INFINITY

DARES

She had no clue where she was going.  Her sanity was slipping and she wandered off to wherever her legs led her. This can't be she thought. If he goes down with marriage,  with another woman at that, what would she become?  A mistress perhaps the voice inside her head said. She shuddered and shook away her thoughts. Her legs guided her to a bar. Not too posh; not too shabby. She went inside determined to forget her sorrows no matter how many drinks she had. Last time she got drunk was when her parents died in a car accident in Egypt when they were there for business leaving her to manage the fortune at a ripe age of twenty-two.

Her parents were never the type to over-pamper, her biological father, and her stepmother. They did tend to her necessities even if they couldn't spend the time with her. And Duke did. He spent his time with her whenever she felt lonely. They even cuddled sometimes.

A tear fell down as she was reminiscing. Sterling wiped it away and ordered a few drinks from the bartender.

##

He looked over at them and groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Go on. You wanted the deal. If you get that chick to get into bed with you,  you'll get it," the man with dark hair and broad shoulders said, smirking. 

"Oh come on. What has this got to do anything with the software?" he groaned again.

"It has everything to do with the deal.  We can't have a contract with a guy who doesn't know how to talk to girls," Another man with brown hair and a handsome face said.

"As your seniors in college we are entitled to do at least this much," the dark haired guy said.

"But Chase, she's way outta my league. I mean, look at her. She won't even take a glance at me."

"True ... okay fine. How about that girl in the plaid shirt.  She doesn't look like much.  What do you think, Troy?" Chase asked the brown-haired man.

"I guess," Troy said as he went to the hot girl that they had initially chosen.

"That's your cue to leave big man. Make us proud," Another man said and the others snickered.

As he made his way to the girl in a plaid shirt,  he couldn't help but think she looked like a girl who'd be seen snooping around at Walmart.  Definitely not high maintenance.  Maybe I'll get the deal. He thought optimistically.

He adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses and went over to her. He was nervous as hell but he needed them to buy his software for funding.  And if it meant screwing her, then be it. But deep down he felt so wrong.

"Hey there! Tough day huh?" He tried casually.

"You could say that," she mumbled absent-mindedly without looking at him.

He drew a long breath and asked her. "How about I relieve you of the stress and we'll go somewhere private?" he masked his nervousness and asked her like he had been practising in his head a hundred times.

Sterling blinked at him a few times obviously taken back by the question and started laughing throwing her head back. She had to hold the counter to keep her from falling off the stool. She definitely needed a distraction.  But obviously not him. Thick rimmed glasses, dirty blonde hair that reached his shoulders, his hoodie shirt, his lack of style - everything screamed NERD. That was the only area she never explored both in high school and college. She never found studying to be hot. 

"Umm... What's wrong?" He asked slightly feeling embarrassed as the whole bar was watching them.

"I'm sorry but that was really... Hmmm sorry. I do want to relieve my stress but just not with you," she tried to say without laughing again. He noticed his college seniors laughing hysterically.  

"Yeah, I didn't think so," he said staring in their direction trying to hide his massive embarrassment.

He should have known.  She was truly beautiful when he saw her fully. She was dressed too casual but that didn't mask her beauty. Her straight jet black hair and bronze skin with the most beautiful dark eyes can never be mistaken to be non-magnetizing.

She followed his line of sight and saw the group of guys. She felt guilty. She watched as he strode towards the guys. As if on cue, she understood. You could see his innocence.  Not that all nerds were innocent. He was tricked. Being in the business industry,  she knew of these antics by the lower ranks. They never wanted to do business in the first place, they just wanted a nice laugh and she just helped them get one. By now,  the nerdy guy had realized it too; as he walked with his head hung low.

He reached the men in suits and attempted to mask his emotion~hurt.

"It was nice meeting you, Zeke," said Chase standing up to leave.

"Oh, so your name is Zeke.." 

Zeke turned to see a grinning Sterling. He furrowed his brows in confusion.  She's just adding to the embarrassment. Or maybe these guys are her type, He thought.

"I never turned down that offer you know...," she said fluttering her eyelashes which shocked the guys. Zeke was still confused.  He wasn't experienced in these cryptic messages.

"Wait a minute,  you want to shag  this loser?" Troy asked disbelieving what he heard. You could tell he was from the UK by his accent.

"Why not?  I think he's beautiful.  Unkept maybe but I'm intrigued nonetheless," said Sterling beginning to feel a little annoyed.

"Come on, cupcake, lead the way. These dickheads are giving me a massive migraine." She looped her arms with his and pulled him outside.

"Why?" Zeke asked as soon as they were outside pulling his arm out of the loop. He still couldn't quite interpret what was on her mind. She had just rejected him outright.

"Huh?"

"Why did you come back?  Didn't you say I wasn't your type?  You think now I'm an easy lay?"

She was quite amused. He was funny and she liked that. Although she had a feeling that he didn't know that he was funny.

"You still aren't my type. I just wanted to rub in those knuckleheads' faces. We good?"

He scratched the back of his head unsure of what to say.
"I guess."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Zeke.  I have to find another bar to get drunk.  Just don't get into these type of things."

He shrugged and noticed that she had already started walking away.  Realising something he called out, "Wait, I didn't get your name!"

"I don't reveal my identity to strangers," she shouted back.

"I'm not a stranger. You know my name.  Its only fair that I know yours," he said as he walked towards her. She seemed to ponder on it for sometime before replying.

"Aurelia. My name is Aurelia," she said as she smiled and got into a taxi.

"Aurelia.  That's nice," He said slowly forming a grin.

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