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First Encounter

James noticed Bryan was distracted and whispered, "What's up?" Bryan replied, "Don't worry about it, it's nothing.". The two then resumed their interaction with the guests intrigued by Bryan. "Congratulations, Sara. You're finally engaged," Natalie exclaimed, embracing her friend. "I can't believe it either," Sara replied, delighted to see Natalie at the party. "I see you've brought a friend," she observed. "Oh yes, this is Aria; we work together at the station. Aria, meet Sara." Natalie introduced them to one another. "Nice to meet you, and congratulations on your engagement," Aria said, extending her hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you too. You guys look stunning. Just don't steal all the men," Sara quipped while shaking Aria's hand, prompting laughter from everyone. Sara then introduced her fiancé as he came over to join in the fun, and they chatted for a while. "Enjoy the party, ladies. Have fun," Sara said as she prepared to attend to other guests. "We definitely will. Catch you later," Natalie replied, exchanging an air kiss with Sara. As Sara departed, Aria remarked, "Your friend is incredible, so graceful." Natalie agreed, "Absolutely, she's down to earth.". They both went to have some drinks and enjoyed the party. Natalie spotted a familiar face. "Oh my god! Is that James?" she exclaimed. "Who?" Aria asked, confused about whom Natalie was referring to. "Come on, I'll introduce you," Natalie said as she tugged Aria along, heading toward where James and Bryan stood. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Clarke," said Natalie, grabbing James' attention. "Natalie? Oh my goodness, it is you", exclaimed James, surprised to see Natalie. They hugged, "It's been a long time, how have you been?" Natalie asked. "I've been doing well." James replied, "I see you've become a news anchor just like you said back then," he added. "Yeah, I guess you became a lawyer," she said. "A business lawyer to be precise," he remarked. "Oh, that must be nice. Why haven't you reached out?" Natalie asked.

"I guess they left us out of the conversation," Aria remarked, standing beside Bryan. "They certainly did," Bryan responded, offering his hand, "I'm Bryan, by the way." "Aria," she replied, accepting the handshake. Bryan noted the softness of her hand to himself. "So, you're a 'plus one' as well?" he inquired. "Yes," Aria confirmed. "How about we grab a drink? They seem to need more time to catch up," she suggested. "Sure," Bryan agreed. They discreetly left James and Natalie and headed to the bar for drinks. "What did your friend say to bring you here?" Bryan queried. "She mentioned I should get out more. Why do you ask?" Aria responded. "You strike me as an introvert; you seem a bit out of place," Bryan observed. "I usually only attend parties for work. And you, Mr. Plus-one?" she asked with a playful smile. "I've been occupied with work lately, so I thought it would be a nice change of pace," he explained. "What kind of work do you do to think attending a party would be a great breather?" she asked out of curiosity. "I run a business. What type of work do you do? It sounds fun," he replied. "I'm a journalist, and it's far from being fun. Collecting and organizing information is exhausting, not child's play," she remarked, taking a sip of her drink. "I understand your point," he replied, taking his sip.

"It was nice seeing you again," Natalie said to James. "Likewise. May I have your contact details to stay in touch?" asked James. "Of course," replied Natalie, reaching into her clutch for her contact card. As she handed it to James, she paused, sensing something amiss. "James, I feel like we're missing something," she remarked. "Missing what?" James inquired, puzzled. "Wait... where's Bryan?" he suddenly asked, scanning their surroundings. "Who? Oh no, Aria's missing too," Natalie realized. "Do you think they're together?" she wondered. "I doubt it, but let's search for them in case they're lost or bored," he suggested. They both left to look for Bryan and Aria.

