Chapter 2: A Nobody

Kenzie felt chills down her spine, seeing how the brunette was staring at her from the bar with laser beam eyes. If glares could kill, she knew she would already be dead by now.

She unwittingly moved closer to Andrew, her rebound guy, who had earlier dragged her to the center of the mini dance floor.

Yep! To her shock, somehow, her "IT" guy was "EASY."

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I got you,” she heard Andrew say, and Kenzie felt muscular arms wrapped around her waist. “Cruella won’t be hurting you. Let us relax and dance to the music.”

Kenzie started moving her body to the slow beat before she glanced back up at Andrew, and only then did she clearly notice his beautiful, light brown eyes. She gulped, studying his manly features; his chiseled jaws, the shape of his long nose, and the way his adams apple moved as he swallow his own spit.

'Who is sexy like that? I mean, he was just gulping,' she complained in silence.

Everything about the man added well, with his sensuous grin and his jet-black hair.

Just as she was in awe of him, she immediately brought herself back to her senses and cleared her throat. She asked, “So what’s the deal with you and… Cruella?”

He smiled, clearly amused at how fast she caught on, and Kenzie liked it. 

“Errm… That girl is Madelyn Wilson. My grandmother apparently set me up on a two-week date with her on this cruise without me knowing. She told me I was going to meet an investor while getting a mandatory R and R.” Andrew revealed, shaking his head before sneering at the idea. “Can you imagine that? Being stuck with her for two weeks? Not happening. Not when I have free will.”

“Oooohhhh.” Kenzie’s lips formed into a perfect round before saying, “So that’s why you married me in a flash."

Earlier, Andrew claimed her as his secret wife, leaving Madelyn, the brunette, furious.

“Yes,” Andrew answered, taking her hand and allowing her to take a full turn, still dancing to the music. “And I’m sorry about the kiss. It had to be convincing, you know.”

'Ah, yeah. It sure convinced me.' She could not help but recall how intense she felt during her surprise kiss. 

When Kenzie returned to his hold, he added, “I hope you don’t mind because I don’t mind… winning a wife like you, anyway. Thank you again for saving me back there.”

“I could have slapped you,” she pointed out.

“You could, but you did not. Besides, you came on to me first. I? Was a willing victim,” he answered, winking at her.

That was true. She meant to find someone who could be a good company while in her depressed state but did not expect a kiss outright.

“Willing, you say? That’s an understatement?” She scoffed. “Sorry to tell you though, I won’t be screaming your name later on.”

Andrew just laughed, flaunting the dimple on his right cheek. “I was just teasing.”

‘Arrgh. He looks even better with that dimple!’ She quietly observed.

Kenzie looked back at the angry Madelyn, still piercing knives with her eyes, and asked, “What’s wrong with her? She is beautiful and sexy?”

“I just don’t like her and I especially don’t like the fact that my grandmother set me up with her.” Andrew moved Kenzie closer to the band, and as the music shifted to a romantic tune, he said, “Besides, I don’t like brunettes. I’m more into blondes with long, wavy hair, cute face, beautiful blue eyes, wearing an elegant red dress and.” He paused for a second, looking down, before adding, “And blessed with a plum chest.”

Yet again, Kenzie’s mouth fell on the floor. She acted to free herself from Andrew, but he held on to her too tight. She warned, “Don’t be such a pervert or I’ll get a divorce.”

With Andrew laughing at her words, she let herself at ease. Somehow, her instincts were not being defensive, and she felt comfortable with the man.

“I like you... Let me guess, your name is gorgeous?” Andrew inquired.

Seeing Kenzie shake her head and smirking in amusement, he resumed, “No? Then your name must be Katniss… because you are starting an uprising… in my district.”

At that point, Kenzie chuckled. As she covered her mouth, she admitted, “You are a funny guy. I never would have guessed in your Armani suit and the way you carry yourself."

“Seriously, sweetheart. What’s your name?” Andrew asked again, grinning while looking more serious into Kenzie’s electric blue eyes.

Briefly, Kenzie ogled at his face. After a considerable amount of contemplating, she sighed and answered, “Kenzie. That’s my name.”

“Any last names, Kenzie?” Andrew probed further.

“Just Kenzie,” she replied.

“Err… Okay, just Kenzie. So what’s the deal with you? Where is your… boyfriend? I would not want to be caught by a jealous lover,” Andrew probed.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Kenzie revealed, her face frowning at the recollection of Brad and Alyssa. “In fact, I’ve recently been broken-hearted. That’s why I left for Europe and decided to take this two-week cruise. I’ve always wanted to go on these and this was one of the trips me and my.”

