"It is important to realise that even though your world moves at breakneck speed and you seem to be constantly walking on a tightrope made of eggshells or something else equally unstable, there will be peaks and troughs to it all. Some weeks will be a whirlwind of any and everything, the world feels like it is going to crumble like a shortcake on top of you and leave you buried in a mountain of debris because everything is just slightly terrifying and seems very much out of your control.
Other weeks are what can only be described as a nice lull, think the waves lapping at your feet on some non-descript beach on an island of something. Where things are manageable and everything is going according to plan, you have ample time to plan and anticipate and everything is coming up roses.
Yes. Banish that thought, those nice weeks don't exist, because it is the calm before the storm. And believe you me, a storm is coming."
The end of the night was decidedly less problematic and eventful than the beginning. Adrian could see that Selena was struggling, her eyes fluttering more than normal. She stopped drinking after the third flute of champagne, he was willing to bet that although she was most definitely sober, she was only maybe about 30 mins from completely crashing. He shouldn't care, he really shouldn't and yet it was like all he could think about because her perfume crowded his senses, her hair and shoulders commandeered his field of vision, and most noticeably, she was a part of every single conscious and lucid thought. He found himself wondering where she was (probably in her office knowing her workaholic tendencies), how she was doing (fine without him, or actually, he secretly hoped that she would also think about him sometimes, as slim the chances of that actually would be) and whether she had eaten (anything besides coffee).
He felt the change in pressure from the hand on his arm and decided that that was their cue to leave. Looking for a break in the avid conversation that his date for the evening seemed to be absolutely fully engaged, he swiftly cut in and with as much charm and tact as he could muster, extracted them from the conversation.
"What was that for?" Selena muttered, stifling a yawn as she was all but dragged from the room into the front foyer.
"Sweetheart, you just stifled a yawn as we left, don't even try to tell me that you're still anywhere near capable of standing on your own two feet for much longer."
Selena made to protest but then she hid her face in the crook of her arm to stifle another yawn. "Ok, perhaps you have a point, but we are most definitely not done for the night."
"In what aspect? There's nothing that we need to do that can't wait a few hours into the morning, and besides, I can't imagine tottering around in those impossible heels of yours has been very comfortable at all this evening, why are you objecting at the perfect excuse to go someplace else so you can take them off?"
"Excuse you, Mr Lee, I do not totter, I have been walking in heels longer than you've been ordering takeout, I will have you know that i am perfectly capable of walking elegantly in heels thank you very much. These are barely anything," Selena was every part the word indignant. Even though she was struggling to keep her eyes open, the offhand comment had been more than enough to envigorate her enough to defend her skill in walking in her heels.
"Now you're just being crabby, which often happens when you're sleep deprived so often like you are at the moment."
"I know but still, we should at least set up something up for early in the week. Preferably Monday, just to give ourselves enough time to get our story straight. You can't promise the press a goddamn press conference without letting me know before hand."
Ardian smirked, "I was playing the very few cards we had left, I mean unless you want to go done the defamation law suit route which would only drag your name further in the mud. Think of it as the more grown up version of throwing a hissy fit."
Selena fell silent and let Adrian's hand on the small of her back guide her towards the door. There were a few stragglers waiting outside, the usual few members of security and a few reporters and a handful of paparazzi camping outside who snapped some lackluster photos and engaged in meaningless chit-chat until they realised who was actually leaving the event fairly early.
There weren't enough people to be called a swarm but it never failed to amuse and astound Selena in equal measure how much enthusiasm they had when it came to the smallest snippets of news. She could imagine that these people must have been the reason that high schools had gossip mills to begin with with their absolute dedication and magnetic penchance to sniffing out anything worth reporting like sharks at a drop of blood. Regardless, she pulled her best winning smile onto her face despite the muscles there protesting.
"Please, Ms Zhao, Mr Lee, why are you leaving the event early?"
"Can you comment on the incident from the beginning of the evening?"
"People are speculating that the steep drop in the value of Qing-Starks has something to do with the soaring of your stock prices, any comment?"
"Ms Zhao, why attend this event with Mr Lee? what is the nature of your relationship? Is it strictly business of is there perhaps something more?"
"Mr Lee, as CEO of a company in direct competition with Ms Zhao's company, why attend a networking function together?"
Selena only smiled and parried the questions firing at her at breakneck with great skill and a simple, "as stated nearer the start of the evening, we will be holding a press conference on Friday of the coming week to address the stock market situation as well as have the floor open to a short question and answer session to which all media outlets are welcome to attend."
With that she allowed Ardian to pull her through the throng of bodies and camera flashes towards the town car the first town car that had arrived. They piled in, Selena scooting into the far side and leaning her head onto the window sill immediately.
The door closed with a thunk and she sighed, "I guess we are doing a press conference on Friday, and I don't think I've ever had a more painful headache. There is absolutely no way, I'm ever coming to a networking function with you again."
"You say that but you're just out of practise," Adrian smirked as hs stretched out and his knee knocked into her legs.
"I'm not sure about you but my meetings calender seems fairly full to the brim for the next fortnight."
"And what's to say mine isn't?"
The friendly jibes and easy banter continued until the town car stopped outside of her apartment block, where Selena smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks," she paused theatrically as if looking for the words while also in slight disbelief at what she had just done. "For a good time."