Stay With Me

12.

Turning around, she arched her back trying to get a good view of her back and easing out any invisible wrinkles.
The black silk dress was one of her early designs she made, during the time she was still in college.
But her closet is filled with all her trials and designs, some dresses are just hanging there, untouched. This being one of them. She needed to ensure there weren't any god forbid holes at the back.

It was Arushi and Aditya's bachelorette party at the bar downstairs in the palace.

Finishing her look with diamond studs and black heels, she locked her room, making her way towards the elevator, only to find a similar pair of ocean blue eyes, standing right there, waiting for the elevator too.

This wasn't in the plan!
Her plan was to ignore him as much as possible, because one sight of him and her heart becomes a mess of thousands thoughts.

She still can't despair her feelings towards him, the jealousy she felt when she thought of him with someone else, but it was clear that she was attracted to him.

It was normal to get attracted to someone if being near them so often, while they are always there to help you and when they are as incredibly handsome as he is.
It totally normal!

"Mr. Malik", gathering her thoughts together, she tried her best to keep her tone neutral, the way she uses with her employees.
"Ms. Rao", he nodded at her, while the elevator dinged and opened it's gate, he waited till she entered.

The bar was fully packed with people drinking, dancing on the stage on some randome party song and a few making out in the corners. She tried her to not stumble upon someone while they had their tongues in each other's throat.
Drunk individuals stumbled on their unstable feets throu and fro by the main door, while she dodged her way inside, trying to locate Arushi and others. While a certain someone's presence behind her gave a sence of safety in the dimly lit room full of possible threats.

She located Arushi on the stage with Aditya, hand in hand, totally lost into each other. Who would say, they used to hate each other at the beginning?

Taking a seat near the bar, she order a fruit, non-alcoholic bear when the bartender approached them, while she felt hot under someone's gaze at the bartenders slight flirty tone when he asked, "What can I get for the beautiful lady here?"

From her peripheral vision, she saw his jaw clenched and eyes blazing, if looks could kill, the bartender would be 6 feet under ground right now.

While the boy infront of him seemed immature but not that dumb to not identify the look given to him, and scurried off to prepare their drinks, once Iman controlled himself and ordered for himself.

Her gaze shifting towards the dance floor once again, her eyebrows furrowed when she saw two girls in the other corner of the stage, staring at them, or rather him, while whispering to themselves. One of them had the audacity to even pass a flirty smile and a slight wave at him.

But relief crossed her as she found him engrossed in his phone, while waiting for their drinks.

Controlling herself, she turned around, while the bartender brought their drinks.
She pretended not to notice the small paper slip he tried to slide towards her along with her drink, but that didn't go unnoticed by the man beside her.

She takes her words back, he is dumb!

She took a sip from her beer, but it tasted a little off to her.

She prefered fruit beer without alcohol because she can't control alcohol. She gets tipsy even by a single sip. Even in business parties, she prefered juice or red wine, the only thing she can handle a bit.