Chapter 9 City Luau

9. City Luau

Nina, Kara, and Lyon got into that famous club, they didn't have to face that line around the blocks. Kara had put their names on the "VIP" list thanks to the contact she had had with David's bouncer, without Nina knowing.

They were directed to their tables and promptly served. Nina was wearing a nude pink dress, sandals of the same color, and a small purse that held her lipstick and her phone. Kara and Lyon were always dressed to kill, no matter what the occasion.

The decor of the place was highly luxurious. Arrangements of wildflowers harmonized with the environment that was lit by Roman torchlight. There was a pool covered with flowers, tents with different motifs such as coconut palms, banana trees, and straws, and the bars were enhanced with a caveman theme with designs carved on wooden masks with the name "Uga-Uga". The three musketeers were amazed!

Kara and Lyon had arranged a meeting with some boys they had met during the trip and soon they arrived and joined them. They were four Italian friends, very charming and very handsome. As they arrived at the table Lyon introduced them, and soon one of them blew a not very discreet kiss on Lyon's lips, who winked at Nina and then sat down with a satisfied look on his face.

Kara was light, free, and loose! She kept everyone there interested in her subjects for some time until one of them began to show interest in Nina.

The boy served her (Nina) champagne frequently even though she refused because she didn't like the drink, which was bitter in her mouth. Then the friends get up and go out dancing.

Kara was a woman already almost deconstructed, she was not attached to superfluous and contradictory values. She was just free! She was dancing with the two other guys next to Lyon and his flirt, while Nina had stayed at the table watching them. It was a very nice evening and the party was very interesting until the guy next to her starts taking her hand, trying to find out more about her.

She moves away from a little on the couch delicately disguising her out, but the boy moved even closer to her in an attempt to get closer. He was very handsome and charming, but all Nina's thoughts belonged to David at that instant.

She stood up quickly saying that she was going to the bathroom. The young man got up and followed her; he wanted to accompany her out of pure chivalry, he thought. Nina walked quickly looking for the ladies' room while her "escort" kept talking around her. He was kind and funny and seemed like a good person. Nina couldn't find the words to tell him that he was being inconvenient.

When she came out of the bathroom he was outside waiting for her, and when he saw her he said goodbye to a group of friends who stopped to say hello.

- Nina, my friends from work are inviting us up to their tent. It's a sort of box with drinks, and separate attractions, almost a private party within the private party. Let's go! It's going to be cool. We will have identification bracelets.

- I'm really liking the place where we are. Aren't you?

- Yes, of course. But it is common here in Italy to have a private wing, where everything happens. Only important people, the cream of the crop, if you know what I mean. I'm sure the others are in on it. Are you coming?

Arriving at the table, Enrico told Lorenzo, Giovanni, and Federico about the invitation he had just received. Soon Lyon and Kara were ecstatic about the proposal. They kept making jokes and Nina, as always, warning them that "when a man gives too much charity, the saint is wary!

- Here you come! Are you about to start, blondie? - asked Lyon, pulling her friend to give her a brotherly arm.

- Guys, ignore my friend, she's just like that. She always has been. She's afraid. Yes, we are! Let's make another upgrade in our Italian touring career! - Kara confirmed, toasting everyone as they all turned their glasses around at once.

Arriving at the "VIP" wing of the "VIP" party "city luau", Nina and the group of friends joined the other friends who were waiting for them. There were several buckets of champagne on the rocks, waiters in fancy dress, a variety of drinks, flaming candles sparking, and colorful cocktails on all the tables of the guests there. They received an illuminated bracelet and went to take their seats.

Nina was trying to be dazzled by all the ostentation, but what really caught her attention was seeing how many people were sniffing something from some fancy trays on the tables. Others were openly smoking marijuana cigarettes, shisha, electronic cigarettes, etc. It was at this very moment that Nina decided to stop drinking. All her senses paralyzed her, alerting her that someone needed to sober up.

The night went on and Kara and Lyon were having the time of their lives! Kara was bouncing on the soft velvet couch as Giovanni pulled her by the arm and kissed her, and as she finished kissing him she turned and pulled Lorenzo in for an even more fervent kiss. Lyon clapped his hands and was amused by the audacity of his friend in Italy because, in Norway, the three of them practically led a monotonous life of work, training, and home. Even the parties on the weekends were simple compared to what they were experiencing in Italy.

Enrico was nervous, apparently annoyed that he was "leftover" in the place. Kara living a love triangle with two Italian gods, Lyon having a romance with Federico, and Nina quietly in the corner of the couch. She didn't treat Enrico badly but made it clear that she wasn't interested in him, she was just being polite.

Kara even made an offer to him saying that she had a big heart, she could always fit one more, but he just smiled. The other friends from the quad who had invited them to that wing were also in company.

Suddenly a group of three friends arrived at the table where they were, tall, thin, elegantly dressed women, and one of them was being restrained by the other two. It was Enrico's ex-girlfriend, Luma. She was clearly drunk and had the expression of someone sad, who had cried. The ex was pointing at Nina and everyone else at the table, showing signs that she was going to make a scandal.

Luma was the daughter of one of the richest men in the place and a partner. She approached Enrico's group and threw drinks at him, his friends were holding him, her friends were holding her, Luma was shouting to the "four winds" that she had seen him and Nina together. She called them both all the worst names you can find in the popular Italian dictionary.

Kara immediately wanted to start a fight, but her two admirers restrained her, informing her that it was better for everyone to ignore her. Luma and Enrico began to argue, she accused him of treason. He retorted that they had been broken up for weeks. Luma asked tearfully:

- How can you? Bring a woman here with you knowing that I would be here with my friends? - And she went after him and Nina.

