1

It was the worst idea she had ever had in her life, Vivian Sanchez thought as she cleaned up the counter. 

It was unethical, unprofessional and she wouldn't be surprised if her plan didn't go as she wanted it to, but she was desperate and she had to try. At this point, she was willing to risk her current job just to have a minute to talk to Scott McCall. 

He was with a young lady… Vivian guessed he was on a date, but that wouldn't stop her either. This was a chance she was sure she wouldn't get again, and she wouldn't let anything or anyone stop her. 

Scott McCall was an incredibly handsome man, and she was sure that women threw themselves at him every chance they got, but that wasn't why she wanted to speak to him tonight. He wore formal attire… a black suit with a white shirt underneath, and he looked so intimidating, Vivian thought as her gaze fell in his direction where he sat at a table with the lady who clung to him like a life support. 

Whatever the outcome was tonight, at least she'd know that she tried. She made an effort… and that was all that mattered. 

_________

Twisting his fingers, Scott McCall raised his powerful arms above his head and stretched. He was bored as fuck. As he stretched, the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt slid a little further up over his bunched muscle. 

He noticed the look his date sent in his direction and brought his hands down again, laying them flat on the top of the table. Without realizing that he was even doing it, he began drumming two of his fingers on the smooth surface of the table. It was the only outward sign that he was irritated.

The woman seated next to him was Elizabeth Smith. She was a model. Cool, attractive and sophisticated. Her coolness was one of the qualities which had first attracted him to her. She was one of the top models in the country and no one could deny that she was a very beautiful lady. 

She was not married, Scott made sure of that as he hated drama and tried as much as he could to avoid it. When they’d met, her unwillingness to get into any sort of relationship with him had fascinated him. She seemed to not care about dates, and that had intrigued Scott… mostly because it never happened. Women threw themselves at him all the time, including very beautiful ones just like Elizabeth. 

But over the months Scott had observed that Elizabeth's act of playing hard to get was part of a game. It was her plan to play hard to get and make him chase her… And for a while it had worked. She had sparked his interest and he had gone after her. 

When Scott finally figured her out, he didn't leave or confront her about it. Instead he allowed himself to join in the game. He wanted to see how far Elizabeth was willing to take it. He knew that she wanted to marry a wealthy man.

That was funny because he wasn't really thinking about marriage to anyone. He had seen people get married only to get divorced years later, and most of them even became enemies to one another, so he asked himself what the point was anyway. Wasn't it just better to stay single while enjoying the benefits of being in a relationship? As for having kids, people didn't have to be married to have children. There were other alternatives and he planned to check them out when he was ready. 

Even if he ever got married, Scott figured the best kind of woman for someone like him was a woman who didn't expect him to be at her beck and call. He was a busy man and he had no time for that. He needed a woman who made few emotional demands. 

He would want a woman who had a life of her own. Not a woman whose entire life revolved around him… Not some clingy, needy female who couldn't do anything without him. He was very sure any sort of relationship with a woman like that would never last, and if he ever got married, he didn't want to get divorced… ever. He didn't see the point of getting married only to get divorced later. It made no sense and sounded like a waste of time… and he hated to waste time. Time was money in his books. 

Elizabeth seemed to be that kind of woman. In fact, she seemed to fit almost all his exacting criteria. She had her own life. Her modeling career took her places and sometimes she was gone for weeks… so that meant he didn't have to be with her all the time. He'd have time for himself. She also wasn't too emotional or clingy and Scott counted that as a plus. 

Ignoring the gazes of people, Scott stood up and walked into the ballroom, leaving Elizabeth Smith still seated. There was a time when he was fascinated with Elizabeth, but not anymore. Now, almost everything about her bored him to death. Which proved to him once more, that a long term commitment such as marriage wasn't for him. The women in the room followed his progress with hungry eyes as he continued to walk while looking around. 

The ballroom was filled with scented blooms, and chandeliers dripped their diamond lights… It was so beautifully decorated, he thought as he watched people. Most of them were in groups chatting about God knows what. 

He didn't fail to notice the stares he got, or the fact that one or two people tried to stop him so they could have a conversation with him, but he simply responded with a short greeting or nod and continued on his way. Now that he was a multimillionaire, people of his tax bracket and social sphere, damn near scraped their chins on the floor with all the bowing and kowtowing they directed his way. Money and power had that peculiar effect. He was thinking that he couldn't wait for it to be over when a soft, timid voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"Excuse me, would…. Would you like me to get you a drink, sir?"