"Do you have any plans this Saturday?" Bruno asked Claire over the phone.

"I don't think I have anything planned," she replied honestly. "Why?"

"Launching of a new master project of the year... family stuff that I can't miss. I-I was hoping you could come with me," Bruno said hesitantly. "I mean, only if you can. Everyone will be like... I'm the director of what what what, if not the CEO of whatever and I don't want to lose my shit engaging in a boring conversation." Hearing Claire laughing, he also laughed briefly. "Well, The bottom line... I don't grow old and bald overnight so I need someone to talk to at that party and you came to mind. I'm kind of a black sheep and I love it."

Boy, that means all the Stevens will be there, right? A red flag flew through Claire's mind, even though he still didn't understand how lonely Bruno was all the while he seemed like the most charming guy on the planet.

Did he have a girlfriend? It was the question Claire ought to ask at some point.

"Where will the party be?" she asked, deep inside trying hard to make the decision on whether to go or not.

"Um, how about I send you an official invitation instead? You'll have all the details."

"Okay," Claire replied quietly.

But was she seriously going there knowing that Ryan Stevens, the man she wanted to avoid at all costs, was going to certainly be there as well?

"So do I have myself a date?" Bruno charmed.

Claire sighed heavily, her eyes stuck on her office computer. "Well, you win again. But can I bring a friend? It's just... I hate going places without her and she loves big parties. She won't forgive me if she leans I had fun on my own."

And just like Bruno, she also needed her wing-woman to pull through the night.

"Of course," Bruno replied. "A friend of yours is a friend of mine."

"Cool, the Stevens' family black sheep," Claire teased him.

"A family black sheep?" Bruno laughed heartily. "Well, that I am. But I do love playing incognito, trust me, and I'm not bothered."

Claire told Gena about it later in the evening. As expected, the Asian lady was enthralled and immediately started planning what to wear and other details. It was her best friend's contiguous enthusiasm that Claire liked the most about her; she needed Gena as much as Gena needed her.

"Wait... Ryan will be there, right?" Gena asked over the phone.

"I guess?" Claire breathed while climbing into her bed, ready to call it a day.

"Now that is more interesting! Finally, I'll get to see the man behind my friend's insanity up close, and maybe I could ask him about his mysterious intentions toward you. I can't wait!" Gena's mood was aloft.

"I'm not insane, and you're absolutely not gonna ask him anything, Gena Montero!" Claire admonished. "He and I are nothing but a casualty of the rain storm, so keep your Fifty Shades of Grey innuendos to yourself, you crazy woman."

She heard Gena laughing so loudly that her phone could blast.

"Oh, yes, you're not. You're perfectly sane, my friend." Gena's plain sarcasm drew a smile out of Claire's lip. "And about me talking to Ryan... girl, you were like a character from Jane Eyre and now, out of the blue, you're about to give Anastasia Steele a run for her money. I gotta ask him what's next. He intrigues me, that copper-haired Hedonis of yours."

Claire burst out laughing. "You're the insane one, I swear."

Saturday came in a whiff, and after sundown, they were ready for the party.

Gena was in a red, above the knees length, cocktail dress, the same color as her bright lipstick. Her raven hair fell straight down her shoulders and parted neatly at the top of her head to complement the pair of black platform heels with a peep-toe hole at the front.

"We're here—let's go," Claire uttered with a sigh when their Uber pulled over in front of a luxurious hotel where a red carpet staircase adorned the front entrance right where a pool of water and flags embellished the view.

Her black dress was floor-length and backless, with only a few straps suspended into an X from the neck to her waist. A plunged V-neck and a thigh-length slit exposed a decent amount of her cleavage and one leg, respectively. Holding the skirt of her dress, she gracefully exited the Uber.

They walked nonchalantly to where Bruno was standing; he was waiting for them right at the entrance while fixing his bowtie with a petulant frown.

"Okay, if the younger one looks like that, then how does the older one holding your breath at the mere thought of his lips look like?" Gena murmured, making Claire frown incredulously. "Oh, girl, you're in really big trouble."

"Shut up, Gena. I already know what I signed up for, so you don't need to remind me." Claire smiled at Bruno while saying this.

He looked charmed, eyes gliding between Claire and Gena with a gleam.

"You ladies look absolutely gorgeous!" he exclaimed.

They both smiled, flushing.

"You look stunning yourself, black sheep. Seems like the tux treats you way better than I thought. You should wear them more often," Claire told him.

Bruno waved a modest hand in the air, as though she was spewing nonsense. "Me and tux? Nah, it's cramping my style."

Shared laughter flew in the thin, evening air that made Claire desire nothing but to be inside given the open shoulders and back of the dress she wore.

"Um, this is my best friend... Gena," Claire said pointedly. "Gena, meet Bruno, my newest friend from Montesby." She gave them a quick introduction, a happy smile on her radiant face.

