Business And Pleasure

24

Antoine was not here to help me choose something to wear and I was struggling. As I thought about what had just happened in Trenton's office, I remembered his warning. He told me it would all end in tears. He warned me and I didn't even listen. I'm so stupid sometimes!

I sat on my bed, wallowing in my misery until I realised that I was half an hour late. You know what, I needed to look good for this ball and make everyone see that I was really a strong independent woman.

When I got to the hotel at which they were hosting the ball, I was escorted to the elevator and as we got in, I fixed myself using the mirror walls of the elevator. I had decided to do a sleek ponytail with the slayed edges that I loved but couldn't do at work. I had decided to go for natural makeup: highlighted eyebrows, contoured symmetrical face, curled and long eyelashes, cat's eye and no eye shadow, nude lipstick with a darker outline of my lips. I had on a simple white Maxi dress that clung to every curve and contour with some off shoulder straps. I was a whole meal, not just a snack. I grinned at my reflection, making the man that was escorting me look at me quizzically.

"Joke...I just remembered a joke," I said, becoming serious at once. He ignored me.

He left me at the wide open entrance of the hall in which the ball was. People were seated at their assigned tables, conversing with colleagues and enjoying their drinks as a band played some smooth jazz on the sides.

I internally rolled my eyes. This was the most boring thing that I've gone to since I started at the firm.

We're just here to see who can spend the most money on ridiculously expensive plates of food and drinks which ends with most people drunk and literally the most boring conversations to see who did what, whose husband cheated, who's sleeping with who (I was subject to this since I had a quick one in the bathroom with some guy from our brother firm-a couple of ladies came in on us). This is where we compared whose bank balance was the biggest or whose wardrobe or makeup failed them the most. I was once the leader of these gossip groups but over the years, I just realised that I had nothing to gain from gossiping so I quit hanging with the ladies. I started hanging with random cliques for every event. Also, I got laid often when I hung out with these new cliques. Smirk.

Anyway, my table was right next to the door thankfully. I quickly slid into my chair, scanning my table for any potentials but I realised that my table was full of old lawyers and judges who looked like they were about to fall asleep. Then I realised that I was seated at the very last table number.

The woman I knew to be a well respected judge beside me nudged at me. "You want some vodka? This is the worst ball I've ever been to." She took a swig from a metallic flask from her purse.

I grinned, surprised that such a woman with her reputation would turn out to actually be fun. She was quite the strict judge. I accepted the flask and drank. I coughed painfully! I wasn't expecting the Vodka to be that strong.

The judge gave a small giggle. "It's 40%".

"Nice flavor though!" I coughed. "How long you been here? Looks kinda boring."

"An hour or so. You know, we're the least favorable table because we contribute absolutely nothing to this cause they say is 'for charity'. Girl, these dumb asses are spending the collections on making themselves rich. You know, I won't mention names but I know a couple of them that pocket the money. But they pay my salary so who am I?"

"Girl...the world is an unfair place," I said, just as a hunk of a lawyer that was popular among the ladies came over as the band began to play a lively song. People began to get up and dance and the hunk asked for my hand. I stood up and hit the dance floor with him, swaying to the music and just vibing with this mans.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped, turning to whoever had put their hand on me. Trenton. He was dressed in a T-shirt with a blazer and formal dress pants. His hair had been neatly gelled back, with a few lose strands creating a few bangs on the front of his shaved face. He looked like a cover page model. He looked...great. His eyes roved over me and I knew that he saw what I saw in that elevator-a whole meal!

Pretending to still be mad, I looked away. "What do you want?"

"Look man," the hunk before me said, turning to Trenton. "We're in the middle of something. Just be on your way."

Trenton ignored him. "Can we just talk for a minute-"

"Step," Mr. Hunk said. I blushed.

"I don't want trouble," Trenton said. I felt a little sorry for him so I grabbed the edge of his blazer.

"Excuse me," I said to mr hunk before dragging Trenton out into the hallway. "What?!" I looked up at him.

He stared quietly at me. He was doing that thing he did when he was nervous-tapping the front of his shoe on the floor. "Joera..."

"If you're not going to talk, then let me. I am super disappointed in you for what you did to me earlier today. I expected you to stick up for me but you kicked me out of your office!" My nose flared because I was angry-I had to breathe. I paused for a moment. "I was so offended! You didn't even try to stand up for me. I'm sorry about all the things I said although I am so mad at you! You know in that moment, I...I hated you so much and-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because he pushed me up against the wall, smashing his lips and hips against mine, his one free hand that wasn't restraining me gripping my dress and lifting it a little higher. I grabbed the front of his blazer and forced him closer than he already was, trying to swallow this man's whole face until a throat was cleared some distance to our ride.

We breathlessly separated and looked at the waiter whose way we had been blocking. Trenton gave him a small apologetic smile while I embarrassedly looked down at my shoes. We made enough space for his gigantic trolley to be able to pass and as soon as he had gone around the corner, Trenton and I looked at each other.

"What do you actually want from me?" I asked. "You told me that you didn't want my proposition and-"

"I have my reasons," he said.

"Then why are we doing this? What's the whole point of this...whatever you want to call it? I had a perfectly capable man in my arms in the hall and you had to drag me away for what?! What the hell did you turn me on for if we're not gonna do this?!" Frustrations again! "What do you want, Trenton? Huh? Tell me what you want from me!?"

He took my hand and dragged me to his car. I followed him like the idiot that I was. A turned on idiot. He drove us quietly to his house and dragged me to...his bedroom?

I stopped at the door and stared at him. "Oh no! You're not about to get me into some 50 shades typa crap, are you?"

"You asked me what I want from you." He gestured to his bedroom which almost looked like mine with black and white everything. "I want you to tell me what you want me to do to you and I'll do it. In this room. Every time you want me to, whenever you want me to."

I grinned. "Are you agreeing to my proposition?"

He began his tapping again and my grin vanished. This was not good. "But I have conditions."

"Well...what are they?"

"I don't want any one of us to be sleeping with other people on the side. If we're doing this, I want us to...to just sleep with each other."

"We're not in a relationship, Trenton. I'm a woman that enjoys 'fun'. This...it was a bad idea to come here with you. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

I walked away.