Sera Zhang should have known better than to order her sixth Vodka martini.
She knew that five shots were her limit. A headache would await her once she goes beyond that. However, the fact that tonight was her birthday seemed enough to shut the silent nagging in her brains about her headache tomorrow. She just turned twenty-three— isn't that something worth celebrating? She looked at the almost empty bar, the soft music filled her ears. She had been living on her own for the last five years now, and surviving without her skills wasn't very easy. However, she survived.
And she was very proud of that.
"Another one," she looked at the bartender, smiling. This should be her seventh Vodka Martini, and she could already feel the pang of regret inside her. But that was too late now. The thought of her father texting her about an engagement swirled in her mind. As the first miss of the Zhang Family, this engagement should have been hers.
However, she knew that wasn't possible now. She was no longer a part of the Zhang Family. She couldn't help but wonder why that man would suddenly invite her for a party when she was just a nobody now. Was it to face slap her? Remind her of the sins that she committed?
"Hey, I'll have whatever it is that she's having."
Sera's head turned towards the man who sat next to her. His dark, expensive suit caught her attention. She squinted. Was this another scammer?
Sera turned her head away when the man looked at her. "Hey, another one." She pretended not to notice the man staring at her as she asked for another glass of her martini.
"You sure you can handle that?"
Her gaze focused on his as she considered his question. She already knew that she couldn't handle it, and yet here she was. "Yeah," she nodded.
"You look too young to drink." The man turned towards the Bartender. "Hey, did you see her ID before you gave her alcohol?"
The stranger's words made her frown, but she only shrugged in response. She was… a little bit short. Maybe around five foot one, but that was none of his business. Plus, she was wearing such tall heels to match her dress. Even she could say that she actually looked more mature than her current age. "Are you blind?" she asked, irritated. She was wearing make-up and had her cleavage on display. Does that really look underaged to him?
"Feisty, I see." The man chuckled and met her gaze, "I'm Cris. You are?"
"Bored," she was surprised to hear her own answer. "Since you are too good at guessing then, why don't you guess my name too?"
"You know, people who heard those lines would smile and laugh, then show me their ID."
"That's such a lame way to get their names." She sneered as she wondered if she should laugh at herself for missing his point. She wasn't even aware that he was trying to compliment her. Sera shook her head inwardly. She was truly bad at flirting.
"You here alone?"
This made her smile, she turned towards him as she held the glass in her other hand. "Not anymore." Soon, she cringed at her own words but was able to maintain her sweet smile on the outside. Yep, she was truly bad at this.
The sudden change in her voice caught him by surprise. He gave a short laugh. "I see." Nodding his head, the man leaned closer. "This is a remote part of the region. Are you here for business? Or pleasure?"
She snorted at that. Lifting an eyebrow, Sera leaned towards him. Their faces were too close, she could feel his hot breath against her cheek. "Why don't you guess?" She stared at the shadowed face of the stranger. The lighting was preventing her from seeing his entire face, but she knew he was young. Probably in his late twenties and tall too.
She heard him chuckle, and she watched him loosened his tie before dragging his gaze back to her face. "Let me guess, " he smiled. "You are not planning to tell me anything about yourself, right?"
"Is that necessary for us to have a good night?" Her bold question made her freeze for a few seconds before she smiled and turned her body towards the counter. "Nevermind," she added, awkwardly. The sudden need lurching in her stomach must have been the alcohol kicking in. She sighed and put some money on the counter. She really should just go back to her room and have some goodnight sleep instead of trying to flirt with a stranger.
"Of course it's not." The man answered. "I don't need to know your name to have a good night with you."
Her gaze sprang back to his face, she already felt her face flushed, her throat dry. A part of her was screaming at her, telling her to leave now as this was such a horrible idea. However, another part of her wanted to reach out to the stranger.
This should be the alcohol, she consoled herself. She actually drank too much and became someone so bold. How lame.
"Do you want to dance?" the man smiled and held his hand in front of her. "I promise, I won't bite."
His tone surprised her. She found it a little familiar, but she was certain she never met this man before. She opened her mouth, about to say no, however her hand was quicker than her brain. She held his hand and only responded with a curt nod.
Sera immediately reprimanded herself. What was happening to her?
She let the man lead her to the dance floor as new slow music started filling the air. "Surprised?" he asked.
"I was expecting that you would ask them to play something more… lively." The soft music immediately changed the atmosphere, and some couples were quick to join them on the dance floor. She didn't even notice these people earlier. She couldn't help but wonder when did the club become so crowded.
She felt his hands on her small waist. As she folder her arms on his neck.
"Really? I thought I give off the happy and nice vibe?"
She gave a small laugh. If anything, the man actually gave off a familiar yet dangerous vibe. Until now, she was still thinking about where did she see this man before but soon decided to give up. She knew her memory was pretty good, and she could remember faces and names easily. Because of this, she knew that she had never met a certain Cris before. She stared at his eyes. The lighting was messing up her eyes. She knew it was darker than her light brown ones. But under the lighting, it actually looked black.
Unknowingly, her gaze started to explore his handsome face. The feeling of familiarity surge inside her. The man truly looked familiar— too familiar. She squinted. She was about to ask him when she heard him say…
"If you keep staring at me like that, I would be tempted to kiss you."
She snorted. "Yeah?" It was a challenge that doesn't need an answer. He slid his fingers beneath her long dark curls at her nape and tugged her face closer to his.
"Yeah," he uttered. Then his lips covered hers. The kiss was voracious and hungry, something that she never expected.
And yet, she didn't do a damn thing to stop him.