He stood still watching the women shake their hips. As a man, he should be responsible to make sure that the ladies were not taken advantage of. He began to enjoy the music. His head bobbed in time with the beat.

All of a sudden, he felt a hand on his butt. Miguel frowned in discomfort. Did they not see that he was a man? He looked behind him but the hand was gone. He moved away from his spot but kept an eye on his workmates. As he moved, he felt a tap on his shoulders.  Miguel turned around.

“Sir Stephen?”

            Stephen saw a guy grope Miguel’s butt so he pushed the drunk guy away without making it obvious. He approached Miguel intending to take him away from the crowded place. He noticed how other men had been leering at the unsuspecting twink ever since he entered the club.

            “Come with me!” Stephen’s voice could barely be heard in the dance floor. The music was too loud. Stephen held Miguel’s hand and brought him away from the crowd of writhing bodies. They passed the stairs to the upper floor. It was a cordoned area for VIPs and was generally less noisy than the first floor.

            “Hey Miguel!” Glinda pretended to be surprised. She already saw his cousin staring down at the dance floor through the glass panel for a couple of minutes. Stephen excused himself. Glinda continued to watch the people below. She chuckled when Stephen approached a young man wearing a black jacket.

“Hi Ms. Glinda!” Miguel waved. He became a bit tone deaf from the music on the first floor. He sat on the booth and Stephen slid beside him.

Glinda cast Stephen a knowing look but Stephen ignored it. Miguel’s stomach growled. They did not eat anything for dinner prior to going to the club. Stephen chuckled and asked what he would like to eat. Miguel refused. He was not used to other people paying for his meal. When he was a child, he was often mocked for not being able to afford snacks in school. A classmate would give him food but behind his back that classmate would make fun of him. That classmate used that reason do make Miguel do embarrassing stuff. Miguel had to pay for the food, the classmate said. Even after many years passed, the memory stuck with him. Thus, as an adult he became wary of receiving people’s assistance for fear of being made fun of or blackmailed. It was still best not to owe someone.

“Just be yourself. Don’t think too much. We are not at work.” Stephen placed his warm hand over Miguel’s shoulders.

Miguel looked at Ms. Glinda who gave him an encouraging look. He finally cast his inhibitions and looked at the menu. Stephen smiled and encouraged him to order whatever he liked.

“Don’t drink too much.” Stephen reminded Miguel.

Miguel’s ears became flushed. He remembered that time when he became wasted at the party. It even caused him to soil someone’s clothes. It was an embarrassing experience for him. “Yes, Sir.” He nodded obediently.

Stephen smiled. “Here, eat more.”

On the third floor, a man gripped his glass of whiskey. The entire floor was covered by glass which allowed someone to look below. However, unlike the second floor, the glass on the third floor was a one-way glass. The people below cannot see the people inside.  His sharp eyes saw everything.

When the cat is away, the mice will play.

He continued to listen to his business partner but his eyes were focused on the booth below. He watched the other man flirt with the clueless boy.

Henry cast a signal to his chief of security.

Kasumi walked to where his boss was seated and leaned down to listen to his orders. He stood up and walked out of the room to carry out the orders.

Henry did not want to drag the meeting and so he stated his terms. The other party was hesitant. They decided that they would think about and would call them after a day. The other party left. Henry stood up and walked out of the room. Andre walked ahead of him and made sure that the exit was clear.

“Sir?” Andre was puzzled when his boss walked to a different hallway. It led to the stairs for the second floor. He quickly followed after his boss.

Miguel leaned back on the booth. His stomach became very full after eating. He was ashamed of leaving food on his plate so he ate it all. He sent a quick message to Marcy informing them that he was with some people he knew so that they would not worry. He also asked Marcy to kindly keep his satchel that he left in her apartment and to bring it to work tomorrow. He closed his phone and returned it to his pocket. When he looked up, he became terrified.  At the end of the room stood his landlord, and he did not look pleased.

Miguel held his breath expecting the domineering man to walk to their table. However, Mr. Kingsley and his retinue only passed by their booth. Miguel became puzzled. Perhaps Mr. Kingsley did not see him due to the dim lighting?

Stephen noticed that Miguel became stiff all of a sudden. “Is there something wrong?”

“Ah?” Miguel shook his head. “No, Sir.”

“It’s getting late.” Stephen looked at his watch.

“Why don’t you bring Miguel home?” Glinda suggested to Stephen.

Miguel waved his hand. “Ah- no-no. No need to trouble you.”

“Look it’s dangerous to be alone at night.” Glinda seriously said.

“But you are a woman Ms. Glinda. You are the one who needs to be accompanied home.” Miguel answered responsibly.

“Don’t mind her. She has her boyfriend waiting for her.” Stephen said.

Miguel’s brows were furrowed. As far as he knew, Ms. Glinda did not have a boyfriend that’s why she would ogle the unsuspecting men that would enter their floor.

“What Stephen meant was his chauffer would bring me home.” This stupid cousin of hers. If he lied, he should at least make it believable. Miguel was working closely with her. Of course, he would know something. Also, she was open about her love life to the people she knew she could trust. Miguel was one of these people.

“You can’t drive Sir Stephen. Isn’t it illegal to drive while intoxicated?”

“You can be rest assured with me. I didn’t drink any alcohol tonight.” Stephen answered sincerely.

Miguel had no choice but to agree. He bade goodbye to Ms. Glinda then entered Sir Stephen’s car. He told him the address and then they took off.

“You live here?” Stephen parked beside the gate of the estate.

“Only temporarily.” Miguel was quick to respond. No one should know about his connection with Mr. Kingsley. The man’s secretary told him this before. “I-uh… am living with a relative. Yes, a relative who is working here. The landlord- uh the landlord kindly allowed it so, yes, I live here now.”

Miguel removed the seatbelt and quickly moved out of the vehicle. “Good bye Sir Stephen and thank you for bringing me home.”

Stephen watched him disappear from the gate. Whenever Miguel called him “Sir Stephen”, it caused his body to become heated.  He adjusted the thing that became strained underneath his zipper. Then, he took off to his home.

The night breeze made Miguel shiver. He sneezed. He said hello to the guards posted on the gate and then walked his way up to the villa. From the gate of the estate, it would take around ten minutes of walk to reach the main building of the villa. He unlocked the main door with his own key and walked to his room. He was tired and sleepy.  He was glad that the landlord did not come home.

On the other side of the city, Henry ordered one of his guards to break a man’s hand. That should teach him not to go groping unsuspecting people in club.

“Kasumi.” Henry’s voice carried a warning.

“Sir.” Kasumi straightened up.

“I don’t want people touching my property. Tell Tony to do his job well.”

“Yes, Sir.” Kasumi had to change Tony’s job description. This would mean that Tony will not just work as a chauffeur. He also had to be the boy’s CPO.