Is this destiny?

~ Dark Prince gentlemen\'s club ~

Guys are in the VIP room which provides a good view to the stage below where various ladies in scarce clothing are dancing by twisting and turning their bodies in a seductive way around dancing poles and various other props.

Aiden is standing with his hands in his pockets and doing his best not to touch anything. His inner clean-freak is fully awake and panicking.

"Why don\'t you sit down?", Jeff patted a spot on a sofa he is sitting on.

"No thanks." Aiden rejected the offer.

Jeff frowned. "Are you just going to stand?"

"Well, considering where we are… I\'m not going to sit. I don\'t know how sanitary it is."

Jeff paused for a moment and when he realized what Aiden implied, he abruptly stood up.

It is not uncommon for men to call girls to VIP rooms for… additional services.

While Jeff\'s eyes darted through the room, he was not sure if he is hoping to find some residue from previous room occupants or not.

Jeff and Aiden reached for their phones at the same time, and a second later Felix and Steve did the same. Four of them exchanged glances and then Jeff approached Jasper: "I want to thank you for organizing all this. We have things to do, so we are heading out early."

"Things to do?", Bradley asked with a smirk.

Jeff refused to clarify, he said his goodbyes to Jasper, Bradley, Christopher, Russel and Vincent, and with "See you tomorrow" headed toward the door with Felix, Aiden and Steve behind him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Bradley blocked Jeff\'s way.

Seeing that Bradley will not let them go without some explanation, Jeff provided one: "We are going to pick up our girls and then call it a night. After limo drops us off, I will tell chauffeur to come back here, so you have your ride back to the resort."

"Where are the girls?", Bradley asked.

"Illusion Empire nightclub.", Jeff responded and used his arm to nudge Bradley out of his way.

"Are we staying here?", Russel asked when Jeff and others left.

Jasper shoot him a side look. "What is wrong with staying here? Look at the girls." He pointed toward the lower level.

Christopher looked down. "The only girls I see available are the ones on the stage. And I\'m sure we can order some to come to this room… but do we really need to pay to have female company? Or can we go to another club and hunt for something more… less used?"

Bradley is not very interested in hunting women, his heart is already set on Paige. But he is not excited about staying in this club either.

Bradley, Christopher, Russel and Vincent looked at Jasper. He booked this room and they don\'t want to offend him by just leaving. After all, they are not stone-faced like Jeff.

Jasper looked at his four friends and gave in. "Fine. Let\'s go to Illusion Empire."

~ Illusion Empire nightclub ~

Ellie, JoAnna and Sarah were chatting when the door of their VIP room opened.

JoAnna\'s face lit up when she saw Jeff entering. She leaped over the sofa and landed directly on him.

Jeff was ready to catch her, and he laughed when JoAnna\'s arms and legs wrapped around him like a koala while she rained kisses on his face.

Within seconds, Felix was next to Sophia on the sofa, Steve was holding onto Bridgette and Sarah and Aiden embraced each other.

Bradley cleared his throat to tell Jeff to move, so that they can enter as well.

"Oh, everyone came…", JoAnna noticed (eventually).

"Yup. We decided just in time so that we catch the ride with these guys. Otherwise they would leave us behind.", Russel explained while observing the room.

Ellie\'s eyes landed on Jasper and her heart fluttered. This is a more intimate setting than this morning\'s brunch or last night\'s evening event, and after Jill\'s question if she likes Jasper… Ellie is more aware of his presence. She forced herself to look away while repeating in her mind that he is a player and she should not cultivate any feelings toward him.

They all settled in the VIP room which could comfortably fit at least ten more people, and within minutes everyone had drinks.

Trevor arrived not long after, and Jill was ecstatic.

"Because of our crazy work schedules, we don\'t get many chances to go out like this. To celebrate, we are going down to dance!", Jill told Ellie and Emma and headed out of the room with Trevor.

Steve and Bridgette went down to the dancefloor as well.

"If we don\'t see each other tonight, I will see you in the morning at the resort.", Bridgette said to JoAnna before she left with Steve.

At a bar-height table, Sarah and Aiden were chatting with Vincent and Ellie when JoAnna gave a head-nod combined with eye-signals to Sarah to indicate that it\'s time for them to leave.

"We are heading out. See you tomorrow!", Sarah told Vincent and Ellie.

"I have my driver picking us up, so both limos are available for you guys to head back to resort.", Jeff notified people who stayed in the VIP room.

Ellie waved to Sarah, JoAnna and Sophia when they left the room and her sight landed on Jasper who was sitting between Millie and Sharon. He was lazily leaning on the sofa with his arms spread on the backrest. Millie and Sharon were excitedly chatting and giggling while throwing seductive glances at Jasper, and his sly smile sent an unmistakable message that he is enjoying his current situation.

Ellie told herself that she should not expect more of him… He is a player and she will get hurt if she allows herself to get carried away… but the sight of him between two girls… hurt.

"So, what are you doing for a living?", Vincent\'s voice got Ellie\'s attention.

Ellie peeled her eyes with difficulty away from Jasper and turned to the man who asked her a question. "I am a fashion designer."

"Are you famous?"

Ellie smiled faintly. "I like to think that way."

"Do I know any of your work?" Vincent was genuinely interested to find out more.

Ellie\'s smile widened. "If you don\'t, you will. I designed Anna\'s wedding dress, as well as dresses for the bridesmaids."

Vincent raised his eyebrows in surprise.

At that time Millie\'s and Sharon\'s louder-than-usual giggles reached Ellie\'s ears and she closed her eyes while trying to suppress how much it bothered her.

"Excuse me…", Ellie stood up and walked toward Emma who was chatting with Bradley.

"I\'m heading back.", Ellie told Emma.

"Already?"

"Anna left, and I have things to do in the morning. You guys have fun."

Emma thought for a second before speaking. "I will go with you. I feel tired myself and could use few extra hours of sleep. Let\'s take a cab together and leave limos for them." She went to get her cardigan. "I will text Jill so that she and Trevor know we left. Others probably don\'t care if we are here or not anyway."

Vincent joined Bradley. Two of them watched Emma and Ellie leave the VIP room and as soon as the door closed, their sight landed on Jasper.

Jasper was also looking at the closing door and a second later he saw Vincent and Bradley looking at him disapprovingly. He shoot them a scornful glare and then went back to focusing on two girls who are fawning over him.

"He is such a douchebag.", Vincent mumbled. "It\'s obvious that he is attracted to the girl. Why is he pushing her away?"

"I don\'t think he knows.", Bradley mumbled.

"That he is pushing her away?"

Bradley shook his head. "He does not know that he is attracted to her.. And at this rate, by the time he finds out, it will be too late."