Chapter 2 Attraction

Tia unconventionally blinks at me when I narrate the day's events to her. Her green eyes flutter behind her thick lashes. I observe her in my mirror while I decorate my eyes with black eyeliner, creating a butterfly effect on the sides.

"Oh my God, Cynthia!" she suddenly exclaims, getting up from my bed and covering her mouth with her hands. "You were challenged by Ethan Drake! How can you be so okay after that?"

She looks visibly speechless, not a surprise considering the way she has had a crush on Ethan Drake ever since he came on the front page of Forbes magazine. She has made him her idol and wants to follow his path to success when she opens her own digital business.

The doe-eyed creature even has his public appearances memorized from morning to night, which makes me wonder if she would have been his perfect assistant instead of me. She is even prettier than I am. Maybe she would have been a better choice.

Her black dress hugs her curves, and behind her temporary glasses, there is a sweet, heart-shaped face with milky skin and full lips as she stares at me wide-eyed. Her brunette hair hangs loosely over her shoulders, framing her face in gentle waves.

I, on the other hand, am dressed in a simple white crop top with full sleeves and a royal blue skirt, which doesn't stick to my curves as hers does. My hair is in a half-updo, unlike hers.

"It's nothing much, Tia." I drop the eyeliner back in my make-up box before turning to her. "That man is not the idol you make him to be. He doesn't even know how to conduct a proper interview! I pissed him off, and that's why he gave me the job."

"But you got to meet him!" Tia contradicts, making dreamy eyes at the ceiling. "And Cynthia, he is so handsome. God, I wish I were in your place."

"Your opinions would have changed," I remark, picking up my sling bag from the bed. "Besides, you're lucky you get to do your dream job. I mean, Digital Manager for Bright Media? Hello, that's huge!"

"But my boss isn't some handsome guy I would drop my panties for in a second. He's a half-aged dude with an eternal growl plastered twenty-four seven."

"And my boss has an eternal scowl on his thirty-one-year-old face. That's disturbing. I don't know what it would cost that man to smile once in a while. I never saw him smile."

"For real, Cynthia. Your hormones are too strong for my taste. If I were in your place, he would have had me in one go. The way he lifts his eyebrow towards the media is always a classic signal," Tia comments, following me out of my room.

"Won't deny that. He does have very angry eyebrows."

"Oh, I forgot to ask you." She turns to face me with a strangely serious look on her face as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Why didn't you tell me that our lease has been paid in full? I thought it would be months before that happens. Now I owe you."

I go still at her words. I completely forgot about the lease. There is no way he paid for that, too. He promised me he would stop interfering.

Tia and I bought our apartment on a lease six months ago after we graduated with our business degrees. We were both lucky to have stumbled upon each other on the day of the viewing of the 2-BHK space. Since we both loved the space and didn't have enough to get the full apartment, we ended up making a deal between ourselves.

This was how our friendship started, and as of now, in this big city called LA, she is the only one I am close enough to call a friend. I love the girl like anything to lie to her.

But the lease? I can't tell her the truth.

"Oh yeah..." I shake my head awkwardly. "Yeah, I paid in full. You don't have to pay me now, don't worry. I got some money saved and decided to get the burden off our heads."

"But you could have at least discussed it with me, Liz," Tia complains. "This makes me feel so bad. I would have contributed from my savings too."

Unable to decide what to say, I go for the option that makes me not look like a sacrificial lamb.

"Well, you can just pay it to me." I shrug. "Anyways, let's not talk about it now. You wanted to go to the bar to celebrate, and we'll be doing just that. Not speaking of apartments and leases."

She gives me a pointed look, which makes me suspect that she, in turn, suspects something fishy. I keep a giant smile on my face as she studies me with inquisitive eyes.

"Fine," she says after a while. "But I'm paying you soon."

"Can't wait," I grin shamelessly, hiding from her the fact that I didn't pay anything at all.

He did.

***

The bar we go into has a plethora of customers, and the usual standard area has been converted into a club where the music is jamming at its highest. People are crushed against each other, grinding and kissing and licking. I wish I were here to do that with someone. It has been such a long time since my last asshole boyfriend.

Matt had been all fun and nice - sunshine and rainbows - until he had ended up slapping me in a fit of rage. In return, I had kicked him in the balls so hard with my heels that the dude ended up in the hospital for a week.

I have never been that satisfied with choosing violence.

Tia grabs my hand, pulling me to the end of the bar and towards the counter. We find two empty stools and quickly claim our seats, slapping our hands at the counter to call out for drinks.

