APHRODISIA

Zara's POV

The city is as lively as ever. Couples pass me by, donned in red and white, a symbol of the festivity in the air.

It's February 14th, also known as Valentine's day worldwide. They say it is a day for lovers to celebrate love but I call bullshit.

Love does not exist. Trust me, I've tried searching. Over the past ten years of my life, I have been in and out of relationships but my past partners only seemed to want one thing – sex.

Apparently, finding a relationship without sex in this day and age is akin to what the pastor in my mum's local church had used to describe rich men who wanted to make it to heaven; a camel passing through the eye of a needle.

My first relationship had been in High school, with a boy named Carter. He was sweet at first, buying me coffee and walking me home after school. One day after he walked me home, he asked to come in. He had made a move then, trying to get under my clothes. I had fought him ferociously , holding tightly on to the material of my flowy skirt.

The next day, a rumor about me being a prude who wore' granny panties' , had made it's rounds at school. I became the butt of the kids' jokes for the remaining years of High school. I was known by the names; Virgin Mary, Grandma Betty, Zealous Zara.

Of course, I wasn't bothered. I had sworn a chastity oath at the age of thirteen, to keep my bed and body undefiled until marriage.

My second boyfriend wasn't until my third year in college. He was a guy in my school's campus fellowship. I was wary of him at first but he seemed to understand my principle. I couldn't be happier at the time. He was perfect; going to Bible study with me, taking me on dates, supporting my every decision. He was perfect, until he wasn't . On one of our date nights, we had taken a walk around school and he suggested we sat somewhere for a while. I noticed a bit too late, how eerily quiet the place was. He leaned in to kiss me then and I moved just in time to have his lips land on my cheek.

For lack of better words to describe his reaction, he was livid. His face turned a ghastly shade of red as he towered above me in my sitting position. I believe his words had been along the lines of;

" How long do we have to do this whole back and forth. I know you're just pretending."

I had looked at him in pure shock. " What do you mean, I'm just pretending?"

He scoffed then and mumbled under his breath, " I should've known this was going to fail". I heard him.

" What are you talking about?"

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed in frustration . " I made a bet with the boys in the fellowship, to seduce you."

I remember my reaction then, a very comic illustration of shock; mouth opening and closing, with bulging eyes.

The memory makes me cringe.

My third and last relationship had been with Mike. Mike with the dreamy eyes and wide smile. Mike , the romantic. We almost got married, not until I caught him shamelessly rutting into another woman , a month after he proposed to me.

What was it he said? Right. " You're an amazing woman , Zara but you're too plain. You wear these hideous looking dresses and skirts and I wish you could improve on that. You're beautiful, just not enough."

That had been the straw that broke the camel's back. I didn't cry. I had come to accept my fate. Love didn't exist. Just a bunch of hyenas wishing to take advantage of the word.

That was yesterday.

Today, I had decided to take my fate into my own hands. The priest that had led the vow of chastity had said, we could find love if we kept ourselves pure. He lied.

I look up at the tall building in front me. The first step to my metamorphosis. After tonight, I'll no longer be Grandma Betty or Virgin Mary. Tonight, I'm giving it all away.

I walk into the first clothing store I sight. The attendant, a bubbly young woman walks up to me with a wide smile. " Welcome ma'am . Is there anything I can help you find?"

I take a deep breath. " Yes, please. Something that can get me laid tonight"

Her smile grows even wider. " I got you. Right, this way"

She leads me through rows and rows of clothes, until we're standing in front of a row of tiny looking dresses. She picks a few and hands them to me.

" The changing rooms are right over there"

I make my way towards the rows of cubicles and step into one. The first dress I try on, is a tight black leather dress, moulding all my curves into one delectable piece. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look ...hot. My breasts that always look droopy due it's large size, spills atop the dress in a way that made me look sexy. The curve of my hips look very pronounced. This is it. I'm going for dangerous tonight, so this will have to do.

I take tentative steps outside the room, looking around the shop to make sure no eyes were on me. The attendant spots me first and as she nears me, she exclaims,

" I hope you're taking that dress, because it was definitely made for you!"

I laugh shyly, as I feel a blush coming on. She looks at my sandaled feet and walks away, returning with a pair of black strapped heels. After I wear them, she nods in approval.

