“Oh, relax already!” Victoria said, tugging at her sleeve.
Someone then pulled Victoria aside, and she shouted to Lana, pointing toward the far end of the room, telling her to go to a reserved table. Then she disappeared into the crowd.
Lana slowly made her way through the dancing bodies, watching her step and trying not to bump into anyone. Suddenly, a guy grabbed her arm, stopping her. He started dancing and motioned for her to join his circle. Rhythmic lights shattered into beams, rapidly switching from darkness to bright flashes, creating a slow-motion effect. Everything around her felt surreal, as if she were dreaming. The thundering bass mixed with the hum of voices and noises pounded not just in her head but seemed to vibrate through her whole body. As she turned, her elbow accidentally knocked into a man holding a drink.
“Damn it! Are you drunk?!” she heard the guy shout behind her.
Turning around quickly, she saw a dark-haired man wiping a spilled drink from his light shirt with a napkin. He gave her a furious look and grumbled something under his breath.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” she said loudly. The man leaned in to hear her better. At that moment, Lana caught the scent of his cologne and something else… She closed her eyes, inhaling with delight. Something strange happened inside her, as if something clicked. She suddenly wanted to stay in that position—with her lips near his neck—forever. But he straightened up. Throwing her a brief glance, he gave a faint smile.
His features softened, and she realized he wasn’t angry anymore.
That look from his brown eyes and his smile left her dazed. She parted her lips and stared at him.
Just then, the persistent dancer yanked her arm again, more forcefully this time, and pulled her into a dance. Spinning unexpectedly, she lost her balance and fell against his chest like in a fiery tango. But instead of being thrilled, she was furious at the interruption of her magical moment with her dream man. She shoved the dancer away and snapped:
“Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing?!”
Unfazed, the guy kept dancing. Biting his lower lip, he started tracing the outline of her body with his hands. He squatted down and slowly rose again, mimicking the movements of a snake—completely ignoring her obvious outrage. Lana was both bewildered and slightly amused by his antics. After a few seconds, she lifted her arms and started moving in sync with the beat. Wasn’t this what she came here for, after all? She quickly glanced at the young man she had just apologized to, hoping he would notice and appreciate her. But unfortunately, the brown-eyed stranger was gone. Lana sighed in frustration and turned back to her dance partner. After a couple more tracks, a slow song began, and the dance floor thinned out. Lana decided to take a break and finally reached the reserved table. She placed the sign aside, and two minutes later, a waiter approached, asking her name and offering a menu. She ordered water, not daring to get anything else. Still, some drinks and appetizers were served. Around that time, Victoria reappeared.