The Proposal
Lena Grant was staring at the resplendent skyline of the city, but her thoughts were nowhere near her visible self. She had given up on love after having faced a somewhat disastrous relationship. But her best friend, Rachel? She wouldn't allow Lena to give up.
Rachel held Lena's hand, all aglow with excitement as a spoiled will. "I've got a proposition for you now," she said in a melodramatic whisper.
Lena raised one elegant brow. "What kind of proposition?"
Rachel leaned in closer, her face breaking into a daring grin. "I want you to make a bet with me."
Lena was instantly on guard. "What kind of bet?"
Rachel's grin widened, "I want you to find and seduce the most eligible bachelor in the room within a month."
"You're kidding!" Lena's jaw dropped.
Rachel, looking dead serious, "I am absolutely serious. If you win, I owe you $10,000."
Lena's eyes widened. Now, nothing could have made this better than that! Lena really started to think about what she was really asking. Did she expect that within a month, she would really find and seduce a man?
"What if I fail?" Lena asked, voice faltering.
Rachel's grin faltered for a second before she recovered. "If you lose, you'll have to go with me on a series of blind dates."
Lena arched an eyebrow toward the heavens. "You want to torture me."
Rachel chuckled. "Just think about it as an adventure."
Lena did offer a moment of thought, weighing her options. Then, she figured $10,000 was way too tempting.
"Okay, I accept," Lena said, extending her hand.
Rachel grasped it driving both with excitement. "I will let you know all the details. Let the game begin."
And so Lena sealed her fate. She pored over the roomful of people, calculating, tallying, and burning through a mental list. Find the best bachelor at the party and seduce him in a month. Almost impossible, but she was miles ahead, willing to take this bet.
Rachel nudged her sharply. "See anything worth your while?" Rachel whispered, the volume almost devaluing her comment.
She shook her head. "Not yet. Still looking."
Keeping on her search, Lena's gaze landed on a tall, dark-haired guy standing by the bar. He was holding a glass of whiskey with an aura of confidence mixed with boredom as his eyes scanned, probably over some of the guests.
Lena felt her heart stumble. There was something about him that was driving her in. An acquaintance in one's very own context. Perhaps, the full bouquet was that he seemed to exude extraordinary self-confidence or that his eyes seemed to look straight through her.
"Who's that?" Lena asked, nodding towards the guy to Rachel.
Rachel turned and surveyed. "That's Ethan Thompson. He's an entrepreneur and one of those ruthless ones in business."
Lena sucked in her breath. "Oh, ruthless? That's exactly what I need. To vie with me."
Rachel grinned. "I think you could easily have fun with Ethan. But just so you know, he isn't an easy guy to get close to. Apparently, he's built these walls that can't be broken down."
Lena's eyes sparkled. Challenge accepted, snared, taken.
With renewed vigor, Lena kept her focus on Ethan Thompson. She would seduce him; whatever it took, she was going to.