After managing to get through all of my class finals, and getting ready for the club tonight, I actually felt better about the whole Cayden situation. Maybe it was due to time since I was forced to sit with what happened, or maybe it was now putting my finals and Fall classes behind me for good. Or... none of the above, and just due to how good I look right now.

My chocolate long hair is pulled into a high sleek bun while a dark smokey makeup look covers my sharp face. I'm in a black leather skirt with a lavender lacy top and a cropped black leather jacket while black leather high-heeled boots reach up to my toned calves. The leather jacket covering the revealing lace top easily reminds me of Cayden and her leather jacket. If she were here right now would she offer me her own jacket? Would she suggest that it looks better on me than my own?

I shake the thoughts from my head before spraying my body with a sweet vanilla scent and exiting my room. As I make it downstairs, I notice Jade and Jaci already look ready to go, Jade is in a midi long-sleeve sage green dress with her dark hair down and closed-toe heels while Jaci is in dark ripped jeans and a red satin long-sleeve blouse that exposes her cleavage with black booties and her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Both of their makeup looks looked absolutely flawless, Jade went with a more natural look tonight along with Jaci, except for the fact that she had eyeliner perfectly outlining her dark eyes.

"Ready?" Jade asks as she walks over to me with Jaci following shortly after her.

I nod, "So ready," I match her energetic tone.

Jaci's manicured fingers smooth over her slicked-up hair, "Finals are finally past us so let's get this night started,"

We end up walking to a club near us in SoHo, which I was beyond thankful for, given that I wouldn't find myself running into Cayden. I probably won't go back to the Upper East side for a couple of years, well, that's probably a lie since my friends love going up there, but I'll try to avoid it as much as possible.

The club already seemed to be in full swing even though it was only reaching past ten. We entered the packed club and instantly got a few rounds of shots to loosen up any tension in our overworked bodies due to our stressful finals. Once the alcohol was pumping through my body, the rebound idea managed to sound better and better. I scanned the crowd for any attractive women, but I fell short—perhaps my standards are a bit high. I mean Cayden is... well, she's in her own category, so it feels like I won't find anyone relatively close to being just as attractive as she is.

"See anyone?" Jade yells over the music as we move our loose bodies to the loud beat.

I shake my head with a defeated look causing the two girls to give me a dramatic frown.

"There are so many people here—you've got to find someone close to cute," Jaci yells over the music which causes Jade to lazily nod a bunch of times. Surprisingly a head of blonde short hair catches my eye. Her plump lips are held into a strict smirk while her dark eyes sweep through the crowd. She's leaning her back against the bar counter with a glass in her hand as a cream button-up covers her body, but manages to plunge down her chest covered in tattoos. Ahh, tattoos, how I've grown to admire those. Her tight black jeans dip at her curved waist illuminating her figure while black flat boots rest on her feet.

"I think I found someone—I'll catch up with you guys later!" I call out over the music, which causes the two drunk girls to eagerly nod before continuing their sloppy dancing.

I make my way over to the attractive woman whose dark eyes manage to already be on me. I purse my lips to hold back my growing smile as I lean my arms on the bar counter that she's leaning against. She takes the initiative of sliding down closer to me before patting the bar top, which easily grabs the bartender's attention.

"Drink preference?" her soft smooth voice fills my ears, and I can't help but think of the contrast between her soft voice and Cayden's deep raspy voice.

I push the thought away, "Surprise me," I challenge her.

She raises a brow, "Ah wise choice," she said before turning to the bartender, "A Mai Tai on my tab please,"

I tilt my head, "Mai Tai hm?"

"Seems like something you'd drink," she admitted, and I can't help but think how right she is since I have undoubtedly ordered the specific drink before. The bartender makes the drink in almost a flash before sliding it to the woman, who slides it to me, "I'm Kori,"

"Avina, but everyone calls me Vina,"

"Everyone? Well in that case I'll call you Avina," Kori determines with her head cocked to the side slightly. I can't help but admire how her short blonde hair falls perfectly past her chin as it illuminates her sharp jaw, high cheekbones, sharp brown eyebrows, and plump pink lips.

"I like your idea," I said sipping my sweet mai tai as Kori's dark eyes traced my features.

The woman slides closer, giving me a whiff of her fresh cologne, which easily contrasted against Cayden's spiced scent—god, I need to stop. Why am I comparing her to Cayden right now? Kori is incredibly attractive, has a nice aura about her, and she seems like a nice candidate to go home with tonight. And who knows, maybe we'd end up making it a regular thing and it'd eventually turn into something serious—unlike Cayden who doesn't even want to entertain the casual thing with me.

"Maybe you'll like my other ideas," she murmurs lowly, but I somehow was able to make out her soft voice through the loud music. I knew right at this moment as the blonde woman gave me the most desiring stare that she'd be easy to go home with and maybe if Jade and Jaci weren't here, I'd sneak to the bathroom with her for a quick make-out session. My stomach twists in exciting knots as I come to the realization that I'm really about to hook up with this attractive woman. I'm doing it. I'm really doing it. Jade and Jaci would be so proud right now—if—they knew, and I know Griffin will love hearing my hookup story tomorrow over coffee at Yolei's. But what about me? Will I be happy with this? Will I feel overly happy and on cloud nine the next morning like Cayden made me feel without even touching me?

