Slave to Mafia's Desire || Vol. 1

39-My Fake Boyfriend

A quick whiz of a private elevator ride took us up to the top floor of the hotel where the exclusive party was being held at the rooftop bar. The moment the elevator doors opened, it was like I was transported into another world or a parallel universe. Everyone at the party had the aura of being someone important or famous, and they were all dressed the part.

I gulped as I felt my legs shaking. Now, I understood why Raiden needed to take me to Bruno's for a complete makeover. No way in hell would anyone believe that I was the host of this party's girlfriend if I hadn't played dress-up. With my makeover, at least I could somehow blend in with this crowd.

Feeling so nervous and out of place, I glanced over at Raiden just to see that he looked so comfortable where he was. It was like he naturally belonged in this environment, which reminded me once again how different we were.

"Follow me," Raiden whispered softly into my ear before I felt the warmth of his fingers gently circling my wrist as he took my hand.

"Oh...ok..." I replied softly, slightly in a daze, my mind focused on the gentle touch of his hand around my wrist.

Raiden led me through the crowd until we reached an entrance that seemed restricted. Two very big and tall guards stood on either side of the door. However, they nodded firmly in acknowledgment when they saw Raiden's face. One of the guards bowed politely and opened the door for us to enter.

"Oh wow! Finally...you're here, Raiden!"

A man's voice called out excitedly the moment we walked through the door. I didn't need to guess to realize that the voice belonged to Josh, one of Raiden's best friends—and my fake boyfriend for the night.

"I wish I didn't need to be here...but..." Raiden said to his friend in a monotone voice.

"Don't be like that! You're going to kill the mood," Josh said as he clapped Raiden on the back.

"Yeah...whatever you say..." Raiden replied coldly, shrugging off Josh's arm from around his shoulders.

I stood behind Raiden as the two men spoke to each other, unsure of what I should be doing. Should I introduce myself?

"Oh...and who would this stunning woman be?" Josh said as his eyes fell on me.

Now that he was up close, I had to admit that Josh was far more than decent-looking. He was at least worthy of the words super handsome. Josh had very sharp and manly features, dark brown hair and matching eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard. His piercing only added to his alluring bad-boy look, and the thin white shirt he wore did nothing to hide the rippling tan muscles beneath. He wasn't as tall as Raiden, but he was still very tall, and his smile was stunning as well.

I guess, just like how beautiful girls like to stick together, good-looking guys probably did the same?

"This is Ivelle," Raiden introduced me curtly.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Josh said, his eyes never leaving my face. His intense gaze was starting to make me blush.

"She's not my girlfriend, but she's going to be acting as your girlfriend for the duration of this party," Raiden stated factually.

"Oh...so she's the one you were telling me about. I honestly didn't think she would be such a beauty," Josh said as he smiled at me.

"Thank you...nice to meet you," I said a little shyly.

"The pleasure is all mine, trust me," Josh said, his smile reaching his eyes.

Josh seemed like a very nice and easygoing person. His way of speaking was kind, refined, and well-mannered, although he leaned a little on the flirty side. However, I didn't mind that.

"So, what do we do now?" Raiden asked impatiently.

"Janine should be here soon...unfortunately," Josh said, shaking his head in dismay.

"Well, good luck to you both," Raiden said, clearly suggesting that his role was over and that whatever happened next wasn't his problem.

"Have a seat, Ivelle," Josh said as he gestured for me to sit on the long red velvet sofa.

Raiden sat down on a sofa on the opposite side without waiting for an invitation. I could tell that he felt totally at home in this place.

"Thank you..." I whispered politely as I approached the sofa and slowly sat down.

I wondered what I had to do exactly when Janine arrived. I still felt a little awkward around Josh, and Raiden sitting there without a care in the world wasn't helping at all.

"Don't worry. I'll do all the talking, and you just need to follow along, that's all," Josh said, as if he could read the worry in my mind.

Josh came and sat down next to me. I wasn't sure if I was overthinking it, but it seemed like he was sitting quite close to me...too close. I could feel the heat of his body as it brushed against mine when he moved. The side of his thigh pressed lightly against mine, which only made me more nervous about this situation.

I glanced over at Raiden and saw that he was totally spaced out without a care in the world. That bastard clearly wasn't going to offer me any help at all. As far as I was concerned, he might as well not be here at all. I felt so angry, knowing that I was stuck in this bizarre situation because of him and that he wasn't doing anything to take responsibility.

"Umm...ok..." I mumbled in response.

Josh flashed me a reassuring smile and asked if I wanted something to drink. Knowing that I wasn't great at holding my alcohol, I asked for juice instead. I could definitely use the sugar right now. A waiter appeared in no time at all to serve my order. I sipped at the juice as I pondered what to do in this situation. Without another option, I decided to let Josh take the lead and just go along with whatever seemed to make sense at the time.

--To be continued...
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