Chapter 1: Introduction
The hum of the crowd in the gothic club pulled Isaac away from his thoughts. A few hours and a few drinks into his evening, Isaac had already lost sight of Carson among the sea of bodies. He wasn't in the scene for finding other people, but tonight he was feeling lonely, restless. Isaac had never approached any of the women who frequented the club; his ideal woman always seemed out of reach, a figment of his imagination: the goth beauty with perfect bare feet.
That's until tonight.
As the bass pulsed through him, he spotted her - glittering eyes as dark as midnight framed by blood-red lips, her skintight dress accentuating her slender silhouette. Her hair was raven black, falling in loose waves down her back. Intricate tattoos adorned her arms, and when she moved, the veil of darkness that surrounded her glittered subtly, reflecting the myriad of lights dancing above.
Her beauty was commanding, drawing the eyes of every man in the room. But what stood out the most to Isaac, what made her truly captivating, were her feet – the delicate curve of her arch meticulously outlined in black ink, every toe graceful and slightly bent.
Isaac hesitated, feeling the weight of years of self-doubt making his chest tighten. He had never approached a woman before, always content dwelling in the shadows of his fantasies. He was unsure if this woman would be receptive or if he even had the right to approach her.
With his military haircut and muscular physique, he thought he might stand out like a sore thumb among the Goth crowd – too masculine, too unrefined in a place filled with black lace, dark emotions, and a reverence for rejection.
As Isaac gathered his resolve to push through the crowd, the woman locked eyes with him. Her gaze was intense but not unkind, and it stirred something inside him that took him aback. For a moment, the rest of the room fell away, and it felt like time itself had come to a stop.
The music seemed to fade into the background until only the rhythm kept her eyes dancing, leaving behind only the two of them: Isaac and the Goth beauty.
Emboldened, he fought against the flow of people to reach her. But as he did, the Goth beauty turned, her gaze no longer meeting his, and vanished into the crowd. A sinking, heavy feeling settled in Isaac's gut. He'd missed his chance.
Carson appeared from amongst the people, a wicked grin on his face, and clapped Isaac on the shoulder. "What kept you, man?