"Sex on the beach!" we both shout, making the bartender, a charming young man, smirk as he prepares our drinks.

When he places them near us, we grab the glasses and clink them together.

"Here's to new jobs and asshole bosses!" Tia makes a toast, swallowing a long sip of her drink.

I follow her, wincing first and then drinking in the juicy feeling.

"Oh Gosh...I love this place," I remark, pulling Tia to the dance floor with me.

We dance together wildly, twisting our bodies and bobbing our heads. Men stare at us, and we admire the attention, letting our hands seductively run through our bodies. The lights mingle with blue and red, creating shadows on the floor.

"I'm so happy for you, Cynthia!" Tia shouts, letting the people around us know how happy she is.

In here, nobody minds our loud mouths and ludicrous moves. Here we are free from the constraints of life. This night is ours, and we are going to make the best of it.

Or at least that's what I think before a large figure walks past me, making me nearly stumble, but before I can lose my balance, two strong arms grab me by my waist, pulling me firmly against a hard chest.

"Thank you..." I smile as I look up, and the smile falls instantly.

With a tall body, sturdy muscles, and a suit without creases, Ethan Drake's hardened face stares down at me with eyes so piercing blue that I gulp immediately, my eyes darting to find my friend, only to see her in the arms of another guy as they both dance together.

"Miss Lucas..." His grip around my waist tightens as he pulls me firmer against his chest, encasing me in the protection of his arms when two young boys pass us. "What are you doing here, dancing alone?"

I rest my palms on Mr. Drake's chest, holding the lapels of his suit as I gaze at him.

"I'm not alone, Mr. Drake," I reply. "I came with my friend."

"And where is your irresponsible friend, may I know?"

"No, you may not."

His expression hardens, but his eyes sparkle with mischief I have already become used to. Using the force of my hands on his chest, I push away from him, quickly wrapping my arms over my chest. Mr. Drake's gaze immediately drifts down to my top, where a V-cut neck gives a glimpse of my cleavage. He moves past that area of my body and looks at the crowded dance floor.

Frowning, he puts a hand on my elbow, holding me gently and ushering me to a less crowded space. His touch makes my flesh give birth to goosebumps at the heat between us. I try to pull my elbow from him, but his hold is tough to break.

When we stop facing each other, he puts his hands in the pockets of his dress pants and stands tall.

"Miss Lucas, you should know better than to waste your time partying tonight. Tomorrow is your first day at work, and unfortunately, you seem to be already disappointing me."

"We're not in the office."

He narrows his eyes at me. "That I can see."

Dark lights dance over his face, giving his roughly handsome visage an even more handsome look. He is dressed in the same clothes I saw him wearing at the office, but he has changed his Lucas watch for a platinum-plated one. It shines bright, and one can easily guess that it costs thousands. A man like him should be visiting richer bars, not a common one like those visited by any other LA citizen.

"Want me to buy you a drink, Miss Lucas?" he asks.

"You're offering me a drink? After all that happened between us?" I raise an eyebrow in speculation.

Mr. Drakelets out a growl or a laugh, I can't distinguish at all.

"Miss Lucas, believe me, nothing scandalous has happened between us..." His eyes fall to my outfit again, curiously sliding up my legs. "Yet."

My skin flushes, heat filling me and making me increasingly aware of how close we are. He has his one hand on my elbow still, and his eyes are fully concentrated on me. I see his face darken as he registers the closeness, too.

"Hmm...I think I'd rather choke on a melon than sleep with you, Mr. Drake."

His eyes widen, and he releases me quickly, looking embarrassed for a second.

"What makes you think I was talking about sex, Miss Lucas?" he says calmly. "I was only referring to all that might happen between us tomorrow once you apologize to me in front of my whole staff."

I laugh at his confidence, putting my hands behind my back and staring up at him.

"Mr. Drake..." I begin. "I'm never apologizing to you, and neither will I be disappointing you that easily. This job will be mine permanently, no matter what you try otherwise."

"That confident, Miss Lucas?"

I smile, taking a step closer and raising my hands to his chest. His body tenses when my fingers brush up his suit until they find the top-most button of his white shirt. I release it from its hold slowly and then move my fingers down to release another. The first glimpse of his chest becomes visible, a light dust of hair scattered over a taut torso, and I crane my neck towards his face.

The air around us tingles with tension, the epiphany of our closeness holding us in place, eyes locked to one another.

"Never learned to be anything else, Mr. Drake. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go to the washroom."

As I turn to leave him, I catch a glimpse of his handsome face where the lips happen to form just an illusion of a smile as he watches me walk away.