The One Night Stand's Proposal ©

chapter 16: Who he really was

V a n e s s a

Ian's face was one of pure incredulity after hearing what I had said.

      "What?" I asked but as soon as the question left my lips, an earlier thought appeared in my recollection and my heart picked up pace.

Perhaps I was right in my first assumption; Ian was living at The Starling too!

        "That's where I am, " he said, confirming my fears. My head had already begun to swirl and I knew I was to suffer from a headache later on.

       "Wow, " was all I could mutter while Ian was grinning away. Maybe I was too hasty in accepting Ethan's offer, if I had not, then I certainly wouldn't have given it a second thought knowing Ian was in the very same building.

He was already so persistent and posed a dangerous effect on my body. I couldn't think properly when he was around and my body was certainly too welcoming where he was concerned. Living in the same building would present too many wild opportunities that his charm disallowed me to say no to.

      "I can't believe it. I think the universe is trying to tell us something, " he said, a little smirk on his lips.

I scoffed. "I've got to get back inside. Persons might start wondering where I am." I said, handing him his jacket.

      "We're on for tomorrow?"

I met his gaze and nodded. "I guess we are."

     "Great."

I then walked away and went back inside. A minute later Ian came in flashed me a brief smile.

The attention of everyone was demanded when Simone got up on the staircase along with her husband James, and tapped a spoon against her champagne glass. The chatter and the music ceased as everyone turned to hear what the couple had to say.

         "Everyone, James, and I would like to take this monumental opportunity to thank every single one of you for making this evening a success. We are overjoyed to be celebrating this wonderful occasion with all of you in our presence. Twenty-five years of marriage was not easy to come by, there were hardships we had to overcome to be where we are now but we always had one important thing in common and that is love for each other. "

    "And let me just say, my dear Simone wasn't the easiest to get with, " James interjected and soft chuckles filtered the room. "But I was a persistent man and I knew what I wanted which was her. I didn't give up and today I can say, it still feels like the very first time." He glanced at Simone who was blushing, a bit teary-eyed.

My own gaze shifted to Ian and there I saw him staring at me. I swallowed and returned my gaze to the couple. A feeling of dread overcame me as I momentarily thought back to my disastrous engagement and disgraceful wedding day. I hadn't been as lucky to find love and hope it lasted as long as James and Simone's. I doubted I ever would but that didn't mean I was going to sit back and wither away with the distressing thought in mind.

They continued to talk so lovingly about each other, it became evident how they lasted this long. My own eyes got teary and I had to clear my throat to gain a hold on my composure.

      "So thank you all for being here, " Simone continued. "And oh, I want to especially welcome Gregory Hollingsworth's son and successor, Ian, who is here with us. We all loved Gregory so much that it is only right that we welcome Ian and love him the way we did his father."

A series of reactions overcame the room while I stood there nonplussed at what I had heard.

Ian was Gregory Hollingsworth's son!
The Gregory Hollingsworth!

He had told me his story back in Vegas, said he was going to inherit a share of his late father's company, said he had been the secret child and yet it had not occurred to me. I knew of Gregory's death and knew he was a rich guy to have died within that period and yet I had not connected the dots. I had not assumed who Ian really was.

And still, even after seeing him with Spencer it had not occurred to me.

     "Wow, who would have thought a secret child would inherit Gregory's business?" A voice spoke beside me and I almost jumped with fright.

     "Sweetheart are you Ok, " my mom continued. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

I rubbed my forehead a bit to ease the tension from what was gearing up to be a headache.

      "Yeah I'm fine mom, " I said as I gave a small smile.

I glanced into the crowd where everyone surrounded Ian. He had his smile in place as he spoke directly to an elderly lady. He stood out – definitely a sight for sore eyes. He was a wholesome, beautiful man with striking features and a great physique. It was obvious he worked out. He was the whole package — definitely the type people gravitated to, not only because of his looks but also because of his intelligence and charm.

It made me wonder if the dinner I had agreed to tomorrow was such a good idea after all. Maybe I had missed it, but the papers would probably be crawling with images of him and his status by now. He was going to be the talk of the city and I wasn't sure if I was prepared for all the attention that came with him.

There would be reporters at every crevice and corner, trying to get a glimpse of the life of the secret child – the new bachelor and heir. There would be women trying to get his attention everywhere he went because he was a rich, handsome and intelligent bachelor.

I could see it all already – saw how his life would be swallowed up by gossip mongers and the media.

I couldn't submerge myself into a life like that. I was already so reserved– to be apart of that would be catastrophic in great proportions.

I knew I was spiraling, greatly overthinking but this was an accurate assumption– one I couldn't ignore.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't see him. The dinner date was off.

***

For the rest of the night, I saw instances where Ian was trying to see me but he couldn't get away because he was always pulled back by someone wanting to say something. And I was happy for that, I didn't want to talk to him, I didn't want to meet his gaze and I didn't know how to talk to him.

The party wound down quickly after that. Simone was at the door thanking people for coming and I was starting to pack up. There was no sight of Ian – I figured he maybe left and I was kinda relieved.

Twenty minutes later after packing things into the van, I released a sigh and was headed to my own vehicle. A figure approached in the darkness and without having to give it much thought, I was already confirming it was Ian.

I pulled in a breath and paused watching as his face became clearer the closer he got.

     "Why didn't you tell me your father was Gregory Hollingsworth?" I immediately asked, folding my arms.

He shoved his hands in his pocket and lowered his gaze to mine. "I didn't think it would matter."

     "Of course it does. He's famous and..." I trailed off knowing I would begin to start spiraling soon. "I don't know if I can deal with the attention that comes with being around you."

His forehead wrinkled as his brows drew closer. "What are you saying?"

I licked my lips. "I'm rethinking dinner. It's all too much for me now."

Ian released a small sigh and lowered his gaze briefly before his head shot up. "We don't have to go out, you can come over to my apartment and we can have dinner there. I'll cook, " he smiled.

    "I...I–"

     "I'll give you some time to decide. If it's a no tomorrow when I call, I'll take the hint and back off. Good night Vanessa, " he said, offered a quick smile and then he left.  

       "Shit, " I muttered.