110 FRIENDS? LUKE’S POV And this lady still sat here, right next to me, hoping for the best. I don’t know, but I just wanted her to leave me alone as soon as possible. I didn’t want to be moved by her beauty. Not making the same mistake I made with Tiffany. And I did remember carrying out shit as well with this lady some years back. But I couldn’t actually remember her name or what she looked like. Probably because I was intoxicated at that time. “Can I please know your name?” The pretty lady asked, grinning like an idiot. Okay, there was no need for me to be rude around here. I still tried my best to avoid making eye contact with her. Because it wasn’t worth it. “Why do you want to know my name?” I asked in reply, moving my hands together after taking a quick look at her. “Because I want to be friends with you.” Her hushed tone was a little bit seductive. But I was going to be strong enough not to fall into this one. “What did you just say?” I had to raise an eyebrow, glancing at her. “I want us to be friends,” she said again, in a different way. “Anything wrong with that?” I exhaled deeply, my eyes narrowing down. “Well, it’s just kind of odd.” “Kind of odd?” She repeated my words. “Yes. We don’t know each other.” “That’s why I want to know your name. I want to get to know you better.” Her smile was still on her face. And anyone would have easily fallen into her trap right now if such person were in my shoes. I looked at her for a moment. “I’m married.” “Ohhh,” was what she said in an inaudible tone. “Exactly,” I added to the drama, thinking she would now disappear. Since it was clear that I wasn’t interested, Well, I was trying my best not to get interested. “We can still be friends.” Her words baffled me. I had to spit out the drink I was taking into my mouth. Exceedingly surprised, shocked, and confused, I’d say. Well, not really. But what the heck was wrong with her? It seemed like she wasn’t ready to give up on this game of hers. Well, this lady gave me a weird look after watching me spit the drink. The crazy part of it all was that some got spilled on her hand. She had to withdraw it from the table at that very moment. She should have just withdrew herself from this moment. I could have been happy about that, prevailing over the temptation. Literally. “What was that for?” She asked after seconds of displaying that bizarre face. “I just told you that I’m married. And you still want us to be friends?” My tone was trying to make it clear to her that she shouldn’t even be thinking like that. “Well, yeah,” she replied slowly, raising an eyebrow. “What were you thinking?” “I just thought…” I trailed off, letting out a deep sigh. “Ughh, nevermind. It’s nothing.” She gave me a skeptical look. “Come on. Tell me what was going on in that head of yours.” “I told you already. It’s nothing; forget about it.” I took a sip of my drink. “You thought I was into you, right?” These other words from her wanted to make me spit my drink again, but I was able to control myself. My mind was really crazy at the moment. I glanced at her, noticing how she was scrutinizing me, expecting a replication. I gave her a reply anyway, saying, “Yes.” “Well, I am,” she said right away “I knew it,” I muttered, hitting the table slightly. “But I’ll have to control myself,” she added. I looked at her promptly. “Or we can just go out separate ways and act like this conversation never took place.” “Nah, I think we should be friends,” she said, disagreeing with my suggestion. My crazy suggestion. *I furrowed my brows at her, my hands clasping together. “Why are you so eager to be my friend?” She sighed, moving her face closer. “Well, you’re very handsome. Your beautiful. eyes and your wonderful lips. I can stare at your face all day.” I looked at her, silent for seconds. Like, seriously, that was a little bit too much. Anyway, I had to go with the flow. “What if I was as hideous as a beast? Would you still want to be my friend if I wasn’t handsome?” “Hey, I don’t do that. You are handsome; there is no need for imaginations.” She wanted to stir her finger around my face, but I swiftly moved back. Yup, she understood that clearly. “Anyways, my name is Luke. Luke Reynold. You must have heard about me.” “Oh, Luke Reynold. You’re the owner of The Reynolds, right?” “I sure am.” I wore a proud smile. “That’s really nice. I’ve actually heard about you. But I never knew what you looked like. Not until now.” She grinned, fixing her eyes on nothing else no one else but me. ARIEL’S POV Arriving at the mansion, which belonged to Andre and his family, I stopped my car, scanning the surroundings. Different people are all making their way to the mansion. Tonight was going to indeed be great; my little babies would be waiting for me. And of course, there would be tons of smiling faces around. “I got out of my car, fully prepared to make my way inside the mansion. No doubt, today has been really exhausting, stressful, and terrifying. It had to be one of my STEERING worst days, but definitely not the one topping the list. I had thousands of bad. days; most of them were caused by no one else but Luke. Let’s just see how this party is going to be. It was actually a good thing to be surrounded by people who brought smiles to your face every time. That was just the case with Andre around here. He was very nice and husband – material. Too bad I wasn’t in love with him. I didn’t even know why I wasn’t able to develop feelings for him. My heels clicked against the cobblestone walkway as I approached the grand entrance of Andre’s mansion. I straightened the folds of my scarlet dress, the fabric all around me like a rush of crimson waves. This stunning creation of silk and lace hugged my figure in all the right places, with the daring neckline adding a touch of allure to my ensemble. Yup, this was the perfect dress that Hannah had picked for me. It was really beautiful, and the makeup on my face aggrandized everything. Stepping into the midst of the lively gathering, I quickly spotted Andre, standing at the heart of the room, his easy smile captivating everyone around him. He looked dashing in a tailored suit, his dark eyes dancing with anticipation. Spotting me, his smile widened, and he made his way through the throng of guests to greet me. “Andre, you look absolutely enchanting,” I complimented him as he got close to me. “Not as enchanting as you.” He smiled back, and we both laughed. “I’m glad you could make it.” “Well, there was no way I was going to miss this.” I smirked. 110 FRIENDS? “The party will begin any moment from now on. Why don’t we go greet some guests?” He suggested. “Sure,” I responded, still smiling. He crossed arms with me, and we both traipsed forward. Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out! Claim
