CHAPTER 20:MASQUERADE BALL PART 2
Aryan nodded and poured Malia a glass of the white wine that the waiter had already brought, before pouring a glass for himself. "Don't forget that if you need anything, and I mean anything, just say the word and I will provide." He stated.
Malia smiled. "Okay." She said as she had a sip of the white wine, enjoying the way it left a bitter sweet taste on her tongue.
"Ladies and gentlemen." A voice boomed in the hall and all heads turned to the dais where a man dressed in a white suit and mask stood, holding a microphone in his hand. Silence reigned in the hall as people's attention was whisked towards him.
" I am your host for the evening and I go by the name Jason. Allow me to read you the planned schedule of tonight." He paused as he took a file from a staff nearby. "First, we will have some entertainment from a famous Salsa dance crew. After that, we will have speeches by the selected individuals followed by another series of entertainment. A dance among the guests will follow and we will have dinner before the final speech by our main host, Tyra Wilson, President of Techborn Company."
A spotlight feel on Tyra, who was seated with Chad and some of the higher ups in the company. She smiled and waved at the people amid a round of applause from them.
Malia's mood was foul when she heard the host calling Tyra, the president of her company. It hurt like a bitch to know that the company that she built with her own hands was in the possession of another person who didn't even contribute a cent when the company was started.
Malia wished to wipe that fake smile off that pretentious woman but she couldn't do it at the moment and as a result, she tightly clenched her hands under the table.
Aryan, who was engaged in a conversation with a CEO of another top tier company noticed Malia's frustrations and immediately held her hand to calm her down. He made eye contact with her, silently assuring her that it was okay.
She intertwined her fingers with his, gradually calming down. After ensuring that she was okay, Aryan resumed the conversation with the CEO.
The hall's lights suddenly dimmed and a spotlight was shone on the stage. About six couples appeared on the stage dressed immaculately. When the salsa music started, they all swayed in different styles, be it Cuban, mambo, pachanga or rumba. Malia quietly enjoyed the dance as it brought a nostalgic moment, since she used to be a salsa student before her accident four years ago.
During the boring speeches, Malia excused herself and headed to the bathroom. It was time to implement her plan. As expected, she found two socialite ladies who were fixing their make up. She opened her purse and removed a lip balm, intending to moisturize her lips.
Malia removed her mask and placed it on the sink, earning gasps from the two women.
After a while, one of them gained courage and asked. "Ar..Aren't you M..Malia Kim?" She stuttered.
In response,Malia simply smiled and applied her lip balm. She proceeded to place her mask on before picking up her purse and heading towards the door. Before she turned the knob, she glimpsed at the two women.
"Maybe I am, maybe I am not." She answered mysteriously then left.
She was as sure as a rock that within no time, rumors would start to spread far and wide considering the two ladies' influence in the high class society.
As Malia headed back to the hall, she suddenly bumped into someone. She looked up to see the waiter who was having a conversation with Tyra when she entered the hall earlier. The waiter quickly apologized and left, but she noticed that something about his expression was nerve- cracking. It was like he had done something and was scampering away so as not to be caught.
Malia shrugged it off and headed back to the hall.
Soft music started playing and some couples made their way to the middle of the room for a dance. Aryan patiently waited for Malia to return so that he could ask her to dance with him. However, someone else had some plans of her own. Tyra made a beeline towards him and openly asked him to dance with her.
"Mister Aryan, may I have this dance with you?" She stretched her hand towards him, earning chimes and grumbles of disbelief, dismay and shock from the crowd. She was confident that he would agree because the spotlight was on them and his annoying partner was nowhere to be found. Chad was not in the hall either, so she took the chance.
Aryan was about to respond when a sharp but dulcet voice sounded from behind Tyra. "I am afraid not, Miss Wilson. He already has a partner and that's me." Malia headed towards the table and stretched her hand towards Aryan.
"May I have the honor of dancing with the most dashing man on the planet?" She smiled at him when she noticed his reddening ears. Was he blushing?
He smiled back, stood up and took her hand in his. "I should be the one asking you to dance with me, so allow me to do so."
"May I have the honor of dancing with the prettiest lady in the world?"
She was glad that the mask covered half of her face, hiding her reddened cheeks.
Ignoring the shocked Tyra who stood still, staring at the two like the fool she was, the couple made their way to the center of the dance floor. The two started swaying in sync and in beat with the soothing music. They were so immersed in their little love bubble that they didn't notice that other couples had cleared the area for them, giving them much needed space and the spotlight was on them. The music went on and on and the people continuously applauded them.
After the final step in their dance, they stayed in the same position for a while as they looked at one another, their eyes silently communicating the emotions they held dear for each other.