She doesn’t want to act so obviously the first time so she just went to check things out the first few times. She brought Alice and then she brought her other friends.
She was able to accomplish what she needed to do: gather information. He does serve at the bar for a couple of hours or so every night. Except during weekends, which he apparently spends with his kids. She finds that admirable. Unfortunately, she can’t find photos of his kids on the net.
There were also nights that he’s not present. Either he’s attending an event or having business overseas.
Three weeks later, she decided to approach the man. Not exactly going up to him and striking a conversation. She plans to sit at the bar and hope he’ll be serving that night. She did see him talking to his customers, so she’s hoping for the same.
Alice would be a terrible companion. She tends to tease. Coming alone would be best, but it’s suspicious. He might think she’s looking to hook up with another customer. That would be bad. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided to go alone.
She carefully chose her dress for tonight. Red and black are too common. She went for a printed one, kind of a summery vibe. Well, it’s yellow and black. The kind of yellow that’s easy and pleasant on the eyes.
She took a seat and ordered a glass of orange juice. Huh, she couldn’t drink much, even when she tried increasing her tolerance in the last few weeks. She simply got wasted and unproductive. Alice assumed Christan would have high tolerance since… you know. One time, they were discussing how she’s going to seduce him, if it comes down to it… the matter of his alcohol tolerance was brought up and they concluded it would be difficult. They’ve seen plenty of women in skimpy outfits parading in front of him these last few weeks. None of them caught his eye. He’s a difficult customer.
She checked herself again. No cleavage on display. Her make-up is natural. Her hair flows down her back. Her skin is fair and she only wore a faint scent of perfume. Nothing over the top. Classy and elegant.
She was essentially too absorbed in her thoughts when Christan came and started serving. He was chatting to some of his frequent customers. He started from one side and worked his way down the bar. He was methodical that way. Yes, she didn’t catch his attention but he did think she looked somewhat familiar.
“Can I get you anything?” He asked as he stared at her drink.
Alena blinked as she looked up, then she blushed. How could she not notice he’s already here? The coloring of her cheeks didn’t go unnoticed, but Christan thought it’s because she was shy at being caught unawares.
“I’m not really good with alcohol. Do you have anything someone like me could drink safely?”
“Of course. Do you want a selection? I can make two or three.”
She smiled. Alena didn’t think he would talk in long sentences. This is much better than she imagined. Still, she knew he’s just treating her like any of his customers.
“Sure.” She watched as he prepared her drinks.
“You look a little familiar. Where could I have seen you before?”
She chuckled. She’d been coming here for three weeks and if he didn’t figure that out, it means he really didn’t notice.
“I’m guessing not here. I’ve been coming here for a few weeks now.”
“Really?” He looked a little surprised but not totally interested. She knew those expressions.
“Yes.” She focused on watching him again before letting out an “Ah!”
He looked at her curiously.
“I forgot about it. I think we first met at Queens Hotel. Board suite. Lee’s return.” Yeah, she was totally acting this part. How could she forget where she first laid her eyes on him? Hopefully, it looked genuine from his perspective.
He raised an eyebrow and visibly paused what he’s doing.
“You were there?” He sounded doubtful.
“Yes. She’s an in-law. To be honest, that was the first time I saw her as well. I didn’t know why my whole family had to be there until she explained.”
This time, he was looking at her more closely. “What’s your name again?”
Inwardly, she was grinning. She might be leaving him an impression. Any sort of impression is fine by her, as long as it’s good.
“Alena Reed. If I remember correctly, you’re also in-laws with her, right?”
“Yes. She’s married to my brother.” He finished one of the drinks and presented it to her.
“My sister is married to her brother.” She reciprocated with an explanation.
“I see. How do you like my bar so far?” He turned to business.
“I like it. My friends and sister enjoy coming here for the atmosphere. And the drinks, of course.”
His lips curved up a little. “And you? What have you been drinking all those times?”
“Juice? I’ve almost gotten every juice on the menu. My friends would order something for me but I don’t remember what they’re called.”
“I see. Try that one first.”
“Thanks. This is new.” She hasn’t had this particular drink before.
She hummed her approval of its taste. “How much alcohol is in it?”
The look he gave her is unexplainable. She couldn’t discern if it was a good look or a bad one. She hoped he’s not thinking she’s dumb.
“I used a very tiny amount of a 5% champagne. You should be good.”
“Thanks. It tastes great. What is it called?”
“Sublime.”
She smiled but her brain reminded her, he was talking about the drink, not you.
He finished the second one and set it on her counter.
“This is Cherry. It should taste sweet, and a little sour.”
“Thanks.”
“Why are you alone today?”
