Chapter 17

The little space she had inside the box made her struggle for air. However, the girls seemed to not budge at all. Awed by how they kept composure as they awaited the box's opening, she forced herself to act the same. 

On the surface, at least. 

As if the heavens heard her prayers, the box unravelled itself.

The sound of whispers and the gentle breeze that kissed her exposed skin caused Clare to roam out of sight.

Meticulously decorated with simple yet expensive pieces of furniture...

She had concluded that this room wasn't for anyone but for those who possessed incredible wealth.

What contradicted the ambience of the room was the sudden choice of background music. The once well-lit room dimmed.

Simultaneously, colourful lights that were only seen in  discos appeared in the blink of an eye.

At the snap of a finger, the place became akin to a club.

So now... 

What are they going to do?

Feeling alarmed, she attempted to talk to one of the girls, but she was stopped by the change in their movements. Particularly the swaying of their hips and the sensual movement of their hands.

Clare stood stiffly, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

She was unaware that they were going to dance beforehand!

From what she recalled, Stella only told her to look pretty and fool men with sweet words.

She never said that she had to dance sexily!

If she only knew, she would've at least practiced for this!

Anyway, she can't do anything but try to do it as well.

Clare took pride in being a fast learner. She believed that she could manage to do anything as long as her willpower allowed her to do so.

Distracted by trying to copy them, she failed to notice how odd she seemed in the flock of girls. Her way of dancing was distinct, due to it being unnatural.

It seemed as if a child was learning to dance.

She heard sounds of laughter from some of the men. They looked at her with amusement.

Noticing this odd reaction, Clare knew in an instant that she appeared ridiculous.

A smile was the only thing that she could make out of the situation, as she should not look offended.

After all, the sole purpose of this night's event was entertainment. It didn't matter if she made a fool out of herself.

In fact, that would be better for her. They would not dare try anything because they all got turned off by her lousy dancing.

Boom! Boom!

The base quickened, and the once sensual song turned upbeat. The girls started throwing their bottoms against the air, shaking their hips like crazy.

Dumbfounded by the change in music and dance, Clare stood there stiffly. She was quickly pulled back to her senses when another girl secretly elbowed her.

"Oh. Sorry."

Sh*t.

She got distracted.

Not knowing what to do, she tried to imitate how they twerked and felt like she actually got the hang of it. 

She heard cheers and applause from the audience, which made heat rise up to her cheeks.

On other occasions, she might die out of embarrassment, but knowing that she wasn't alone in this current situation made her shame nonexistent.

Only thoughts of letting go of her inhibitions made her not think of anything else and feel self-conscious.

As the music changed again, she didn't feel anymore afraid of looking ridiculous. Clare felt brave, and as if she could not help it, her eyes closed as she felt the beat make her sway her body naturally.

Her hands reached for her hair and travelled downward sensually. From her neck to her breast and gliding to her arse.

Slowly opening her amber eyes, she caught a glimpse of a lonely figure sitting far in the dark. His brooding eyes scanned her from head to toe, finally settling themselves in her eyes.

He met her gaze as he sipped the drink in his hands, swirling it in a circular motion. There was a spark of intensity hidden under the grey orbs, making her momentarily halt her movements.

Startled by the man's stare. She shifted her sight away from those captivating eyes and gazed at the slightly unbuttoned shirt, which exposed a glimpse of his well-built body.

The man's brow was raised with intrigue at her ambiguous glance. 

Ashamed, she backed a few steps and looked elsewhere.

Because of this, Clare felt self-conscious the whole time and failed to recreate the flow that she had just moments before.

Her body grew stiff, and her face revealed a bit of anxiety.

She stole a glance from the man, who now looked disinterested as he stared elsewhere.

Clare gulped as some of the lights hit the man's face. 

Speechless with what she had seen, she could only put it as seeing a sight for sore eyes.

She did not dare to expound, for she would sound exaggerated.

Anyways...

'That man...'

Why does it feel like she crossed paths with him once?

However, she swore that this was the first time she had ever seen his face.

A face like that would surely be unforgettable.

Not to mention...

Clare flinched as she was caught ogling at the man. A flush appeared on her face but was barely noticeable due to the dimness of the room.

It would've been a bit more humiliating if he had seen how flustered she was.

It was his fault for looking at her like that!

There was a strange expression on his face that she could not comprehend.

He looked irritated.

No, angry...

but amused?

She couldn't tell.

Furthermore, the more they prolonged the meeting of their gazes, the more she felt the increasing pace of her heartbeat. There was also a strange tingling sensation in her stomach.

He was making her feel sick!

She has never felt something like this before!

Was it because she was doing a rigorous activity? 

Or was it because of that man?

The music stopped, causing the girls to cease dancing on the dance floor. They all headed towards the men, who were seated comfortably as if they had found their targets.

Clare felt out of place and tried looking for a space for her to sit. 

The sofa where the handsome man was seated was all empty. Clare knew that it would be an ideal place to sit, but she felt like it was a bad idea considering how irritated the man appeared to be.

She turned her back on the idea and tried to avoid that particular area, but her attention was suddenly called by a neat-looking man wearing glasses.

"Hey, you!"