Second Chances

7. Adrianna

It took a few long moments for the tequila haze to clear as Adrianna's mind soon registered that the person standing before her was not Elton. Her husband didn't have the mesmerising blue eyes that seemed to have been transfixed on her face. She could make out the strong jawline, his perfume, which she guessed had to be expensive and not some cheap knock off. Wait, why was she checking out a stranger? She was still married! She simply stared at him, unable to come up with a smart response, and observed the smile that slowly formed on his lips.

"I know you are very capable of paying for your own drink, but that still won't stop me from buying one for you," came his smooth, deep baritone.

Ah! Exactly like how Tess would describe her club outings. So this is what it feels like being hit on? Oh wait! Does that mean this guy wants just one thing from her? Oh dear Lord! Well, anyway, she had no intentions of spending the night with a stranger and indulging in some meaningless s*x, but that shouldn't stop her from having some fun. She wanted to play along. After all, didn't she want to be different than her usual 'boring' self?

"And who do you think you are?"

The person was about to answer her when she interrupted, "No, stop. Stop. You will introduce yourself, I will say my name, and there could be a teeny tiny possibility that we might know each other or even have mutual friends, which would force us to behave the way it would be expected of us, a version of us that is hiding behind these masks. Now wouldn't that defeat the entire purpose of coming to this place, far off from the monotony and familiarity of our daily lives?"

The person looked amused, and Adrianna could feel that his eyes were twinkling with mirth. "So you want me to assume an identity?" He asked.

"The chance to be whoever you want to be. Isn't that exciting? Here, let me go first. I am Annabelle," and she extended her hand.

"Out of all the exciting chances you could have had, you want to be a possessed doll? Interesting." The way he talked did something to her, and she didn't know why she suddenly started feeling a bit warm, his voice sending a tingling sensation down her spine.

She could simply manage to nod, not trusting herself to form a coherent sentence. She could see a smile form on his lips, which slowly turned into a smirk. He took her extended hand in his. "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Tony Stark."

Adrianna couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. She thought she saw some change in his expression when she giggled, but the stranger was swift enough to mask it.

"Would you like to dance?" The sheer intensity and sincerity in his voice were not really helping her case. Instead, she diverted her attention to her drink, gulped down her shot, not breaking eye contact with him. She then turned around, pretending to not care that she still had his complete attention. She dabbed her mouth discreetly with a tissue and made her way towards the dance floor, not bothering to see if he had followed her. Truth be told, she was now wondering if she was really in control of the supposed game she wanted to play.

The song that was being blasted on the dance floor was one of her favourites. The buzz from her Cosmopolitan and the subsequent tequila shots soon kicked in, as she could sense that she was losing her inhibitions. She was in her own world, not even vaguely aware that he was right behind her, barely touching her but still close enough. Her trip had taken a turn for the.... worse? Best? She didn't know. She had wanted to forget about her life with Elton and have a few days of freedom. And here she was being pursued by a stranger with an enchanting voice and captivating blue eyes. Could her birthday night get any more interesting?

Her body swayed to the beats of the song, she danced without a care in the world, for the very first time. She soon turned around, only to find his eyes watching her intensely, distracting her mind from their closeness. He hadn't made any move to touch her, but the way he was looking at her was enough to make her feel anxious, the sweet kind of anxious. She had never flirted with anyone, nor had any experience when it came to dating. All her life, she had been so occupied with pleasing Elton and getting him to notice her that she missed out on having such experiences. She could feel the fog in her mind clear as the pathetic state of her love life came to the forefront. No, she was not going down that road again. And for that, she would need another shot.

She broke her stare as she made her way to the bar again, ordering another tequila shot to calm her nerves. He was soon beside her, ordering a whisky for himself. She gulped it down at a record-breaking speed and was off to the dance floor, unaware that he was quick to go after her. This time, however, he didn't simply stand close to her. He slowly wound an arm around her waist and gently pulled her closer, their faces just a few inches apart. Their bodies were flush against each other's, gently swaying to the music. The song being played was a fast-paced one, but the two seemed to be in some sort of trance. His hands sensually made their way up her sides, before coming to rest on her waist again.

Adrianna was glad about the masquerade masks they were made to wear, as she was sure her cheeks resembled a ripe tomato now. She had never been in such an intimate position before and considering that she was standing in the arms of a stranger at a party, she should have started feeling uneasy. But the sensations she was going through were nowhere near alarming, rather she felt her pulse racing at an insane speed, the proximity messing with her mind. The way he had touched her was making goosebumps erupt on her arms. No, it couldn't be. She was married for God's sake! She couldn't cheat, she was better than that.

She unwrapped his arms from around her waist, making his eyebrows furrow, and excused herself to go to the ladies' room. She left him alone as she made her way through the crowd, mind replaying what had happened minutes ago. What was wrong with her? From where did she get so much confidence? Or was it naivety? She was playing a dangerous game by leading him on.

She removed her mask and stared into the mirror. The girl that was looking back at her was different than her, she was nothing like the Adrianna she knew. Rather, the girl in the reflection seemed to ooze confidence and looked pretty. Adrianna splashed some cold water on her face, while her mind was trying to grasp the fact that she was allowing someone to flirt with her, she was leading him on, and it was clear that the guy had every intention of sleeping with her. Damn it! What was she thinking? Of course, he was playing along too, so that he could get in her pants! And here she was, thinking that maybe there was something electrifying between them.

She dried her face and wore her mask again. It was time to put an end to this charade. She had to call it a night and get away from him as staying with him any longer was akin to playing with fire. And she didn't want to get burnt. As she looked at her reflection once again to check if her mask was perfectly placed, she could not help but think about the way she felt when he was near her, his touch, and his intense blue eyes. God! It would be difficult to step away from him. After mentally prepping herself, she exited the ladies' room, only to be taken by surprise to see him leaning against the wall, hands in his trouser pockets, patiently waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?" She hadn't intended to be rude but it was too late now as the words were already out of her mouth.

He simply smiled, "You have had too much to drink. Wanted to ensure that you make it back, Anna."

Anna. The way the name rolled off his tongue made her insides tingle. Although she had to admit that she freaked out when he called her Anna, fearing that he may have recognised her. "I can make my way back. Thank you for your concern," she responded with a bit too much sass, trying hard to push him away and make him lose interest in her, though his action and words had the opposite impact on her. He opened his mouth to say something when she abruptly added, "I... I need to go."

"Is everything okay?" A frown on his face and disappointment in his voice. Of course, his 'prey' for the night was leaving, his time was wasted, Adrianna couldn't help but mentally roll her eyes. Such a fool to fall for his caring act just a few seconds ago.

"Yes and no. I have an important call to make..." that was the best excuse she could come up with. As an afterthought, she added, "I am sorry for leaving abruptly." She was about to walk past him when he gently held her wrist. "Can we meet again, Anna?"

What was he playing at? Wasn't this the part where he tried to stop her or say something to that effect? Or just walk away and hunt for his next prey? Adrianna was confused.

"We shall see," was all she said before she freed her wrist from his grip and immediately left, not wanting to answer further questions or make any false promises. Her mind was confused as ever but her heart was doing cartwheels. Her silly, stupid heart.