"Hi, Bruno. Heard a lot about you?" Gena uttered.

"Good stuff, I hope?" he replied, gave her a friendly hug, and pulled back with a brighter smile. "Welcome, you two. I'm a lucky man." He drew them both closer by widening his arms like a 90s Casanova.

Laughing, the two ladies stood by either side and gave him the honors. They walked inside the grand ballroom like a couple of not two but three, and many eyes on them briefly.

The venue was beautiful and exorbitant. A vast, crystal chandelier hung high above the ceiling. It has three side balconies from the ground floors embedded by the spiral staircase. More guests were chatting over drinks, and soft classic music bathed the air.

Bruno led them to a well-decorated table, where they all sat comfortably. However, he soon excused himself for a minute for an untold reason. Gena busied herself with her phone for a while, and Claire was getting familiar with the party by straying her gaze around.

That's when she spotted someone who, as always, managed to take her breath away.

"Ryan..." His name slipped from her lips in a sweet whisper, her heart jumping fast like a miniature horse in the wide backyard.

Ryan was smiling forcedly at some couple while sipping the drink he was holding, his free hand dug into his pants pocket. Indeed he was breathtakingly handsome, and his smile—no, his smirk—was one hell of a temptation.

Claire held her breath as she stared at him without an ounce of shame. He was dressed casually in cream, cropped pants, and an aquamarine stylish coat that hugged his brawny chest to perfection; the shirt beneath was half-buttoned, and her sultry mind imagined the wildest of him.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" A mirthful female saved Claire from the ocean of licentious thoughts.

It was Doris.

Claire gazed swiftly at her. Just like the first they met, Doris looked classy and elegant, and it left Claire thwarted as to why Ryan would mess with her all the while he had such a lovely woman as Doris Guerra by his side.

Because he's fucking playboy and the biggest jerk I know.

"You okay, Mija?" Gena asked, finally back to her friend.

Claire pulled in a smile. "Totally. A drink?"

They both grabbed a champagne flute from the waiter who just stopped by their table.

The party began and at last, it was Ryan's time to take the spotlight as the President of SK. His exhibition at the front was welcomed with a warm round of applause, ogling eyes from ladies, and slight envy from some of his gender.

He smiled warmly as he held the microphone.

"Thank you everyone for being here tonight," he said, his voice manly and confident. "I'm positive most of you have heard about the new Lisbay project from the grapevine, which, apparently, had earned me wonderful names such as A Dracula of Spain, a ruthless Midas, and so and so." He laughed briefly, following the audience's lead. "Well, I'm a visionary and I accept all the names as long as we get to have better houses and more authentic neighborhoods that our children and their children will be proud to call homes. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, and not everyone was happy when Romulus took the initiation. But no, I would never kill my own brother as he did—rest assured."

Again, everyone laughed. Everyone but Claire.

Ryan continued with his speech, amidst which his eyes collided with Claire's among the guests. She found herself quiet—too quiet like a church mouse—as she listened to him, word by word, and even felt a strange pain at the stone cast on him in the course of his business.

Well, why did she care whether people hated him or not?

Minutes went on until Ryan announced the presence of his grandfather, the founder of the SK Group of companies. Mr. Stevens himself, with a happy smile on his old face, appeared like a youngster in his black suit. The applause was exceedingly high towards him.

Bruno finally returned to the ladies. "Are you girls comfortable?" he asked.

"Yeah, we are good," Gena replied, and Claire seconded. "Oh, your grandfather is super handsome. Now I know where you all get your great looks from."

"Yeah, and he seems so happy today." Claire tried the caviars, blending in with the fancy hors' d'oeuvres served with wine and champagne that most guests seemed to enjoy on their tables.

While taking a seat, Bruno remarked, "Well... I'm just glad there's no part of introducing family members because I hate the charade. Can you imagine meeting someone who asks what accomplishments you have in life? I mean, what is that? It's totally obnoxious to me."

"Oh, he's so damn right," Gena agreed wholeheartedly. "I hate that myself. It's so hard being with people who measure a person's value with the kind of job and accomplishments they have, like my snobbish relatives, for instance, which is why I can never see myself moving back to Andalusia. Never again." She grimaced.

Claire sighed. "That's the harsh reality we live in. If we're all the same then where's the fun in that? At least you guys have relatives to complain about. With me... I wish I had a brother or grandfather to brag to his peers about my accomplishments. Weird, right? To each their own, I guess, so cheers!" She raised her glass.

Frankly, Claire was far away from their conversation. She only eyed one person who eyed her back gallantly. She was angry at him, but she had no idea why exactly.

Minutes later, a handsome, dark-skinned man approached their table; Claire had already seen him with Ryan at some point, and then with Doris, and they all seemed well-acquainted.

The man, six feet tall with a body befitting a main character from a black American movie, casually placed a hand on Bruno's shoulder and said, "Such great company you have here, Bruno."

