Zenon's Game Chapter 232

We watched our friends approach the bouncers backstage, while Zenon stood behind me with his head on my shoulder. We were taking observer roles in this next act.

Axel noticed and came back to us, "Zenon, can you support the cause?"

Zenon exhaled a sigh. He raised his head from my shoulder.

Axel tried to convince him, "Come on, we used to be good at this."

"Good at what?" I asked them.

Oma answered on their behalf, "Their double act. Flirt with employees to get backstage or ho-"

"OK," Zenon interrupted, "Thank you for the history lesson."

"The new year is about looking forward, not backwards," Axel agreed, steering Zenon in the direction of the backstage, "Now let's move forwards."

It was entertaining for me to watch Zenon resist the reminders of his past. Apparently, he used to flirt with girls. A lot. And that's not a surprise.

I've lived opposite the guy my whole life. Watching him pretend like he's never done this before was very entertaining.

"I have a girlfriend," Zenon said for the tenth time.

It's been a whole minute since he said it last, so it's a relief to hear we haven't broken up during those sixty seconds. I'll check in again after another sixty.

This was not Fort Knox and the DJ was not our generation's response to Larry Levan, so I wasn't expecting it to be that difficult to get in. After a few minutes of Bianca lathering on her charm, she was allowed to enter.

The bouncer stood back and let her prance through. Bryce then complained why he wasn't pretty enough, and the bouncer gruffly answered:

"If you want to follow her in, it'll cost you."

And zero surprise with what happened next...

"I'M IN!" Bryce yelled out at the rest of us, waving his hands in the air. He was still carrying the bottle he'd lifted from our table, which the bouncer was trying to take from him.

While their antics moved on to the next step of the plan, I found a laminated note taped to the back of one of the sound equipment pieces. I knelt down to read it and realized it was the WiFi password, so I tapped that into my phone. I might as well keep myself entertained while this was happening.

Surprisingly, my phone buzzed as one text rolled in. My family were not the type to send out seasonal greetings and everyone I knew was here...

Happy new year! – Jake

I smiled and texted him back: Thank you! Happy new year to you too, when the time zone gets there!

I then reflected on another friend and sent out another text:

Happy new year Joe!

I tried to call my mother, but no one picked up. I did the same for Heidi, but no response there either.

"No answer?" Zenon's voice sounded from behind me.

I closed my phone and turned to him, surprised he had gotten away from the others.

I shook my head but couldn't find the words to answer.

It never ceased to hurt me when my family ignored me. Even on a day like today, they preferred to pretend like I didn't exist. I haven't been able to speak to them on this entire trip. No text, no call. And as much as I should come to expect it, it still hurts.

I miss my mom.

Zenon stepped closer towards me. "Sometimes, your eyes speak more than words."

He extended his strong arms around my body and pulled me towards him. His head on mine.

His hands rose up and rubbed my back. He didn't say anything but the comforting way he held me made it clear I didn't need to say anything either.

I raised my head and he glanced down at me, slightly surprised by my movement. I stepped on my tip toes to kiss him.

My lips landed on his cold lips and I pressed gently against him.

He responded, tilting his head downwards so I didn't need to be on my toes anymore. His gentle rubbing on my back stopped as he held onto me tightly. I could taste the passion.

I rested my hands on his arms, feeling his muscles flex under me when he moved his hands to rest on my waist. We deepened our kiss and he tilted me backwards. One hand came round the back of my head and he dipped me further.

"Don't worry," he murmured, feeling how tense I was in his arms, "If you fall, I fall."

"So we both fall?" I rephrased it, "Shouldn't you say you got me?"

"I'm trying to be romantic here," Zenon said, his fingers curling into my hair, "But OK. I got you."

I smiled, trusting that he wouldn't let me go. His lips kissed my smile. It felt like I was being lowered into a dream, a phenomenal dream.

"I'm so about you," I whispered, half in a daze.

There was little chance I would've admitted that, if this wasn't an incredibly romantic moment.

"I'm crazy about you," Zenon answered.

I didn't expect him to say that. I stared into his blue eyes; so much fire in such a cold color. My hand fit in the palm of his hand and warmed it.

"You drive me crazy," he added, "But I don't want to drive any other way."

Or in any other car - because my driving is better than his.

He led me to one of the giant sound equipment boxes. We sat on it, not thinking for a second if we were disrupting the music at the concert.

While we sat side by side on this sound box, Zenon played with my hands in his. "We have so much more in common than I expected."

"Like what?" I asked, wondering how he thought of us.

"We both want to leave this town as quickly as we can," he answered.