THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY(PART-2)

I considered the view of the city at night from the forty-seventh floor and lit my cigarette. The moon seems like a dimly lit bulb in the darkroom and stars fireflies twinkling in the empty sky.

I would not label myself a Nyctophilia because it is not every day that I admire the sky. It is only on nights like this when I would have felt low, just to remind myself of the vastness of the universe against my insignificant problems.

That does not mean that my problem does not matter, it reminds me that every problem has a solution.

The balcony was as gigantic and elegant as the hotel itself that my father arranged the party. I have always admired my father's choices: effortlessly elegant. I walked through the artificial plants, unintentionally ruining them beneath my steps as I reached the glass railing.

Due to the last month of autumn, the night was quite chilly and windier than the day but the thick material of my tuxedo, specially tailored for a season like this, helped a little more than expected.

I puffed and blew out the smoke and it fled away after blending away with the air. Thoughts on my mind kept me so engaged that someone managed to enter the private premises without me knowing.

I heard someone sigh behind me, it was a frustrating sigh. It was a lady when I turned around, a gorgeous young lady. The most noticeable thing about her: her dark thick hair. I have always appreciated the beauty of long hair, the natural ornament for any woman. "I wished no one was here."

I would have said the same considering the burden on my mind but something stopped me from ruining my mood further.

"Hello there!" I offered her a smile instead and I found her checking me out from top to bottom. I believed she could hardly see me in the darkness as I preferred to stand out of the public's sight and choose the darkest corner to refresh myself.

Neither could I see her but I did not care about that. She moved forward and stood beside me, holding the cold railing as she filled her lungs with the fresh air after coming out of the air-conditioned room.

I noticed her shiver and hugging herself after a strong wave of chilled wind gushed her in her minimal use of clothing to cover herself.

I offered her one cigarette and helped her lit it up as she joined me. She did not hesitate.

Instantly I forget Zak and his accusations on me along with all the old bad memories that suddenly resurfaced. I had a new reason to leave the party early and the night was still young.

She did not reply but it just encouraged me to approach her more. It was dark but her glittery make-up with shiny ornaments and clothes make her look like a star fall from the sky to make my night memorable.

"Stop staring." She said. Though she never looked at me she felt my eyes on her.

"Is this the fault of this intoxicating night or this intoxicating eyes? I am feeling myself being pulled towards you." She finally looked at me and I forgot to breathe.

It was the second time in the same night that I was feeling breathless due to people around me but earlier it was out of anxiety and this time it was out of magic. The magic of her innocent eyes. Even in darkness, the big protruding shaped black eyes managed to take my breath away.

I will blame the sky and the moon for making her look too dangerous and at the same time breathtaking. I could fully visualize her face and it was almost as small as my fist with full lips painted red.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Anything. Just not sleeping with strangers." I chuckled at that. She finally smiled when she realized that I laughed.

I took out my flask and moved towards the brightened area of the balcony and started drinking after finishing my cigarette. She again moved beside me and looked at the flask before I offered her. She gladly accepted it.

Her face was clearly visible in the light and she was undeniably gorgeous from top to bottom. But I noticed her tired expression too. Maybe she was tired. She again shivered at her first sip of whiskey but continued drinking.

"Can I tell you something?" I got closer to her as I asked her the question.

"And if I say no?" She got closer to me that now our breath started to mingle.

"You are gorgeous." I complimented and surprisingly she started laughing.

"People often say this to me just to sleep with me." She breathed. "But I'll believe you tonight. I am tired of not believing in myself."

Unexpectedly, I could feel myself relating to her. I do not know her but she did not feel like a stranger to me. Maybe she was suffering the same pain I was of people not understanding us under different circumstances. I didn't ask her about her statement any further.

"What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

"Cedric Hart." I extended my hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Nita. Pleasures all mine." She accepted my hand.

"Who invited you?" I glanced at the dull party through the glass windows and she followed my eye. By looking at her attire, it was apparent that she belonged to the same party as me.

"Someone invited my father. I am just accompanying him." I could sense her getting tense beside me but I doubt if she was worried about disappointing her father by escaping here just like me.

I should have not asked that.

"What about you?"

"I am accompanying my father too." It was true that this party was for promoting and encouraging our business and as a future heir, I needed to attend the party in which I took no part.

All my life, I have spent partying and sleeping around. Business never interested me and my father never forced me either. He just asked me to get a business degree from the most prestigious university in the country and I obeyed as I was lacking some entertainment in my life.

I have no demands or ambitions in life, I just want to live with the flow of life in any direction that it would like to take me with no complaints or regrets.

"If you like, we can go somewhere warmer," I suggested as the night was getting chiller.

"Sure. But I am here with my father and I would like him to think that I am alone." It was my biggest mistake to not ask her about her father.

"After you then." She looked at me for a few seconds in confusion before playing along and tossed me the key card of her room which was located on the fifth floor from her almost invisible purse.

She was bold. I liked it.

But why did she reserve a room in the hotel if she was only here for the party?

"Actually, father thought that I could rest up a little if I felt tired all of a sudden." She explained without me asking like she could read my mind.

"No need to explain. I appreciate your father." We both shared a smile.

She went away, giving me back my flask and I waited there patiently. I informed my brother and driver to not wait up for me tonight through the text. With a last glance, I started going inside.

The corridor of the fifth floor was deserted and it was earlier than I thought. My brother's words rang in my head about me being a troublemaker but I tried to ignore it.

I spotted the room at the end of the corridor and used the key card she provided me. It was the most prestigious hotel in New York City with top-class room services and security.

The electric lock beeped two times before granting me access to the room.

The atmosphere was suspicious when I entered the room. No sound audible with Nita out of sight. I looked around but the ghost-quiet room made me uneasy. I made myself comfortable on the bed and waited.

"Nita?" I called and heard a muffled 'coming' in the response. She must be in the bathroom.

The dimly lit room smelled like lavender with equally warm room temperature. I felt a little sleepy but stopped myself from collapsing on the bed behind. I must have waited for a few minutes because my own reflection in the mirror interested me.

I stood up, corrected my bow tie, set my blond hair back to its place, and fixed my tuxedo suit. I bend down to tighten my shoelace and straighten up again.

Nita was standing behind me.

I gasped at her sudden appearance but before I could turn around, she hit me with the vase she was holding.

The vase scattered around the room into millions of pieces and I collided with the floor. I hold my head where she hit me and scream as it hurt like hell.

The sudden change of events made me crawl on the floor from the startling threat known as Nita.

"You fucking bitch!" I yelled at her. I managed to stand again on my feet after a real struggle but my vision started to blur and I started to see things double.

I saw two Nita, the shaking lights with the furniture moving on its own. I saw her standing still like waiting for me to die but I tried to escape the psychopath who tried to kill me with a very effective vase.

"Shit! He's still conscious." I heard her say from behind but I tried to locate the door with my staggering feet while holding my head. I felt my blood oozing out and I wanted to scream for help but I could not even scream. I had to take the support of the wall.

I panted, with my blurry vision it was hard for me to locate the door. I stopped and saw my hands covered in my own blood, droplets of my blood falling and ruining the carpet.

I felt like my death was near at the moment and I felt more frustrated and angry than sad. Maybe it was the feeling of dying like this: without knowing the reason for getting killed.

I turned to look at my killer and I was on the verge of closing my eyes from the loss of blood and pain but she did not understand that and kicked me right across my jaw and instantly black and blue dots covered my vision before I gave up on the floor.

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That was a terrible night. Hope ya'll have a good night.