should be this handsome. The temperature in the room is rising, or maybe it's just me.

"My name is Sam Mijan." He runs his long, graceful fingers through his dry disorderly hair. "But you can call me Sam."