Black Diamond

Chapter 2

Taeyong wasn’t sure how he had missed seeing the gorgeous woman that was now sitting beside him when he arrived at the House of Cards through the back alley VIP Entrance. He had never heard of the infamous karaoke club until tonight, but since he’d been ordered to entertain his company’s important guests, he just followed through with whatever request they made.

It sounded odd when these important guests requested only the company of the legal aged NCT members, but the moment they set foot in their private room and the first group of girls arrived, Taeyong quickly realized what was going on. He was texting his manager to ask for guidance on the ridiculous situation when Diamond and Susie entered the room. He didn’t even bother to look up when they introduced themselves because his manager had finally responded to his concerned text messages. It wasn’t until the “guest of honor” called Diamond over to their section of the couch that he finally looked up from his cell phone and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life.

His reaction to her was immediate, but Taeyong tried his best to control his facial expressions. Diamond had an enticing hourglass figure, with curves that seemed endless. He knew she wasn’t his age simply by the way she carried herself, but there was no way that someone with a lovely face like hers was “old” either. He wasn’t sure which part of her appealed to him more: her full, plush lips, her unbelievable figure, or the velvety smooth, contralto pitch of her voice.

Then, she brushed against him as she passed by, and it took everything in him not to grab her around that impossibly small waist and tell her to use his lap as her chair. Taeyong forced out a breath and made sure not to look at her directly, even though her heavenly scent was lingering in his nose, leaving him swimming in a sea of lust that was clearly wreaking havoc on his ability to keep himself in check.

It was these emotions that made him steal the Red Ace card from Diamond’s slender fingers and take someone else’s wish. He wasn’t blinded by whatever he was feeling for the sepia-toned beauty in front of him -- on the contrary, his mind was working in overtime to figure out how he could see her again before the night came to an end.

“I wish… for my own Red Ace card.”

The deafening silence that fell over the room would have made Taeyong pause if he wasn’t so focused on Diamond. He wasn’t sure why he felt so strongly about the woman, but something told him that if he let her walk out of the door, she’d be hard to track down a second time.

Instead, Diamond’s amused laughter filled the air, making a corner of Taeyong’s lips quirk upwards.

The other woman who walked in with Diamond stood up from her seat on the other end of the couch, “Hey, you can’t-!”

Diamond held up her free hand, stopping the blonde mid-sentence with a glance over her shoulder, that smile still on her face as she watched him with beautiful brown eyes, “Susie, this is my request.” Her tone left no room for argument.

The other woman, Susie, crossed her arms and sat down, obviously upset. All eyes remained on the two of them, but Taeyong was focused solely on the beautiful woman beside him.

“Red Ace cards aren’t something you can get so easily.” Diamond said, tucking her hand back in her lap, “But since this is your wish…” She stood up smoothly, taking Taeyong with her, since she was still holding on to his wrist, “Come with me, Taeyong-ah.”

Her tone was so alluring that Taeyong probably would have followed her to his doom without a second glance. Diamond led him towards the door while his fellow members stared after him in shock. Taeyong wasn’t sure where Diamond was leading him, but every now and again, she’d glance over her shoulder, trapping him with her gaze.

“How old are you, anyway?” Diamond questioned softly, and even though she hadn’t raised her voice at all, Taeyong heard her clearly over the music playing in the hall.

“Old enough, Noona,” He wasn’t sure why or when his voice took on such a husky pitch, but he felt a little thrill when the woman in front of him her lips unconsciously. She led him to a smaller, empty room with a single, high back, upholstered bench against the wall and dim lights. Most noticeably, the room was extremely quiet. The sound system was turned off and the screen wasn’t on either. There were two unopened bottles of soju on a small table set directly in front of the bench, and a single glass.

Diamond finally released her grasp on him, “Wait for me here.”

Taeyong opened his mouth to ask Diamond about the new room they were in, but she was gone before he could get the words out. He leaned his head back against the couch, closing his eyes for a bit as he replayed his own actions in his mind.

What the hell was he doing right now?

The bass booming on the overhead speakers outside of the room covered the sound of Diamond’s high heels, so Taeyong didn’t hear her entering the room when she finally came back. She opened the door to find him drinking soju by himself. Diamond chuckled lowly, a small smile on her face as she sat on the couch beside him.

“Are you getting nervous now?” She murmured, plucking the glass from his hand, and leaning closer into Taeyong’s personal space. She set the glass down on the table with one hand, planting the other directly on the couch, right between Taeyong’s legs, creeping closer to him. Instead of shifting away, or getting flustered like Diamond expected him to, Taeyong stayed right where he was, instead adjusting his position to make room for her.

Diamond pouted, “You know, if you don’t react to me at all, I’ll think I’m not pretty enough.”

“You’re so pretty that if I react to you right now, I might scare you,” Taeyong replied bluntly, looking directly into her brown eyes.

