Chapter Two

Stepping into his penthouse, Colton went straight to the bathroom. It took him only a couple of minutes to take a shower and dress up.

 Soon enough, he was at the venue. 'Royal Restaurant, Lounge & Bar' One of the empires owned by Colton's family. They were in no way related to royalty in the literal sense but their financial status and family's reputation had earned them that status in the contemporary world. 

The family owned hotels and restaurants with different branches in almost all the states in America. They were into real estate, they owned a winery as well as other investments.

The down floor of the big building was where the reception and restaurant were. The restaurant extended to the second floor. One had to make a reservation for at least a week before they get the opportunity to eat there. 

The third floor was where the bar was located, different size lounges on the fourth floor and the rest of the floor served as VIP hotel rooms for guests. 

Coming out of the elevator into the fourth floor, Colt located the lounge room number where Sammie's party was being held. Every part of the building and room was soundproof and decorated with the finest pieces of furniture and latest technology. 

Two hefty bodyguards were outside the lounge, they both greeted Colton, then one of them opened the door for him. The private lounge was very big, enough to accommodate about thirty guests. The room was filled with people already, most were seated eating, drinking, and making conversations, some were standing in different parts of the room and only a few were dancing to the not-so-loud party mix.

The moment Colton stepped in, he knew he wasn't going to last there because he hated crowded places. He could feel seductive eyes on him but he ignored, trying to spot Theodore, his best friend, or the celebrant, Sammie. (Theo's girlfriend.)

Colt internally heaved a sigh of relief when he sighted Theodore. Theo waved at him with a smile on his face, then called his girlfriend's attention. He whispered something into her ear and they both approached Colton.

"Sammie was already worried that you wouldn't show up. I told her you wouldn't dare! Thanks for coming, man." Theodore pulled Colton into a hug. He chuckled, returning the hug. 

"Happy birthday, Sammie. Thanks for making my best friend the happiest man on earth." Colt hugged her.

"Thank you!" She smiled, returning the hug. 

"I'm glad you could make it. Now, where's my present?" She playfully glared at him after pulling away from the hug. 

Colt stared at Theo who shrugged. He took out two tickets from his back pocket and handed them to Sammie.

"An all-expense-paid trip to the Maldives?! It's not even our honeymoon yet and you're sending us away!" Theodore said.

"Says the dude who hasn't even proposed yet!" Sammie rolled her eyes, earning a chuckle from Colton. 

"Oh, babe! You know I would and I bet you won't see it coming."

"Whatever! Let's just hope another guy doesn't steal me."

"He wouldn't dare mess with me. You're mine only!" He snuck an arm around Sammie's waist and held onto her possessively.

Colton smiled at the duo. They've always been perfect for each other and he was happy for them. 

"Thank you so much for the gift, Colt," Sammie said. 

He smiled. "Don't mention."

Sammie nodded. "I just hope you will fulfill my wish soon."

"Your wish?" He arched a brow at her. 

"Yes! Getting yourself a Girl. I can't wait for us to go on double dates, vacation, and all of that." 

"Sammie!" Colton grumbled.

"Yes, Colt. It's high time. Don't you think so, babe?" Sammie looked at Theodore.

Theo nodded. "I don't know why I feel like it's my duty to find him a girl since I met you through him." 

"There we go again." Colton rolled his eyes. It was true that he knew Sammie first. Apparently, he and Sammie weren't friends either. They were indeed enemies. They both bashed each other's car one day and as strong-headed as they both were, neither of them was willing to take the blame or apologize to the other person. They almost took themselves to court and that was where Theodore intervened. 

"Seriously, guys. I'm fine. I'm getting tired of you all telling me to get a girl. Why do I need one when I'm okay being all by myself?"

"Yeah, I remember saying the same before I met Sammie. You haven't found someone that will sweep you off your feet." 

"I agree!" Samantha said. 

"You both are being irrational. There's nothing wrong in wanting to be alone."

Sammie shook her head. "No one deserves to be alone. Especially you." She handed the tickets to Theo and reached for Colton's arm. 

"It's time for you to meet my girlfriends. You will love them." Without giving him the opportunity to say a word, Sammie dragged Colt to where her friends were. 

Thirty minutes later. 

After several excuses, Colton was able to escape from the so-called bondage he was in. Sammie introduced him to about nine of her friends and four of them kept him company, drooling over him. They made funny conversations but they were obviously throwing themselves at Colt which freaked him out.

Colton found a less crowded area and settled on the couch. There was a table beside him that was filled with drinks. He poured himself a glass, took slow sips, and kept himself company with the view before him. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Almost everyone was on their feet, dancing. 

Suddenly, Colton felt a pair of eyes on him. He was used to people checking him out, most especially females drooling over him but there was something distinct about this stare. 

Looking in the direction where the stare was coming from, his eyes met with hers. Immediately, She tore her eyes away from him and disappeared into the crowd. 

That took Colt by surprise. He was used to people shamelessly drooling at him. But the fact that the stranger disappeared into the crowd made him curious. 

Colton took a sip of his wine to calm himself. He waited for her to show up before him or something but she didn't. 

Suddenly, he felt those eyes on him again but this time around, he had no idea where she was staring from. He looked around from where he was seated but couldn't find her. 

Colt had no idea what came over him. He rose to his feet and decided to move around with the hope that he was going to find her. 

With slow steps, passing between people who were dancing, he carefully searched for the mysterious lady. Sure, he could recognize her face, she had her hair in a high ponytail and she was putting on a short red dress. 

Colton finally saw her but before he could approach her, she dashed into the restroom which was the closest place to hide. 

The fact that she kept on avoiding him made Colt more curious about who the hell she was. He ran a hand over his neatly styled hair, and stood right outside the restroom, waiting for her to come out. The longer she took to show up, the more he was starting to lose his patience. 

She finally appeared in exactly twenty minutes. Colt didn't give her any breathing space. The moment she stepped out, he grabbed her hand and led her out of the lounge. He saw a few people look their way but he couldn't care less. 

"I mean no harm, please let me go!" Her pleading voice came through as she tried to wrestle off from Colton's hold but Colt wasn't having it. He continued to walk her down the hallway. As much as he didn't want her to escape, he tried not to hold on to her too tight, leaving a bruise.

Instead of taking the elevator, he decided to use the stairs since where he was taking her was just a floor above. And besides, people hardly used the staircase which was a good option as it would avoid them being seen by anyone.

"I'm so sorry, Sir. Please let me go. I promise I won't step into this building anymore." She said with a teary and sincere voice which made Colton stop in his tracks. They were halfway through the stairs. 

He turned around and for the first time that night, he took a good look at her. Not only did she have stained tears on her cheeks, but her big blue eyes were also heavy with tears.