I'm finishing getting ready in my bedroom, walking over to the dressing mirror outside my closet. I'm wearing a royal blue sleeveless mermaid dress that hugs my curves and a pair of black kitten heels. My messy black hair is tied up in a loose bun. I wear silver dangling earrings with a silver necklace to match. My lips are covered with a pale pink matte lipstick, my eyes covered in an elegant black smokey look. I take my phone and text Angel.
"I'm heading to a business dinner with my parents," I text him. "If I don't respond, you know why."
I grab my black satin purse and slip my phone in it.
"We're ready to leave, Elena!" My mother calls out from the foyer.
"On my way down!" I spritz a bit of perfume on me.
I make my way down the curved stairs and my parents look at me in awe.
"Te vez bellísima," my mother compliments. "I'm sure you'll be charming a lot of men at the dinner."
"Not until they get past me," my father jokes.
"Relax, I don't plan on falling for a guy anytime soon," I reassure them.
"That's relieving," my father smiles.
We exit our home and hop into the limousine to head to the business dinner.
"You should at least talk to some men," my mother suggests. "Just to get a scope of better suitors."
"Ama," I groan a bit.
"I'm just saying it would be nice for you to move on. Who knows what fellow you might run into tonight?"
I shrug as I lean my left arm on the door, gazing out the window.
'I can't wait to get this dinner over with!' I think to myself. 'I hate these business dinners…'
We reach the entrance of the venue after getting dropped off. The limousine drives off as we make our way inside, security holding off some paparazzi.
"Sir Magne! Sir Magne!" Some paparazzi call out.
"Lady Magne!"
"Princess Elena!"
We continue to make our way to the door with security escort.
"Good evening," the doorman gives us a bow. "Please come right this way," he leads us.
We follow him through the venue of tables full of business people. I walk to my father's left and my mother on his right, standing a few inches taller than him at the height of six feet and five inches. She's wearing a black satin dress that hugs her curves. Her long black hair is loose, reaching past her waist. Though tall, my mother is as beautiful as ever. I feel eyes land on us from all over.
"That's Lucifer's daughter," I hear a whisper.
"She's beautiful!" Another voice exclaims.
"She definitely has her mother's beauty."
I ignore the comments and continue to walk through the venue with my parents. We reach a table at the front where we sit down. My father sits between me and my mother, I'm on his right and my mother to his left.
'This is an event where business people come to make connections,' I think to myself. 'Some come to kiss ass.'
After a while, we are finally served our food. We eat our meal with everyone else in the venue doing the same. I poke at some mushrooms in the pasta with my fork as I stare down at my plate.
"Is the food to your liking?" My father asks.
"Yes, it is," I reassure him. "I just don't have much of an appetite right now. I did eat some soup."
"Good, at least you ate something," my mother smiles.
"Try the wine," my father pours me a glass. "It's really good!"
"He's already on his third glass," my mother teases.
"Who's keeping count?" My father whispers to me with a grin.
He and I break out into muffled laughter, causing my mom to scoff at us with a smile. After we've finished our dinner, it's time to mingle with the crowd. My mother stays close to my father on his left, her arm wrapped around his as they hold wine glasses. I'm close to them on my father's right, also holding a glass of wine.
"Thank you again for your investment," an older business man says to my father. "I look forward to our business partnership."
"Likewise," my father nods.
I drink a good gulp from my wine as I'm in thought.
"Is that your second one, dear?" My father refers to my wine.
"No, it's actually my fourth…" I sheepishly smile.
"Atta girl! I'm on my seventh one," my father whispers to me with a sheepish smile, causing my mother to giggle.
"The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree," my mother comments.
"No it does not," my father holds his apple cane up with his free hand that's around my mother's arm.
"Leave some for the rest of the guests, dad," I tease.
"Ah yes. These people tend to be uptight at times. So they'll need all the wine they can get," my father quietly jokes.
The three of us muffle our laughter and quickly straighten our faces as another guest approaches. A younger businessman with dirty blonde hair and green eyes wearing a navy blue tailored suit stops in front of us.