Diamond felt heat rushing to her cheeks unexpectedly. His honest response had made her garnered a response from her instead. She moved to lean away from him, but as if he could read her mind, Taeyong grabbed her wrist, keeping her still. They locked eyes, and Diamond couldn’t look away from his fiery gaze.

“Noona, are you going to grant my wish?” Taeyong worried his bottom lip between his teeth, waiting for her to answer. All it did was draw Diamond’s attention to his mouth. She mentally checked herself, and moved away from Taeyong to sit properly on the couch.

“Normally, you have to pay thousands to get this card. Lucky for you, I’m worth more than that,” she said, finally showing Taeyong her right hand. Resting in her palm was a black diamond Ace card.

Taeyong reached out to take the card, but Diamond snatched her hand back at the last second, holding it up for him to see. It was about as thick as a hotel keycard, with his name in English cursive on the back.

“In this House of Cards, I am the Queen of Diamonds,” Diamond explained with a rueful smile. “The staff is arranged much like a card deck, so there are four Queens and four Kings at the top. The owner of our club is known as The Dealer. The 8 of us bring in the most money for him, but we all work to fulfill the wishes of our highest paying clients, the Red Aces.”

At Taeyong’s nod, Diamond continued, “But your card is a little different. I know you asked for a red Ace, but I can’t give you one. Instead, your Ace card is black. Do you know what that means, Lee Taeyong?”

Diamond was staring at him expectantly now, and her solemn tone surprised him. He shook his head, furrowing his brow while he waited for her to continue.

“In the simplest terms, it means you are mine.” She told him earnestly, and finally, Diamond got to see his cheeks flush with color. It made him even more beautiful than he already was.

He his lips, tasting the word, “Yours?”

“This card is one-of-a-kind. Only two of the four Queens are given a black Ace, and only the Queen of Diamonds has the black diamond Ace. It tells every employee in this building that you entered an agreement with me. We are bound to each other until you make a new wish; one to end our contract.”

Taeyong stared at the card for a long while, listening carefully to everything that Diamond told him. When he finally looked back up at her, she gave a nod, “Now that you have heard everything: are you sure you still want me to grant your wish?”

Taeyong shook his head, holding up a single finger, “One second.”

Diamond lifted an eyebrow curiously, as a mischievous smile crossed Taeyong’s face, “What is it?”

“Before we enter our contract, Noona: how old are you?”

Diamond laughed out loud then, and Taeyong’s smile grew at the lovely sound, “Will my answer change your wish? I’m 25.”

Taeyong shook his head, “No, my wish stays the same.”

Diamond nodded, pressing the card against her lips lightly and then setting it down, lipstick print upwards, on the couch between them, “Then, all you have to do to seal our contract is kiss-”

Taeyong didn’t let her finish. Seeing her plush mouth pressed against the card with his name on it had a weird effect on him: Taeyong mimicked Diamond’s earlier approach, tugging her wrist to draw her closer, moving her back into his personal space. The card fell to the floor.

“I just have to kiss you... right?” He questioned, his voice dropping to a low pitch as he reached out with his free hand to touch her cheek softly. Diamond bit her lip, her gaze flitting to his mouth instantly. She was reminded of her earlier thoughts, and with another look at his gorgeous mouth, she threw caution to the wind and nodded her head.

Taeyong fixed her with an intense gaze and without realizing it, Diamond held her breath as he inched closer and closer, angling his head.

He slowly fitted his lips to hers in a soft kiss that sent fire shooting from her head to her toes. It was a soft pressure with a pleasant feeling, and in no time, Diamond was lost to the world. When Taeyong pulled away from , Diamond was frozen still, her face still turned upwards.

Taeyong took one look at her full, inviting lips and immediately moved back to his previous position on the couch. If he wasn’t careful, he’d do a lot more than just complete their contract.

Diamond finally opened her eyes to see Taeyong’s face tinted red again, causing her to giggle breathlessly. She reached down to pick up the fallen card, “Actually, all you had to do was kiss the card to seal our contract, but that was so much better.”

When Taeyong’s face turned even redder, Diamond burst into a fit of laughter. She stood, extending the card in Taeyong’s direction, “One visit per cardholder. One cardholder per room. One wish per visit,” she repeated, in the same tone she had earlier.

Taeyong looked around the room they were in, slowly realizing what Diamond was trying to say, “This is a new card, which makes this my one visit. We’re in a new room too… So I have another wish?”

Diamond nodded, giving Taeyong an approving smile when he finally took his card from her, “You catch on quick.”

Taeyong bit his lip, his eyebrow furrowing thoughtfully while he considered his new wish. Diamond crossed her arms patiently, waiting to hear his request.

“Then... Noona, give me your number.” He told her earnestly, already sliding his cell phone out of his blazer pocket.