"Pardon my intrusion, but you said you want to get laid tonight. Do you mind if I offer a suggestion"

" Oh...yeah, sure"

" A friend of mine runs a spa and salon next door. Would you be up for a makeover?"

I take a look at myself in a mirror by the corner. My hair looks frizzy and my face ,splotchy from walking around all day. A makeover sounds like a good plan . I turn towards her and nod slowly.

" That's perfect. I'm about to get off work, so I'll just ring you up real quick"

She stops by a lingerie rack and picks a nude lace set, holding it in front of me , as if assessing my size. She nods to herself and keeps moving .

What a strange woman she is.

She makes quick work of ringing me up and we depart the store together.

Before we walk into the next store, she turns to me with a smile and says, " I'm Valerie. It's very nice to meet you".

" Zara"

" Alright, Zara, let's get you ready for the most memorable night of your life"

Zara

A beautiful, blonde girl stands by the cash register, typing on the system in front of her. She looks up at the chime of the doorbell , eyes lighting up at the sight of Valerie. " Hey Vee. Are you done for the night?"

" You bet I am. I brought a friend"

A friend.

She called me her friend. In all 26 years of my existence, I have not had any friends. I've always been closed off to people , except my parents and younger brother. It has never been easy for me to fit in with people. But, this woman whom I just met all of thirty minutes ago , called me her friend.

" Vee, she's tearing up"

I look up at the concerned voice of the blonde woman with tears blurring my vision.

" I'm such a mess. Pardon me"

" It's alright babe. I know Valerie here can be a little bit overwhelming, but she's a nice person."

"I don't know whether to be pleased or offended " , says Valerie, eyeing her friend playfully.

The blonde girl introduces herself as Emily -Rose. Valerie goes ahead to inform her about my plans for the night, while I just stand there blushing. Emily ushers me in and starts by waxing my legs and letting me soak in a scented bath for a short while.

She washes my hair and trims all the dead ends. Next , she rolls my hair into sections and gets started on my makeup. She plucks my brows, and applies about a gazillion different products on my face, which I have no idea about and I just sit there with my eyes closed.

"You may open your eyes now."

The woman in the reflection looks like me but at the same time, looks nothing like me. Emily had managed to make my boring brown eyes come to life with dark colors. My lips are a bold red and my cheeks have been dusted with pink. Valerie squeals in the corner, clapping her hands in delight.

" I'd totally do you , babe", she says with a wink.

I change into the clothes I got earlier and I'm all set. Nervousness begins to brew in my belly. What if nobody likes me tonight and I don't achieve my goal? . Valerie notices me biting my lip in contemplation comes to stand by me, with a hand on my shoulder.

" The truth is, I've never done something like this before. All this is a first for me"

Valerie and Emily nod in understanding. " You don't have to do it if you don't want to. You could join us for a drink instead", Emily says.

" Oh no, I would hate to be a bother. Besides, I decided to lose my virginity tonight. So it has to be tonight or never."

" We'll come with you then"

I look at Valerie in shock. This woman just keeps shocking me. " Why are you helping me? You just met me"

She merely waves me away. " As soon as I saw you walk into the boutique, I knew you could use a friend"

Fresh tears form in my eyes. Emily chastises me from her position. " No tears. You'll ruin my work. Just sit tight for a minute, we'll go with you. We meant to go out tonight anyway".

I look at the two women again, adoration for them, increasing by the second. " I hope I won't be intruding on anything. It's Valentine's night after all"

The two women just laugh at me and tell me that there's nothing special about valentine's.

The girls take me to a club called Oasis. The place is packed with people, some lining up to get in and others already drunk out of their minds. They usher me to the front of the queue, where one of the bouncers let us in without question, amidst the outrage of the people still waiting outside.

They must be regulars here.

The inside of the club is lit with colored strobe lights, illuminating the multiple bodies grinding on the dance floor. Mild music plays from the top, making it easy to hear the sounds of peoples' voices. Some lean on the walls in dark corners, doing unimaginable things.

This is wilder than I thought.

