"Can I have your attention?"
Nate and I looked up to see Adrian standing on a dice placed at the centre of the hall. He had his right arm on the dice as he spoke. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! It's my extreme pleasure to announce that The Stones Inc. has partnered with Eva's and Co. regarding our production and marketing department.
I'd like to thank the CEO of Eva's and Co., Ms. Evelyn White for the opportunity. I am certain that together, we can create a big impact in the business world. Now I'd like to request Ms. White to come up here and share her thoughts. Thank you. Hope you enjoy your evening." He ended and huge applause were sounded around the entire hall as people looked at my direction expectantly.
Nate gently patted my arm and I went to where Adrian was standing, his eyes challenging as he looked at me. I was fuming at him because apparently I was to give a surprise speech. I had no idea about any of this. He didn't even think it was necessary to give me a little heads up.
Sighing internally, I smiled at the guests and spoke, "Good evening everyone! Hope you all are enjoying yourselves. I really didn't want to interrupt your good time but my newfound business partner over here seems to have made it his goal to disturb your fun and mine as well." I gestured to the said devil earning few chuckles from the audience and continued, "So I'm just going to express my happiness towards the collaboration of The Stones Inc. and Eva's and Co. and pray it will bring the best for everyone. Now I assure you, there are going to be no further interruptions. Thank you everyone. Enjoy the night!"
I smiled as people congratulated me and moved towards the food court, occasionally nodding to some friendly faces. I was just enjoying my blueberry cake when Nate walked up to me, grinning from ear to ear. "Nice speech, White. I am surprised you have a sense of humour."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Of course, that's what you need to say after your jerk of a boss didn't think it important to notify me of the speech I was apparently supposed to deliver. If only strangling someone and then chopping their body parts one by one was legal in this country. Well, it doesn't have to be in this country. Just tell me where it is legal and I'll take him there to do the job." I said, smirking at the mental image. If only...
Nate chuckled. "You have a... vivid imagination. And no, I don't think what you want to do is legal anywhere in the world. Well, maybe as they say, it's legal in hell. But we don't know yet if it exists and even if it does, you both would have to be dead first and then go to hell so there's really no point if you're both already dead. And besides, I'd miss you too much if you went to hell so I'll have to come there which wouldn't be taken well by the Angels waiting for me, y'know? So, you need to drop the idea."
I rolled my eyes again and snorted in a very unladylike manner. "God, you're just like your big headed idiotic boss. I think I'll just send you both together to hell instead."
He dramatically widened his eyes and put his right hand to his left chest, feigning hurt. "You shouldn't speak such lie madame! God will condemn you for this! For you lied to me when you love me so." Then he smiled mischievously and leaned closer. "By the way, you do know that the one you've been thinking to do some illegal things to, just so happens to be my best friend, right?"
I gasped. I'd completely forgotten about that. I could feel myself flush from embarrassment but tried my best to act nonchalant. "Oops! I'd forgotten that you're friends with that devil. More specifically, best friend. " I pretended to gag.
"Seriously though, how come you're even friends? I mean, I know you're as big headed as him, but that's the only thing you have in common. Nothing else. What did you even see in that idiot to be his friend?" I asked a question I'd been wondering ever since I'd gotten to know they were friends.
Nate looked around and after ensuring no one was eavesdropping our conversation, leaned close to me and whispered conspiratorially in my ear. "I did see something in him that made me want to be his friend. It was his superman boxers." I gasped out aloud but thankfully no one heard me except Nate.
"He has superman boxers?" That statement alone gave rise to a mental image of Adrian wearing superman boxers and I tried my best to get rid of the image that had anything to do with a nearly naked human being. Instead, I raised an eyebrow at Nate who suddenly seemed to be lost in his own world.
"No, I think it wasn't superman boxers. It was batman ones! Yes! That was it! I remember. He didn't like spiderman but was a great batman fan. Oh! Those were some cool boxers." He was mumbling to himself and I looked at him weirdly. "Geez Nate! Are you sure you're just best friends? Because by the way you're describing his boxers with that smile, I don't think I really want to know the extent of your relationship." I visibly shuddered at yet another mental image of Nate and Adr-... No, don't go there.
He let out a deep laugh attracting the attention of the people nearby. Nate finally noticed this and smiled apologetically at them and turned back to me, smiling slyly.
"You have a dirty mind, Eves. I was talking about our childhood. We were around three at the time. In fact, it was even before that we became friends. Our parents were all friends from same college even after marriage they all stuck together. Adrian and I were nextdoor neighbours and both our families were like a single big family. It still is. So it was like we were just bound to be best friends, y'know? We just stuck to our friendship throughout high school, college and even now we're still close although Adrian doesn't really give me enough credit." He explained, smiling softly as he recalled those memories.
