Chapter 1 - Saving the man

Arielle Ward was 5”3’, a green-eyed, 29-year-old woman who had not enjoyed a single day of her life - at least as far as she can remember. For the 20 or so years that she could recall, she was always busy - barely sleeping for 5 hours a day, always studying, always working, always doing chores, always hustling.

Finally, at 29, she became financially secure enough to take the first vacation of her life. She decided to go big as her first-ever vacation had happened so incredibly late.

She was idling in the open-rooftop bar of a seven-star hotel where she was staying.

She sipped her cocktail, leaning against the counter as she watched the happening crowd.

The groups and the pairs were quite eye-catching, and barely a few people were alone like her. But that did not bother her at all. As someone who had been hustling her entire life, she never had time to make friends or party. Being alone was her comfort place.

However, her quiet musings got interrupted when a 6’’4’ extremely eye-catching man wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close.

She could smell his masculine perfume and feel the ridges of his toned body. However, instead of the usual reaction expected by the man, she was irritated.

She had no interest in men. Her family had a few, which made her never want to get acquainted with another, not to mention those sexist pigs she had had to deal with at work.

She frowned and tried to push him away, only for him to lean into her and whisper in her ear, “Play along, please. I don’t want to be harassed by strangers.”

She stiffened at his deep baritone and blinked several times as she scanned the crowd. Sure enough, a few women were staring daggers at her. The woman who had been trying to pry the man away had stiffened.

“Honey, what took you so long?” She turned around and asked with a pout which she hoped was convincing.

It probably wasn’t, as the man looked at her with a smile before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer still, making her clench her fists and close her mouth to hide her gritted teeth and fake a smile.

The woman turned around, and he led her away from the clingy one.

“You are a lifesaver. Thank you so much!” He said as he detached himself from her.

Thomas Payne was the 6”4’ blue-eyed 30-year golden bachelor who had turned his family business upside down, doubled the profits, cleared up all debts, cut off all bad investments, and made a ton of changes since he inherited the company five years back.

After grueling five years of work and several years of studies, he was exhausted - mind and body.

Hence, he was trying to relax in the bar of the seven-star hotel where he was staying.

He scanned the crowd, and his eyes caught a beautiful green-eyed woman with long legs, bubble butt, and thin waist, but barely any breast. She was standing in the crowd, but she was not a part of it.

Her eyes held an unnatural detachment, but she seemed to be enjoying herself all the same.

He watched as she frowned whenever someone approached her, and she refused everyone without even looking at them.

Thomas felt drawn to the woman as he thought they were the same type. But he was in no mood for an entanglement.

However, his musings were interrupted. One of the ladies who had been eyeing him for a long time decided to make a move. He refused her politely but firmly, yet she seemed determined to score him.

Irritated, he excused himself and went to another place to enjoy solitude in the crowded bar, but the young lady found him all the same.

Then a sudden idea came to him, and he made his way towards the green-eyed detached beauty.

He asked her to save him as he noticed her resistance. Somehow his plea for help worked. She did help him, albeit reluctantly.

It was a first for Thomas. Throughout the years, he had been used to girls throwing themselves at him. He had begun to expect that as a normal reaction from the opposite sex.

Seeing her indifference and resistance, he was pleasantly surprised.

Even more surprising was how she heaved a sigh and scanned around to leave him as soon as he let her go.

That made him want to get to know her, so he proposed an arrangement.

“Hey! Why don’t we stick together? I had noticed that you kept getting bothered by unwanted advances the same as me. So, let’s sit together and mind our own business. That way, we both get rid of the nuisance.”

That made her squint at him as she scanned him from head to toe.

Arielle looked at the man who was spouting nonsense and carefully observed him for the first time.

He was one of the fair few people in that bar who was alone, and he did not seem the type who was looking for a hookup.

Arielle could see he must be telling the truth since he was good-looking enough to have women drooling over him. He was wearing low-key expensive brands and had that air about him that spelled old money. He would have had no trouble finding a good fuck.

As such, she agreed, “I am Elle.”

Thomas watched the wheels turn in her head before she finally decided and offered her name.

“I am Tom,” He offered as concisely as she had. They both could tell that it was not their real names, but neither was interested to know the truth, so they did not bother.

Thomas led her to a secluded corner that was an open space and ordered drinks for himself before turning to her.

Arielle did the same and turned around as she watched the crowd. She let her thoughts drift away.

She was pulled back to reality as Thomas patted her hand and gestured towards the counter where the bartender was trying to grab her attention.

She gave the bartender a sheepish smile and an honest apology.

The bartender waved it off and asked a few questions politely. She answered as truthfully as she was comfortable and asked him about the city.

The happening corners, the quiet places, and the general things to do. Something not overly touristy.

Arielle had arrived the day before, and she had covered most of the tourist-crowded places. That had rather bored her.

The bartender laughed at her question and answered her good-naturedly.

She thanked him with a smile and turned around to continue her musings.

Thomas looked at the girl - more than a foot shorter than him and overtly uninterested.

That piqued his interest, and he decided to disturb her again.