FIRST ENCOUNTER III

"I'm looking forward to working with you Mr. Grayson," an average-looking man in a black suit stood to his feet and stretched his hands towards Ethan.

Ethan also stood to his feet, looking into the eyes of the man who stood before him, before receiving his pale hand for a successful deal. "Same." His nonchalant eyes narrowed on the man's face before he pulled his hand away from the man's grip. Turning away from the man as he pushed his seat backward, a man who stood beside him followed him out of the restaurant.

Max, Ethan's PA followed quietly behind him as he walked out of the restaurant, making sure to keep a close distance from him. As they stood at the entrance of the building, Max's gaze never left Ethan's nonchalant face, whose attention was on a black Bugatti la Voit URE Noire that drove towards them with convoys behind it.

The car stopped in front of them, and a doorman came out of the driver's seat and walked to where they stood.

"Have a safe trip, Sir," the man bowed in respect, raising the key in his hands so the men could see.

Max collected the keys from the man, before turning to look at Ethan's indifferent face. "Where are we headed, Sir?" His question made Ethan's gaze shift from the doorman whose head was still bowed, to him.

"To the hotel," Ethan stretched his hand to Max, and the key was handed to him.

Without saying another word to him, he strode through the front of the car to the driver's seat, while Max entered the passenger's seat, and they drove off with the convoys behind them.

.

Eleanor arrived at the five-star hotel and one of the doormen opened the door of the backseat for her. "Welcome, Miss Eleanor" was the polite greeting from the man, still holding the door as she walked out of the car.

Eleanor took a glance at the middle-aged man, "thank you," she replied in warm words that broadened the man's smile.

Stepping away from the car, she walked casually into the hotel in her silver six inches of heels, and only stopped when she got to the counter where a beautiful blonde-haired lady welcomed her with a smile, "I was beginning to think you were having a night shift."

Eleanor returned the warm smile, "I'm happy to see you too, Barb."

She held out her hand towards Eleanor, holding a card that seemed to be the key to her suite.

Eleanor took the card from the girl with a smile still on her face, "thank you."

A hint of gratitude was reflected in her voice as she stared at the beauty in front of her.

Barb has been one of her friends in the hotel since she started living here when she turned twenty-one, and she had never felt insensible about having someone like her as a friend, especially when she does a lot of favors for her.

She winked at El with a smile, "no need to thank me, honey... Now, move along, I don't want to keep looking at your exhausted face," she ridiculed, and El smiled again.

She stared at Barbara admiringly, "thank you," came her next words which held more weight than her facial mood.

Barb huffed, "you're being cheeky with that word this evening."

"I'm not, you just lightened my mood... I was in a really bad mood when I stepped in here."

Barb smiled downwardly, "If you're thankful, make sure you rest that gloomy eyes of yours, okay? I don't want to see a dark circle monster in the morning," she added jokingly, and that inflated El's smile even more.

.

At the same time, outside the hotel, a black Bugatti la Voit URE Noire with convoys at its back stopped at the front of the hotel.

Ethan came out of the car with Max who stood behind him, alongside some other bodyguards, and they all walked towards the entrance of the hotel.

The dumbfounded doormen all bowed in respect, on realizing who the man that stood in front of them was. "Welcome Sir," they greeted in unison, still bowing as one of the men who stood closer to them stretched out his hand to receive their keys, which were handed to him by one of the bodyguards.

Ethan continued moving without turning to look at them and they all walked into the hotel.

The men were speechless, and they just continued staring at the back of the figure that walked past them. They had seen this man on the news on different platforms and trending topics on the internet but never had they seen him in person.

It was the famous Ethan Grayson, the world's most popular business tycoon, and the owner of the hotel they worked in.

Ethan walked into the hotel with Max and his bodyguards behind him gracefully. His steps were steady as large gaps were formed from the strides of his long legs, making people in the hotel who recognized him, turn their heads in his direction, as they whispered amongst themselves.

This was the second time he had been to the hotel after it was opened since he was rarely in the country, so this was a rare sight for them.

.

Still staring into Barb's eyes, El answered sincerely, "don't worry, I will." She studied Barb's face once more, before saying her farewell, "good night then."

Barb nodded with a smile.

With that, she turned away from the counter and headed towards the elevator. Pressing the button of the door, she paused when she felt a thin masculine hand on hers.

Eleanor blinked once, and then twice as she turned to see the huge figure behind her, who towered over her, unable to still believe who it was.

At first, when she saw the hands which covered hers on the elevator button without seeing the person's face, she wanted to apologize or probably receive an apology. But as she stared at the man, she couldn't stop staring or bring herself to utter any word.

What caught her attention wasn't the fact that she had seen this familiar face on different platforms, but the beautiful deep blue eyes she looked into which were mesmerizing.

There was something about their unusual calmness, something that had her nerves spike up, yet that piqued her interest. For some seconds, she froze and was lost in those beautiful eyes as if hypnotized by them.

She was brought back to reality when the elevator door sprang open and as her gaze shifted to them, Ethan removed his hand from the elevator button.

Noticing her presence, Ethan's bodyguards quickly shoved her aside with their huge hand muscles, placing themselves between Ethan and her to prevent trespass.

Eleanor was quick to balance her steps once more on the floor while holding her purse more firmly to herself. She had tried to regain her balance after losing it because of the force the bodyguards used in tossing her aside.

Without sparing her a glance, Ethan walked past her into the elevator with the men behind him, and only turned to look at her as he watched the door of the elevator close. His face was steady as he stared at her disgusted face unconcerned.

She sneered as she stared at his nonchalant face scornfully. 'Great! Just fucking great!'

She could feel all the anger that died moments ago from the incident at the restaurant swim back inside of her, only that this time, it intensified.

The only reason she didn't stop the elevator to give these people a piece of her mind was 'cause of the attention, and the cameras of the other people at the hotel who had been watching everything that happened.

She smiled hysterically as she ran her hand through her hair in annoyance. She still couldn't believe she was tossed aside like some trash, just because a stupid person like Ethan wanted to enter an elevator she got to first. What happened to the first come, first serve rule in a free city like LA?

Staring at his indifferent face as the door of the elevator closed got her even more upset, as she could tell that he cared less about whatever his bodyguards did to her. Disgustedly, she tore her gaze away from him.

The elevator door closed with Ethan's eyes still in the same position they had been when he was staring at Eleanor's face.

"Who is she?"

His question had Max's brows fold in confusion and he turned to look at Ethan's steady face, in shock, while standing beside him.

His surprised feeling came from the fact that the person asking the question was, Ethan, his boss who had a nonchalant attitude toward everything aside from himself. So, he couldn't understand the man's sudden interest in the commoner he just met with.

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer, Sir." He stopped for some seconds to hear Ethan's remark, but continued when he didn't get any, "would you like me to run a detailed search on her?"

"That won't be necessary, Max."

The elevator door sprang open on their supposed floor, and they all walked out of it to the hallway of the floor, which had only two suites; the one he is going to stay in and the other the one Eleanor has been living in for the past three years.

"I don't want to be disturbed for the rest of the night," were Ethan's order as they got to his room door.

"Yes Sir." Max handed the card to his suite to him, and Ethan was about to unlock the door of his suite when his attention was suddenly pulled away from his door to the elevator because of the 'ding' sound that came from it.

The elevator door opened to reveal furious Eleanor who walked majestically in her mini black dress out of it. Her eyes went straight to Ethan's, and her brows crumbled on seeing his face again.

'You've got to be kidding me!'