“That’s what you want to use your wish on?” Diamond shook her head in disbelief, chuckling softly as she typed in her phone number with ease. She handed him the phone back with a warm smile, “No refunds. You’re out of wishes now.”

Taeyong nodded, returning his phone to his pocket, “I’ll text you when I want to come again.”

“I’m here every night from Thursday to Sunday. I sleep in late, so don’t expect a reply before noon.” Diamond warned him as Taeyong stood up from the bench as well. She pressed a finger into his chest, realizing for the first time that he was actually taller than she thought, “Don’t lose that card. And don’t give out that number. Ever.”

“I won’t,” Taeyong promised earnestly, and Diamond decided to believe him.

“Well then, it was a pleasure meeting you, Taeyong-ah. I’ll see you soon.” Diamond gave a small wave, taking a step back from Taeyong and his wonderful scent. She gave him one final once over, turning to leave. Taeyong returned the gesture, waiting until the door closed behind her to fall heavily back onto the bench.

He’d done it. He found a way to see Diamond again. With a wide smile crossing his face, he touched his fingers to his lips. She tasted like soju, cinnamon, and heat. Taeyong definitely hadn’t expected his night to go like this, but he was suddenly glad it did.

He quickly shot a text to s in the other room to let them know he was on his way back, and then left the private room right after.

Later

Susie and Diamond didn’t make it home until four in the morning. Both women were dead tired, but one was never too tired for ramen. Susie was just turning off the stove while Diamond sat down at their table, putting down a few side dishes and a bottle of apple juice. When Susie walked over to the dining room table with the stainless steel pot, Diamond grabbed her fork and dug in.

“Are you crazy? Serious question,” Susie remarked, using chopsticks to grab some noodles for herself. Diamond rolled her eyes, taking a bite of the boiled egg that was on her side of the pot. “Mel, don’t ignore me.”

“Liv, I don’t know what you want me to say. It’s my card to use, anyway,” Diamond replied, pouring herself a cup of water and eating a little more. Susie stared at her for a minute, before shaking her head in disapproval.

“Kamella Evette Carter, you’ve got to be insane. You just put a target on that kid’s back. You know The Dealer isn’t going to like this. He’ll be back from his business trip tomorrow, and Ji Su and Mi Na are probably going to tattle like the children they are.”

“Dealer can kiss my , Olivia, and so can they. I’m one of the four Queens,” Kamella replied, setting her fork down to pick up her phone. She pulled up something on the screen and slid it over to Olivia, “Also, Taeyong’s not a kid; he’s 22 years old. That’s both grown and legal, so mind your business.”

“Oh look, the cradle robber has been doing some research,” Olivia deadpanned, and Kamella laughed, knowing her best friend didn’t mean it. Olivia looked over the website with the NCT members information, reading over Taeyong’s profile, and then browsing through the other members, “Ooohhh, this one looks absolutely delicious.”

“Oooh delicious? Tell me more,” Kamella joked, reaching for her phone. Olivia had been looking at Johnny’s member profile, “Dayummmmm Daniel. Maybe I need to give him my Ace instead.”

“Nope, his name is Johnny, and you’ve already given your Ace away.”

Both women started giggling at their joke for a moment, enjoying their early morning breakfast. In no time, they devoured the pot of hot noodles in front of them.

“Seriously though, Mel, I hope you have a plan. The others aren’t going to ignore this. You’re not like them: you don’t take requests, and you have never, ever given your Ace away. I wouldn’t even know you had it if I wasn’t your Jack,” Olivia set the dishes in the sink, turning to give Kamella a concerned look.

Kamella nodded, “I know, Liv. I know that, but… I don’t know, there’s something about him that made me curious. He looks so sweet and innocent at first, and then something just- switched? I want to see it, whatever it is.”

Olivia sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, “Just be careful, Mel. You know those people at the House; they’re brutal. Dealer is the only thing standing between us and them.”

Kamella frowned in anger, pushing out a breath, “Dealer keeps us around because of his daughter -- he’s not protecting us, he’s protecting her.”

“We know that, but they don’t. And we need to keep it that way. We can’t show any weakness around the other Queens and Kings. I’m just worried that-”

Kamella held up her hands, “I know, ok? I know. I’ll be careful. I’ll protect us all if it comes to that. But I’m curious about him, Liv. When he kissed me, I…” Kamella touched her fingertips to her lips for a second, her mind going back in time.

“Wait, what?!” Olivia cried, snapping Kamella out of her flashback, “He kissed you? Damn girl, you just went all out tonight! Kissing strangers in clubs now, huh Queen Diamond?”

Kamella huffed, pushing Olivia out of the kitchen, “Go to bed, you crazy woman. You have work in five hours.”

Olivia laughed, allowing her best friend to nudge her in the direction of their bedrooms, “You too. Let’s get some sleep.”

Kamella wholeheartedly agreed and headed off to her own room, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

End Chapter 2