CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

TEN years later.

LUXY can't decide what to wear for tonight. She has also changed several gowns and dresses and are now scattered on both her mattress and the floor of her very room. She'll be having a dinner date with Nash, her fiancé, that's why she needs to look good.

Her heart shape lips moved on one wide as looked at herself in the mirror with the red wood colored long gown that could expose her bare back. It took her almost an hour to fix her make up and pin up her curly hair.

Their family driver drove her to the classy restaurant in their city of San Andres.

“You look gorgeous. I am sure Nash will fall for you even more,” her mother, the wife of the Governor, said as she took his way out of their big house.

She sat at the back of the car as her eyes watched around to the buildings that stood in the place that her father governs.

San Andres was not just a city of prosperity and fame. It was a city with one of the most advance when it comes to economic status. From the way it looks, it was a place of freedom and love—things that Luxy was not sure she had.

She was raised by elegance and grace as the only daughter of the Governor of San Andres. She has always cared about their family’s reputation. That is why she is willing to agree to an arranged marriage that her parents decided for her. That is also to drive away the gossip going around that the San Andres was governed by illegal doings. People would say that there are people who were behind the wealth of the place where families who were involved in crimes. And she doesn’t agree on those things.

“We are here,” their driver said, making her back from her thoughts.

Fifteen minutes after the agreed time, she arrived at the classy classic restaurant where they agreed to dine. She thought Nash was already waiting for her, but he wasn't there yet, so she just sat at their reserved table alone, waiting for her date.

She waited a few more minutes but there was no sign of him. She even tried calling him hoping he's just caught in the traffic or some things came up but he is not picking up.

The night is getting cold and she rubbed her arms to warm it. Now, she's regretting wearing a sexy gown.

All of a sudden, a black coat wrapped around her shoulders. Her face lit up, expecting it was Nash, but it wasn’t.

It was a handsome waiter.  Did she mention handsome? Yes. This man has a lean body for she can see his built covered with semi-fitted white long sleeves. The buttons were fixed well and she could say that his top was ironed professionally. Even the bowtie looks not just something bought on local store.If not for the towel on his hand and a bottle of wine, she could thought this guy doesn’t work at the restaurant.

He has this hypnotizing eyes that she can’t take her eyes off.

“The way you look at me could melt me any time by now,” he said and curved a smirk on his sexy lips.

That made her back in reality. She held on the coat that this waiter put on her, but he once again, spoke.

"I guess you'll be the first one to refuse me being a gentleman. It's a cold night, ma'am.”

She raised an eyebrow. The way he talks somehow familiar to her.

 "Just leave the coat on your shoulders, ma'am, while your date hasn't arrived. I can't believe a jerk let you wait this long."

"Jerk?” Her lips parted in shock. “He's a good man,” she defended. She can’t believe that the restaurant has such waiter with attitude.

"You think so, ma'am? I'm telling you, there's no good man who will let his woman wait. But here you are now, waiting. So, I think he's a jerk."

"You!" she snorted. “I couldn't believe that they hired someone – ” she raised her voice but the waiter talked back before she could finish her sentence.

“—someone so straightforward? I am just stating a fact,” he smirked. “Margaux Chateau to warm your time.” The waiter poured a little into the wine glass in front of her. “Just call me if you’ll order anything so you could stare at me more. Have a great time, ma’am.” He even winked at her before leaving.

She blinked several times. She couldn't believe the way he just talked to her. To entertain herself, she drank the wine and felt the warmth in her throat. Then, her phone beeped.

It's from her fiancé. She almost dropped his phone because of the message she received. It was from an anonymous person. It has a photo of a model and her fiancé on the bed. They look more than satisfied. The woman is holding Nash’s phone while taking a selfie.

She was deceived by the public image of his fiancé. She thought he was very angelic. And soon, the people in their city will know about it. If she marries that man, she'll be miserable.

She put down her phone on the table and took the wine glass, drinking it all. But that wasn't enough. She needed more to calm herself. And what could be crazier was she'll about to cry for a jerk!

