My Beloved

"Beth, is that okay?" Han Luo whispered softly. She didn't know if they could go inside. The bad feeling from earlier crept into her heart and she was having second thoughts on this so-called date of her best friend's. 

"Of course, just be confident," Beth reassured Han Luo by patting on her left shoulder. She took Han Luo's hand and then dragged her to the direction of the nightclub.

Han Luo took a deep breath and composed herself. She decided that she had to do this for her best friend's sake and strode forward to the entrance of the club. She felt like she was walking on a runway show. 

When they stood in front of the nightclub, one of the two bulky guards asked for a membership card. Han Luo's heart dropped. She never had any kind of membership card with her.

Beside her, Beth calmly took out a card from her purse and showed it to the guard. The guard checked it and let them enter.

"How did you manage to get your hands on their membership card?" Han Luo asked her friend in bewilderment. 

Beth grinned and showed her the card. "It's my mother's card. She comes here with her girlfriends once a month. She is a VIP member and so she can bring any person here who isn't a member."

"You have planned everything thoroughly. I'm impressed," Han Luo relaxed and asked, "but, how will he come? Isn't he of the same age as us?"

"He is already here. See?" Beth pointed at a corner near the bar counter.

Han Luo turned around and saw that a boy, of their age, was sitting beside the bar counter and waiting for someone. He was a handsome fourteen year old fellow of mixed blood, half English and half Asian. He had brown colored hair with long blonde locks. His eyes were sapphire blue. He was wearing a navy blue silk shirt and black pants with a glaring diamond watch on his hand. 

'Showing off rich parents' money, how immature,' it was Han Luo's first impression on that guy.

"He is so dashing!" Beth excitedly commented from beside her. 

"I don't find him attractive," Han Luo shared her opinion. 

She stepped back a little but Beth grabbed her hand and said, "How can you find him attractive when you grew up around three musketeers? Come with me." Then, she dragged Han Luo to the guy. She stopped beside him and greeted him, "Hi Larry! I'm here."

The boy named Larry looked at her and stood up. "Beth! You look beautiful." He smiled handsomely and came forward to give a kiss on her right cheek. His eyes landed on the girl beside Beth and his eyes slightly glowed. "And who is this?"

Beth and Han Luo didn't notice his slight change of expression. Beth was too excited to perceive the change in his behavior and voice. On the other hand, Han Luo was too busy looking around and observing the area. Her heart was beating like a drum. She had always seen this type of setting in movies and dramas. She was enlivened that she was finally able to come to an adult night club and got to experience this at first hand.

Beth introduced them, "She is Luo, my best friend. Luo, he is Larry, the person I wanted you to meet."

Han Luo unwillingly reached her hand and greeted him, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Larry took her hand and squeezed it slightly.

Han Luo frowned with displeasure and tried to snatch her hand away politely. However, Larry didn't let go causing her to scowl at his improper behavior. After staying with Zheng Mian for two years, she had learned some meanings behind actions. She didn't like the way the boy, the same age as her, acting improperly right in front of his soon-to-be girlfriend.

Han Luo looked straight at his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Is there something wrong?" 

Larry smiled at her and let go of her hand. "Please don't mind my behavior. I just thought you look familiar. Have we somehow met before?"

Seeing Han Luo didn't speak, Beth answered, "You must have seen her dancing in the television or saw her pictures in the magazines. She has stayed in Paris for two years and worked under a famous agency."

"I see," Larry looked at Han Luo and told her, "So, you are a dancer and a model. You are amazing." He didn't wait for Han Luo's response and glanced at Beth, "You are lucky to have a friend like her, don't you?"

"I am lucky to have both of you by my side," Beth innocently smiled.

"And, I'm lucky to have you," Larry took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Han Luo didn't wait for them and sat on a chair. She ordered the bartender for Tequila. 

Beth was surprised. "I've brought you here to have some fun and all you ordered was Tequila?"

"I don't want to get drunk," Han Luo said. If she came with her big brothers, she would have chucked down lots of cocktails by now. It wasn't that she didn't believe in Beth. She just didn't have the guts to trust the guy she was with. She thought, 'Better be safe than being sorry.'

"No matter what you drink, the drink is on me ladies. Feel free to order anything you want," Larry offered generously. 

Beth was delighted by the offer. "You are awesome, Larry!" 

When Beth started to order for herself, he secretly glanced at Han Luo and whispered at her, "Why don't I order a special drink for you?"

Han Luo tactfully declined. "I'm not interested. Why don't you give your precious drink to the person you invited?" 

"Come on, one glass won't harm you," Larry coaxed her.

Han Luo tried her best to keep herself calm for the sake of Beth and said, "Dude, I'm only here for my friend. If I want to drink something, I will. I don't need YOU to help with anything," saying that she shifted her attention toward her phone and started playing with it. 

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A seventeen year old boy with short blonde hair and honey colored eyes severed drinks to the customers and then went back to his original spot. He placed the silver tray on the counter and saw someone putting a white tablet in two glasses. He asked, "What are you doing?"

The bartender almost jumped. "Ah, you almost scared me. The customer over there gave me one hundred bucks and told me to put this in the drinks of the ladies. For some reason, the beautiful lady rejected the customer and he ordered me to put this tablet in the drink she ordered."

The seventeen year old boy looked at the beautiful girl his co-worker mentioned but couldn't see her face properly. He asked, "What did she order?"

"Tequila," the bartender replied.

"Tequila… she seems innocent," the seventeen year old boy turned to look at the girl again and he completely froze. He knew that girl. He wanted to say something but another co-worker came to him and said, "Jack, serve these drinks to table number ten."

"I'm on it," Jack hesitantly said.

Han Luo just looked up and took her Tequila from the bartender.. She took a sip from the drink.