CHAPTER 3: THE SMILE

THE SMILE

Standing right in front of the mirror, I'm staring at a woman I never thought I was.

I took a shower, frankly, almost three hours. God knows what kind of business I did inside the bathroom.

Eric hired people to help me get ready. They did my hair, my makeup, and none of it answering skeptic mind. What's with the makeover for?

"You look so gorgeous, my dear."

A gay man hairdresser have been pouring me praises even before they started to fix my whole existence. Now, my confidence has been multiplied by five.

"No wonder why the well-known Eric Marsh would want to date you, sis." The designer I met at her boutique shop, Tonya, smiled while also looking at me through my reflection.

"We're not dating," correcting them, but Soda, the hairdresser, just laughed at me.

"Oh, dear. They are in their hush-hush stage of the relationship."

Tonya pointed her forefinger at him as she nodded her head. "It's the business we shouldn't put our asses in, or we won't get paid."

"Though, that sweet and romantic kiss I witnessed earlier was a sight for sore eyes."

I stiffened from that memory that made my butt clap. On that part, what the hell was that kiss for? And... why did it feel so good?

Am I being a sinner? If so, it's Eric's fault!

Soda checked my hair once again before clapping his hands twice.

"Very well, you are done. Our magic has been showered all over you, and now, you will be standing under the limelight tonight."

"Good luck!"

"We'll wait for you downstairs."

Tonya showed her biggest smile and two thumbs up before leaving me in this room.

"I don't even know what's the party for." Puffing my cheeks before sipping in the situation, I headed to the door. "Here we go, be a queen."

I snorted before opening the door and walked down the staircase that shouts the power of Eric Marsh. I never ever thought that I would step a foot in his private place. But I just did.

"Here she comes!" Soda squealed.

By the living room, Soda stands beside Tonya. And the dashing Eric Marsh awaits. He's clad in his white three-piece suit, and those tantalizing ocean eyes are looking straight at me.

"Hi," timidly greeted him, and I received no response.

There's this alien emotion on his face that I've never seen before. As if he's... bedazzled by what he's looking at.

I'm that gorgeous.

"Mr. Marsh?" Tonya was the one to wake him up from whatever trance he whooped himself through.

"Y- yes?" He cleared his throat, yet his eyes are still glued on mine.

He should stop that, or I'll assume that he would want to marry me.

"We'll be leaving, and we are very hoping that we not your expectation and satisfied you with our service."

"Yes," Eric answered. "Very satisfied."

`

Green light, orange, and red. We were caught by the light.

Inside the limousine, he's sitting right in front of me with his knees apart. Sitting like a real man with a gold drink in his hand.

And me? I don't know where to look, how to breathe. Hell, I don't even know why am I sitting here looking like an expensive woman, which I'm not.

"Sir?"

"It's Eric," rectifying how to address him, he glanced in my direction. "We're outside the building."

"Tonight, I'm not your boss. You're not my employee. You're my... partner."

"Uhm-- wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Grimacing for a second, I am not used to calling him by his name, especially when I'm talking to him.

"You have my consent." His eyes found that something's wrong with my hand, and it made him frown. "You're wearing a ring."

"Oh, uh--" Hiding it, I chuckled. "It's uh-- an engagement ring from my ex-fiancé."

"Ex?"

I nodded my head.

"Then why are you still wearing it?" As if it's his right to question it, he asked.

He's tapping his forefinger on his knee, counting the seconds of my silence. He took what's left of his glass in one swig, and his eyes finally fixed on her.

"He and I, we never had a closure." The bitterness of my life started to flash in my head.

"So you're still hoping he would come back to you?"

"No," honestly replied, I stared at it. "I'm just waiting for the right day when I get to sell this to someone or at a pawn shop. It's a real diamond, though."

"Take it off." He's not asking. He's demanding it. "I can give you something worth more than just one diamond."

My eyebrows lifted over his sentence. "Give me a ring?"

Eric tilted his head to the side, giving me a stare that undressed me. "Yeah, why not?"

"Why would you give me a ring?"

Perplexed, I stared at his profile. Perfectly symmetrical beauty and the masculinity he gives off. It hurts the ego of many men and steals many hearts of women.

Just staring at him, and this new him makes me want to believe that soon I'll be one of the girls who would come after him after stealing my heart.

"Can you just take it off?"

"But where am I going to put it?" Hesitation poked my shoulder. It had been a year that I'm wearing this ring. Even after my ex-fiancé left me three months ago, it's giving me second thoughts to take it off.

"Give it to me." Laying his palm in the air, I reluctantly placed it on his palm, thinking that he would give it back to me later.

But that thought dissolved when he opened his window and tossed it.

I gasped, "Why..."

"If my mother sees you wearing a ring given by someone else, she would question it," he uttered, putting the glass on its holder

"Why?"

"Because you're with me."

"Why?"

"Why 'why' are all your questions?" A frown displayed on his face.

"Because... you just took me from work, and then you bought a dress worth three years of my salary, and then you took me to your home and you just threw my ring outside the window," I recited everything that happened today. "I don't even know where we're going or what's going on here."

"I don't know why you're like that, or why take me with you. There are a lot of prettier women out there who are crawling the path you take. Why me?" Pointing calmly fingers at my chest, I added. "And I-- I can't find a reason why you kissed me."

"Believe me, I don't know what I'm doing as well."

Eric pat the space beside him.

What am I, a dog to pet?

"Sit here."

"O~kay?"

My butt didn't reach sitting on the leather seat when his hand wrapped around my waist and made me sit on his thigh.

"Gah!"

"Eric!" I shrieked, and somehow, it caused amusement to dance in his eyes.

"This is the first time I heard you say my name, now I'm craving to hear it more often."

"What?" I tried to stand, but his hands held me firmly.

"You look beautiful."

I want someone to correct me if I'm wrong, but did I just see admiration in his eyes?

"And you look better without a frown," I replied to him.

This day had been very weird. It became even weirder when I saw the notorious terror handsome man... smiled, for the first time.