SERENA POV

Day four of vacation and everything has gone without a hitch so far.

We spent the first day at the beach and let the jet leg cool down. The second and third days were spent touring the city and nearby areas.

The architecture here was so surreal, almost like something from a movie that you never expect to see with your own twos eyes.

The flowers were blooming in every street and the buildings were colorful, giving a welcoming atmosphere. And the food... my god the food! Every meal and drink we have had has been the best to ever touch my taste buds.

Even Joyce said she never expected authentic cuisine to be this delicious.

It was nearing nine pm and we were walking back to our hotel. We ended up getting a late dinner and some drinks to end the night after a long day of touring the city again.

My legs were tired but my mind was racing with thoughts as it always was.

The street was a long stretch of businesses with street lights illuminating our way back.

"I don't want to go to bed yet," Joyce wines next to me. I laugh at her response and shake my head.

"What would you like to do? I am up for whatever you suggest," I say then see the smirk appear on her face. "Almost anything."

"I don't know, maybe I could ask Spencer if he has any ideas," She says with a smirk on her face as she pulls out her phone and scrolling through it.

I smile to myself at how happy she was.

Every day she has been texting him, no matter what we were doing. Although it might seem annoying to others, it warmed my heart to know she had a crush on someone. I was happy if she was happy.

I nudged her softly and nodded towards the wall outside the hotel while she put the phone to her ear. She nods in response and we move to the side of the sidewalk.

I lean my back against the exposed brick and look up at the stars.

They were so clear every night that I would sit on the balcony and star gaze for a few hours before going to sleep. Once or twice I have nodded off out there with the fresh breeze hitting me to wake me up.

It was just so calming to not worry about the world. To just let the universe take me in whatever direction it wants to. Every street sign we saw was a call to where we should go based on choices of our discursion. Nobody was calling the shots but us.

This is how life should be.

A game of choices.

"Hey, Spencer!" Joyce says chirpily next to me. I look at her to see her cheeks blush.

I laugh at her and she elbows me playfully.

"My friend and I were wondering if you knew anything fun to do this late at night?" She asks quieter this time, trying to contain her excitement. I watched her facial expressions as she listened to the voice on the line.

The smile faded in a second and her face paled. My eyebrow rose as I watched her.

She was quiet for a few minutes before her head snapped to me with a wide smile. "We will be there... yup.. see you then!"

With that, she put her phone down, hooked her arm into mine, and walked us into the hotel.

"So?"

"So," She says with hesitation. I wasn't going to like this idea. "We have been invited to join Spencer and his friend at a club tonight."

I almost stop in my steps but she keeps walking, pulling me with her.

"Joyce," I say whining. She knew I hated the environment of clubs. All the sweaty bodies and drunken people who couldn't hold their liquor.

"Come on! We are on vacation, let loose a little," She says as we reach the elevators. She hits the up button before turning to me. "Italian clubs are different than American ones. People here aren't as grab handy and are more respectful."

When I give her the unbelieving stare she continues.

"Plus we will have Spencer and his friends to protect us and make sure we get home safe. Nothing bad will happen, just trust me."

"You just met him four days ago, babes. How do we know we can trust him?"

Her eyebrows scrunch as she thinks about it for a second.

The elevator chimes next to us and opens. I hit the fifth floor when we step in and look at her.

"Serena, I just want us to have fun on this vacation. I know how you are with drinking and all that, so if you want you don't have to come with me. I won't be mad," She says gently. She was trying for me here and I appreciated it.

I haven't touched more than a small glass of alcohol while being friends with her. The feeling of losing control drove me insane. So many things can go wrong while your brain is trying to fight through the drunken haze for fight or flight control.

Damn, I hated clubs!

But what I hated worse was the thought of her out in Italy alone with a man we only met once. I would be up all night worried until she came back.

"Fine," I say and turn to face the elevator doors as they open. "But don't expect this any other time! I am only saying yes because we are on vacation and, quite frankly, I could use a few drinks."

Her smile widens as she jumps out of the elevator.

"Yay!!!!" She screams while pulling me towards our rooms. I laugh at her excitement. "Now, we have to find you something to wear."

Is it too late to go back on my answer?

* * *

"We are here," The taxi driver says in a thick Italian accent. He was an older gentleman with a furry mustache on his top lip.

"Thank you very much," I say and hand him some cash before sliding out after Joyce.

She was shaking she was so excited.