He eyed Claire and Gena, in turn, a snow-white tooth smile adorning his features.

"Hey. What's up?" Bruno greeted him in a similar fashion.

"Good. May I?" He flung a hand toward their table, seeking permission to sit with them.

"Of course," Bruno complied. "These are my friends. Claire... and Gena." He pointed out.

The new guy pulled a seat next to Gena. His black suit was as neat as Bruno's, but he had no tie around his neck.

"Pleasure. Harry Rys." Harry, per his own introduction, gave Gena a handshake while having a seat. Back to Claire, his dusky eyes that glowed brightly from the pure white surrounding their irises narrowed a bit. "Claire? I think I've heard quite a lot about you," he said softly.

"Oh?" Claire uttered, taken aback.

Seeing her expression, Harry said, "Oh, forgive me for being brutally honest. It's just... Ryan can't hide stuff from me since I'm his best friend even when he wants to."

"Why?" Gena challenged. "Just because you're his best friend doesn't mean he can tell you everything, right?" Grabbing a glass of wine, she gave Harry a surreptitious side glance that made him smile so enticingly.

He cocked his head fully to face her, and suddenly the tension between the two could be cut with a knife. "Are you capable of hiding things from Claire, Gena?" he asked her, taunting her.

Gena inhaled and exhaled heavily, sitting upright. He was playing her. She knew it. All the while, Claire couldn't hold her laughter, and Bruno was grinning like a child on Boxing day.

"No," Gena replied confidently. "Not unless it's not important for my girl to know. Back to you, Harry. Was it so important for Ryan to tell you about Claire?"

"Gena!" Claire whined.

"No, it's okay," Harry prompted. He was staring at Claire when he replied, "I guess it was. And now I know why."

Excuse me? Claire could hear herself snapping inwardly.

"Oh, is it now?" Seemingly satisfied, Gena pulled her wine glass toward her lips, eyes genius on her best friend. When a chilly sip ran down her throat, she returned her attention to Harry who was now talking to Bruno. "Sorry, what do you do aside from being Ryan's confidente?"

"A lawyer," he replied simply, and Claire knew right away that her best friend had been had.

Doris walked into their table holding Ryan's hand. A leap through Claire's heart made her swallow a sudden lump while wiping the smile off her face after whatever Bruno and Harry blurted to regale her and Gena.

So, they worked together? Claire couldn't fathom what this new discovery meant to her, given that she'd seen them together for longer than necessary from the moment she announced the commencement of the party up to now.

The table was enough for eight people. Doris, who wore a body-fit pantsuit of similar color as Ryan's jacket, sat down and greeted the others. Claire stared at Ryan blankly, unable to mask the fury consuming her despite knowing it was utterly foolish on her part.

And then Doris looked at her.

"We meet again, Claire," she said, "and wow, I almost couldn't recognize you tonight. You look gorgeous in that dress."

Claire smiled feebly. "Thanks. You too," she said.

"I should've guessed it was you Bruno was dying to invite." Doris threw Bruno a mischievous grin.

He scoffed, but a smile was radiant in his eyes.

"Well, I'm glad Bruno was kind enough to invite me," Claire returned. "He's such a gentleman." In her peripheral, he saw Ryan taking a seat next to Doris; he had no smile on his face.

"Thank you, beautiful. Always a pleasure," Bruno replied over a glass of water and an easy quiet reigned for several seconds.

Music was the only thing in the air, and maybe Ryan's cologne that Claire couldn't ignore as it reminded her of so much more than she needed to recall.

"Ryan." Claire decided to give him her civility. "I loved your speech. Congratulations on the great things coming your way." She meant it.

That heart-grabbing smile of his appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks, Claire. I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replied, and the two stared at one another in a language only their minds understood.

Jerk! Claire clenched her fists under the table and swallowed the anger like the big girl she was. She then took a very deep breath of composure before getting up from her seat.

"I'm going to the lady's room," she told Gena.

"Uh, okay." Gena was too occupied with Harry to give so much as a glance to her friend.

Claire smiled knowingly. She could tell the Asian was smitten by this charming lawyer.

"You should put your Asian charms into use if you want to capture the dark chocolate," she whispered into Gena's ear, teasing her. "Well, only if he's available... unlike some manwhores I know." Her eyes strayed, and it was Ryan Stevens talking and laughing with Bruno and Doris at the other side of the table.

"Um, okay?" Gena grinned, for she knew her best friend's temper and at the moment it was stuck up in her throat like a fishbone. "I guess he's as distracted as you are," she added, and Ryan's eyes were, apparently, trained on Claire at this particular moment.

"Well, I'm not," Claire muttered and left.

She could feel Ryan's eyes stalking her, and a part of her—a very stubborn and brazen part of her—knew he'd do something about it and yet she didn't bother to care.

___________

A/N: And they meet again. Will this party end without drama? I highly doubt lol. Do you?