She’s surprised he even asked, “Oh, my friends are busy today, but I needed a break, so…”
If she was honest, she’s taking too much break chasing after him. She’s currently unsure what the state of her business is. She would face that reality soon. So far, she’s not getting any serious calls from the people she left on management.
Her concerns showed on her face and Christan interpreted as she really needed a break.
He tapped the third glass in front of her. “Hope this helps. Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” She’s sad to see him go, but has to. She’s new here, anyway. She listened to his conversation with the next lady and it was kind of personal.
He might have felt her eyes on him as he glanced at her a few times. She didn’t bother diverting her gaze. She personally feels that would be a worse reaction.
The lady seems nice. She wasn’t flirting with him. She does look older than her, though.
The men after her seems like very close friends of his, but they were more carefree. She imagined him acting that way and she almost giggled. He’s handsome and looks younger when he’s talking more. She’s starting to understand why he decided to still work the bar, even if it’s just a few hours every night. This might be the kind of socialization he prefers.
These people seem nice and good to talk to. The lady next to her has been observing her for a while now and her lips curved upwards as she realized something about Alena. The girl couldn’t take her eyes off the man. She likes how reserved she is, though. Not openly flirting with him earlier. She knew Christan from university. He hates the flirtatious ladies who come to him with their bodies displayed.
“Hi, my name is Gia.” She decided to converse with her.
Alena turned to her and smiled. “Hello, I’m Alena.”
“So, I’ve heard. Tell me, you’re here for Christan, aren’t you?”
Alena couldn’t stop herself from gulping. She picked up her orange juice and took a sip. Why does she feel like choking? She briefly glanced at the man, hoping he didn’t hear her question. He didn’t, did he?
Gia’s smile widened. She openly surveyed her appearance before speaking, “You look nice and demure. I’ll give you that.”
“Uh, thanks?”
“You’re not gonna ask him for his number? What kind of opening are you going to make?”
Alena shook her head slowly, while squinting at her. She knows what she’s talking about, but her plan doesn’t follow those actions. At least, not at this time.
“Interesting. How do you plan to get close to him, then?”
Alena figured it won’t hurt talking to this stranger. She seems nice, not at all hostile.
“I’d like to take things slow. Make it as natural as possible.”
“I see. What exactly are you feeling for him? Is it just lust? Admiration? I’ve heard the bit about both of you being in-laws with someone, so I’m guessing you’re not after his money. Oh right, are you aware he’s got two children?”
Alena smiled again.
“Yeah, I’m aware.” She glanced at Christan again. He’s now serving the last person on the bar.
“Admiration? Sure. He seems like a really nice guy. Responsible. Successful. Very attractive. Lust, you say? Maybe a little.” Her insides involuntary clenched at the thought. This close to him, she’s now familiar with his scent. Musky. Masculine. Heady.
Her plan ultimately includes a seduction if all else fails. That means sleeping with him, no?
Gia chuckled, seeing the change in her expression. Well, she can’t blame her for desiring Christan. That man is extremely desirable, except for his background which is the cause of most complications. Well, she’s already thinking he’s wholly disinterested in women, in general. He has never dated anyone since his wife’s death.
It’s probably because most of the women who approached him criticized his dead wife. They don’t know the real story. Yes, everyone thought she was with a lover when she died in a car crash. Only the closest friends of them know what’s true.
Alena, being there when Lee explained, also knows the truth. She sympathizes with him and she wanted to give him her love.