I looked up at the said club and shivered a little. The place was beautiful on the outside with the greenery and blacked-out windows... not.

But you could tell it was an expensive type of club from the people waiting in line. The men in nice button-ups and the women in nice dresses that were a little too short.

Joyce pulled me to the back of the line and I huffed lightly, regretting my decision.

Why did I let her talk me into this?

I quickly adjusted my skirt and looked at myself in the window reflection.

My black hair was in loose curls and my makeup was done to perfection with bright red lips, thanks to Joyce.

She had picked out a red tube top with a leather black skirt for me to wear and I felt even more self-conscious. Although I did look hot, I felt I was showing too much skin.

My tattoos were on display from my collar bones and down to my wrists. Not more than an inch of skin was shown beneath.

Even the patchwork tattoos on my legs were shown.

Looking over at Joyce I compared our outfits.

She was in a white lacey one-piece that cut off midthigh and ran down her arms.

She looked angelic.

Not a single hair was out of place and her bare skin showed a beautiful tanned glow.

We were opposites if compared to each other. Joyce was a bubbly, outgoing person who didn't have a single scar on her body. She liked tattoos but never thought of getting one herself.

Meanwhile, I was a dark and mysterious person with a hidden story I never wanted to come out but knew it would sometime soon. A person can only hide things for so long.

"Joyce," I say and she looks up from her phone to me with a wide smile. "I have one rule for tonight."

"Okay?" She asks looking at me curiously.

"Don't call me Serena," I say and she arches an eyebrow.

"Why?" She asks before a sly smile appears on her face. "Trying to seem all dark and mysterious?"

"Not that. It's just, anytime I hear my name it reminds me of all the shit I don't want to remember back home with Lance."

A sad look crosses her face. Before she quickly smiles again with a caring smile.

I never knew how she could do that. Change her emotions at any given moment.

"What should I call you then?"

I rake my brain for a second before staring back at the reflection in the mirror.

"Scarlet," I say to myself. The name sounded sexy and powerful on my lips.

"Dark and sexy, I like it!"

Her phone starts to ring and she puts it to her ear.

My eyes scan the line in front of us to see it moving ever so slowly. The girls in front of us were talking excitedly in Italian.

"He's coming out to get us," Joyce says putting her phone into her purse. I nod and give her a nervous look. "Take a breather, girl. You look sexy as hell!"

"That's not what I'm worried about," I mutter before her eyes snap behind me. I turn to see Spencer approaching us in a black button-up with dark jeans. He looked nice and well put together.

"Hello ladies," he says approaching. I noticed a few of the people in the line turn to look at him with shocked expressions. Was he famous or something?

"Hey Spencer," Joyce says. He slowly grabs her hand and places a kiss on the back of it.

"Hello Joyce," He says then turns to me with the same gesture. The kiss was light and friendly. "And... I don't think I ever got your name."

"Scarlet," I say with a small smile.

"Scarlet. Pleasure," He says then lets my hand drop back down. "Are you ladies ready?"

"Of course we are!" Joyce says, locking her arm around mine as he leads us to the front of the line. I give her a confused look but she just watches his back as if expecting this to happen.

Spencer speaks to the bounder in Italian before gesturing to us. He just nods his head and gestures for us to enter.

"Are you a VIP or something?" I ask jokingly as we follow him inside, the music getting louder the closer we get.

"Something like that," He says matching my tone.

Inside was flashing with bright lights and loud music. The room was otherwise dark but I could see all the bodies dancing to the music.

The exact thing I despised.

"Care for a drink?" Spencer shouts over the music. Joyce quickly nods her head and pulls me after him.

Once at the bar, Spencer turns to us.

"I'll have a Vodka Cranberry," Joyce says then looks at me.

"Same."

Spencer nods then turns toward the bartender and gestures him over.

"See I told you this place is nicer than California clubs," Joyce says close to my ear as my eyes scan the place. On the other side of the room was a DJ who was dancing to the music, headphones hanging around his neck.

The walls were a deep red that was hard to see with the lights only flashing every once in a while on them.

"Yeah," I say back to her with a smile. Spencer turns to us and hands us our drinks. I take a sip, knowing I was going to need it. I was pleased to taste the nearly straight liquor.

"I have to quickly meet with some associates, but I will come to find you in a few minutes. My friend should be upstairs waiting for me so I will introduce you after," Spencer says and Joyce nods before saying something close to his ear.

I take another large sip while my eyes roam the club.

I'm going to need a few more of these to get through this night.