Jason and Nathan boarded a ferry, heading straight to the nightclub. It proved to be far more popular than described, with nearly every tourist visiting it once or twice during their stay in Venice.

To their surprise, the ferry captain did not collect any fare from them. She was, in fact, a young woman.

She merely glanced at Jason, offered a shy smile, and gave him her number.

Of course, he did not decline.

Nathan felt excluded, primarily because he had been ignored like a ghost rendered invisible.

"Hey, what about me? You can introduce me to any of your friends," Nathan argued, asserting his presence.

She grinned and turned away as they stepped off the ferry, offering him no response.

"Tsk. Come on."

After a brief silence, while Jason was already advancing toward the Grand Grounds, only a few meters from where they stood, she glanced at Nathan as though she were about to give him her number.

Instead, she spoke fluently:

"I’m sorry, I don’t speak English. None of my friends do either. Enjoy your time at the club."

Nathan froze in place, watching the ferry drift away. His mouth trembled in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Jason, who had only partially overheard the exchange, struggled to suppress his laughter.

He held his breath, his eyes widening as he covered his mouth, fighting intensely to maintain composure, but the effort was futile. He erupted into unrestrained laughter, pointing at the rejected man.

"What the fuck? Hahaha. That’s some fucking rejection technique! Hahaha."

The young man’s eyes slowly shifted toward Jason, bloodshot and simmering with restrained fury. Jason could not deny that he sensed the bloodlust emanating from Nathan, subtle yet unmistakable.

He quickly adjusted his tone to avoid immediate retaliation.

"Hey, hey. Calm down. I’ll get you some great girls. You’re damn handsome, but I’m much... I mean, you’ll easily get them at the club. Yeah."

Nathan scoffed and brushed past him, heading straight into the club. In truth, it was a painful rejection. It would have been far better had she departed in silence. The fact that she spoke flawless English only to claim otherwise, while stating it in English, was genuinely heart wrenching. This was undoubtedly the coldest rejection Nathan had ever experienced in his life.

Still, he reasoned that he should not take it personally. Jason had clearly won her over, as he was prettier than handsome, to be precise. There was, undeniably, a considerable disparity between them.

...Perhaps he himself might have fallen for the blond haired young man had he been gay as fuck!

’Bleh. The thought irritates me. Why the fuck did I even think about that?’ Nathan questioned himself.

Jason chuckled softly before following Nathan, remaining at his side with a composed expression.

’That must have been really painful. "I don’t speak English." Damn. I felt that deeply. Shit.’

***

The nightclub was already vibrating before they had fully stepped inside.

The first floor served as the main ground. It was expansive and densely crowded, saturated with flashing lights that shifted between violet, crimson, and electric blue. The bass was heavy and relentless, reverberating through the floor. Countless bodies were pressed together, moving in rhythm beneath the rotating beams of light. The bar curved along the right wall, lined with patrons ordering drinks and shouting over the music. Several circular tables were arranged near the perimeter of the hall, though most were cluttered with bottles and empty glasses.

Above them, the second floor extended outward in an open balcony overlooking the main ground. It accommodated more seating than the lower level, furnished with arranged couches and polished black wooden tables.

Numerous groups leaned against the railing, shouting along to the music while raising whiskey glasses high. Women perched on laps, some laughing loudly, others swaying to the beat with careless abandon. A few stood alone near the balcony’s edge, surveying the crowd below with faint smiles. Several men also occupied the corners in small clusters, observing rather than participating.

The third floor was not visible from where Jason and Nathan stood. It was enclosed, lacking the open façade of the second level, and only a guarded staircase along the far side of the building hinted at its presence.

The sound was overwhelming.

Even when they leaned closer to speak, their voices were swallowed by the music.

Jason gestured toward an empty couch near the wall, slightly removed from the central chaos. A low table stood before it, temporarily clear. They pushed through the crowd and took their seats.

"What?" Nathan shouted, leaning in.

Jason pulled out his phone instead of responding immediately. He opened a photo and enlarged it, the screen casting a faint glow across his face.

"We’re looking for him," he yelled, turning the display toward Nathan.

Nathan squinted at the image. It depicted a dark haired man with sharp features and a neatly trimmed beard, standing beside two others in what appeared to be a previous club setting.

