Treating Mr. Billionaire

~ 17 ~

          The sigh escaping from her lips floated through the air and disappeared into the pool of red wine. She held her glass by the stem, shaking the contents with a little vigor and watching the liquid swirl around. The bartender who offered her the drink must have done so out of pity from seeing a lone-looking lady, sitting alone at the corner of the garden, wishing she could be anywhere else than here.

Her eyes wandered across the crowd of people dancing and mingling, laughing and talking. They all looked happy and cheerful, enjoying their time together while she sat in the corner, drinking herself to oblivion.

Maria sighed countless times and settled her gaze on the ground, where she could see her reflection on the dark surface of the pool of wine.

"Wow. I think I just found the prettiest flower in the garden." A voice soared above her head, sounding masculine with an attractive edge.

It jerked her back to reality, finding the voice unfamiliar. Her eyes slowly moved, noticing the pair of big leather boots placed before her. She squeezed her brows slightly, her gaze elevating little by little until she was staring into the face of a man.

He looked young, probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His face looked friendly and inviting with his smile that seductively tugged his lips.

Babies were adorable creatures and the fun part about them was that they were not aware of the high velocity of cuteness they possessed. However, she could tell with just one look that the man standing in front of her knew his charm could overshadow even a Greek enchanter.

His lips stretched wider as they locked eyes, the green shade of his eyes shimmering with interest. He was dressed in similar tuxedo wear like every other gentleman in the elite party but distinguished himself by 'forgetting' to button up his black inner shirt hence exposing his toned torso. It was a good thing his glossy black hair was tied up because otherwise, it would've been too much for her to handle.

"Hi, pretty flower," he continued when she remained mute, his ruggedly handsome appearance freezing her tongue for a moment.

Maria cleared her throat and sat upright. "Are you talking to me?" She asked cautiously, her tone dry.

Her question surprised him and he expressed his feelings with a chuckle. It made him find her more attractive, and his smile widened. "Well, certainly, yes. You are the prettiest flower in the garden." He answered, tone light and playful.

Her brows furrowed with amusement. He was quite bold and upfront. "I don't know what to say...thank you?" She uttered, her tone low with uncertainty.

He chuckled once again. "No, thank you. I'm glad I caught your attention." He voiced with a charming grin.

His flattery was flattering enough to make her smile softly without helping it. She lifted her glass to her mouth, taking a sip of the wine without breaking eye contact. "Well, it's almost impossible not to when you are standing right in front of me." She retorted, her tone teasing slightly.

"You are funny, I like that." He replied with another laugh before extending his hand to her. "You can call me Justin, or your one call away to positive energy." He stated with a wink.

She stared at his hand for a moment, before placing her own on top of his. That was the weirdest introduction she ever heard, and she couldn't resist a chuckle once more. "Maria," she returned after cleaning her throat.

"Maria, then." He nodded, his fingertips brushing her knuckles gently before letting go. "We have met before, you know. Can you remember?" He asked curiously, his eyes moving from her drink to her eyes, waiting for her response.