Chapter 24 – Party in the Dark
Hanoi on a weekend night was as bright as a giant stage. Trang Tien Street was brightly lit, music was playing from luxurious bars and people were crowding on the sidewalks. Duc Anh’s car stopped in front of a large restaurant, he turned to look at Linh, smiling like a director who had memorized tonight’s script.
Linh sat beside her, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her dress, her eyes slightly lowered. The burgundy dress hugged every curve of her body, the deep neckline revealing her full cleavage, and the daring slit reaching up to her hips made every step she took a silent provocation.
– If my wife was the main course tonight, no one at this table would touch their chopsticks. – Duc Anh chuckled, his voice both teasing and possessive.
– You keep teasing me. Hung is over there, I’m so embarrassed. – Linh replied softly, her tone was both angry and flirtatious. She knew she was a weapon tonight.
– He goes alone. All the better. Leave it to me. – Duc Anh curled his lips, his eyes shining with interest.
Linh sighed, but a feeling of unease and excitement arose in her heart. She had known Hung for a long time, and also his wife – Mai, a woman two years older than her. Thinking about having to sit across from Hung tonight in this state, her heart suddenly started to beat faster.
As the couple entered, the bustling atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly quieted down. All eyes were on them. The yellow light fell on Linh’s jet-black hair, bare shoulders, and white legs. The other men quickly clinked their glasses, trying to hide the lust in their eyes, but Hung did not.
He sat in the middle of the table, his white shirt open at the neck, his face flushed from the alcohol. When his gaze met Linh’s, she paused for a moment. His gaze was no longer polite. It was naked, hot, and full of desire.
– Long time no see. – Hung smiled, his voice a bit forced.
– Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. – Linh replied, her eyes averted, her fingers lightly squeezing the edge of her silk skirt.
Duc Anh sat down next to his wife, calmly put his hand on her waist and laughed:
– Be careful, my friend. You can sober up if you drink, but if my wife gets drunk, it will be difficult to get home.
The whole table burst into laughter. Hung blushed and quickly raised his glass to drink. Linh just bowed her head, her cheeks burning. Her heart was pounding in her chest, a strange mixture of shame and a newly ignited fire of excitement.
The party continued with laughter and filled glasses of wine. Duc Anh continuously showed off his wife in a sophisticated way, his hands never leaving her curves, sometimes gliding over her waist, sometimes resting loosely on her thighs. Linh gritted her teeth and endured, but the feeling of being shown off, being exposed to the greedy eyes of men made her skin burn.
When the restaurant was about to close, the group decided to go to a karaoke bar in the old town. The room was filled with dim red and blue lights, and the smoke and alcohol were thick. Duc Anh took the microphone and pulled his wife onto the small stage. He stood close behind her, one arm around her waist, the other holding the microphone, his whole body pressed tightly against Linh’s soft body.
– Sing, you must be the star today. – he whispered, half-joking, half-serious, but loud enough for the whole room to hear.
The whole room whistled and laughed. Linh blushed, her voice trembling with the music. The slit of her skirt kept showing every time she moved, revealing her white thighs. Hung sat opposite, his eyes glued to the scene, his hand tightly gripping his beer glass. Duc Anh saw everything, his eyes shining with the pleasure of someone pulling the strings.
The song ended, Linh sat down on the chair, her face red. Duc Anh poured his wife a full glass of wine.
– Come on, honey, let’s have a drink to reward our performance.
Linh reluctantly drank it all. The alcohol spread, making her body even hotter, her mind even more hazy. As midnight approached, her friends left one by one. Finally, only Duc Anh, Linh and Hung remained.
Duc Anh put his arm around his friend, his voice already a bit drunk:
– It’s late, I’ll go home and have a few more drinks. It’s so sad to come home alone at this hour.
Hung hesitated a bit, glanced at Linh, then nodded:
– Yes, that’s fine.
Linh’s heart was beating wildly. She knew that the main act of the night was just beginning.
—
Duc Anh’s apartment was quiet behind the thick glass doors, in contrast to the noise of the street. Three people walked in, the smell of alcohol still lingering in the air. Linh was about to make tea when Duc Anh slipped a small bag into his wife’s hand, his voice strangely calm.
– Honey, change into this outfit to be comfortable. You must be tired wearing a dress all night.
Linh opened it, her heart pounding. It was a thin, pearl-colored silk nightgown, almost transparent. She looked up, her eyes panicked:
– Are you crazy? In front of Mr. Hung you make me wear this…
Duc Anh leaned close to her ear, his voice as soft as honey but every word was a command.
– I just want my best friend to know how lucky I am. Whatever.
Linh bit her lip and turned to walk into the bedroom. Her face was burning, her heart filled with shame and an indescribable fire of curiosity.
When she came back, the living room was dense. The nightgown hugged her body, the thin silk fabric could not hide her full breasts and erect pink nipples. Her fair skin under the yellow light made her glow. Hung stopped, his eyes wide open, then quickly turned away to finish his glass of wine to hide his dizziness.
Duc Anh leaned back in his chair, looked at his wife from head to toe and then burst out laughing:
– You see, my wife is always like this at home, no wonder I don’t want to go anywhere.
Hung cleared his throat, his hand turning the wine glass. Linh sat down, her cheeks flushed, her fingers clenching the hem of her silk shirt.
Duc Anh poured wine for all three. The sound of clinking glasses was heard softly, followed by only breathing that was getting heavier and heavier.
A moment later, he looked at Hung, his voice absentminded but full of hidden meaning:
– Hung… after so many years of being brothers, is there anything precious that I haven’t shared with you?
Linh turned to her husband, eyes wide open:
– You… stop talking.
But Duc Anh still looked at Hung, his eyes shining like fire.
– Tonight, I will give you a chance. Do you dare or are you afraid?
The air was stuffy. Hung stiffened, his hands trembled slightly. Linh felt like her heart was about to burst. The image of Mai suddenly appeared in her mind, making her shiver, her lips stammering:
– I can’t… I can’t do it.
Duc Anh leaned close to his wife’s ear, his voice soft as velvet, caressing every nerve:
– I just want to see you burn. I want to see my best friend go crazy for you. Make me proud, my bitch.
Linh’s breath was rapid, her body was trembling. Hung looked at her, his eyes were lost, his hands on his thighs clenched. Finally, he blurted out, his voice hoarse:
– Linh… you are really beautiful today.
The words were like a knife cutting off the last thread of reason. Linh opened her eyes wide, her lips trembling, before she could react, Duc Anh had bent down and kissed her passionately, his hand in her hair, pressing it tightly, right in front of Hung. The kiss was long and possessive. When he let go, the corner of his lips still had wine on it, he chuckled:
– Do you want to touch it? Consider it giving me another reason to be proud.
Linh shivered. Hung was stunned, his hand on his thigh unconsciously moved closer to her. Linh was startled and tried to pull back, but Duc Anh held her tight. His big hand was placed on his wife’s hand, then pressed down on his friend’s hand.
– See, there’s nothing to be shy about. – his voice was even, light as the wind – Just sharing one more time, so I know how much my wife is desired.
The air in the room was as heavy as fire. Linh felt empty inside, her mind spinning from the alcohol, the forceful grip, the eyes of the two men focused on her at the same time. She knew the boundary was more fragile than ever. Just one more breath, one more urging sentence, and everything would collapse, and she would plunge into the abyss with no way back.