Treating Mr. Billionaire

~ 15 ~

Maria nodded faintly. She didn't doubt his words but the reality of being surrounded by strangers was not very easy to ignore. She kept her head lowered to avoid bumping eyes with any of them, and the light squeeze of her arm had her returning her eyes back to him.

"What are you afraid of? I am right here." Jayden whispered in her ear, his warm breath meeting her cheeks, and his body heat seeped through her clothes and skin.

Maria swallowed heavily as she stared into his deep brown orbs. She had never seen someone look that good before. Everything about him was seductive, but in a darkly intimidating way, especially now that he was putting on a tuxedo and not the casual hoodie he normally wore at home. His appearance looked more refined with his hair styled away from his face and swept beneath his ears. He was worth more than a million dollars, literally.

They made their way among the crowd, stepping over the scattered rose petals along the path. The smell of the flowers filled the air and Maria inhaled deeply, trying to get used to the sensory overload. Her mind wandered back to the reason she was there. Jayden had shared a short explanation on their way to the party. The two conclusions he had made were that her presence was to chase off other women from bothering his already perfect single life while the other one, which she was yet to understand, was to avoid an unfortunate situation from occurring.

They reached a grand table adorned by candlelights and centerpieces, where Jayden pulled out a chair for her. Maria acutely noticed how smoothly he was doing as a fake partner. She sat down nonetheless, placing her purse on the table before her and he settled himself opposite her.

Once they were seated, their table received a lot of visitors who came to pay respect to Jayden. They all offered toasts, the majority spoke briefly with him before moving to the buffet line while very few hung around for longer periods.

Maria listened to the conversations silently. She could feel the stares upon her and knew they were all wondering what she was doing with Jayden. The attention made her uncomfortable and she kept her focus on the table to avoid bumping eyes with any of them. She was glad Jayden was not a talkative person. He didn't entertain conversation with anyone but listened attentively, nodding occasionally and shaking hands when necessary.

The crowd of visitors thinned out until only the few who stayed behind were mingling happily. Maria watched as Jayden conversed with several men who approached him, exchanging pleasantries before moving on. Their discussion was interrupted when applause broke in as the hostess was welcomed to the event.

Jayden was first to acknowledge the cheers, his eyes traveling beside Maria's frame. He watched the other person enjoy the spotlight, with his arms crossed, refusing to clap. Maria watched him closely and the slight frown on his features fuelled her curiosity. She twisted her neck, driving her sight toward the scene that was receiving a lot of attention.

Maria found the source of attention to be a young woman, her skin glowing as she gracefully walked toward the stage. She held a surreal beauty about her, her long dark hair flowing behind her shoulders like a silk veil. The woman wore a white dress with a plunging neckline that revealed a generous amount of cleavage. Her full lips glistened with a shiny gloss and the deep eye shadow accentuated her striking green eyes.

Maria watched transfixed as the lady moved and all she could think about was how gorgeous she was. The crowd erupted in more cheers, clapping and whistling when the pretty hostess climbed up the stage.

The lady waved at everyone with her two arms stretched out above her head while smiling brilliantly at the audience. She removed the microphone from its stand and began to speak, her voice rich and melodic. "Good evening everyone. I am so honored to have you all here and I appreciate each of you for joining me tonight." She greeted, her dimpled smile never fading once. "This is a special night for us because we are unveiling a new product today. Our newest product, a lip balm enriched with Vitamin E to provide nourishment and moisture for your lips. It will also protect it from the sun and keep it soft and supple all year round!" Her words were followed by a thunderous clapping that echoed through the garden.