Chapter Sixteen

Richard knew for sure the reason why he had paid such an amount for a stuffed animal. Deep down, he knew that he wanted to please Ivy; he knew that he was willing to do anything to make her happy and that was what scared him. He knew he shouldn't let a woman have such power over him; he wondered how something so wrong could feel so right

"There's no way I'm taking that" Ivy protested after the bid was sealed

"It's paid for already. We wouldn't want my money to go to waste now, would we?" Richard replied to her with an amused look on his face

"It's just too much, and I don't deserve it," She said, still adamant

Oh! If only she knew that she deserved the whole world and more, Richard thought

"Okay. Think of it this way, that money goes to charity....so see it as you getting something out of me helping the needy"

"Thank you so much for that" Ivy said in resignation as her eyes glistened with unshed tears and joy

"It's not such a big deal" He replied to her brushing off the topic

"It is a big deal," She said "I deeply appreciate it when people do things for me, especially when they're not obligated to do so" She went on to add

"I'm glad I did something to make you happy," Richard said with a genuine smile on his face

"I would never know how to repay you," she said in a solemn voice

"You wouldn't need to," Richard said dismissively

"If it isn't the lady of the moment and Richard my man," Mark said in an unusually friendly voice, patting Richard on the back

"Good evening Mark, I didn't know you were around," Ivy said with a shy smile

"Good evening Mark," Richard said, greeting him with a firm handshake

"Oh! I've been around. You know how these things are, instead of leaving you to enjoy, everyone is trying to pitch a business idea" Mark said with a short laugh in reply to Ivy

"Oh, that's true," Ivy said politely, not like she had an idea of what people discussed at events like this

"Talking about business, how would you mind coming with me on my next trip to China to see where some of my products are manufactured, and from there we can draw up plans on how to operate as business partners," Mark said

"I think that's a brilliant idea," Ivy said as she looked in Richard's direction for his opinion

"Ermm.....I think that's okay" Richard hesitated

"No pressure. You can take some time to think about it" Mark said, sensing Richard's hesitation

"Alright, Mark. Thank you for the offer" Richard replied to him

"You should thank your star girl here" Mark smiled as he walked away from them

"I don't believe in miracles but at this point, I think you're a miracle worker," Richard said in admiration immediately after Mark was out of earshot

"I wouldn't say I did anything special" Ivy mumbled shyly

"All I know is that you just landed us a partnership with Mark and Clarke.... every marketing firm's dream," Richard said to her

"I wouldn't have done it without you," Ivy said politely

"I think we should have more drinks to celebrate," Richard said, as he raised his for a toast "to my good luck charm," he said as they clinked their glasses together

"May I have this dance?" Richard said with his hand stretched out as solemn music began to play through the speakers and couples were already making their way toward the dance floor

"Of course, my Lord" Ivy replied to him with a mock bow, giggling. The alcohol was creeping in already

Richard took her hand and led her toward the dance floor

"I forgot to mention that I'm a terrible dancer," Ivy said, suddenly shy

"I'm not a good dancer myself," Richard said, chuckling

They swayed in rhythms for a bit, Ivy following Richard's lead

"You lied, you're such a good dancer," Ivy said, accusing him

"I didn't want you shying away," Richard said laughing lightly

After they had settled for a rhythm and Ivy had gotten the hack of dancing, the lyrics of Ed Sheeran's Perfect began to play through the speakers

"I love this song" Ivy sighed as she hummed along with it

"I think every woman does," Richard said, a deliberate effort to avoid talking about whether they liked the song or not. How was he supposed to tell her that although he didn't know the song, the lyrics perfectly captured what he felt for her; she was indeed perfect for him?

He looked down upon her as she let out a sigh. She had placed her head on his chest and looked so angelic with her hair sprawled around her. He felt like she was a treasure he had to cherish but couldn't even get his hands on. The music came to an end just as he brushed her hair off her face

"We should get going," He said hurriedly

"Yes, of course."

They were hit by the cool night air as they stepped into the night. The paparazzi had dispersed and Shawn was already waiting for them outside, causing Ivy to wonder if he had been there all night

During their ride back to the hotel, Ivy stared at the stuffed animal in her laps

"Thank you," She said to him again, as if she was yet to believe that he got it for her

"You'll tire me out with that statement" Richard replied to her as he looked straight into her eyes; they were so pretty and even though she looked timid, her eyes looked like they could see directly into his soul. He suddenly felt giddy and it was as though he could swim in the wonders that her eyes held. It felt as if her eyes housed magnets that pulled him close and he could feel himself losing his will to theirs as he let them draw him in

Ivy struggled to break her eye contact with Richard but it was like she had lost her will...she could see him leaning towards her but could not bring herself to pull away from him, instead she closed her eyes in anticipation of the feel of his lips against hers