Scored in Love (Wattys2015)

~35~ gretchen and magnus

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How did Gretchen the Gold-digger meet Magnus the Millionaire? You’re dying to know, aren’t you? I’ll tell you her version of events — keep in mind that she probably romanticised it. After all, she isn’t called The Gold-digger for no reason.

Gretchen worked as a waitress for an events company. She didn’t much like her job but money’s money at the end of the day. 

At one event, guest speakers took to the podium. Sparkling champagne was flowing. Canapés were served. There was the dull buzz of chatter around the room. All in all, it was a dull evening. Gretchen was bored stiff. She took a sneaky sip of champagne near the sidelines. Her friend Antoinette joined her. They chatted about their weekend plans. 

At some point in the conversation, Antoinette’s attention was drawn to one of the guest speakers. She told Gretchen that he’d made his money through diamonds. The man was Danish. He had an air of power about him. He wasn’t a handsome man — rather nondescript really— yet his boundless charisma proved attractive to people. 

Intoxicated, Antoinette posed a dare. She was confident Gretchen wouldn’t be able to go up to him and ask a specific question. 

Well, Gretchen wasn’t one to refuse a dare — no matter how embarrassing the consequences. Her hands shook as she approached him, a champagne bottle grasped like a vice. Standing near him, she became aware of his height. He was a tall man. He smelled of money. She cleared her throat. 

He was laughing at something another man had said. Preoccupied, he held out his flute glass to her. She looked in Antoinette’s direction; her friend tried to stifle a wide grin behind her glass. She raised the glass to her encouragingly.

Gretchen started to pour the amber liquid into the glass — the liquid sloshing around the edges. Yet, somehow, the champagne ended up where it shouldn’t have — on his shirt. The guest-speaker glanced down at his soiled shirt. His eyebrows raised as he met her wide-eyed gaze. It was now or never. Trembling, She opened her mouth to utter the question. But nothing came out. For a short eternity, they gazed at each other. His expression was full of warm curiosity and his mouth quirked upwards in amusement. As she was swivelling around to make a quick escape, a firm hand gripped her arm gently.

“You certainly have my attention now,” he smiled. His crystal-blue eyes sparkled. “What were you going to say?”

And she asked him.

It was so long ago. The Gold-digger doesn’t even remember what the question was. 

A/N: Please VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE! Thank you! :) Was Gretchen right to leave Amelie’s dad for Magnus? :D