Jason scanned the shifting crowd attentively, lifting his gaze from the screen to compare faces.

Nathan leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, surveying the room with detached interest.

He leaned closer again.

"Do you see him?"

Jason shook his head and adjusted the brightness of the image.

After a few seconds, Nathan examined the photograph more carefully. His eyes moved between the screen and the crowd. Then, without another word, he rose to his feet.

Jason glanced at him.

"Where are you going?"

Nathan did not respond. He stepped directly into the sea of moving bodies, merging seamlessly with the dance floor.

Jason frowned but redirected his attention to the phone.

Within minutes, Nathan had integrated himself into a small group of women near the center. He spoke closely to one of them, leaning in to be heard over the music. One laughed and placed her hand lightly on his arm. Another shifted nearer, brushing against him as they moved with the rhythm. A third tilted her head while he spoke, clearly engaged.

Jason raised an eyebrow.

Nathan moved fluidly with the music, confident and at ease. One of the women leaned toward his ear, speaking with a smile. He replied briefly, prompting her to laugh once more.

After a short while, he excused himself with a casual gesture and drifted away, transitioning effortlessly toward another cluster without hesitation.

Jason scoffed quietly and leaned back against the couch, resting one arm along its edge.

He did not notice the three women approaching until one of them slid onto the couch beside him.

"Hi," she said loudly in fluent English, leaning close so he could hear. "You’re sitting alone. That’s suspicious."

From their appearance, they did not seem to be natives.

Jason glanced at her, then at the other two who settled on his opposite side.

"Suspicious?" he replied.

The second woman laughed and reached for the drink menu on the table.

"You’re a bit mysterious, and men like that usually look bored. Though you look like you’re hunting, huh?"

Jason allowed a faint smirk.

"Perhaps I am."

The third tilted her head.

"Hunting what?"

He locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket.

"That depends. What are you offering?"

The first woman leaned closer, her knee brushing lightly against his.

"That depends on what you’re worth."

Jason chuckled softly.

"You came to evaluate me?"

"No, actually, we came to rescue you," the second replied. "For some reason, you looked abandoned."

"I wasn’t. My friend just wandered off."

The third woman traced a finger along the edge of the table.

"Then forget him. We’re better company."

Jason studied them briefly. They were confident and playful, clearly enjoying the attention.

"And what do I get if I agree?" he asked.

The first leaned toward his ear, her voice lowered yet still audible over the music.

"Maybe the best ten minutes of your night."

Jason grinned.

"Only ten?"

"We’ll see how well you perform," the second shot back.

He laughed genuinely this time.

They shifted closer, forming a loose semicircle around him. One rested a hand lightly on his shoulder. Another brushed her hair back and held his gaze without hesitation.

"So," the third asked, "are you staying here, or are you looking for a private room?"

Jason glanced toward the dance floor as though considering, then returned his attention to them.

"Convince me."

’It seems I’ve struck gold. A foursome? That is practically a dream come true. Although, they are not older women. They seem only slightly younger than me. It’s just sad that all three of them are golddiggers. What a loss.’

Before they could respond, a firm hand settled on his shoulder.

Jason turned, irritation already forming, but it dissipated instantly when he saw Nathan.

"What now?" Jason said loudly.

Nathan leaned closer, disregarding the women’s visibly annoyed expressions.

"I found them," he said.

Jason blinked.

"What?"

"The men we came for," Nathan repeated calmly, a wide grin spreading across his face. "They’re here."

Jason stared at him for a moment, disbelief replacing amusement.

"You found them already?"

Nathan inclined his head toward the second floor balcony.

"They’re upstairs, near the far railing. All three of them."

Jason glanced upward instinctively, though the angle from their seat made it difficult to see clearly.

The first woman on the couch crossed her arms.

"Is this friend dragging you away?"

Jason hesitated only briefly before standing.

"It appears so," he replied.

The second woman frowned slightly.

"You’re leaving?"

"Duty calls," he said with a faint smile.

The third leaned back against the couch, unimpressed.

"Your loss."

Jason stepped away from the table, adjusting his jacket.

Nathan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Red position?"

Jason shot him a look.

"What does that even mean?"