Desire Of The Elite

CHAPTER 5

"Getting married? Marriage?" This must be a joke! I exclaimed to my mother. There's no way I'm marrying someone I don't know when I'm not ready. Without lingering for her reply, I hurried to my room, thankful that they didn't pursue me.

The following day, I left home for David's place. I held onto the hope that upon my return, my parents would have somehow let go of the shocking revelation from the previous night, and it would all seem like a dreadful nightmare.

"Olivia!! Oh my God," David exclaimed as he ran to embrace me. "Chill, Tiger, you might end up choking me," I laughed, gently pushing him away.

"When did you get to New York? You should have informed me of your arrival. I would have rearranged my schedule to welcome you to the airport."

David continued talking and asking questions nonstop.

"Relax, David, I'm doing well, I'm perfectly fine. What's new with you? Let's head inside and catch up," I proposed, offering my hand. He accepted it, and together we entered the house.

"David! It's so good to see you again." I said immediately. We both slumped on the couch.

"Liv, you have no idea how thrilled I am that you're back in town. What's the occasion?" He took my hands in his.

"Nothing much, I just missed home," I replied with a smile.

He chuckled, "You, Liv, miss home? Who changed you?"

"For real though, I missed home and you too," I admitted, resting my head on his shoulder.

I contemplated telling him about the bombshell my parents had dropped the previous night.

"David, I have to tell you a matter."

"It is obviously not good. Desire to reveal the details?" He looked at me as he sat up.

"They want me to get married, David. Is it really true? I barely even know the guy they've picked for me."

"That's a lot, Liv! Is it acceptable?"

"Not at all! I love my parents, but I can't just marry a stranger. I had to escape to your place to clear my head."

"You should not be getting married to someone you don't love; you should be with someone you love, not a random match," David advised, his concern written all over his face.

"I knew you'd understand. You've always been my voice of reason."

My phone chimed with a message from my mom as David stood up to put on the TV. It was a message about a celebratory dinner at our place.

"David, did my mom invite you and your friends for a celebratory dinner at my place?"

David, engrossed in the TV, didn't respond immediately. I tossed a pillow at him to get his attention.

"Yes, yes, celebratory dinner. She invited us. You don't want to go to your party?" he finally replied.

I shrugged. At least with David and his family coming, it's not a dinner to discuss any marriage plans.

I left David's place three hours before the guests started arriving to give myself enough time to prepare. The party began around 7 p.m. Upstairs in my room, I could hear the music and festivities in full swing.

"Knock, knock, can I come in?"

"Yes, Daddy, please."

"Wow! Look at how stunning you are! My father said, "I understand we don't express this often, but your mom and I are genuinely proud of you," his face lit up with a broad smile. He conveyed, gripping my hands in his.

"Thank you, Daddy," I replied.

"Let's go; everybody is waiting."

Our garden was filled with men in suits and women in elegant gowns. They seemed overdressed to me. It was supposed to be a simple celebratory party, but it looked more like an engagement party.

An engagement party? Oh no, could this be what I think it is?

Fairy lights hung overhead, casting a soft glow and giving the atmosphere a dreamy aura. Laughter and conversation filled the air, blending with the live jazz band's music. Servers moved around with trays of delectable dishes and glasses of wine.

Everyone seemed to blend together in their formal attire, until I caught sight of him.The man was putting on a black suit and black shoes; his hair was not low cut or barbed; rather, it was a combination of the two; the inner black long sleeve's first two buttons were undone, revealing a glimpse of what appeared to be a tattooed torso. Earrings dangled from his ears, and his tall, slender frame held a wine glass with a sense of confidence. The pairs of dark shades he wore made me wonder if he was looking directly at me. Oh my God! "I said to myself"

He was captivating, and I didn't want to be caught staring, so I turned my attention to the other guests.

Who could this dazzling man be? Who had invited him? He didn't seem like the typical children of my dad's business associates. I tried to look for him in the crowd as i stood there together with my dad and he said, "Only God knows what," but he was gone.

How could he have escaped?

Was he even real, or had I conjured my dream man from my imagination?

A sense of longing swept over me. This stranger had ignited something within me, and I was determined to find out who he was.