Brake

He drove in silence, I don't know how to start a conversation, and I keep picturing his naked body in my mind like an imprint.

"Pepper, what are you thinking?" He smiled as he turned and looked at my face. I feel like I was struck by lightning; he is stunning when he smiles, but he rarely speaks.

"Ummm... I'm thinking of my bad reflexes, Kevin gave up on me," I grumbled. He didn't respond and instead concentrated on his driving. I almost said exactly what I'm thinking right now.

He pulled into an inner road and handed me the steering wheel; I was nervous, but Kevin had already taught me the fundamentals. His instructions were clear, and he patiently repeated his movements so that I could visualize them. When he helped maneuver the car, his hands brushed against my thighs and arms several times.

After two hours, I drove the car on my own with his assistance. He directed me where to go, and when I saw a farmhouse, he told me to park the car in front of it. He assisted me in parking the car, which made me nervous and caused the car to abruptly stop.

"Sorry," I said as I smiled at him nervously. He unbuckled his seat belt and opened his door before walking over to my door and opening it for me. I followed him inside the house, where an elderly man with some features as him greeted us.

"Glad you came to see us, boy," he said as he patted his shoulder and looked at me. "Grandpa, this is Brianna," he said as he introduced us with his usual solemn expression.

"This is the first time my boy has brought a lady into our abode, no wonder why, have a seat dear, I will call my Lucy," the old man said excitedly.

Paul and Lucy were an adorable couple; I later learned that Mitch' father died in one of his missions, and his mother became ill and died when he was sixteen; their grandparents took them in.

Being a soldier was in their blood, and Paul was a retired Navy Officer.

Lucy approached me as I was staring at the old photos on the wall.

"Mitchell, like his father, works with devotion; when her sister was kidnapped by traffickers, he went in search of her. He was devastated to learn that she died at their hands." Her voice and expression were thoughtful.

I touched the photo of Alana and Mitch together; I'd never met her, but Simone mentioned that her father intends to marry her. He assumed her sister was dead, but he discovered her in the hands of a notorious human trafficker who was killed by Simone. Her brother teased his wife that his would be mother-in-law was almost his age; Simone didn't care because she loves Alana and her father's happiness is more important to her. They are somehow related by family affinity.

After saying our goodbyes to the elderly couple, I drove slowly from the farm to the city. He was always alert, and his hands were quick when I wasn't. I tried several times before properly parking the car. As I applied the brakes, I paid close attention to him.

"At long last," I said as I closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed him staring at me. His phone rang several times, but he ignored it; he answered it after he opened the door for me. He turned to me and said, "I need to go, see you tomorrow," before leaving. With a heavy heart, I sighed and went to my unit. It was as if I was driving smoothly and the car came to a halt because I applied too much brake pressure.

I couldn't read him because he was so reserved.

My phone rang, and I answered it, saying, "hey girl, let's celebrate your independence, let's party tonight, I'll pick you up at eight," but Eloise cut me off before I could respond.

For our night out, I chose a royal blue body con off shoulder dress.

I straightened my hair with an iron and clipped it on one side.

Tiffany and Eloise arrived, both looking stunning in their revealing gowns.

Tiffany wore a black tube mini dress with her blond hair in a high pony tail, while Eloise wore a low cut bodycon red dress with her ash gray hair down.

We drove Tiffany's sports car to a high-end bar owned by Romano Bectaz.

I was ecstatic because I had never been to a place like this before. We were having a good time when someone touched my shoulder and said, "Inna, is that you" He was taken aback.

"Kirk? Oh my! How are you doing? I'm delighted to see you!" I exclaimed loudly as the music blasted out.

"Let's dance girl," he said, taking my hand in his and leading me to the dance floor. I put my hands on his neck and we talked while dancing slowly, not minding that others were dancing music in fast beat. He told me that he went to Thailand with his boyfriend and worked as a chef in a hotel, but due to a gender conflict with the manager, he resigned and applied to one of Zach's hotels. He had no idea I was in charge of some of them; I will review his application and approve it tomorrow.

Kirk is an excellent chef, we both went to the same culinary school, he is very gay, and he made my college days less boring. He encouraged me to make a life for myself and live fully; he was one of the reasons I left the nest and went to live with my brother. We were both engrossed in our conversation; his face touched mine when he wanted to emphasize something, and his lips occasionally touched my ears. Kirk appears to be a good-looking man on the outside, and he is skilled at concealing his identity.

Someone separated us, "what the....!"

When I looked up, I saw Mitchell's angry face and Daniel and Kevin by his side. "What exactly are you doing here?" I yelled angrily at them. The loud music mixed my angry voice.

"You were having so much fun, ginger," Kevin exclaimed, his jaw clenched. Daniel, and Kevin joined us as Mitch took my hand and drew me towards the bar. He didn't say a word, his eyes roamed over my body and scowled. Kirk followed us and stayed with me, confused at the same time his eyes twinkling with amusement. Of course he loves men, gorgeous men and the men in front of her were all gorgeous

"This is girls' night out, you don't have the right to ruin the fun!" Eloise said angrily as Tiffany glared at the men.

"Are you going to practice kissing ginger?" Kevin said, sarcastically.

"You know I'm not irresponsible, Kev, I've never judged anyone of you, so stay away from me!" she cried angrily. All men turned to Kirk, he cleared his throat and acting like a straight man.

"Yes, it's true, we were culinary school classmates; I've known her since she stumbled on her first day of class, and we were very close," he explained.

Even so, the jerks remain unconvinced. "I cared for her; ask her brother Zach, and he'll back me up," he said. Except for Mitch, who looked at Kirk as if he wanted to throw him outside the bar when Kirk mentioned Zach, the men nodded, now convinced.

I grabbed Kirk's hand and dragged him outside. The men wanted to follow me, but the ladies refused. I noticed Mitch staring at us, specifically at our hands. I became aware of how tightly I was clutching Kirk's hands. But I was so irritated that I glared back at him. Mitch always wore a blank expression, but as he looked at me, I noticed something I couldn't place, but one thing was certain: concern was written all over his face. Did he care about me?

"Those obnoxious pigs!" I yelled in frustration once outside.

"Where did you get those gorgeous men, sweetheart?" Kirk asked unaffected. He was enjoying the situation." I laughed as I looked at him, frustrated. I texted Tiffany to let her know that Kirk, my gay friend, would accompany me; I didn't want them to be concerned.

We took a cab we went to a sophisticated bar with a very different ambiance. The place has good lighting that creates a cozy atmosphere. The music was soft and mellow, and I noticed that all of the customers were men or gays.

"This is our sanctuary, sweetie, my boyfriend owns this place, and we can drink here without interruption," he said with a smile. We took a seat and he ordered drinks for us. We ended up drinking together and discussing our lives.

"I love seeing you with men, sweetie, not just men, but gorgeous men," he mumbled. I had never drunk so much before; my head became light and I frequently laughed. "I'm sorry I can't drive you home; please give me your phone number," he said. I handed him my phone, and he began typing something on it. "Can you tell me the name of the tall, dark, and hot guy who wanted to swallow me whole?" he asked as he typed.

I replied, "Mitch," before succumbing to the darkness.