Chapter - 2 : Girlfriend?

"Looks like someone has plans tonight."

My gaze followed the voice. Rose was leaning against the door frame of my room with a smile on her face. Just like her name, her rosy skin-tone was flawless. The curls of her long brunette hair were a little messy. It looked like she came to me directly without even changing out of her work clothes.

"I'm going to a party." I leaned closer to the mirror as I applied a bright red lipstick on my lips.

"Party!" she exclaimed. "Can I come?"

"No." I shook my head.

"Why not?" 

"Because I'm going with..." I trailed off, a strange feeling stirring within me. I was about to say his nickname.

"With...?"

"My boss," I stated, dismissing the unsettling feeling. "So, how do I look?"

She scrunched her face. "You look gross." 

"Do I look that bad?" I glanced back at the mirror, slightly disappointed by her response.

She approached me and placed the back of her hand on my forehead. "Are you okay?"

A deep frown tugged between my brows at her chuckle and I brushed her hand away. "Seriously, I don't want to look bad." 

"Why's that?" She raised a brow.

Why is that? I didn't know. I'd never cared about how I looked when I went to official parties, yet a part of me wanted to look good tonight. Maybe it was because it was an unofficial party, or maybe...

"Jessie." Rose snapped her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back from my thoughts.

"It's an unofficial party, so I want—"

"Unofficial?" Her bushy eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

I told her everything, starting from Mr. Nelson's invitation to my boss's weird behavior, not forgetting to mention the nickname.

"Sounds sexy." She beamed. "Well, you should change into something elegant."

I watched her head towards my closet and open it. "Oh my God! Jessie, your closet needs an upgrade," she said, shuffling through my clothes.

My closet had dresses and work outfits that I had bought a long time ago. It had been ages since I'd bought a new outfit. 

Rose sighed and rushed out of my room. I heard her twisting a door knob and then her steps faded. She might have gone into her room. A few seconds later, she came back to me with a dress. It was a maroon dress with a sweetheart neck.

"Go and change into this," she ordered. Rose and I had the same slim figure, so we didn't have any problem sharing clothes. 

I smiled and took it before going inside the bathroom. Once I got changed into Rose's dress, I looked down at myself. It felt comfortable except for the length of the skirt. Being an inch taller than Rose made the skirt only reach above my knees. I tried to pull it down, but the attempt was futile. 

I walked out of the bathroom and sat back in front of the mirror. When I tried to fix my lipstick, Rose demanded for me to close my eyes so she could work on my face. I hesitantly did as told. Rose tended to do far more dramatic makeup than I did, so I was scared as to what she'd do to me.

"It's done," she said after ten minutes. I opened my eyes to see my reflection in the mirror. The combination of peach and copper eyeshadow highlighted my blue eyes while the blush on my cheeks brought attention to my smile. I couldn't help but be mesmerized by my reflection. It was like looking at a completely different person.

She looked at me for a second before pulling the rubber band from my ponytail, letting the loose curls of my honey-blonde hair fall on my shoulders.

"Okay, now you're ready." I grinned, feeling good. I couldn't even recall when was the last time I'd felt good about myself.

The doorbell rang, catching our attention. Rose walked towards the front door to open it. By the time I made it to the living room, John was already inside. His black suit that matched his hair had wrinkles after a long day of work. He stopped in his tracks when his brown eyes fell on me. "Oh my goodness! Is that Jessie?"

"She looks hot, right?" Rose asked.

"Can't say. Boyfriend rules prevent me from complimenting any other girl's appearance but my girlfriend's." He wrapped his arm around Rose's waist and planted a kiss on her forehead. 

John had light skin that was a bit similar to Rose's complexion but his brown eyes were darker than hers. Though they were still in their work clothes, they looked gorgeous together. They were a perfect pair. 

"Oh, come on, at least say I did a good job." Rose frowned.

John chuckled. "Of course you did, baby."

"I definitely worked my magic on her," Rose praised herself. They both laughed and walked towards me.

I let out a nervous chuckle as I adjusted my short skirt. It was my first time wearing such a short skirt because all of my skirts covered my knees completely. At least it covered my thighs or I would have changed back into my previous outfit.

The footsteps creaked against the wooden floor, making us look back for the source of the sound. My boss was standing at the entrance of the front door.

"Mike!" John said as he walked towards him. Rose followed John.

John Smith was Michael Thompson's business partner. They were childhood friends and had started their advertising agency Thompson & Smith Group together three years back.

"Hi, Mike! Come inside," Rose invited him.

"No, it's okay. I came to drop John off and thought that I could take Jessica with me if she was ready."

"Well, she is definitely ready." Rose stretched her hand dramatically in my direction.

Drama queen.