Her tone changed from neutral to resentful as she added, “My so-called boyfriend was planning.”

There was silence between them for a second before Andrew broke the ice. “I’m sorry to hear that. His loss, definitely… Sad eyes do not suit you.” He explained, “You are better off with your husband who can make you smile.”

Who was the husband? He was. Andrew.

With that, Kenzie did end up with an uncontrollable smile. Her eyes glistened as she said, “You are unbelievable.”

“What can I say, you married the right man,” he answered while tightening the hold around her waist.

“You are quite confident I’d really go with this married thing,” she retorted, rolling her eyes while she was at it.

“Well, sweetheart. You’d be pleased to know that I am quite the full package.” Andrew fixed his gaze on Kenzie’s eyes and said, “Winning your heart already?”

“I’m feeling comfortable, yeah, but don’t get too cocky. I might still change my mind and get that divorce,” she answered before throwing another set of giggles.

Kenzie and Andrew continued to dance to the music in the next half an hour, bantering and flirting. Only after seeing Madelyn leave did Andrew invite her to resume their chat over a drink at the bar.

A few glasses after, the two were engrossed in varied discussions, not necessarily relating to their personal lives.

“So you know, Kenzie. I am writing this book and I would really appreciate it if you could help me,” Andrew muttered out of nowhere.

With a face that had started to turn red from all the booze, Kenzie asked, “How can I help you? And what book?”

Andrews’s brows furrowed. He leaned back to his seat and took a sip of his wine before explaining, “I’m writing this phone directory and if I could just add your phone number to it, it would make my manuscript a lot more appealing – “

Before Andrew could proceed, throwing more into his lines, Kenzie laughed hysterically. She was at it so hard that she felt her eyes water and her stomach ache. She wound up snorting and replied, “You are a terrible flirt! You and your lines are hilarious!”

“Can you blame me? Look at you? You look like a goddess?” Andrew replied. “A man has got to try, you know.”

Well, Kenzie knew this about her already. That was why she could not accept the kind of game Brad played on her. Wasn’t she more of a catch than Alyssa?

‘Stop thinking this, Kenzie,’ She silently scolded. There was no point in trying to find answers, for Brad was not worth a second of her thought. She recognized this well.

She smiled at Andrew and said, “Thanks, you aren’t so bad yourself.”

Taking another sip of his drink, Andrew asked, “But seriously, can I have your number? I would probably need my wife to save me in the next two weeks while stuck on this cruise… And, I think I have already proven that I am a good company. Why not stick with each other? I mean, we already declared ourselves married, after all."

Kenzie was in deep thought, smiling while looking at Andrew’s athletic face. She emptied her glass of wine and answered, “I’ll think about it… If you make me laugh long enough, I might just throw away the divorce papers.”

“You’d be pleased to know divorce is not in my vocabulary. I’ve seen that happen to my parents. I’ll never make regrets the way my father does up until this day.” Andrew winked before adding, “I promise to make you laugh till death do us part.”

“Haha! Liking you already!” Kenzie replied, offering a toast.

Since Andrew could not get more info from Kenzie, he offered, “Look, I’m an open book. I figured if you are going to trust me with your name, I should show you mine.”

Andrew raised his chin once and suggested, “G****e me. Andrew Kentworthy. My father is William Kentworthy of KNW Lifestlyle Media.”

‘G****e him?’ Kenzie thought silently. ‘He must be quite a personality.’

She tried acting lazy about it, slowly taking out her phone, but as soon as her search results came up, she pouted her lips and read, “Andrew Kentworthy, the first heir to the Kentworthy fortune may very well be the coming president of the biggest media company in England. At the age of twenty-seven, he holds the position as vice-chairman in the company’s board of directors.”

Kenzie went on, reading about Andrew, surprised at how publicized his professional life was on the internet. She compared various photos that were taken of him and pretty much confirmed she was sitting in front of the same man. At the end of the article which she was reading, she remarked, “Wow. You really are an open book.”

Caressing his chin, Andrew said, “Except for my private details.”

Andrew ordered another set of wine for them, including some food with their drinks, before he asked, “So… about you… just Kenzie. Since you already know me and know that I am not a serial killer. Why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

Kenzie pouted her lips at the question. Then she bit her lip. ‘Should I tell him the truth? No. I don’t want to be another means to an end.’

She glanced back at Andrew and said, “I’m… I’m just a nobody, Andrew.”