Some of the security guards accompanying her asked the whole group to leave that wing: Nina, Kara, Lyon, and the four Italians. Luma ordered them out of the club, not only out of that area. She kept shouting and swearing at them. Kara retorted that she had paid a fortune to be there and that if they kicked her out she would call the press and the police.

The commotion was ugly and had already drawn the attention of half the club. Luckily no cell phones were allowed in that place of tycoons. Kara wouldn't leave the place without being reimbursed, and the security guards were irremediable. Suddenly amidst all the shouting and talking as they were walking towards the back door to be put out, Nina turns her face and sees David's security guards standing on a column, she keeps turning her face to all sides and finds what she was looking for for for David.

She saw him at a table in the back with some women around. One of them was clearly trying to grab him. The Nichols security guards saw them, Nina and her group, go over to David's table. Meanwhile, Nina and her friends had already been thrown out of the club. Kara was in disarray, trying to call the police and the local press, but she couldn't get through. The boys and Lyon were trying to talk her out of it, everyone was under the influence of alcohol, except Nina, and it was already 4 a.m.

The boys said that they would proceed to another party at the house of one of them by a pool. Kara gave each of her arms to his companions, and Lyon had been holding hands with Federico since the day they met. Enrico extended his hand to Nina and said that if she came, the two of them would be together.

Nina looks over and David is standing there looking at them. Standing calmly, with both hands in the pockets of his linen pants. He looks at her with a look of disaffection, jealousy, and disappointment, when he then shakes his head in disapproval. She instantly realizes that he is not sober. Nina's friends whisper to each other:

- Ulala! It's dirty! - said Lyon, rolling his eyes.

Enrico didn't understand a thing, they were all so out of their minds that they didn't even realize the whole situation in all the commotion, not that David Nichols was standing there in front of them in the flesh. Everyone was talking at the same time, trying to arrange transportation, and arguing about what had happened. Then the other guys were already getting into the cars that stopped in front of the club, and Kara asked if Nina was coming along. Lyon also asked her, and then Nina said that she was going back to her hotel.

Enrico took Nina by the hand and shoulders and tried to lead her to the car. Nina thanked him gently, trying to get loose, and said that she was not going anywhere with them. Enrico was a good person, he wasn't going to do her any harm, but he was completely out of his mind, most likely due to the consumption of alcohol or other drugs.

- Let me go, Enrico! Let go of me! Let go of me! I'm not getting in that car. Kara, ask him to let me go!

- Let her go now, Enrico! - shouted Kara, very angry. - Let go of my friend!

His friends were also telling him to let go. Suddenly Nina listens:

- Nina. Are you coming?

Nina turns around and there is David, the local security guards, and their security guards standing behind her.

- Yes, of course, I am coming, David. Can you please let go of my arm, Enrico?

Enrico let go of her wondering who that was. He was giving signs that he was going to get into a fight even though he could see all the security guards. Everyone got out of the car to hold him back and David had already pulled Nina close to him.

- Who is this, Nina? - Enrico asked, walking towards them.

- I'm her boyfriend. - David answered, pulling her close behind him.

- Boyfriend? You said you were single. - He then called her a dirty word, expressing surprise. - Son of a bitch! That's why you've been making sweet nothings all night. Why didn't you say so? All this fuss for nothing? There were so many other women over there giving "soup" and I was wasting my time.

While he was talking his friends were already dragging him into the car. Kara and Lyon went to her and asked if she was going to be okay. David answered yes. They formally introduced themselves, and Kara and Lyon hugged them tightly, rushed to the car, and then drove off.

David still had a serious expression on his face.

- Do you want to come in? - he asked, walking towards the door of the club.

- I've just been kicked out because of.... - Nina was trying to explain when he interrupted her:

- I already know everything. Spare yourself the explanations. - He gestured to the security guards and they soon cleared the way for them to pass. Nina was still stuttering:

- I don't want to go in there again, David. - She said as she tried to keep up with him as he walked quickly back to where he was standing. He didn't want to be seen by more people.

- I don't want to see you with those women at your table! Stop walking! - she shouted. - Listen to me... I don't want to be here with those people at your table.

- You don't want to be with me and those people, but you were with... what was Don Juan's name again? Enrico? - David said, turning on her, questioning her.

- I... I didn't even know they were coming. I didn't even know they were coming. I... I didn't even know we were going to change tables. - she replied, looking nervous.

- You don't owe me any explanations. Didn't you tell him you were single? Why didn't you go with them for good? - David was acting irrationally, just like Enrico, igniting the sparks inside Nina.

- I didn't go because I didn't want to go!

- It wasn't because I showed up!

- I would have gone anyway! I'm not afraid of you, I don't owe you anything!

- There's still time! - he said, pointing to the club's exit as he tried to stand up.

Nina's eyes filled with tears. Her lips trembled. He was succeeding in hurting her. She stood there for a few seconds looking deep into his eyes and almost ran out. He ran after her and caught up with her before she could find her way out. They were in a private place, in the middle of a passage that led to the hidden back of the club.

The party place was huge, full of columns, and you could see the Coliseum from afar. He was urging her to stop, but she wouldn't look back, he abruptly paralyzed her against a round foundation column holding her down forcefully as she struggled against him trying to push him off.

- Stop it, Nina, stop it! - David begged her as she struggled, pushing him, trying to get free.

- Let go of me! I'll scream! - she threatened.

- I'll let go. Just stay calm. I just want you to calm down first. - And he tried to hold her against his chest.

She pushed him so hard that he pulled away from her, almost falling backward, and the security guards helped him immediately...