The moment he looked at me, his dark brows rose a little and his hazel eyes grew wide. His eyes trailed from my eyes down to my feet and back up to my eyes.

"Hi! Mi-Mr. Mike."

Damn!

I stuttered the same way I had on the day of my interview. I couldn't help it because he looked damn handsome in his dark charcoal suit with a red tie. John must have helped him with his tie—I assumed he'd done it before I started working for Mr. Thompson.

Both Rose and John cleared their throats, which broke our intense eye contact. They both stifled a laugh and the atmosphere grew awkward. I took a step back and turned my head away sheepishly.

"I'll be in the car," Mike told me. He turned on his heel and exited the apartment.

Rose and John chuckled, earning a glare from me. Grabbing my handbag, I followed Mike.

He was waiting for me in his car, just as promised. I was shocked to see him in the driver's seat because I was the one who usually drove him around.

I didn't intend to ask any questions and took the passenger seat next to him. He started driving without sparing me a glance.

Why isn't he saying anything? Should I start the conversation?

It was the most awkward drive we had ever shared. Before this, I had been comfortable around him since we always kept it professional. We never discussed our personal life or any other topic that wasn't work-related. I knew that I was only uncomfortable now since he had referred to me as his friend.

God! What's going on? This is so awkward.

"We're here," Mike said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I looked at him before checking my surroundings. I was so lost in my own head that I didn't realize we had already arrived at the party.

We both walked to the front door together. I stopped a few steps away as a surge of nervousness settled in my stomach. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at me.

"Nothing. I'm just a little nervous," I admitted before adjusting my dress.

"No need to be. You look great."

I looked into his eyes. It was the first he had ever complimented me.

"Just be confident." He grabbed my hand before placing it around his arm.

A smile crept on my lips but I bit it back when he looked at me.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Mike."

"Just Mike."

I bobbed my head like a kid.

A beautiful view welcomed us as we entered the backyard of Mr. Nelson's house. Trees were decorated with string lights, illuminating the backyard. Some guests were already standing near their tables, which were decorated with navy-blue cloth. The large table at the other end glowing with the candles and lots of food. 

We grabbed our wine glasses from a passing waiter and started talking to some of our regular clients that were also attending the party. I started to feel comfortable after seeing more familiar faces. A few sips of wine and conversations with familiar faces relaxed me. 

Mr. Nelson clinked his glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention. He smiled once it grew quiet and said, "Welcome, everyone! Thank you for being here. As you know, I planned to announce a surprise tonight." 

Hushed whispers filled the air as people tried to figure out what the surprise could be. "I would like to invite the famous model and actress, Ms. Katherine Douglas, to our company! She is the brand ambassador for our new product."

I heard some gasps and some claps. I knew that our new project was to advertise their shoe product, so I figured a model or a small celebrity would be the ambassador. I didn't think Katherine Douglas, one of the most popular celebrities in the nation, would agree to be the brand ambassador, though. It was, as promised, a big surprise.

Everyone shifted their eyes to see Katherine Douglas walking towards Mr. Nelson. Her dark green dress reached her foot with a slit that exposed her leg and her red hair was settled on her right shoulder, revealing her bare back. She looked more beautiful in real life. People stared in awe at her beauty.

I shifted my gaze to Mike to see his expression. The wine glass in his hand stopped in mid-air near his mouth. His lips were slightly parted and he wasn't blinking as he continued to stare at Katherine.

"Oh God, Mike!" I gasped when he spilled his wine on his tie.

He looked at his tie and hissed, "Shit!"

"I always carry an extra one in my handbag. Let me go and grab it." I took his car keys as I had left my bag in his car.

My mind spun as I sprinted away from him, filled with thoughts. How could he spill his wine on his own tie? Was he just as mesmerized by Katherine's beauty as everyone else? In the office he behaved like he didn't care about girls like that...

Whatever.

I took the spare tie and went back to the party. My eyes scanned the area for Mike. My shoulders tensed when I found him. He was talking with Katherine Douglas. I could tell by the look on his face that he was upset. Maybe he was not pleased with being in front of a celebrity with a ruined tie on. I better hurry and change his tie before he loses his temper.

"Excuse me, I need to borrow Mike for a second." I grabbed Mike's hand before walking away, leaving the beautiful woman by herself.

"What are you doing?" He frowned.

"Sorry... I have your tie. Let me change it." My words were hasty as my hands were already removing his tie. I replaced his spoiled tie with the new one and let out a sigh.

When I looked back at him, a dangerous smirk landed on his lips. He grabbed my hand before walking back towards Katherine Douglas. His arm encircled my shoulder, startling me.

"Meet my girlfriend, Jessica Williams," Mike said.

Girlfriend?