"Excuse me, Sir Magne and Lady Magne," he nods his head a bit. "I hope you're enjoying your evening."
"Yes indeed," my father sips from his wine.
"I'd like your permission to take your daughter to dance."
"My daughter speaks for herself," my father replies.
The man turns to me with a smile.
"May I offer you a dance?" He asks me.
"Uh, I don't know," I rub the back of my neck.
"Go on, Ellie. Have some fun," my father insists.
"Fine, but I'm taking my wine," I reply.
"Make sure her glass is filled to keep her content," he tells the man.
"Really, dad?" I cross my arms at him.
"I'm the same, dear!" He defends with a sheepish smile.
I scoff at him with a smile, shaking my head as I hand my mother my purse. The man offers me his hand but I'm already heading to the dance floor. He's surprised but follows after me. There's a small band playing classical music. The man positions himself, placing his right hand on my waist while I rest my left hand on his shoulder, holding the glass of wine in my right hand. He doesn't know where to put his free left hand so he just places it on my waist as well. I continue to sip at my wine, uninterested in the dance.
"You're a wine lover, huh?" He asks.
"If it's good, yes," I take another sip.
"You're running low," he sees my glass.
He signals a waiter to fill my wine glass.
"Thank you," I sip some wine again.
"Anything to keep you comfortable," the man says.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."
"Harry. I own a banking firm, a highly successful one."
'This guy is boasting,' I think to myself.
"Like you, I enjoy the finest wine, especially while on my yacht."
'Yup. Definitely boasting.'
"I enjoy sailing and traveling," he continues.
My eyes wander around the venue hall while Harry continues to boast. Upon scanning the crowd, I lay eyes on a familiar, wide smiling, red haired man – Alastor.
"Hmph!" I spritz a bit of wine on Harry's suit. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I apologize after gulping the rest of the wine in my mouth.
"No worries," Harry takes out a cloth from his suit jacket and wipes himself clean. "It's not the first time a custom suit of mine gets wet with fine wine."
'I shoulda spit the mouthful at him…' I'm annoyed at another one of his boasts.
I down the rest of my wine and place it on a silver platter carried by a waiter who's walking by. Harry is surprised at my sudden drinking but we continue to dance anyway.
"So tell me," Harry begins. "Are you seeing anyone?"
"Uh…" I glance behind Harry and see Alastor's red eyes staring straight at us from afar. "I'm not, but I prefer to stay alone at the moment."
"Perhaps I can take you out on a sail on my yacht some time."
"I don't do so well with water…"
"I'll help you get used to it."
Alastor stares at us, hidden away in the sea of people. He sees Harry chatting me up as we dance. He notices Harry's hand is a bit too low on my back, practically close to my butt. Alastor has an annoyed smile on his face with a slight eye twitch.
"When are you free?" Harry asks.
"Well, my schedule is really booked with business dealings…" I try to lie.
"I'm sure we can figure something out," his finger caresses my cheek.
Alastor sees the caress and feels his heart beat faster as his hand balls up a bit, a smile still spread across his face.
'What am I feeling?' He thinks to himself. 'I don't normally feel this annoyed.'
The music ends and the crowd claps.
"Thank you for this dance," Harry bows and takes a hold of my right hand. "I do hope to set up a date with you some time," he kisses the top of my hand.
Alastor sees this and his mind races. He's so heated that some wine bottles shatter on the silver platters of the waiters near him.
"It was my pleasure," I force a smile.
I scurry off back to my parents and see my father trying to hide a smile.
"What?" I ask.
"You spat wine on Harry's tailored suit," my father tries to control his smile.
"Oh yeah. What about it?"
"Harry annoys me," my father continues to crack a smile.
"He is annoying with all his boasting. I wished I had spit all the wine in my mouth at him."
This causes my father to chuckle aloud, which makes me crack a laugh too. My mother lightly taps my father on the shoulder, also holding back a smile.
"Another glass of wine for me and my daughter!" He calls a waiter.