Kori reached over to graze her fingers over the delicate silver necklace dangling from my neck admiring the silver heart engraved with Avina. Her touch was soft, but intentional and it probably wouldn't have affected me to this point if I hadn't been drinking, but with the alcohol pumping through my veins, I was melting into the sensation her touch caused—and I even started to wonder how her touch would feel everywhere else.

"It's very pretty," she murmured as my necklace captured her dark eyes.

"It's a symbolism since Avina means love and pure—which is why it's a heart,"

"Sentimental meaning, I admire that," Kori dropped her hand from my neck, but still stayed close, her covered legs nearly grazing mine. Moments later, she took her time to readjust her position so that she was standing in front of me with one of her covered legs subtly between mine. Kori knew exactly what she was doing, and as far as either of us could tell—it was working. I was feeling awfully bold for someone who'd never actually taken the leap and had sex with a woman before.

Kori ordered us both another copy of our drinks, her soft smooth voice clear and confident, which only added to the sexual tension I was clearly feeling.

"You don't have to do that," I refer to her buying me another drink.

"My treat," Kori said while resting her open palms on the bar behind me as she towered over me—but not in an intimidating way—instead, it felt sexy and intimate, "In exchange for you leaving your friends to keep me company,"

"How'd you know I came with friends?" I asked as I sipped my now new mai tai cocktail.

Kori's plump lips pulled into a soft smirk, "You caught me," she said, "I had my eye on you since you walked in, hoping you were into women and that you'd come talk to me. At least one of those things has been proven so far,"

"They're both true," I bluntly admitted without any further thoughts, which made my already flushed body grow hotter—it was definitely the alcohol making me feel this bold. Although, it apparently had an effect on Kori since her entire demeanor suddenly changed, eyeing me openly as she figured out the next move.

We both took slow sips of our new drink, waiting to see who would make the next move. I didn't want to worry about the logistics and what all this would lead to after, how I would tell my roommates or if I'd lie again, whether or not Kori made it into a casual thing, or if this means that what happened between Cayden and me is just a thing of a past, and now it's really over. I just wanted to go home with this woman and get rid of all the tension I'd been experiencing these past couple of weeks. Everything with Cayden was fun—it was passionate and sexy and just overall unbelievable—but she was also keeping me at arm-length, refusing to actually touch me. I craved the sensation of someone actually being there with me with their fingers inside of me rather than my own. I didn't want to just be admired, I wanted to be fucked. Especially after forcing myself to be held down by Sebastian for three years, and not actually getting off with anyone else while never having sex for all of two years, well, except for with myself. Suddenly it sunk in that Sebastian was probably getting laid right, and maybe he'd been getting laid the whole time and I just never looked hard enough.

"Avina..." Kori finally breaks the moment of our intimate silence, "Would you like to come back to my place?"

The question went on a loop through my heavy dazed head, but when Cayden's familiar face flashed in my head—I was immediately broken from whatever spell Kori put me under. My heart pumped rapidly in my chest and I felt unnecessarily guilty, like I had been betraying Cayden in some way even though I hadn't been doing anything wrong. If Cayden wanted to get mad at me for flirting, then she'd need to at least admit that she was interested in me or even agree to something casual.

My heavy eyes traced Kori's appearance and I quickly realized she didn't have the tattoos that Cayden had, her hair was light instead of dark, her teeth weren't accessorized like Cayden's, and even her scent and demeanor were completely opposite of the woman who seemed to constantly occupy my thoughts—or maybe... maybe it wasn't any of that.

Maybe it was the fact that she's not Cayden, and no one ever will be.

The lustful moment on my end was gone, and I now felt the need to talk to Cayden instead of hooking up with this random woman. I felt bad for wasting her time and money, but I just can't bring myself to do it—I thought I could, but I can't.

"You're caught on someone aren't you?" Kori easily read my body language and the expression displayed clearly on my face.

I reluctantly nodded, "Yeah... I'm sorry, I thought—"

"Don't be sorry Avina, it happens," she assured me with a comforting smile that was much different from the sensual smirk she previously had placed on her lips, "How about I give you my number, just in case you ever get over whoever this is, and then we can see where all this goes even if it's not serious,"

I feel my heart plummet practically to my stomach, this woman was offering me everything Cayden wasn't, and yet here I was still caught up on her. She wasn't just suggesting something casual, but also the idea of seeing where things take us which could end up being serious. I could see myself with her easily—cute picnic dates in central park, her meeting Griffin who'd already heard very personal stories about her, going on runs together before heading to the gym, grabbing coffee or tea at a local place nearby—I could see it all, but somehow her face morphs into Cayden's and I find myself back at square one.

"Yeah, okay," I smiled before pulling my phone out from the cropped leather jacket I was wearing and handing it to her.

This was a longer chapter than usual... but how do you guys feel about this book so far? Also, how do you feel about Vina—or Cayden? Recently Cayden hasn't been present and it's killing me, so I'm sure it's killing you guys too.

Anyways thank you for reading & for all the support,

Weekendlustt