Valerie leads us to the bar and beckons on the bartender. " Start us up with something mild"

"Coming right up"

The first drink is a sweet blue mixture with a miniature umbrella for a straw. I order a refill and down it in one go. Emily's voice sounds from my left,

" Take it easy babe. There's still alcohol in that"

Next, the girls order shots of tequila. I've never had tequila so, I don't know what to expect. I take a sniff of the drink in the tiny glass and immediately hold my nose. " What is this? Methylated spirit?"

The girls laugh at my outburst. They throw their first shots back and suck on a slice of a lemon the bartender had given us earlier. I imitate them and erupt into a coughing fit. " Lord, that's strong".

" Try another shot. You'll be a pro in no time", says Valerie.

I down another shot and another . By the fifth shot, I can already feel the buzz of the alcohol, flowing through my veins in a quiet hum. I close my eyes and savor the feeling of letting go.

"Now, for the business of the night. Take a look around. Do any of these men catch your fancy?" , Valerie says.

I take a look around the club, the nervousness in my stomach, now full blown anxiety. The faces I see around only increase my nervousness. Men with lewd gazes. I turn back to the girls. " I don't think I can do it"

"It's alright, babe. Let's dance first, you can look around as we dance."

I follow the girls on to the dance floor and the slow song from earlier changes.

"It started when I looked in her eyes.

I got bumps and I'm like bailemos ..."

The girls immediately start screaming and pulling me to the middle of the dancefloor. Valerie grabs Emily and they both started dancing on each other . I watch in fascination as they move their body to every beat, in sultry moves. I could never dance like that. The only dance I know is the good old left and right feet movement and the occasional jump. Zara beckons on me to join, pulling me between their bodies. They move with me squashed between them, hands gliding down my body.

This feeling. It's a strange one. The foreign feeling of another's hands on me. I close my eyes at the feeling and slowly, begin to move in sync with them. The music takes over my body and I feel my inhibitions melting away. I raise my hands above my head, behind Valerie's shoulder. I feel eyes on me and I open my eyes , looking around the club. Then ,I see Him.

Standing by the railing of what looks like the VIP Section. Dark eyes that lights a fire on my consciousness. Sharp, defined features. Neatly trimmed beard. This man, with the darkest head of hair I have ever seen. He stares at me so intently, my heart begins to hammer in the confines of my chest.

"He looks like he would swallow you whole. What I would give to have a man look at me like that."

I think that was Valerie speaking but I'm too lost to decipher what is going on around me. The man lifts his glass to his lip and gulps the entire content of it. I swallow harshly.

I see him move and I follow his every movement with my eyes, even as he descends the stairs and walks towards me. Even as the girls depart my side and I am left standing all alone. Then he is in front of me, and all I can smell is him.

Marcello's POV

This day couldn't get any worse. First, the company's stock crashes because of a fake piece of news that circulated social media this morning. Apparently, a girl "I dated" went online to say that I was an abuser and I had constantly beaten her in the short duration of our relationship.

Pfft. Everyone around me knew I didn't do relationships. It required a lot of emotional investment I simply could not afford.

I have been up and about since the early hours of today, trying to shut down the rumors but it had already circulated every corner of the media. Being young, rich and popular had it's perks but it also had it's downsides; one of it being that when any news about you gets out, people pounce on it like bloodthirsty zombies, regardless of it's truth status.

I just concluded a meeting at the office with the PR team when my father burst into my office with murder in his eyes. My father, Hernandez Andres is who you would describe as terrifying; big build, thick brows and a constant scowl on his face, when it came to outsiders at least. To the family, he is a loving husband and father.

That is why I knew I was in trouble the second he leveled me with his infamous scowl. He dropped the newspaper in his hand on my desk with a loud thud.

" Marcello Diego Andres! What is the meaning of this?"

"You know it's not true, Papa. It's just an attempt to slander my name"

"Which wouldn't be the case if you'd learnt to keep it in your pants. What have I said about keeping multiple partners, son? It..."

"does not speak well of your integrity. I know, Papa"

To my immigrant parents, a good name and reputation was everything. They had immigrated from Mexico when I was about ten and my mother was pregnant with my sister, Carlotta. My father never fails to remind me just how lucky we've been to have made it in a place where foreigners have limited opportunities.

"How long will you be photographed in every gossip magazine with a new woman on your arm? I did not raise you to be so irresponsible."

