Bestfriend or Best Lover

FIFTEEN

Belle's POV

Arden spent most of his evening mingling with our co-workers ( seems like he knows most of the people here than I do) and other relevant higher-ups, and so am I, leaving one another with no option but to watch each other from the sides, both of us proud as punch. And I noticed, he never once stopped smiling as he made his way through the many attendees and every so often had whoever he was talking to in fits of giggles.

"Excuse me, sir," I whispered, finally getting a moment alone with him. "I don't suppose you have the time, do you?"

His smirk was instant in its arrival and I found it did more than warm my heart.

"It's funny you mention that, actually. My very thoughtful, extremely beautiful best friend just gifted me this magnificent Rolex watch. Do you like it?" he grinned, still remaining at a distance, though he did lift his left wrist up for me to see.

"I love it, very stylish."

Knowing how much he appreciated it made saving up for it all the more worth it.

"You okay? You're not too bored, are you?" he questioned, switching from amused to worried.

"No, ofcourse not. Katlyn's boyfriend and I have a bet going on. Whose breasts are gonna be the first to fall out among that lot," I replied, pointing my finger towards a rather varied group of women, all of which were wearing revealing outfits.

"I hope it's the one in red," he whispered, turning his clear-blue gaze on me.

None of them were wearing red and as I voiced out my acknowledgement on the matter, realization finally hit.

"Arden!" I scorned, whacking him across the chest.

It certainly didn't escape my attention that I was the only one wearing red tonight, bar the rather daring man sporting a maroon suit. We'd both spotted each other near the beginning of the night and silently bonded over our choice in colour. He looked flawless with his golden blond locks scraped back and I made a mental note not to get next to him in any of the photographs; the phrase eye sore certainly coming to mind.

"What? We've been over this, Belle. You have fantastic boobs," he defended, back to being playful regarding the situation.

I honestly couldn't keep up!

"And as nice as it is for you to say so, they're remaining hidden," I insisted, stern in my statement.

He pushed his body against mine and brought his mouth close to my neck, sensually shoving his words down my left ear.

"Just as well, otherwise I'd get jealous."

I had no idea what to make of his comment and simply remained tight-lipped, fearful of saying the wrong thing should I even attempt to open my mouth. Thankfully, Arden's attention was needed elsewhere. I offered him a friendly farewell, and he shot me a killer wink, sexy enough to leave me weak in the knees. I was well aware I needed to get a handle on my feelings before I made a complete fool of myself. It seemed this weekend was set to test my limits. As much as I wanted to express my undying need to give things a go with Arden, I understood that tonight was not about that. Tonight was about Arden, not us, and the thought of pressuring him right now seemed highly unfair.

I could tell him how I felt another time.

"Excuse me, could you point me in the direction of the restroom, please?" I asked, aiming my enquiry at a rather friendly looking member of staff.

"Of course, through those doors and to your left," replied the polite man; smile in tow.

I thanked him for his help with my own appreciative smile and began my short journey, in need of some water to the face (and preferably other areas). Questioning potential life-changing decisions was hard work. Downing the entire tray of champagne would've helped, but I'd limited myself to non-alcoholic beverages all night, wanting to be sober. Luckily, the ladies room was empty when I entered the grand 'powder room' and I soon took advantage of the marble sink by lightly splashing water over my burning cheeks and clammy neck. The cool substance acted as a refreshing sensation on my face, and I almost jumped out of my skin as I was joined by somebody else. Somebody unexpected.