Arista~
"I dare y'all to believe that I can kiss my bodyguard before midnight."
In the midst of my friends in the V.I.P section of a club, I stood, a bottle of wine in my hand. I was too drunk to know what was happening around me and too drunk to care.
"Which of them?" Selina asked, crossed leg and looking like a ready-to-go snack.
"Ophelia Stone," I answered, falling back into my seat.
"Ophelia?" Jacob laughed. "Thought you were gay, virgin boy."
"Don't you fuckin' dare," I shot him a glance, and they all laughed.
"And if you can't?" Liam asked with the raise of his brow.
"Look at me." I got up again and turned a 360.
"Ouuuuu..." Raven chuckled.
"Even guys can't resist my charm," I added.
"Where's the lie?" Selina asked, and we all laughed. She gave me a wink, and a smile crept up my face. Tonight was gonna be wild.
The bass from the speakers throbbed through the floor, matching the pulse in my veins. Neon lights washed over us in waves — red, blue, gold — each flash making it harder to tell if this was bravery or stupidity. The crowd cheered at some DJ's drop, but in our corner, time slowed. I caught the others' stares, half amusement, half disbelief, as if they were waiting for the king to fall from his throne.
"Alright, how about this…" We all turned our focus to Liam.
"If you succeed, we all credit you a hundred million each."
"Okay…" Jacob smiled mischievously as he moved to the edge of his seat.
"And if you lose, you'll have to woo her for the next three months," he looked at the others. "Makes sense, huh?" They all nodded.
"And!!!!!..." We all faced Selina.
"And if you still can't win her over, you'll get each of us a sports car."
I laughed, standing up as I looked around.
"Heyyyy!" I called on one of Jacob's guards. "Get me Ophelia — you know her, right?"
With a nod, he was gone. I turned toward Raven, who had just tapped me.
"You don't have to do this. We all know how Ophelia is and will understand if you back out," she said, and I half smiled.
"Who in their right state of mind could reject me?"
"She definitely isn't someone with a right state of mind."
I gulped down the remains of the bottle in hand as I moved to the rhythm of the music, the alcohol burning through me like liquid courage.
Then she walked in.
The music dimmed in my head when I saw her — dark suit, hair tied back, posture sharp enough to cut through the noise. Ophelia Stone. She moved like a shadow that refused to blend in. Even from a distance, people shifted instinctively out of her way.
I suddenly felt sober.
"Sir," Ophelia called on reaching me.
"You sent for me. Ready to go home?" she asked.
I swallowed hard. Even as a man, I was sometimes intimidated by her. Ophelia was notorious for her professionalism and aloofness. I glanced at my wristwatch — quarter past eleven — then back at her and was taken aback by her intense gaze. I cleared my throat.
"Ahhh..." I looked at Raven. "Ophelia," I chuckled, "thanks for coming," my voice softer than usual.
She raised a brow, expression neutral. I couldn't read her. She always had a poker face on — she deserved an Oscar for it. Most times, I wondered if she had what they called emotions.
"…Security, I uh, wanted to talk to you about security measures for the night."
"Security measures?" she questioned.
"Yeah, just... You're doing great, by the way. And thanks for coming."
She held my gaze for a while and slowly smiled — faint, almost invisible. I turned to the others, who looked at me with horror. Was I still drunk?
"I..." Everything suddenly became a blur. "I..." I repeated as everywhere slowly grew dark.
_____
That hangout was a terrible idea.
As I lay on my bed, eyes glued to the analog clock on the wall by the left, I couldn't help but feel ashamed. What in hell made me spout out such nonsense from my mouth?
The room was quiet — too quiet — the silence mocking me. The faint ache behind my temples pulsed in time with the clock. Letting out a sigh, I got up from bed. As I walked toward the restroom, I paused in front of the mirror. My reflection stared back, hair messy, eyes tired, pride dented.
"Cold as ice," I muttered, thinking back to Ophelia's expression. Not a flinch, not a blink. She'd looked at me as though I were a task — not a man.
I leaned closer to the mirror, rubbing a hand across my jaw.
The memory of her faint smile — if it even was one — replayed itself, slow and deliberate.
A spark of intrigue ignited deep within. Maybe that's what drew me to her: the challenge.
I turned on my side, the room spinning lazily around me, the taste of stale liquor still clinging to my mouth. My head pounded in sync with the ticking clock — each second a reminder of how stupid I'd been.
"Kiss my bodyguard," I muttered, shaking my head. But even as I said it, something twisted inside me — something that wasn't regret. It was curiosity.
"Three months, huh?" I picked up my phone from the bed and dialed Mr. Julian, my father — all the while wondering how I'd gotten home. Henry, maybe...
"Get straight to the point," he said upon picking up.
"I need to talk to you about Ophelia," I began.
"And what is it about her?" He sounded wary, like he already knew I was up to something.
"I want her assigned to me full-time."
There was no response. All I could hear was his breathing.
"Aren't you happy with Henry and Luke?" he asked.
"They're okay, but I feel more at ease and safer with Ophelia."
He was quiet again — a little movement, then the clearing of his throat.
"Alright..." he paused. "Arista, she's older than you, and..."
"Dad!"
"You're unpredictable, really," he let out a sigh. "You have to listen to her and take her seriously. She's there to protect you, not to be your friend."
Did the man know how old I was now? I chuckled.
"Noted."
"Promise me."
The old man didn't trust me one bit — and he was also awfully attached to her. I turned towards the bed, wondering: Did he bang her?
"I promise."
"Good. I'll take your word for it. Come pick her up from the office later on today."
The line went dead, and I lowered my phone slowly. He always took even the slightest opportunity to invite me over to his office.
As the president of Will's Oil Refinery, he had wanted me to be CEO and take over from him, but I had other plans.
I didn't want to be under his shadow for the rest of my life. I wanted a name for myself, and I ventured into what I loved best — tech.
Now, as the Chief Technology Officer at Enetech — a leading energy company founded by the late Minister Duke Edward, Raven's father — I'd finally shut the old man up.
Although he didn't love the idea of me working for someone — a woman, to make it worse — he couldn't argue with results.
I ran the company in everything but name. Raven had the title, but I had the control.
And maybe, just maybe, having Ophelia by my side full-time… would make things interesting.