3. Bad Impression

"What do you think? Which one should I wear?" I showed Bastian the two dresses I was holding.

Jaden had set up an unexpected meeting for me and Nicholas. Yeah, we checked out the young boss's schedule and made plans for me to flirt with him. Honestly, I felt disgusted at the thought of flirting with a guy, but ... it was the only thing I could do to help me find my parents' killer. I even bought some red lipstick. 

"Are you sure you want to do this? Jasmine, please ... think again, this is very dangerous!" Bastian, who was originally sitting on the sofa in my room, immediately stood up and approached me. It was clear that he did not like my choice.

"I'm not sure, I just have to do it. Do you have any other way? Jaden said, my parents' killers are a big group, and it's not easy to get information from them. If I don't do this, what should I do, Bastian?"

Bastian fell silent upon hearing my words, he knew very well the situation we were in. The man scowled in annoyance, glared at me, and then turned to throw his body back on the sofa.

Useless man.

"So ... how are you going to seduce him? I'm sure a young boss like him is used to being around beautiful women, if you only use your beauty, I think it's useless," Bastian said without looking at me.

"Ah, I learned it from a movie, I'll spill my drink on his lap, then stare into his eyes for three seconds, creating an unusual impression, so he'll be curious about me," I replied quickly.

After hearing my words, Bastian's brow furrowed, his lips pursed, and his eyes narrowed. I don't know what part of my plan made the man react like that.

"Um, Jasmine, I warn you, he's Nicholas Sokolov, the young Italian boss who is known to be cold and ruthless. He's not some naive guy who will keep thinking about you after you spill a drink on his shirt. The tricks in the movies you watch won't work on him!" Bastian looked at me straight in the eye.

I swallowed my saliva roughly and took a deep breath. I didn't think that far; really, my experience with men was very minimal.

"And you're just saying it now when I'm about to meet him! For God's sake, Bastian! Can't you make yourself more useful?!" I glared.

Bastian just shrugged his shoulders casually, then whistled mockingly at me.

"Relax, I've gathered some additional information about Nicholas, and... although it's quite surprising, it's very beneficial for you," said Jaden, who had just entered the room.

I turned my head with enthusiasm and looked at the man closely.

"So, what information might be beneficial to Jasmine?" Bastian interjected.

"Her ex-girlfriend has a character that is not much different from Jasmine," Jaden said.

Not much different from me? What kind of character do I have?

"Spoiled, noisy, and annoying girl?" Bastian guessed.

Wait a minute! What did he say?

"Exactly!" Jaden replied casually.

Oh, shit!

"So ... Jasmine, just be yourself, do what you usually do, you don't need to bother acting in front of him," Jaden said as he patted my arm gently.

Who knows what kind of insult this is?

"Ah, they're here," Jaden said after getting a message from his cellphone.

I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly from my mouth, getting up to re-select my dress. If I have to be myself, then I don't need the sexy dress that's been giving me a headache.

***

I sharpened my vision, trying to see more clearly the figure of the man sitting in front of the bartender who was mixing drinks for him. I thought he was a 27-year-old man with an ugly and scary face, but who would have thought he looked quite young with a tall body and an extraordinarily handsome face?

Without thinking much, I walked quickly and sat down next to the man. There were so many women eyeing him as soon as he came, so I didn't want to miss the chance to sit next to him.

The man didn't budge an inch from my presence, as if I wasn't there. Should I spill something on him? This was driving me crazy.

"What can I do for you, Miss?" The bartender who had previously served Nicholas, turned to me after he placed his concoction in front of Nicholas.

"Um, I'm thirsty, give me some orange juice," I said quickly.

The bartender in front of me was silent with a confused look. But a few seconds later, he smiled kindly at me.

"I'm sorry, we don't serve juice here, and if I may, I would recommend a cafe with refreshing juices nearby," the bartender said to me.

Ah, shit. Of course, a classic bar like this wouldn't serve juice. Now, what?

"Give me the same drink as him!" I pointed at the drink in front of Nicholas.

It wasn't just the bartender in front of me who was surprised, but the mafia boss next to me was too. He looked at me with a frown. See, being surprised like that can make him look so sexy. It's true that if you are born handsome, whatever you do will look charming.

"Miss, I would recommend another drink with a lower alcohol content if you would like," said the bartender in front of me.

"No, I want that!" I insisted.

Although he looked reluctant, the bartender in front of me began to mix the drink I ordered. Meanwhile, Nicholas was still staring at me openly with a sharp gaze.

"Excuse me, Sir, could you stop staring at me like that? Just so you know, I'm pretty weak against the piercing gaze of a handsome man like you, so stop doing that before I kidnap you!" I joked.

Ah, I remember hearing this sentence come out of Emily's mouth.

Nicholas chuckled softly, then looked away from me. I knew, my words must have sounded very funny to him. Seriously, how could a silly girl like me be able to kidnap a cruel mafia boss like him?

But ... looking at his smile just now, it seems like he's not as cruel as people say. How can a cruel person smile so sweetly?

Oh? Or am I meeting the wrong person? He is indeed Nick the Black Shadow, right?

"Listen to me, sweety girl, you'll get high if you drink this, you better order something else," he said softly.

Oh, his voice ... that deep, raspy, sexy voice tickled my ears. The charm of a mafia boss is truly extraordinary.

"Aren't you looking down on me too much, Sir? Do I look like a nerd to you? Just watch, I'll finish the whole drink in one gulp, and I'll be fine afterward!" I exclaimed confidently.

Well yeah, I don't know what my tolerance is for alcohol, but I have a very strong belief that I can handle it.

"Then I'll look forward to it, we'll see what happens after you finish that drink," Nicholas said and winked.

He's handsome but annoying. Look at that, he's looking down on me.

I stopped staring at it. Waiting with my heart pounding. What would it taste like? How strong would it be? Why did they seem to doubt me? But ... what if the drink was really that strong? What would happen if I got drunk?

"Here's your drink, Miss," the bartender said as he placed the drink on the table.

Here it is...