I didn't know what I expected when I walked through the foyer of my apartment, but what I stepped into certainly was not it. Mia was dancing. Her heels were left on the side of the couch as she moved to the beat of a popular Caribbean tune playing through the sound system. The lights were all turned off as she danced in front of the large window. Her silhouette was illuminated by the various lights of the buildings outside. Her dark hair swayed back and forth as she moved sensually around the floor. She was wild and free, reckless. I was starting to desire her even more.  

 I knew before Alek clarified the situation I had seen this woman before. Before she had blossomed and become his wife. It surprised me Alek hadn’t realized who she was sooner, but he wasn’t there the night so many people's lives changed. He just made the decision. So how could he have known who this vibrant, attractive woman was?

It appeared Alek getting everything he wanted was shifting on him. The past he thought he could bury lived right underneath his roof, slept right beside him at night.

As I watched her dance barefoot around my living room, I realized this woman was nothing like the papers portrayed her to be. They described her as fragile and beautiful. Instead, she was sexy, adventurous, and possibly a force to be reckoned with. I could see right through the role she was playing. The obedient wife. A woman who kept her mouth shut to avoid issues. A People Pleaser. No. She definitely was not that. It seemed her patience was beginning to unravel. It appeared that was what brought people to my establishments. They needed a place to go and be themselves. A place where judgment wasn’t made.

I quietly walked over to the bar and poured myself a glass of scotch. This particular night, I had exceeded my daily limit. For some people, it might have been too much, but I was unaffected. I had built up a strong tolerance. The woman who danced around my living room was an entirely different story. I didn't realize she had continued drinking until I noticed the freshly opened bottle of Crown sitting on the bar. She wasn’t necessarily drunk, but she was far from being sober.

I didn’t interrupt her. Instead, I watched her for a good five minutes. The more I watched, the more I started to wonder what she knew. I had always been told I was good a reading people. It was a gift that helped me succeed in business. I was known to make smart decisions in determining if people were trustworthy.

Sadly, my gift wasn’t worth anything with Mia. If she knew something, she had a damn good poker face. The look that crossed her face when I accused her of setting me up in my office didn’t seem staged. She was genuinely shocked and confused. I also felt if she really knew her husband, she would’ve never stepped out on him. She would have never stepped foot into my club…period.

I took a few more sips of my drink before clearing my throat. She paused, then slowly turned in my direction. I decided to point out the obvious.

“I see you’ve made yourself at home.”