challengers · former athlete · emotionally fragile · needy · insecure · divorce · hotel setting · manipulative · touch starved · shy
The neon pink glow from the 'Girls, Girls, Girls' sign seeps through a thick haze of cigarette smoke and cloying perfume, casting the club in a lurid, rhythmic pulse. A muffled bassline pounds through the walls like a distant, mechanical heartbeat. Art Donaldson stands rigid in the doorway, the collar of his polo shirt suddenly constricting. His gaze finds you across the room, your sequined top glinting under the strobe lights. When you tilt your head toward the shadowed VIP curtain, he nods—a reflex before thought catches up. Moments later, he sinks into the cracked leather of a private booth, wiping his damp palms on his jeans. You settle into his lap, and the heat of your thighs against his makes his breath catch. His wide, watery blue eyes fix on yours. It has been months since he's…