"There are some moments where an epiphany comes and hits you like a tonne of bricks. Or when after a particularly dry spell, everything finally seems to be falling your way, it just has a way of bringing a massive grin into your face and this was one of those victorious moments. I was so sure of it that even if it weren't I would goddamn make it one."
The tap-tap continued on the window and at first, Selena Yingyue Zhao thought that she was going mad, but then the safety catch lifted and the car door where she was resting her arm.
"Are you going to sit all evening?" A hand, attached to a wrist, decorated by the cuff-links that Adrian had picked up while she had had her dress fitted. "I mean, I stand by the statement, make an entrance, but at this rate, no one else will be making an entrance judging by that queue behind you."
Selena drew in a breath and she took his hand. Clearly, she was out of practice. The camera flashed blinded her and she quickly looked down while fixing her dress, making sure the reams of material fell the right way so as to do the beautiful dress justice. Although she had never exactly been camera shy, being away for such a long period of time had certainly meant that her socialite and ball attending skills had rusted slightly. She pulled on her best smile anyway and took the arm Adrian had been patiently offering as he stood, with a slightly bemused smirk curling about his lips.
"Done?"
"Well, given the amount that went down the drain for this gown and the fact that these photos do make quite the change from the Selena the businesswoman in sensible trouser or skirt and blazer combinations, let them get a few good photos."
"If you insist my dear," Adrian cocked an eyebrow and looked over at his date for the evening, dare he call her that? Perhaps only in his mind until she was a little more receptive to his presence in her life as more than merely her business rival.
"Hey, Adrian, you ready you poser?" Selena gestured at the line of reporters ahead of them, "the bloody cheek you have for calling me out for wanting a couple of photos." she tugged him along and he stumbled slightly, surprised by the sudden disruption to his equilibrium.
"Miss Zhao, can you disclose the nature of your relationship with Mr Lee?"
"Miss Zhao, the dress, who are you wearing tonight and do you think that this daring number will affect the way that you are perceived by your counterparts in the business world?"
"Miss Zhao, is tonight a business call or more of a social reintroduction?"
"Are the allegations that you are behind the tanking of the stock value of your direct competition in the bio-cosmetics sector? If so is this the result of corporate espionage?"
Selena sucked in a deeper breath than was probably necessary and as she was formulating the first of her answers to the barrage of questions that had just been fired her way so then some came out with something smart and eloquent rather than a jumbled mess of her first reactions. When she missed a beat, it only seemed to invite more questions.
"Does your attending the ball with Adrian Lee mean that you are no longer going to be in direct competition, if so which market can we expect to see conquered next?"
"Are you and Mr Lee seeing each other out of the scope of pure business now?"
"HHNT here with Miss Selena Zhao, any comments regarding the recent socialite scandal at your father's wake, for example, the wine incident?"
Before she could get a word out, Adrian stepped in, "enough, we are here to enjoy one of the few social events of the year that can tear us away from the office and celebrate the Spring Equinox like all the rest of the esteemed guests gathered here. If you'd like further clarification, we will be holding a short press conference at the end of next week. The details will be announced in due course."
He didn't wait for anyone to start speaking, taking advantage of the momentary stunned silence and just about dragged Selena, with one hand by the wrist while the other gave her a slight shove in the small of the back.
"Excuse me? Since when were we going to be holding a press conference? I'm almost certain I've got acquisitions lined up for Friday, and a meeting with finance to review figures for the past month."
"Oh hush, that was me saving your arse back there, where's the gratitude? Also, it's not as if you can't push your meetings, I've see you work, three acquisitions will barely take you half the morning."
"I'll make it up to you by going to this ridiculous press conference, but we need to get our story straight before we start presenting contradictory stories," Selena said quietly after having her brow furrowed in concentration for a good minute.
"What just now?"
"No, tonight is about having fun and maybe a little bit of networking. Just a little," she corrected after Adrian shot her the 'you have got to be kidding on' look. "Only looking, no business deals tonight. Fair?"
"I'm not your keeper," he replied stiffly.
"Yes but you are going to throw a temper tantrum like a child if I turned this evening into a business networking party so I'll be good if you stop looking as if someone had shoved a rather large something up your behind. Deal?"
"Deal." Adrian reached out his pinky finger and looped it into hers.
"What exactly are you doing? What's wrong with a good handshake?"
"Handshakes are for business, pink swears are for fun," he grinned and pressed their thumbs together to seal the pinky promise.
"You are a child and completely incorrigible, you know that?"
"I'm aware," he smirked, "you love me anyway."
"I tolerate you, there's an astronomical difference."
"If you say so, darling."
"And you are quite right, I do say so," Selena retorted. She crossed her arms out of habit and then let them drop slowly to her sides as she realised that she was beginning to look like a petulant child. "Shall we go?"
They walked slowly at what could only be considered a leisurely pace, occasionally swiping champagne off of trays was waiting staff floated past them with trays of drinks. Selena was careful to only take two and sipped at her drinks slowly over the course of her many conversations throughout the night. They made small talk together without much argument and she found that she and Adrian Lee, much to her disbelief, actually worked rather well together. Their ideas bounced off of each other and their witty banter from the night before at the food stalls translated well into casual business conversation, until one very drunk man appeared, clutching a flute of champagne, with his shirt absolutely drenched in alcohol and what one could only hope was sweat.
"Oh look, how quaint, the young couple is fighting already, I did tell you that she'd eventually start acting like this." A snarky, nasal voice made both Selena and Adrian shut their mouths, mid-conversation, in a heartbeat and both of them shuddered. Selena turned around first despite Adrian putting a warning hand on the back of her arm.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked in a professional monotone that went up several octaves out of sheer surprise. Selena and everyone who stood sporadically around her began desperately schooling their facial features back into something that resembled nonchalance after a healthy dose of gawking and tried not to disclose the horror in their tones while they turned to each other and started speculating as to how this man came to be at a society gala in the state he was currently in.
"You," he pointed with a wavering finger towards Selena as he wobbled unsteadily towards her and Adrian, "you evil, scheming little bitch."
He then promptly toppled like a stack of very large bricks and hit the deck with an audible thud.