Before I could plead my case further, he had hit me with " You have two months to bring home a respectable woman and get married to her or you can kiss your inheritance and your position in the company goodbye."

He had left with a bang before I could formulate a coherent thought,, successfully ruining my day for the second time. Now, as I stand on the platform of Oasis, one of the clubs in my name, my irritation seems to be growing. The women flocking around me, seem to irritate me further. The drink in my hand does little to quell the unease floating around my stomach.

Marriage.

That is one word I have never given much thought to. Don't get me wrong, it's not an entirely bad concept. My parents have been married for about 30 years and are still going strong. I just don't know if I'll ever find someone to tolerate me like my mother tolerates my father. I can be quite cold on the outside and I've never been one to keep many friends. Currently, I have just one idiot of a best friend whose life goal is to drive me crazy but that's about it.

The club isn't doing it for me, so I'll just head home. I turn around to leave when I spot tight leather. The leather sits snugly on a tight ass. My eyes move upward and lands on a pair of delectable bossoms. I feel the incoming of a boner. I look further and am met with the most gorgeous face I've ever laid eyes on. Beautiful

I watch the woman move forward in slow, tentative steps, as if unsure of her environment. She is flanked by two other equally beautiful women but something about her stands out to me. I watch as she downs her cocktail and orders another. I also watch her throw back a shot and go into a coughing fit. My lips lift into a smile.

What the hell is wrong with you, you creep?

I look on , even as she takes to the dancefloor and begins to move in ways a vixen would. I see her look around and I see her eyes meet mine. Brown

The color has always seemed like such a boring one but this particular brown seems to shine through the multicolored lights of the club. She watches me now, gaze unwavering, even as I down my drink.

I make my way downstairs, eyes never leaving hers, until I am standing in front of her. She does a one over of me and I hear the sound of her harsh breaths, right next to me . She has painted her lips a vibrant red and I try and fail to conceal my ogling. She has such plump lips. I wonder how they'd feel.

My God, this is laughable. Marcello Andres falling over his feet for a woman. I have a reputation to maintain.

I turn to walk away but she grabs onto the fabric of my shirt. I raise my brows in question. She bites her bottom lip as if in deep contemplation. The music from earlier has changed to a slow one now, the voice from the speakers merely flitting through the room. She leans in to whisper to me and I bend to her height.

"Doyouwanttogetlaid?"

A smirk ghosts my lips. "I couldn't quite get that, Sugar. Mind repeating it?"

She fiddles with the hem of her dress, shifting her body weight from one foot to the other. Those eyes meet mine again in a display of confidence. " I said, do you want to get laid?"

My smirk is a full blown smile now. I place one hand on the small of her back and pull her into me. " Why don't you answer that question yourself, Sugar. Would you like to get laid?"

I barely catch the tiny nod of her head, too focused on the tongue that sneaks out to lick her lips.

My throat feels dry all of a sudden.

"Are you sure?" , I ask her

She merely nods again. I feel my irritation rising again. Consent is important to me and I always make sure to get them, loud and resounding, preferably in writing. " Use your words or I'm out"

When she replies "yes " again, it's borderline nervous and squeaky but I'll take it. I lead her by the hands, headed for the entrance and see her waving to the other girls she was with.

My driver, Philip, a man in his sixties stands by my Mercedes AMG. At the sight of me, he unlocks the car for me and holds it open even though I give him a disapproving stare. I look down to see that I still have a small hand in mine and drop it immediately.

The woman climbs in after me, fiddling with her fingers. " Are you scared of me?"

She shakes her head " I've just never done this before"

I scoff under my breath. Women tell you that they have never done something but turn out to be masters in the game. I refuse to be fooled. I just settle for " it's okay. I'll make it worth your while."

In no time, Phillip pulls into the driveway of Lotus Hotel, owned by my family. The receptionist nods in greeting when I walk in, my company hot on my heels. We step into the elevator and I press the button for the penthouse.

Now that we're in this confined space, I take my time to really appreciate the woman standing in front of me. I thought she was captivating before but she was all woman ; curves in all the right places, legs for days. The tip of her hair brushes merely inches above her butt. I feel my self growing with need.

The elevator arrives the top floor and we walk out. I swipe my key card and push the door open.