"I mean, it's easier for Selena here, for example," one of the people on the table spoke, Mr. Ernest, nicknamed Shark by business associates familiar with him. Selena drew her attention back to them and blinked her eyes innocently.
"Sorry?" She asked.
"We were talking about landing tough clients, I had my fair share last week, but didn't get any," Shark said. "And I said it's easier for pretty women. Bat your lashes and you're signing contracts!"
Selena kept a sweet smile on her lips. "Oh? Well, I've seen it work on men too, the pretty ones."
Shark's expression plummeted. "Men aren't having the same experience."
"Ever asked the handsome ones?" Selena kept her smile tight. She rose from her seat. Any more words and she was going to show Shark she had teeth sharp enough to bite him where it hurt enough.
She made her way to the ladies's room, throwing a glance over at Tamika. Alexander was no longer by her side, thankfully. She would warn Tamika about him, of his uptight, terrible…
"Selena," someone purred her name. The voice grated on her nerves, and she knew who it was without even turning.
Selena plastered a smile as fake as Patricia's personality as she turned to her. "Patricia."
"How lovely to see you."
"Pleasure's not mine."
Patricia ran a hand through her strawberry blonde hair and looked Selena up and down, a tactic to assess who dressed more expensive. Selena drew her hair back so she could see her matching diamond set, and Patricia's smile was barely holding up. She looked constipated when defeated.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Patricia said. "Considering what's going on in your company."
"Nothing's going on, last I checked, everything's running like a well-oiled machine."
"Oh," Patricia had a sly glint in her eyes. "Okay then. Here with anyone? A man I mean?"
"I could ask you the same." Selena threw back at her.
Patricia beamed, showing a set of pearly white teeth. "Fortunately I am." She waved to someone behind Selena. "Hi, Babe!"
It was the familiar scent of Creed Aventus that made Selena's heart do a quick jump. She made a fervent hope he wasn't the one, but as he moved past her and shared a kiss with Patricia, he looked at her.
"Hello Lena," he greeted.
Selena couldn't remember the last time she had seen him, but Valentin Étienne had not changed in looks; rich, chestnut brown hair styled in the usual tousled waves, high cheekbones, jawline burnished with a five o'clock shadow, and grey eyes that possessed the power of hypnotization. Selena felt her breath quicken even more, and Patricia looked at her and drank her stunned state with smugness.
"You look great," Valentin complimented with a quick rake of her figure. 'Still doing yoga?"
"I was actually asking Selena about her partner," Patricia said. "Seems she's here alone. Not everyone finds it easy to move on now, do they?"
Valentin smiled down at Patricia. "When I'm the ex, I doubt it." He looked at Selena at that. "Isn't that the truth?"
Selena's eyes burned with rage, and in a bid to cool it, her eyes betrayed her when they started to water. All of a sudden, a hand snaked around her waist, and she froze when a kiss pressed on her neck.
"Hey darling," the person said and pressed another kiss to her ear. A flutter kicked in her belly. She looked up at the person and was surprised to see it was Alexander.
"I've been looking for you everywhere," his eyes were searching hers, willing her to cooperate. "I hate it when you go so far away from me."
Selena managed a smile and pushed herself to act along. She wrapped her hand around Alexander's own on her torso but said nothing.
Alexander faced the two people standing before her. "Sorry, I can't keep my hands off her. Lose her for just five minutes and I'm losing my mind." He chuckled, and Selena forced one out as well.
"Are you…"
"The luckiest man in the world? Yes." Alexander answered Patricia's question before she could finish it. "All thanks to this gem. I'm sorry, I don't think we've met, have we? I would've known."
"Well, allow me to introduce myself," Valentin tugged hard at the lapels of his jacket. "I'm…"
"Time's gone darling," Alexander made a rude cut at Valentin. "How about we skip our plans and spend the rest of the day indoors? How's that?"
Selena fixed a smile and nodded.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. âne," Alexander said. Again, before Valentin could speak, Alexander whisked Selena away. He didn't let go as they ascended the staircase, and Selena was grateful for the support because she wasn't too sure how far her trembling legs would take her.
They reached the top landing where fewer people lounged around tables. The patios were opened and the soft wind danced into the space. Once they were finally out of sight, only then did Alexander let go.
Selena marched over to the patio. She gripped the railings so tight her hands turned white, and she tried as best as she could to gulp all the air she could down her lungs. She knew Alexander was there with her, but she needed to clear the fog out of her brain first before she faced him.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
"What was that?" She asked him, her back still turned to him.
"You needed help."
"I didn't tell you I did, did I?"
"You didn't refuse it either."
She whirled around to look at him then. There was something in his eyes that infuriated her. It was as one would look at a wounded puppy.
"I can take good care of myself, thank you very much." She said.
Alexander stepped up to her, filling her personal space.
"Then consider it in business terms," he said, his eyes boring into hers. "Consider it a return of a debt or a favor, however you see it."
She hated how her lips wobbled and her eyes watered again. Why couldn't she have a girp on herself? Looking away from him, she blinked back the annoying tears. Valentin and Patricia, she hadn't seen it coming, but again, had she seen what he had done in the past coming? Had she seen how much her heart could shatter into pieces?
"Selena," her name on Alexander's lips were soft.
"Please leave," she told him. She cannot bear his sympathy. "Just leave me alone."
She heard him sigh. "Okay. I'll have Tamika come check on you."
She didn't argue with him not to, but he did leave. At once, the memories with Valentin came back, and she didn't wipe the tears as they fell.