CH 65: Paint the Roses Red

Ambryan stared at the woman before him.

Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. Her fingers lingered on his tie. Her lips closed with the corners still curled up as the two of them stayed in this position. A soft giggle flowed out of her nose. She seemed to be enjoying an inside joke.

How many people had she shown this expression to?

"What—" Richard choked on air. The room seemed to close in on him. "Wait! Is she—"

"Thank you." Ambryan whispered. He grabbed his tie and checked her handiwork. Their hands brushed briefly. An electric current kindled under their touch. His violet eyes hooded, scrutinizing her condition. "Are you drunk by any chance?"

"I just had one drink." Eve beamed. Did that martini contain a happy pill? Perky energy flowed in her veins. "How about you? Should I be the one to drive back?"

"Are you attempting to make an excuse to drive the Jaguar?"

"Maybe?"

Ambryan pondered for a moment. A flush colored her cheeks. It wasn't a good sign. He exhaled sharply and tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "I'll think about it when you haven't had any alcohol."

Eve turned away from him, hiding her blush. Her confidence dwindled after the moment passed. She now felt the eyes around the room. They were watching her under a different lens. This moment played a crucial part on how they'd perceive her.

It was now or never.

"Oh, Mr. Wilson, is it?" She gasped, noticing the old man. 

Stuart jumped. "W-Why, yes."

"Evangeline Reed," she introduced herself and stretched her hand for a shake. "Sorry for the outburst. It's not everyday I get to meet the man on the newspaper's front page. Are you really running for senator this year? I'm sure many look up to you for advice, including Ambryan."

Mr. Wilson drew out a laugh, accepting her handshake. It felt smooth under his touch unlike the ones he became accustomed to. "You speak highly of me, Ms. Reed." 

Eve shook her head. The smile never left her lips, continuing to mesmerize the people within range. "I'm only stating facts."

"She's right, Mr. Wilson." Ambryan backed up. She felt his warm presence behind her. "I do go to you for advice and I highly value it."

Stuart scratched the back of his neck. Even Ambryan Hathaway now smiled at him. The combination from the pair had him flabbergasted. He pointed a finger in their direction. "May I know how the two of you are acquainted?"

Eve opened her mouth to reply but said nothing. Words evaporated from her brain. This scenario developed in another way than she initially predicted.

How did one exactly say they are someone's partner?

"Of course, how rude of me," Ambryan apologized, cutting in. He stepped to the side and pressed his hand against her upper back. "Although, I do believe you have heard of my girlfriend, Mr. Wilson."

"Sorry. It's the first time we went out publicly like this." Eve laughed. She hoped it would calm down her embarrassment. Hopefully, she hadn't paused for too long. "I'm still new to the spotlight and Ambryan is under one of the biggest of them all."

Whispers made its way to her ears. If they didn't notice her before, they did now. 

"Do you see that? That model with Ambryan Hathaway?"

"I do! What? How come I didn't notice before? His tie matches her dress!"

"And her hair! That's the same hair as the woman in the photos, right?"

"Then, it's true that he has a girlfriend. Wow. I wouldn't have guessed it to be her."

"OMG! I don't know why but I TOTALLY ship! She's like the fire to his ice! I love it!"

"Tell me someone took a photo with that tie! Now that was a public display of affection!"

Eve kept her composure in check and pretended not to be aware of them. So far, they sounded positive but there should be, at least, one person who thought differently—someone she avoided looking at.

It would be much colder if the person felt completely ignored.

"Then, I must retract my comment earlier." Stuart blinked out of his daze. Now that he knew, his statements earlier seemed insensitive. He glared to his left. "Mr. Kingston, why didn't you inform me that Ms. Reed is your best friend's girlfriend?"

'Because I also didn't know?!' Richard yelled inside his head. He had known the lady would attend but he hadn't known that she'd be the star of the show. He even said that Mikael Davis— 

A shiver went down his spine. He met his Ambryan's glower and gulped. The incident earlier now made sense. The room didn't increase in temperature. His best friend's temper did! He hadn't done anything wrong! He was in the dark the whole time!

This wasn't fair!

"Oh, Mr. Kingston! I've heard a lot about you!" Eve perked up. Her smile turned blinding as she met Richard for the 'first' time. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"... Ambryan talks about me?" Richard breathed out. His disbelieving eyes fluttered at this news. It warmed his heart to know that his best friend—

Eve covered her mouth and muffled out a laugh. "I'd like to say so but that would be lying." 

"I agree. Lying wouldn't be good."

'Great. Now, there were two Ambryans.' Richard moaned inside. His heart broke into pieces. He had hoped to gain an ally. It turned out the woman was a carbon copy of his best friend. How were they similar yet different at the same time?

"I've mostly heard of you from Avery," Eve explained. "Is it true that you managed to save Venus Investment from going bankrupt 3 years ago?"

"Y-Yes. Yes, I did." Richard cleared his throat. It had been a while since someone brought that up. It felt good to be acknowledged again for such an achievement. 

"You mean I helped you save your company from going bankrupt."

"Ambee!" Eve scolded, hitting his chest. His body winced in surprise rather than in pain. His reaction made it harder for her to hide an amused laugh. She patted the same spot as if soothing it. "Let someone else have the limelight, okay?"

Ambryan scowled down at her. Her expression radiated smugness. She actually used the nickname she mentioned earlier. He thought it was only a joke about his mouthful name.

"Mhm, sure, Evan." He replied with a narrowed gaze. 

Eve showed him a wide grin. "Hihi."

Ambryan shifted his attention back on his companions. His hand on her back moved to her shoulder, supporting her with his arm instead. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I think I need to take my girlfriend home."

Stuart nodded, also noticing the red tint on the young woman's face. He actually enjoyed the couple's little exchange but it wouldn't be good if things got out of hand. "As adorable as she is, I would have to agree with you on that." 

"It has been a pleasure, Mr. Wilson." Ambryan shook the old man's hand once. Then, he nodded at his best friend, his gaze lingering for more than a second. "Mr. Kingston."

Richard gulped. Even when he hadn't said anything, he got into trouble! He only talked when addressed because it would be rude to ignore it and stay quiet—not to mention how weird it would be since it directly involved him.

"Do take care on your way." Stuart waved as the pair stirred away from the crowd. 

Richard raised his glass of champagne. "Hope we can converse another time."

Ambryan kept his girlfriend close to his side. He shortened his strides, matching her pace. His eyes watched out for the path ahead while sneaking a peek towards her every now and then. She behaved well and maintained a good composure. 

Then, Eve suddenly stopped walking. She turned her head and stared up at him. Her eyebrows scrunched into a confused expression. For a moment, she said nothing and only observed his face.

Ambryan wondered what thoughts ran through her head.

 "You're not about to carry me out in bridal style again, are you?"

"Do you want me to?" He couldn't help but smirk. Her face from their date surfaced in his memories. He found it just as amusing as back then. Revenge never tasted sweeter. Would she make the same reaction right now? 

It was tempting but the venue wasn't the best place for it.

"No!" Eve protested a little too loudly. She pressed her fingers against her mouth and scanned the premise. As she predicted, hundreds of eyes watched them. A groan escaped her lips. She buried her face on the side of his chest, inhaling his cologne.

"Are you sure?" Ambryan asked, genuinely concerned now. He held her chin and raised it. His violet eyes met her hazel ones. The blush on her cheeks had magnified in saturation. He couldn't tell anymore if it came from embarrassment or the alcohol.

Either way, it intrigued him on how much redder she could possibly be.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I'd be gentle this time."