8. The Encounter (The past)

Ann stood frozen in fear and the can of soda fell on the ground in shock,”did-did-did he mention my middle name?”. Ann stuttered the question to Peter.

Peter’s glare at the wall behind her, accompanied with his silence and her rude colleague’s giggle gave her the answers to her questions. Indeed, the man knew her middle name as well. She gasped dramatically and flinched as if she was pinched into reality.

Her colleague, Diana having thought of all the times Peter turned down her advances, decided it was the perfect time to pay Ann back.

“Adorabele has a nice ring to it, it is truly a very a nice and adorable middle name Ann. I sincerely don’t know why you hate it so much.” Diana taunted. Ann shivered slightly and her fingers coiled in a tight fist.

Although Diana taunted her with a warm and lovely look, she was sneering and laughing loudly within but her joy was short lived as Ann turned around quickly and pinned her to the pillar behind them.

With a glare and gritted teeth,”if I ever and I mean ever hear you mention that name or tell anyone about it, I will tell everyone the time I saw you with Mr. Flincher in the washroom... just try me Diana, I dare you!”, Ann warned with a glare.

Mr Flincher was a perverted old millionaire who most of the girls tease themselves about, most of them sleep with him for money but they do it secretly because everyone knows his nature and how disgusting he was. She has heard stories of how quirky his bedroom activities were, it often gross her out.

After threatening Diana and shaking her yo her core, she released her, wiped her hands with a tissue and walked quickly to the VIP to find out more about the said culprit. Peter looked at Diana with disappointment, he had more faith in her than the other girls and had no idea she was also one of Mr. Flincher’s girls. He shook his head at and left her trembling mess in front of the pillar.

Ann was mumbling to herself as she made her way to the VIP lounge, “who the heck does he think he is? The audacity! To feel he has the right to come to my work places to shout out my middle name for everyone to hear. A name I’ve kept years to bury! Oh my gosh! So shameful!”. She muttered with a blush on her warm face.

She got to the VIP lounge just in time before she burst into flames. She did not even brother on the knock but rather opened the door in anger,”Hell...o, oh! what are you doing here?”, she questioned the familiar face with a confused frown.

The frown on Ann’s face made the man feel some happiness deep inside his heart, I’m happy she is miserable because of my coming here! Hahaha and I haven’t even started yet!.’ He thought to himself with a smirk.

“Miss Adorabele?”, the voice called out to her.

“Don’t call me that!”, Ann replied angrily, that part of her was hidden for a reason. There was a reason why she buried her past with her bare hands.

With a displeasured look he interrupted Ann before she spoke again,”Miss Adorabele? Isn’t it impolite to be talking to your customers in this manner?Don’t forget I can easily lodge a complain against you or even get you fired. I can get in touch with the owner but that manager, he seems very protective of you but I will ensure he won’t be able to help you out this time.” He threatened her subtly.

Knowing he was right and didn’t want to put Peter in a difficult situation, she replaced the glare with the brightest smile she could ever master. Her smile highlighted her dimples and making her look more innocent and enchanting even from a distance. A closer look at that smile will make you realize the smile was as fake as they come, her eyes didn’t twinkle but was rather dull and mocking. The smile seems too rigid to be geniue but Rex was satisfied with it, he was able to make her do something against her wish and better judgment. Looking at the three young adults in front of her, she knew they will also come from the same background as Rex.

“Fuck! I should have been listening to Judith when she talks about her billionaire young adults crush! I should have been viewing those famous magazines with her, then I will at least have an idea who they are instead of staring at them like aliens due to how good they look. Like did God use the same clay to mound them as he used to mound every other young adults male I know in the school because this one’s actually look like minigods. So handsome and....”, she muttered to herself underneath her breathe.

“What-what are you whispering to yourself about? Are you insulting me again?”, Rex asked her but was ignored. He frown when he saw how she was looking at his friends as if daydreaming about them,”Ann!!”, he called her out. He didn’t bring his friends along to be an eye candy for her or to distract her.

Ann jumped slightly, she was startled from the way Rex called out her name. Coming back from the dream land of the amazing looking creatures in front of her, she glared at Rex for interrupting her but waved him off instead of telling him what was on her mind about him. She turned graciously to the other three guys staring at her and smiling warmly,” Hello, good evening young men and welcome to Craves Bar and Restrurant. Please would you like to see the menu first before ordering?”, she added with a geniue smile that made her dimple deepened.

Rex opened his mouth wide in surprise and check again to see if he was really seeing what he was seeing,‘ Woow, so this girl can really become nice, sweet and respectful to my friends but not to me. Ha! She must have really hate me but what did I ever do to her? and my foolish friends and enjoying the attention, I brought them here to teach her a lesson not be drooling over her like they’ve never seen a woman before!’, he thought to himself with an annoyed expression.

“Guys enough!!, I brought you here to help me put her in her place! I didn’t bring you here for you to be smiling and making goggle eyes to each right in front of me, I won't allow it!”, Rex outbursts.

Ann rolled her eyes at the dramatic man and smiled sweetly to the other three guys in the room. She was still completely ignoring Rex,”Excuse me gentlemen and hoodlum, please give me a minute to get you the menu as I await your orders.” She stated professionally.

The three guys laughed loudly knowing fully well who the said hoodlum amongst them while Rex with a grim look said with a dangerously calm voice,”I brought you my best friends to come and help me fight my battle but you are smiling at the mere sight of her and checking her out openly what kind of friends are you?”, he questioned his friends with flared nostrils.

King Hin, one of the sons of the King empire broke the silence that was threatening to turn into a glaring game,”but she is so cute and adorable, did you guys see that dimpled smile?! She’s so adorable! I can’t glare at her, it’s like glaring at a puppy or kicking it. She’s so cute, no wonder her middle name is Adorabele, can we keep her? Can we? can we? Oh please can we?. Rexy can...”, King Hin uttered with puppy eyes.

All it took was a powerful glare from Rex to keep Hin mute. Hin ignored his glare and found the floor very interesting, leaving their other two friends roaring in laughter at their expense.