How to Be a Bad Girl ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Seduction

~♡~Mac's POV~♡~

It's showtime.

Holding my head up high, I walk towards the tall guy who is entering the club. Mark Hamilton III is wearing a simple — but clearly expensive — white t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans. Scratching his head, he continues shifting his gaze back and forth between the dance floor and the front door. He looks quite distracted — and slightly pissed, perhaps because of Sophia's stint earlier — which makes it easier for me to launch my move.

Let's see if he's nice enough to fall for my trick.

As usual, I prepare my clutch before accidentally bumping into his rock hard chest.

"Ouch!" I take a few steps backward, pretending to stumble on my own feet. To my surprise, he quickly circles his arm around my waist to keep me from falling.

Well, that's the first time. I guess he really is a nice catch!

"Whoa! Are you okay?" he asks as our gazes meet. Wow, he's got wonderful eyes! I mean... those beautiful blue eyes are just—

"Uhm... Are you okay?" he repeats, snapping me out of my trance.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm fine!" I put my hand on his upper arm — which feels like it's made from steel — to help me gain my balance and stand straight. As he lets go of me slowly, I give a few pats to my dress and push the hair that falls on my face to the back.

Get a grip, Mac! Get a grip on yourself!

I fake a loud gasp as I shift my gaze to the ground. "Oh! I'm such a klutz!" I kneel on the floor and start picking up my stuff. As expected, Mark does the same.

I proceed to do my usual trick to the very last part, where our hands accidentally touch and I fake a blush. That's when I glance at Sophia — who is watching our every moves from the sideline — and wink, giving her a signal to do her part. She gives a firm nod in return.

"Sorry." He smiles and hands over the phone to me. "Here you go."

Right when Sophia's call arrives and her number is displayed on the screen, the intro to KISS's I Stole Your Love is heard. Earlier, I've changed my ringtone to the rock song in order to further gain his attention — and it works like a charm.

His eyes light up as he stares at me with awe. "You're a KISS fan?"

I lower my gaze and tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. Acting shy, I reply, "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. A girl who likes hard rock music?" I shake my head lightly and throw my gaze slightly to the side. "Such a weirdo, right?"

"No, no! Not at all!" he quickly adds. "In fact, I think it's pretty cool."

"Really?" I look at him and pose a calculated, surprised smile, trying to hide my inner victorious grin.

"Absolutely!" He gives a firm nod in return. "Here, let me help you." He extends his hand to help me stand up and I happily receive it. Wow. He really is a gentleman! "I'm Mark, by the way. Mark Hamilton III."

It takes every bit of strength in me to prevent a winning smirk from being displayed on my face. "You can call me M."

"Well, M, let me buy you a drink," he continues. Yes! "As an apology for bumping into you."

"Oh, you really don't have to. It was my fault t—"

"No, no, I insist." He flashes a charming smile and his perfect, shiny teeth are displayed exactly like in those toothpaste advertisements. I swear I can see it glows in the dark.