Mr. Castelo

I smooth down my cream colored gown as I descend down the stairs, feeling the butterflies growing with every step I take. I nervously look down praying I wouldn't topple over and embarrass myself yet again. Once my silver studded heels reach the last step I look out into the crowd, mesmerized by the beautiful European setting of the ballroom consumed by a sea of people. Men and woman elegantly dancing or sipping glasses of champagne silently praying the other trips or chokes while plastering their million dollar smiles on their faces. I don't belong here and I know it, yet I still keep my head down and try to blend into the crowd.

"Hailey!"

I snap my head towards the source of the voice and instantly I catch the warm brown eyes that spark in excitement to see me.
"Mrs. Castelo!" I greet her warmly as I walk over to her and give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you made it Hailey, I was worried you'd decide to stay home. You look beautiful, doesn't she look beautiful Richy?" She coos as she turns to her son, waiting for his approval.
"Yea, you're a gem, mom I'm gonna go hang out by the bar." He says disinterestedly as he starts walking away. Richard Castelo. My worst nightmare. We've hated each other since middle school, but his mother is the only reason I stick around and just take all the verbal abuse he throws at me. She was sort of like a second mother to me when she heard about what happened to my parents. She took me under her wing and treated me like the daughter she's always wanted. However, Dicky over there is the apple that fell far, far away from the tree. Guys like him don't know the value of a woman. He uses them and throws them out like yesterday's newspaper. He doesn't carry that same warmth and compassion his mother does. I know he has a story. Everyone does, but his cold demeanor and brooding, dark brown eyes just makes me want to stay away. So I do and I'm sure he prefers it that way.

-------------------------------------------

"One screwdriver please" I call over to the bartender. As I wait for him to prepare my drink, I tap my fingers on the counter as I hum along to theme song of 'The Office.' I look around and catch a few people staring at me strangely but I keep going until I spot Richard sitting a few seats away from me hunched over the counter, gripping the the short round glass filled with what looks like a Jack Daniels. I silently walk over to him and sit by the chair besides him. I lift my finger to tap his shoulder, but mid-air I wonder if I should be bothering him. After a few moments of contemplating, I hear him groaning. "What do you want Hailey?" I freeze, How'd he know it was me?
"I just wanted to come see if everything was alright, Dicky." I hear him groan again "Stop calling me that." I let out a little laugh and I see him turning his head slightly, enough for him to look at me out of the corner of his. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Lee." I gasp feigning surprise "Did Richard Castelo just give me a compliment?"

He snorts "you're right, it must be Jack and Daniel talking."
"I'll have another one" He slurs out to the bartender, sliding his glass across the counter.
"Don't you think you've had enough? You can barely sit straight in your chair and we're at your mothers gala. You're bringing some attention towards yourself." I say as I hold the glass the bartender puts down for him.
"Don't tell me what to do, miss perfect." He says as he attempts to pull the glass out of my grip. With the same amount of force, I hold on to my end and pull it back to me. We go back and forth a couple of times until I decide to just let it go. At the same time he pulls with so much force that the yellowish brown liquid is no longer in the cup and his expensive, button down shirt is no longer white. I gasp, apologizing over and over, not knowing what else to do. "It's fine." He say sliding his car keys over to me, "just drive me home."

I go to say a quick goodbye to his mother and we're on our way to his deluxe penthouse suite in one of the Castelo buildings he owns. When we finally get into the elevator I try to hold him up straight, making sure he doesn't topple over. I lean him against one of the walls waiting until we reached the top floor.
"You know Hailey, this is all your fault." He slurs as he set his head down on the wall behind him. I scrunch my eyes on confusion. "It's always been your fault. Every week I bring home a new girl, but I can never get myself going. None of them can never get me up, get me excited. And do you know why?"
"Uh- I'm not really su---"
"It's because none of them are you." He cuts me off. My eyes stare at him in shock. What did he just say?
"Yea, that's right. I've always wanted you. I've given you so many signs in the past, but you were always either too stupid to see them or you just didn't want to acknowledge them, but either way I hate you for it." He slightly swayed to the left, losing his balance for a bit. I went to catch him, but he shrugged my hands off as he leaned against another wall catching his balance. Right on cue the elevator dings and Richard begins to stumble out. "How could I have been such an idiot all this time? Thinking I could easily replace you with one of the bimbos that throw themselves at me everyday. Pfft. I'm in love with you and nothing I do can make it go away!" I walk silently behind him as we reach his door and I go to unlock it. "You know what just forget. Girls are stupid" he mumbled as I pushed him through the doors of his bedroom. I laid him down, taking off his suit jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. "Yea, who needs girls?" He continued as I took off his left shoe and then his right one. " I'm gonna start a loners club. And you know what? You won't be invited! Ha!" He smiled sloppily with his eyes closed and mumbling his last few words as he fell into a deep sleep. I grab the covers and put them over his body tucking him in. I look at his features, while I wipe away my stray tears knowing he wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. I lean over kissing his temple "I love you too, Richard." I whisper, then make my way out of the room.