Show

I stood in front of the mirror, wondering what I should wear. There was a flutter of butterflies in my stomach as I donned on a lovely skirt and blouse. The shoes were comfortable but still managed to look good paired with my outfit. Feeling satisfied with my appearance, I went out of the apartment with a bright expression.

Mr. Butler was ready to leave when I arrived at his door. After petting the sweet little cat, I ushered him to follow me. We took the car, and because of the traffic jams on the street, we were almost late for the show.

There was a crush of people at the event, and no one seemed to want to give way to others. We parked away from the event and walked the remaining way, taking quick steps to reach the front gate. There were couples all around us, and I shifted unwisely away from Sebastian when we got to the front of the line.

For some reason, couple tickets were half price. Wanting to save money, I booked that one and felt disastrous afterwards. This was probably the reason why there were so many couples at the place. I nervously glanced around to see if I knew anyone in particular. Standing in this line with Sebastian could cause problems later on.

"Don't get lost," he said suddenly as someone pushed from behind. I stumbled and found myself grabbing at his arm for support. He had a small smile on his face as he looked at me. He didn't say anything as he reached over to offer his hand to me.

I was surprised.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, confused by what was happening.

"Apology accepted. You can use me." My mouth dried at his words.

'What do you mean, use you? Have you no idea what you are saying, Mr. Butler?'

"I'm fine," I mumbled and lowered my head in embarrassment. The crowd was getting rowdy, and it was getting harder to stand properly. It was almost as if there were a concert.

I pulled out my phone and searched for the person whose show we were watching. Instantly, I realized what the fuss was about. Everyone wanted to get in to see the performance of this world-famous illusionist and magician. He was acclaimed for making a train vanish into thin air and other Houdini-esque activities at that. This was one of his few performances this year, and people from other cities had come over for a chance to view it. No wonder, couples had flocked here rather than go out on conventional dates.

I felt something hot press up against the side of my hands and looked at him in shock.

"I don't want to lose you," he said firmly. His hand slid into mine and clasped on. I stared, wide-eyed at his serious face and wondered what he was doing.

He had done this before, but then I had felt warmth at his presence, a feeling of safety that I wouldn't be able to do anything bad while he was around me. Now, it flustered me. The feeling was foreign; it made my heart thud against my chest.

"Okay," I whispered. He leaned in closer, his ears closer to my lips as he asked me to repeat. "Okay," I breathed, hoping he had heard me this time.

His hand grasped mine tighter.

We made our way through the crowd, and he held onto me until we were at our seat. When we sat down, he let go and took out a small notebook from his pocket.

"You shouldn't hold my hand like that," I scolded gently, my heart still at my mouth. "People misunderstand."

He quirked his brow at me as he answered cheekily. "Who do you think will misunderstand? No one here knows us."

"I'm your assistant." He really had no EQ — no idea what his actions would mean to others.

"If you are worried about your future boyfriend finding out that you held my hand, I assure you none of these strangers or I will let them find out."

There was a moment of silence. I didn't know what came over me, but I said it nonetheless. "I won't be lying to my future boyfriend, Mr. Butler. Relationships need understanding and honesty." There was no point in telling him those words. He just turned to look at me.

"It's just holding hands, you're a child who needs to be taken care of," he teased. The pang in my chest grew.

"Child?" From which angle did I look like a child?

"Pet?" he said suddenly. "I like you just as much as Sheng Sheng."

'I like you…' I cursed myself for letting this man get under my skin.

"Concentrate on the show," I growled as I turned away. I leaned away from him.

"Do you want to sit on someone else's lap? Sit straight." I huffed as I readjusted. I turned to see a man my age smiling down at me. I apologized for the intrusion, and he very politely let the matter slide.

Sebastian really was treating me like a child. Did he think he was brought me out to play?

I sat in relative silence as the buzz around me died down, and the lights dimmed.

From the corner of the stage, a figure emerged and prepared for the show.