The waiter must be right. The good man she thought turned out to be a real jerk. She won't cry for it.

She poured another glass of wine and drank it.

“Stop drinking like a man. Be more ladylike.” The waiter with hypnotizing eyes was now sitting across from her. And she doesn’t know when did he came back.

"You're right," she said as she breathed out her frustration.

He gave her a questioning look.

“You were drunk? Already?” he asked.

She can’t help but smile. She never drinks this way before. She never likes alcohols to be honest and wine is not an exception.

"He's really a jerk." Luxy poured another glass. She paused and looked at the waiter. "Can I have another glass? Would you mind joining me? If it's okay. My date didn't come."

"Yeah? Yeah, sure. I'll go get you one,” he said with hesitation.

Several minutes passed and she almost drank all the wine in the bottle. She was trying to pour the last drop on her glass when another glass and a bottle of new wine appeared in front of her.

Another guy sat across from her on that table. Her sleepy eyes looked at him. Her visions is a little blurry that she cannot even recognize who it was. All she knew was he looks hot in his curled up white long sleeves. The few buttons on his neck were unbuttoned and he is not wearing any necktie like what her fiance always wear. Now, she can see his sexy Adam's apple.

"You seem like you already had enough,” he said.

"At least you were sitting there as my company. Unlike my fiancé who did not show up. What's your name?" She put her elbows on the table and placed her face on her palm. Her straight posture is now gone. She looks not on her usual decent way.

"It's --" he paused and continued. “It’s Aries.”

"Even the name sounds hot,” she whispered as she crazily smiled at what she was thinking. “I'm Luxy. L-U-X-Y. Luxy Galledo.” It's obvious from his voice that the alcohol is already on her system. She doesn’t even mind who was she talking to that time.

The guy opened the bottle of wine. "You find me hot?" he asked.

“Aries, are you a good man? Tell me you're not a jerk. I thought I was very lucky but then I found out that my fiancé is really a jerk like what the waiter told me.” She even raised her ring finger with a diamond ring on it.

He mumbled something that it didn’t reach her ears.

"Am I not beautiful? Aren't I sexy enough that my fiancé cheated on me with someone else?"

"You're beautiful."

"I don't believe you."

"You're beautiful, Luxy. Do you want me to prove it?”

"And by how will you prove it?" she asked.

"Tell me you're not happy with him, and I'll be the one to make you. Do you want me to take you away from him?”

"Can you make me happy? Do you really want to take me away from him?”

"There's nothing wrong if someone as beautiful as you will ask me for it," he smirked.

She smiled and closed her eyelids. "The question is, can you take me away from him?"

"Just say you're not happy with him, I'll take you away." He drank wine on his glass as he stares at her seriously.

She did not answer. She was just tricked by a man. She can’t give her trust that easily. Not with a stranger.

"Will you dance with me, Luxy?" He stood up and lend his hand on her. Even though she was tipsy, she was stopped by this question.

"What?" she asked.

"Will you dance with me?" he asked again and still did not lower his hand. He was like a prince asking for a dance.

She wanted to know why it looks so familiar. It's like she's been waiting for this moment. It was maybe because of the wine that made her think of something else.

"I thought you are taking me away?"

"Yeah. So, shall we? I know you wanted to dance under the lights. Let's dance first."

She slowly reached for his hand. They started to step along to the slow and romantic music that the pianist in that restaurant was playing.

Her eyes widened and looked at Aries who held her hands and brought it to his shoulder. Next, the man grabbed her waist, pulling her towards him. He stared into her eyes. It was as if she had dreamed of it before.

"Have we met?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. She's sure this has happened. "It's like we've met before."

There is one thing she needs to do to find out. She gently touched her red lips on Aries’ lips. The touch of the lips gradually deepened, intertwining as they have known before.

A moment ago, they were just drinking and dancing. Until they ended up in a hotel where Luxy did something she never thought she could do.

All she wanted was to divert her thoughts from the picture she received, but there she is now with a stranger man. And that night, she gave herself to the man with hypnotizing eyes that she just met.