It wasn’t a bad first attempt at trying to get his attention. He now knows her name. Would he remember it, though? She was asking this to herself when Gia started talking to Christan and reintroducing her. The lady was tenacious at matchmaking. She’s at a loss how to react. Should she vehemently refuse and deny her feelings? Or should she acknowledge them in front of him? It’s a crossroad. Each has its own pros and cons.“Are you really not considering dating? You’re going to let your sons grow up without a mother to guide them? Do you really believe you’re enough? I doubt you guys talk about girls and crushes. They need a mother figure, consider that, would you?”Alena was in awe of this woman. She can say those things to Christan? They must be really close.Christan grunted, showing an irate expression before serving her with a clear drink.“Look, there’s this gentle lady who’d been staring at
She met Gia on the mall and they did go shopping for clothes. They chatted and she bravely asked how she came to know Christan. They seemed very close, in her opinion.“We went to university together. Classmates. We dated a couple of times, but it’s not meant to be. We’ve been friends ever since, but we haven’t been really close since I got married and he did, too.”“I see.” Alena digested the information she was given. She bit her lip before asking another one.“About his wife, can you tell me anything about her?”At this Gia raised an eyebrow. “Well, what do you know about her?”“Just her name and that Christan really loved her.”“Ah, yes. Well, I think that’s all you needed to know. What’s the point of knowing how they met, how they fell in love, how they dated? It’s all in the past. She’s gone. What you need is to make him see you,
Christan is currently in his early forties. He’ll be forty-three soon. His sons are already teenagers. He sighed, thinking how he could properly parent them. They say adolescence is the most difficult period when raising children. They get a lot of questions. There are bodily changes. You need to teach them about the reality of the world. The value of hard work. They could turn out to be rebellious.So far, his sons have been easy to raise. They don’t say much. They don’t ask much. He rarely hears them complain. And if they do, they complain about the most random things. Completely unrelated to him.He couldn’t help but admire how Tanya raised them. They were very understanding children. He wasn’t present during their childhood. Well, he was there, but he’s too busy with his company. He hasn’t spent too much time with them during that period. He sees them in the mornings but only very briefly.When their mother died&hell
Though Gia has a point in what she said about how it’s best not to know what transpired between Christan and his first wife, Alena still feels that it would give her a better understanding of the man.What is he like towards a woman he loved? How caring is he? What ticks him off? What she currently knows about him are still superficial. Nothing personal. How is she supposed to get into a relationship with him like this?She needs to get one step closer to him.The opportunity came two weeks later during a social event she was attending. As soon as she saw him, she drank all the wine in her glass. She almost choked on it. She was suddenly nervous. She’s not expecting him to be here but this is an opportunity she must take advantage of.The party will end at midnight, but how long is he planning to stay? As she expected, he mainly talked to the men. She noticed this woman in red hovering near him. Her gaze obviously transfixed on Christan. Alena
With one hand on her back, the other cupped her breast and pulled it out of its confines. Her dress only has one strap on her right shoulder.She heard him moan as his face moved closer to her chest. He licked her skin before his mouth teased her exposed nipple. It hardened at his touch and she turned into a mush in his arms.Her desire heightened. She didn’t think they would be intimate like this. This was unplanned. Though she thought of seducing him if all else fail, there was no plan yet.His hand pushed off the strap and freed her other breast. His stimulation of her chest was enough to make her center dripping wet. She was putty in his arms. Restless.“You know I like you, right?” She whispered against his ear as he kept his face on her healthy globes. She kept her hands around his head, sometimes gripping his hair lightly.Christan heard her but was unable to respond. His actions are driven by the desire he’s feeling
Laying on her back, she let him do whatever he wants. He seems to have a lot of energy. He was hard again after some time and went ahead to stimulate her cave of pleasure. All she could do is moan and touch whatever she could reach of him.Alena feels helpless but oddly, she trusts him. What else can he do in his current state?Christan took her hard and then fast. Her breasts swayed with the rhythm and she could see his gaze stuck on them. Yep. After a guttural shout of release, his mouth latched on them, alternating with the suckling and groping. It bordered on painful but still bearable. No doubt she would be feeling sore all over her body tomorrow. This is too much of an exercise.She fell asleep despite the ticklish feeling on her skin and the stimulations he’s doing on her body. She reacts quite instinctively, still moaning in her sleep.When she opened her eyes over an hour later, he was fondling her chest and stomach. Laying next to her, he
Alena’s lip twitched as she listened to her dad’s stern warning and prohibition. He was basically telling her to stop chasing after a man like Christan Taylor. She looked at her mom for support, but she merely pursed her lips. The older woman’s not sure how to approach this. Her husband is being stubborn about the issue.“I know what I’m doing, dad. So what if he’d been married? His wife was dead. It’s not like I’m going to be a mistress. I haven’t seen his kids yet, but I’ll try to get along with them. I won’t needlessly allow them to bully me. What am I? Twelve? Lastly, he’s not that old.” She tried voicing her own opinion. Her dad raised them to take charge. He should know she’s not going to back down easily. And of course, she knew he won’t, too.“Are you really not going to listen to me? Stop being stubborn, Alena.”She can’t help rolling her eyes at
It took Alena two weeks to confirm that Christan is in fact avoiding her. She hasn’t seen him during that period. It’s been almost three weeks since they shared that night. Christan was correct in thinking that she indeed assumed that incident should’ve made them closer, even just a little bit. It’s inadequate to describe her feelings as merely disappointed. She’s starting to feel heartbroken. That was blatant avoidance on his part.Gia noticed it, too, and felt bad for the girl. Alena no longer has a regular schedule of going to his bar. She goes when she’s not busy and given how she decided to balance her work and personal life again, she stuck with it. Even so, to not see him at least once in the five times she went…“Who knows? He might be working on a big project. This isn’t the first time he skipped serving his bar.” Gia tried to assure her. But they both knew better. Alena smiled before gulping the dri