"Here you are," Natalie exclaimed as they spotted Bryan and Aria at the bar. "We've been searching for you," James chimed in. "We didn't want to intrude. You two seemed to be catching up, so we thought it best to give you some space," Aria explained."That's kind of you guys. By the way, Natalie, this is Bryan Owens," James said as he introduced the two. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Owens. I've heard quite a bit about you," Natalie said as she offered her hand for a handshake. "The pleasure is mine," replied Bryan, rising to greet her with a handshake. "Wait, Bryan Owens of Owens Inc.?" Aria wondered silently. "This is Aria, a close friend of mine. Aria, meet James," Natalie introduced them. "A pleasure to meet you, miss," James greeted, shaking Aria's hand. "It seems you've already met each other. What brings a man of your caliber to a modest event like this?" Natalie inquired, looking at Bryan. "A friend extended an invitation," he answered, gesturing towards James. "You're not as arrogant as the media portrays you," Natalie observed. "That's an interesting remark coming from someone in the media," James chimed in. "It's refreshing to hear such candor; I value that," Bryan responded. "The pleasure is all mine," Natalie concluded. The four of them continued enjoying each other's company at the party and also had fun participating in fun games the engaged couple added to the party.

"It was nice meeting you gentlemen," Natalie remarked as they stepped outside. "It was a pleasure. I'll make sure to keep in touch this time," James responded. "I look forward to it. Until we meet again," Natalie said, parting ways with Bryan and James alongside Aria. "Travel safe, ladies," James called out as he bid them farewell. "Did you have fun?" he asked Bryan as they continued their conversation. "You could say that. I enjoyed the company of the ladies," Bryan admitted. "Thank goodness for that; at least nothing crazy happened," James added as they made their way to the car. "Yeah, the games were fun," Bryan said. "You and Aria seemed to enjoy yourselves since you won a few games. It must have been great teaming up with her, right?" James probed, eager for Bryan's reaction as they settled into the car. "Yeah, she was great," Bryan responded, securing his seatbelt. "Look at you, all chilled out. It's been a while since I've seen you like this. Do you like her?" James inquired. "Who?" Bryan feigned ignorance. "Aria, man," James clarified, giving Bryan's shoulder a nudge. "No," Bryan dismissed. "Alright, if that's what you say," James conceded, starting the car and pulling away. "You seem to know about Bryan quite well; could you share some insights?" Aria inquired."Why? Are you interested in him?" Natalie inquired curiously as they made their way downtown. "No, not really. I was just wondering," Aria replied. "Okay. From what I understand, he took over the family business after his father died eight months ago. He has a younger sister who manages the company's branch in New York, but not much else is known about her," Natalie shared. "People often perceive him as arrogant and lacking social skills, yet despite that, he has been successful in taking over after his father," Natalie explained. "He has a lot going for him," Aria acknowledged. "Just admit if you like him. Behind that curious expression, there seems to be more. And considering how much fun you two had with the games, it's kinda obvious," teased Natalie. "You're reading too much into it. He's out of my league and not my type," Aria responded defensively. "Alright then. I still think he's a great guy though," Natalie conceded. "Oh, really?" Aria asked, shocked. "Yes," Natalie replied, "Girl, trust me. Rich guys are a no-no. They're just rich, spoiled, and arrogant narcissists. I dated one," Aria said. "You mean your high school sweetheart... What was his name again?" Natalie asked, taken aback by Aria's comment. "Andrew," Aria responded. "You hate him that much to even call him a narcissist?" Natalie, "It's just that when you really love someone, you tend to regret for some time why you even bothered." emphasized Aria. "You had it rough in your love life I see," said Natalie with empathy as she continued to drive.

Later, in her bedroom, Aria opened her laptop to look up information on Bryan Owens. While scrolling, a photo of him captured her attention and she paused, musing, "He doesn't look that bad. He's quite handsome." She lingered on the image, recalling the initial exchange they had shared. Realizing her own behavior, she snapped the laptop shut, exclaiming, "Oh my goodness, Aria! What are you doing?" as she covered her face. "Don't tell me you're that easily swayed. Oh God," she muttered. She put the laptop on the bedside stand. "Don't even think you stand a chance; he probably has a girlfriend, or, even worse, he might be gay. How silly of you to be thinking about a guy at this time," she said sarcastically, pulling the covers over herself to sleep. Bryan got home and went upstairs to change. As he took off his blazer he remembered the moment Aria introduced herself, "So, Aria it is" he said and smirked. "I guess I should have asked for her number," he said as he thought about the fun they had during the games at the party.