"Last time I checked, I can go anywhere I want."
"Hmm, and that being my man's office?" Pamela leaned forward, her face hardened. "I don't know what's going on here, but one wrong move from you and I'll crush your company."
Selena gave a hearty laugh. "You talk as if you have the power to. Don't overestimate yourself, sweetheart."
Pamela gave a sardonic smile. "Oh, you're such a lost little lamb."
Before Selena could say anything more, the music changed into a slow one. Pamela smiled up at Valentin when he came back and offered a hand to her, and they made their way to the dancefloor.
Selena stewed on Pamela's words. She had a feeling she knew something about Tequila Corporation that she didn't, something her father was keeping from her. After his last travel, he had come back weary, looking ten years older than his age. Her mother wasn't any exception; Selena would sometimes catch her staring off at the table and would fix a smile when her daughter came close to her.
Something was wrong, how bad, Selena didn't know, but she desperately hoped not too bad. And she'd rather chew on broken glass than find out from Pamela.
Her eyes caught a familiar head of hair stepping into the space, and relief flooded through her. She raised her hand to wave but stopped short when she saw the person next to him. Armani's eyes met hers from across the room, and she whispered something to Alexander before he looked Selena's way.
Her blood boiled within seconds. He didn't tell her he'd be coming with anyone, and with the way Armani's hand was wrapped around his arm like an octopus, she knew the woman had invited herself on purpose.
"Sorry we're late," Alexander said, taking the seat opposite Selena with Armani by his side. The pixie lady was dressed in a white halter-neck gown that flowed down to her mid-thighs, making her look like something out of a fairytale.
"Alex and I had other things to attend to," Armani smiled.
Selena gave a tight-lipped smile. "I'm sure you do. Alex, let's dance please."
Alexander was taken aback. "Now?"
Selena rose to her feet. "Yes. Now."
Alexander peeled himself off a reluctant Armani, and Selena led the way to the dancefloor with couples. She spotted Valentin and Pamela moving in a slow dance, arms wrapped around each other like a couple in love.
She stood in front of Alexander in a spot where they'll be seen by them, and wrapped her hands around his neck, while his settled on the sides of her waist. A tickling sensation came down her spine, and she directed her angry eyes up at him as they swayed gently.
"You could have told me you were bringing her," she said.
"And how's she coming to a problem?"
"She's going to mess things up!" Selena hissed.
"She's my friend, and I don't exactly get what kind of messing up…"
He trailed off and looked beyond her. Selena knew he had seen Valentin from the way his face morphed into anger. He stopped swaying, and Selena turned.
"He finally makes it," Valentin said, hand around Pamela's waist. "Heads up, Lena hates to be kept waiting."
"Or telling the truth, I suppose," Alexander said. Selena looked up at him then and saw that those eyes were directed at her.
"Is everything okay?" Armani had suddenly appeared by Alexander's side. "Alex, are you okay?"
"Interesting. He brought a date," Pamela said.
"She's not…"
"I'll be leaving now," Alexander said. Armani returned her octopus hands around his arm once more as she and Alexander moved toward the exit.
"Oh, this is very interesting," Pamela's eyes were shining.
Selena wanted to say something but decided it was best not to. She hurried after Alexander and lost him in the crowd of people outside the door, which had grown larger. She made her way to the door and spotted him heading to a car.
"Alex!" She yelled.
Alexander stopped, and Armani shot her a warning glare. He whispered something to her, and she nodded, leaving him and going to the car.
Alexander faced Selena. "What do you want?"
"What's wrong with you?" She asked. "You come late, you bring company, and now you leave me…"
"Leave you? Can you hear yourself?" He threw at her. "You lied to me and invited me here for some sick plan that involves that man…"
"I didn't…"
"You didn't what?" He closed the space between them, and Selena could feel the anger ripple off his body. "Go on, tell another lie, but for once, tell the truth."
"Stop painting me out to be some liar, Alex," she could feel her tear ducts opening up. "I had to."
"You had to what?"
"I had to invite you here tonight," her voice cracked on the last word, and she swallowed the painful lump in her throat.
"To use me, right?"
"I didn't want to!" She yelled. "I just…I've asked you for a favor recently and I was ashamed to ask you for another, so I tried another way. I just…in that birthday, he assumed we were together, and I had to make it look that way."
She kept her head down, afraid that if she kept looking at him she might burst into tears. Alexander said nothing, and she wanted to push him to leave, in case she embarrassed herself by crying.
"Is it worth it?" He asked, his voice lower. She looked at him then. "Is it worth proving to him that you're over him? Is that how you want to live your life?"
She said nothing to that. Alexander waited. Music poured through the door. A man shouted some drunken slurs. A car zoomed into the place, people cheering. Selena still stood speechless.
Alexander left her and moved to his car. Selena watched him drive away without a glance in her direction. She looked back to the building, and wondered how in a couple of days, Valentin had wormed his way into her life, and had overcome her with the need to show that her life was "perfect" without him in it, to show him that for all the hurt he had caused her, she had a hundred more joyful things to show for.
And so, she didn't have the energy for any more "showing" that night. Without a goodbye to him, she headed to her car, and drove off into the night.