Chapter 4. Good bye, Nephew

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lynch," I greeted, inwardly wondering that he hadn't turned around.

However, when he finally turned around, my heart literally stopped beating for a few moments. I recognized him. For mother earth's sake, I really wish I could get out of here. He's that man! The guy who slept with me last night!

I suddenly rummaged through my bag, looking for something.

**

The man intercepted me at the door of the room. He was already wearing his light blue shirt. His hand held out something, a thin black object that was very ordinary. I glanced at it and could only catch the small golden-colored writing.

I looked up, giving him a lazy look. "No need," I replied simply. Because I knew this was just going to be a meaningless one-night stand. Or at least I intended it to be. Not accepting anything from him was the main step to forgetting him. I didn't even bother asking his name, which I had already forgotten under the influence of last night's alcohol. I gestured for him to step aside so that I could leave this place as soon as possible. 

However, he did not move. "Keep it."

"Fine, fine," I said quickly as I grabbed the card and immediately put it into my bag carelessly. I'll just throw it away later. "Now, may I be excused?" 

And he finally gave me access. And as I closed the door, I faintly heard him say, "See you soon."

**

I managed to find the thing I was looking for, which I hadn't had the chance to throw away because I was pressed for time. I'd even forgotten the fact that it had been in my bag. My eyes bulged when I realized that the name card I now held was exactly the same as the image Emma had sent me a few minutes ago.

With panic clearly on my face, I looked back up and stared at the man. He walked over. And when he grinned, I knew that I was completely fucked. Idiot, Mia!

"Hello, Miss Abreu. I didn't think our next meeting would come so soon." He extended his hand, intending to greet me. Has he lost his mind?

My hand trembled in response. He smiled before inviting me to sit down at the prepared seat.

I cleared my throat to remove the awkwardness. "Thank you for giving us your time, Mr. Lynch," I began, trying my best to be professional. This interview was supposed to be my salvation in front of Rory, but I realized that fate had played a trick on me by having him in the same room as me last night. I shook my head quickly, getting rid of the image of his abs in my head. I cleared my throat once more before turning on the recorder. "Alright, let's just get this interview started. Are you ready?"

River nodded and gave me his dazzling smile. "Of course, Miss. I'm ready anytime."

I opened the note containing the list of questions that Cody had reorganized by changing a little from the list I was supposed to ask Marcel Monaghan.

"First of all, could you tell us a little bit about your beginnings in the perfume industry? What motivated you to get involved in this business?" I started with the most common question in the world.

"I've always been interested in scents ...." I paid attention as he explained, trying my hardest to look professional and push away the memories that kept milling impolitely in my head. "...I think, perfume is a wonderful way to convey emotions and create memories. Or save memories for some people. From that, I wanted to create an unforgettable experience through scent."

"That's very interesting. However, the thing that interests me the most is the name of your perfume brand, Mr. Lynch. Séduisant. What is the deeper meaning behind that name?"

"Séduisant means 'seductive' in French. Like the name ...."

The questions that follow are designed to uncover the personal and professional side of River Lynch. We talk a lot, about the inspiration behind his perfume brands, his business journey, and the social impact he aims to achieve through his products. The man's openness and intelligence will, frankly, make a great contribution to Pamela Magazine.

The interview was finally over. Although I was having a hard time controlling the flashes of memory that crossed my mind and that every sentence the man spoke successfully brought me back to our unexpected meet, but at least I managed to overcome them.

And when I was sure I'd managed to control my awkwardness, River suddenly said, "The professional session is over. Now I want to talk about something personal."

My eyes rounded perfectly, my face suddenly stiff. Okay, I knew he was definitely going to discuss our activities last night "W-what?"

The man looked at me seriously. "I honestly know Evan."

"Wait, WHAT?" I was at a loss for words again. Couldn't he make small talk first? Wait, that's not important. Their shared last name wasn't just a mere coincidence. For God's sake, don't let him say .... "Please don't say ...."

"He's my nephew."

Like being struck by lightning in broad daylight, I choked on my own saliva.

River stood up and got some water. I rejected it harshly when he thrust the glass at me.

"What do you want to say?" I asked, shaking with sudden anger.

"I'll cut to the chase. I actually saw you and Evan last night. I followed you to offer you a deal because I think we both wanted to kick his ass."

I opened my mouth to say something, but it was as if I couldn't reach the vocabulary I'd spent decades learning.

"So last night I was planning to—"

A hard slap landed on his cheek. My chest heaved, my hands clenched tightly at my sides. "You want to take advantage of me?" My jaw hardened, looking at him still intact as if he felt no pain at all. "You have taken advantage of me being drunk." The image of his smart and professional figure from a moment ago was suddenly shattered into pieces.

"You're the one who seduced me."

"I was drunk!"

"Then that can justify—"

Bang!

The sound of a door slamming stopped River in his tracks. We both turned to the source of the sound.

"I told you to stay out of my business!" Not enough of my earlier shock, Evan appeared suddenly in a state of anger.

He was just as surprised as I was. It was undeniable. How would you react to finding your uncle and your (ex) girlfriend together in a hotel room? "Mia? What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to grab me.

I jerked his hand away roughly. The image of him cheating on me yesterday resurfaced and dominated my anger. I tried to control myself. Being squeezed into a situation like this made it hard for me to concentrate.

"River, can you explain?" Evan said, turning to River.

"Mia is the one who will answer," River replied calmly. He leaned back against the table.

I looked at River, whose eyes revealed that he was leaving the decision up to me. I gulped. Fuck it all, I hated Evan more than anything! After taking a deep breath, I took a step toward Evan, glaring at him hatefully. "You think you've been the one who's been successfully lying?"

"Mia... what do you mean?" He tried to grab my hand again, but I rejected it.

My steps were set on River. Our eyes locked, and I caught a glimpse of him smiling faintly. Throwing away all my common sense, I grabbed River's cheek and kissed him briefly on the lips.

"What the hell!" a protesting voice sounded from behind.

"Fuck you!" I whispered against River's lips before pulling away, causing him to flash me an annoying smile.

I walked with cloud-like steps, grabbing my tote bag and planning to get out of this place. My steps stopped when I passed Evan who was still rooted to the spot. The last tap of my shoe sounded so dramatic. I turned to Evan, smiling wickedly. "Good bye, Nephew."