"Wow!", I breathed out, not being able to believe friendships could last that long, their parents' friendship and now theirs. I felt a pang in my chest, a part of me longing for friendship as strong as that, remembering a friendship as beautiful, but I immediately dismissed the stupid notion as I remembered Allie. Although we've only been friends for a few years, I knew it was for our lifetime.
It suddenly made me miss her. I'd invited her today but she profusely apologised saying she had a work to complete before the deadline ends tomorrow. She had been really busy these few weeks and I'd rarely seen her around. She kept insisting that she was fine and that work was hectic these days but I had a feeling it was her way to cope with everything that happened with Mike. I was just trying to give her enough space, hoping she'd be the same wild Allie again.
I was lost in my own thoughts and suddenly snapped out of it as a powerful cologne entered my periphery of smell. I looked up to see the devil in disguise raising an eyebrow at me and Nate looking amused. I frowned and realised he might have said something to me that I'd missed.
"Um... sorry, did you say something, Mr. Stone?" I asked and saw his lips quirk up a bit at the corners. Glad I could be a source of amusement. I thought sarcastically. Adrian cleared his throat and leaned closer. "I asked if you'd accompany me to the dance floor." He repeated, holding out his hand to me.
I rolled my eyes and snorted again. "You're making it sound like this is some kind of ball from a historical romance novel and I'm a debutante." I commented and heard a distinct laugh from Nate that stopped midway as Adrian glared at him. He then rolled his eyes and looked at me impatiently.
"Just take my hand, Evelyn. We are the hosts so it'll only be best if we have a dance together. Otherwise I'm not really interested in dancing with you either." I couldn't help the sharp intake of breath when my full name rolled off his tongue and hoping no one noticed it, I quickly placed my hand in his and followed him to the dancefloor.
Soft music was flowing around and the lights made the hall look magical. Adrian sure knew how to host a party. A few couples were dancing slowly to the music but soon parted their ways as we approached and Adrian led me to the centre of the floor.
The lights dimmed again and everyone resumed their dancing. I placed my hands on his shoulders and he placed his on my hips as we soon caught the flow and moved slowly with the music. I was wracking my brain to say something or come up with a witty remark to end this silence as my heart was starting to behave strangely in his proximity. Before I could come up with anything though, Adrian broke the silence.
"You know, for such a successful and famous woman, you sure like to behave in an unladylike manner sometimes." He commented and I narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you mean?" I inquired and he continued, "I mean, you really like rolling your eyes and snorting, no matter who you're talking to." If it was even possible, my eyes further narrowed in his direction and I bit out, "Why, does being successful and famous mean I cannot roll my eyes or snort?"
He shook his head. "No, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry I meant no offence. I was just stating the facts I've noticed." I just glared at him. "Well, you're doing a bad job of showing no offence right now. And for your information, Mr. Stone, I don't care what people think of me. If I think you deserve an eye roll, I give you an eye roll and if I deserve you need a snort, I snort. Similarly if I feel like you deserve a punch, I give it."
He chuckled at that. "Of course, I know you can deliver all three of them easily. I am rather unfortunate to have the former two directed towards myself and fortunate to have only heard of the latter." He said and I remembered Allie's birthday party where I'd punched Mike.
I grinned at him. "Why, you seem disappointed, Mr. Stone. If you wish, I can deliver the third one to you as well. You just need to say it." I said, smiling sweetly at him.
"As badass as that sounds, I think I'll pass. Now, to the more pressing matter. We're back to Mr. Stone now, are we?" He looked into my eyes, raising an eyebrow. I blushed a bit and smiled. "I'm sorry, it must have slipped in, Adrian."
I felt his grip on my waist getting tighter as his eyes held that intense look again. My heart was beating as a crazy banshee and I tried my best to calm it down. We continued dancing in peaceful silence, just feeling and enjoying the soft music.
It was the first time I felt at peace with him around and finally I managed to soothe down my heart. The music was coming to an end so I slowly tried to disentangle myself from his arms, only to have him tighten his hold on me. Confused, I looked into his eyes and found the same intense look making his eyes look dark like midnight blue.
"Just one more thing I wish to say before we part." He whispered in my ear, giving me goosebumps. "You're beautiful, Evelyn White." He whispered and that sentence was what made all of my efforts go to vain as my heart started beating even furiously than before, resembling a sugar-high banshee.