"You sure you can handle the wine, dad?" I tease.
"Enough to not spit it at people," he retorts.
"Touché," I grab a glass of wine from the silver platter.
He and I muffle our laughter by covering our mouths.
"Let me go freshen up," I excuse myself and take my purse from my mother.
"Spit wine on that Peter over there on your way," my father whispers, causing me to laugh.
I try to control my laughter and keep a straight face. Once I'm through the crowd, I head for the double doors that lead into the hallway. I see a single occupant restroom and head inside, closing the door after me before turning the light on. I flip the light switch and find Alastor inches in front of me, causing me to gasp and jump.
"Damn it, Alastor!" I whisper. "Don't do that!"
"I couldn't help myself," he has a smug smile.
"Why are you here?"
"Why, I was invited by one of my connections."
"You knew very well that I was going to be here with my parents, didn't you?"
"That's the only reason I came."
"You really like taking risks, huh?"
"For my own amusement," he smirks.
I roll my eyes and down my glass of wine, setting it on the sink counter.
"Anyway, thank you," Alastor says.
"For what?" I'm confused.
"For spitting wine on that boastful Harry."
"You find him annoying too?"
"That and because his hand was a little too carried away on your body."
"Hm?"
"His hand was a bit too low on your lower back."
"Alastor…"
"I found it rather annoying."
"Are you jealous?"
Alastor freezes at the word. Jealous? How could he be jealous? Is that really what he felt?
"Nah, I don't think so," I dismiss it. "There's no reason for you to be jealous. Maybe if you feared Harry stealing me away as your business partner."
"I just didn't like the way he was touching you," his voice is more serious and angry.
I look up at Alastor in surprise for a moment.
'He's really jealous…' I think to myself.
"If you can be a doll and do me a favor," he interrupts my thoughts. "Don't dance with anymore men tonight."
I raise an eyebrow at him. He rubs his eyes with two fingers, trying to keep his smile.
"I'll be going now," Alastor is flustered. "Sorry to surprise you like this."
"Alastor, wait," I say.
He vanishes in a shadow, leaving me in the restroom alone. I stand there dumbfounded at what just happened.
'Did Harry really piss him off that much?' I think to myself.
I think for a bit more before I head for the door. Upon opening it, I run into my father who is standing right outside the restroom.
"Is everything alright?" He asks.
"Yeah, yeah," I try to make up an excuse. "I think the wine is just getting to me," I smile.
"It sounded like you were talking to someone."
"Yes, I called Angel to tell him about what just happened with Harry. I had to tell someone!" I laugh.
My father raises a brow at me.
"Anyway!" My father quickly changes his expression into a smile and wraps his arm around me as he leads me back toward the venue hall. "I've got a few more people you can spit your wine at," he has a devilish grin.
"I'm down," I say. "But no more dancing for me."
Alastor barges through his front door, slamming it after him. He storms into his living area, immediately heading for his collection of whiskey bottles.
"Damn that Harry!" Alastor hisses. "He has no reason to be so intimate with Elena! How dare he touch her in such a manner!"
He hastily pours himself a glass of whiskey and slams the bottle down on the table once he's done.
"But that's not the real issue at hand here," he says after taking a gulp. "The fact that I'm this worked up over something so petty is what's more bothersome. Jealous? I would never imagine myself wasting energy on such emotion."
He gulps the rest of the whiskey down.
"Why do I find myself like this?" Alastor grows frustrated. "I'm losing control of my emotions, my sense of self…"
Alastor grips the glass in his hand, able to see a reflection of himself – he's not smiling.
"God damn it!" He hurls the glass across the room into the wall.
The glass shatters. Alastor breathes heavily, putting a hand to his face.
"It's all because of her…" he thinks of me.
He begins to recall moments with me, seeing memories of me smiling and laughing. His gaze lands on his red sofa. He remembers our conversations and time spent together on that very sofa. His fast beating heart begins to slow and his breathing regulates. A sense of calm washes over him once he thinks of me.
"I can't go on like this…" Alastor has a pensive face.
