The spacious hall was full of people. Some were talking to each other, others were just arriving, and some were even drinking their second aperitifs. Exquisite hors d'oeuvres were lined up on the high tables, and the waiters constantly toured their areas to make sure that the guests lacked nothing.
Walter Summers stood at a distance from everyone, and although he seemed perfectly calm, he was actually very worried. He held the phone to his ear for a few more seconds, then tucked it in his jacket pocket.
"I am sorry Walter, but we have to start without her."
A young man, visibly in his thirty, had approached Walter. His appearance was very stylish, and his suit looked like it had a sign with a 5-digit sum on it. His expression radiated confidence and even arrogance.
"She will come, Andrew. I am sure!"
"An hour passed since the announced start. I can't make the guests wait any longer. We can't wait for her."
Walter sighed, then nodded his head in agreement. The two walked together, but then Andrew headed for the podium with the microphone, and Walter stood at one of the tables in front.
"Damn it, where are you, Tori?" Walter muttered to himself.
Andrew, meanwhile, stood behind the microphone with one hand in his pocket and straightened the lapel of his jacket with the other. There was an enviable complacency in his eyes.
"Dear guests. Thank you for being with us tonight." After catching the eye of those present, Andrew continued. "Walter Summers and I thank you for sharing with us the greatest moment for our companies."
As Andrew was saying this, he pointed his hand to the table downstairs, and at the same time, the spotlight illuminated Walter who in turn turned to the guests, nodded in greeting, then turned back to Andrew and nodded to him as well.
The spotlight turned again to Andrew, who continued his speech. "Namely the merger of Globe Ind and WSum!"
He paused for a moment, and the next moment there was applause in the hall.
"Thank you." He paused again for a moment until silence returned. "Walter and I have worked together for many years, we have always trusted and supported each other. He was my boss, but also something more - he was my mentor, he was like a father to me. I hope that trust and respect are mutual."
Andrew looked at Walter, who nodded again, confirming what was said.
"Through this merger, we believe we will put a new era in the industry."
The guests responded again with applause, but Andrew signaled that he was not over yet with his speech.
"I am no less excited and happy to announce that Victoria Summers, Walter's daughter, will be right next to me in the leadership. Unfortunately, she was not able to attend tonight."
But right in that moment, Victoria entered the room. She walked confidently, dressed in that short black dress, which did not accidentally look for so much time and which outlined the perfect curves of her body and emphasizing her long legs. Her hair was waving slightly, revealing her beautiful face. There was complete silence, and only the sound of her heels sounded in the hall. All eyes were on her.
She climbed onto the podium, stood close to Andrew, and pulled the microphone toward her.
"Actually, I would not miss this event for anything in the world. Dear guests." After that, she turned to Andrew. "Andrew."
She held her gaze on him for another second, then turned back to the guests.
"WSum has been a family company for generations. It's part of our history, it's who we are. My father is an intelligent person and I believe he knows what he's doing with letting it in Andrew's hands. So," she reached over and picked up the bottle of champagne that stood on a small table behind them. "Let's raise a toast to the merger."
A moment later, the bottle in her hands exploded and champagne spilled on the floor.
Victoria turned again, filled one of the glasses on the table, took it in her hand, and without even looking at Andrew, got off the podium and headed for her father.
"Good speech. Short and a bit ironic... But it could be worse."
She smiled slightly at her father and looked down at the ground.
"Thank you for coming, honey."
"Of course, I would have come, Dad. I will not leave Andrew unattended even for a moment."
"Don't be so skeptical, Tori."
"Victoria Summers," Andrew's voice who stood behind Victoria interrupted their conversation.
"I'm going for champagne, you two have a lot of things to talk about alone," Walter said to Andrew and his daughter with a fake cough and after that, he moved away quickly.
Victoria was still standing with her back to Andrew, which she hoped for him to take as a sign of to leave, but instead, Andrew came even closer to her.
"The last time I saw you, you were a kid. But now..."
This type of provocation from Andrew did not surprise her, on the contrary, she expected brazen and arrogant behavior from him and in any case did not plan to remain indebted to him.
She turned to him and came close to his ear, so close that her lips almost touched it.
"Listen to me very carefully, you son of a bitch! I hated you before. And I hate you now." She spoke in a calm voice, pausing briefly between her sentences, but not long enough for Andrew to take the floor. "My father made you what you are today. He made you his right-hand man. He trusted you. He gave you the success right in your hands. And you repaid him by leaving him when he needed you. And why?"
She stepped back slightly, looked Andrew in the eye, and continued. "To marry an ill woman, 30 years older than you just to take her money and her company when she dies. Her company, that was our biggest competition. And now you came back to take our company as well." She smiled wryly for a moment." I don't know how you actually played my father to give you WSum, but I promise you- I will take it back!"
"Pretty confident, aren't you?" He smiled at her with a devilish smile. "I like it!"
Before Victoria could answer him, and at that moment she didn't even know how to do it, Andrew's assistant stood next to them.
"Andrew, I was looking for you. Come on, let's get champagne and celebrate."
"Good idea, Charlotte. We will finish our conversation later, Victoria."
Andrew winked at Victoria and walked away with Charlotte.
"Damn it, I hate this man!"
***
One hour later
He watched her all the time. And she knew that. She could feel it, even without looking at him. She placed her empty glass on the table and placed her hand on her thigh. She slid it down to her knee and slowly moved her leg, which she held crosswise over the other. Then she continued to slide her hand up and down her thigh, meanwhile making two circles on the rim of the cup with the index finger of her other hand. It wasn't long before she got up and headed for the bar for another drink. But Andrew met her on her way.
"I was wondering if you were touching your legs dreaming that I am doing it or you just wanted to show me your underwear..."
She went close to him and whispered to his ear. "I don't wear underwear."
And she winked him with the same confidence in superiority he did a while ago.
"And the result is already equal." She thought, taking a glass of whiskey from the bar.
After that, she stood behind the tall auxiliary bar at the end of the room, from where the waiters took the ice for the guests and leaning with her hands on top. She was looking around as she was trying to find something, or maybe someone in the crowd. Maybe to make sure her words had the desired effect. But she couldn't see him anywhere. Until... Until she felt a presence behind her.
"Your whiskey has no ice."
Andrew leaned over the ice maker and picked up an ice cube. As he was standing up slowly, he slid the ice cube from her ankle up the inside of her leg to her thigh leaving a damp mark that made her skin tingle. Yeah, she really didn't wear underwear. He slid the ice cube on her groin for a few seconds.
"Or do you want me to put it somewhere else?"
Victoria stood motionless, realizing how aroused she was. Andrew placed the ice cube in her glass. Then he put his hand back between her legs and put his finger in her. He began to move it slowly inward and then outward.
She bit her lip hard, trying to stop the moan coming from her mouth. She couldn't let anyone in the room know what he was doing to her. Damn, she started to hate this man even more.
Andrew took his finger out of her and licked it.
"The grown-up Victoria. You are so delicious."
He approached her ear and whispered. "Think about me tonight."
After that, he walked back to Charlotte without looking back at Victoria.
The score was two to one.
But the game was just beginning now.