11 1.10. Rivals

To say we were late would be an understatement.

More like...

"Fashionably late", I narrow my eyes at Jason as he mutters to himself, looking around the room for no one in particular.

"Yeah right", I scoff.

I look around too, nervous about the attention this dress was grabbing slowly as we entered the room; for some reason Clinton's thought still at the back of my head.

The possibility of seeing him here with his date still has me on my toes. I don't know what is this game we're playing. I'm not sure if I'm ready to know yet or if I ever even want to know about it. Heck, I'm not even sure how he'll react when he sees Jason as my date.

Or maybe in this dress?

My subconscious adds and I know I've lost it. My nerves started to kick in, fortunately Jason's arm linked with mine brought just a bit of comfort, enough for me to atleast walk in.

"Oh would you quit it? I was engaged in a meeting, no thanks to Ethan", he sighs, referring to his PA.

"You know, he's weirdly attracted to you", I state the obvious as we enter the main room.

"Unfortunately, he's still in an illusion that I'm gay when I'm certainly not. Who even told him I was gay?", Jason wonders, frustratedly and I stifle in my laugh as I remember who told Ethan about it.

Uh-uh definitely not me.

But I can't say it was Liza because it was her and if she gets the word it was me who told Jason about it, she'll kill me.

"Oh look, there's Eleanor with her date", I distract Jason and pull him towards his mom.

"Oh god", he swears and rolls his eyes, definitely not liking the idea of his mom with another man.

But that never stopped Eleanor from going out with random guys.

I believe the women deserves it. She's so busy with her work all the time, if she gets a bit of time for some fun then let her have it. The fact that those dates never turn serious but always a mindless fling because she doesn't really have time for them, has everything to do with it.

If only Jason agreed to it too.

"Oh look, who decided to show up", Eleanor jokes as she looks at Jason's brooding face.

"Oh look, who has a date", Jason mimics his mother.

Eleanor just rolls her eyes at her son's usual childish behavior.

"Jeremy, this is Jason, my son. And this is Justine, my god-daughter", she tells her date whose name is obviously 'Jeremy', smiling at me.

"I'm guessing this is an Eleanor dress, custom-made I presume?", Jeremy asks me, smirking having have noticed the sheer attention the dress was grabbing.

I look at Eleanor in surprise who just winks at me, playfully as if saying 'I got you'. From the corner of my eye I catch Jason's narrowed eye look that he's giving to Jeremy. I try not to laugh at the sight.

God, he is too cute for his own good.

And hot too.

My subconscious added.

I clear my throat at that, snapping out of my own head.

"Yeah, it is", I try to hide my smile at that as I blush but fail anyway.

"Well, we should get going, we've a ton of people to attend unlike someone", Eleanor says, completely shading her son.

I stifle in my chuckle at that as for Jason who settles for rolling his eyes.

"We'll see you guys later", she says before kissing her son and then me on the cheek.

As she leans in to kiss my cheek, she doesn't forget to whisper in my ear as I feel her smiling against my cheek, "You look gorgeous, dear"

"Thank you", I whisper back as I blush deeper at that and shy away out of instinct.

"Nice metting you lot", Jeremy says, looking at us before raising his glass in a cheer before leaving with Eleanor on his arm.

"I hate that guy already", Jason comments as we look at their retrieving form.

I let out a laugh at that finally.

"Come on", I chuckle and pull him further into the party.

***

"He's not really much of a talker, is he?", Liza asks me as we stand at the bar, talking to each other.

"What? Who gave you that idea?", I almost spit out on her face, cringing at the champagne that I try to force down my throat.

"Well, ever since he picked me up. He has not looked twice at me or talked to me more than two words and I don't even know why am I here in the first place? This place is so full of shit people", she looks around before frowning at her glass, circling it's rim with her finger.

"Why? Did someone say something to you?", I furrow my brow in worry.

"No, it's just... I heard a few people talk about 'Oh did you see Estelle? Her divorce was such a mess. I pity her'", she changes her voice into one of those old ladies who gossip.

I laugh out at that and she joins in immediately.

"I know, right. Like, you see that lady in that red dress? Goddamn, she's had a lot to drink tonight considering she's been mouthing off her husband all night. No wonder the poor guy looks like he's about to shit himself right there in front of everyone", she continues.

"My, my, are you enjoying yourself here, huh?", I tease her, laughing at the end.

"You bet I'm", she says back laughing along as we watch couples dancing on the dance floor.

After a few seconds, I catch someone staring at me intently as my breath catches in my throat realizing the source of the stare.

I clear my throat and stand straighter as my nerves kick in again and I try not to hyperventilate.

I watch him approaching from behind Liza as she speaks to me about another women she heard talking. My eyes lock with his; his trailing my form making it a tad bit more harder to breath especially when he looks so dashing in that tux.

Oh god, what is wrong with me?!

I'm here with Jason and all I can think about now is that how lucky is Liza that I set her up with Clinton for this date because a) I wanted to have eyes and ears on him and b) I couldn't picture him with someone else for some odd reason in my head, let alone in person.

And yeah, it was him we were talking about earlier.

I watch him slide his arm around Liza from behind, catching her by surprise as she jumps a little and stops talking while looking me with wide eyes as if speaking 'OMG, what do I do?'.

My eyes flicker between them as Clinton's eyes still look for mine.

What an asshole.

I think to myself.

"Ms. Blue, fancy meeting you here", he nods at me in a meaningful way.

Breathing in Liza's hair on purpose in front of me.

"You too, Mr. Valsera. I'm glad you're enjoying your date with Ms. Bennett", I smile one of my forced smiles.

"Well, what can I say? She really is something", he tilts his head at me before gazing at Liza lustfully, making highly obvious of his desires.

What-he-afgahsjdhjdjdj-!!!

On the other hand, Liza is a fumbling with her hands, not knowing what to do with them, a sign of her being nervous I know too well.

I'm about to say something witty when I feel a presence behind me. A presence of a certain someone I know too well. The one my body reacts too easily to.

"Oh, it's you", Jason scoffs as he pulls me by the waist and into him.

My eyes widen for a fraction as I realize what he's doing, on the other hand my stomach flutters in delight; tightening my core.

Is he claiming territory?

"And you might be?", Clinton asks, his jaw taut as he notices the territorial claim; his eyes rather fixed on Jason's hand as if he's mentally wishing it to burn.

"Jason Faux, nice meeting you...again", Jason adds darkly at the end.

My brows furrow at that.

What was that about?

My hand squeezes Jason's arm around my waist to warn him that he's walking on thin ice here because as much as I'm into Clinton or not into him, he's my client too, I can't have that ruined in any way possible.

Even if it's because of Jason.

"Well, then you might've heard of me. Clinton Valsera", Clinton smirks.

And all the blood in my veins turn cold as soon as I realize how they're both not really unknown with each other but rather hyper aware of each other's presence considering their companies are practically rivals in the business.

Shit. What did I get myself into?

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