Illicit Attraction

Chapter Seven

Except for Mr. Bishop Possilico, Pharrel and Finlei that I'm not really close with, we barely even talk up to this moment. I know no one in this party. The rich people that I am familiar with is not here either. That made me conclude that the Possilicos are well-off in a different level. Rich-rich, people who can afford to bathe on expensive champagne if they want to while enjoying the aroma of scented candles that are surrounding them.

I search for Nico in the group of businessman talking in the middle of the crowd. He's laughing at them while a posh and cream of the crop woman that's about his age kept leaning to his ear to whisper things that I can't hear for obvious reason.

"If you want to be his girl for the long time and break the three weeks long relationship that he had before. I advice you learn how to not care with that kind of scene and situation," Pharrel said before he push a glass of sparkling champagne to my side using his long fingers.

"Excuse me?" I murmured. He placed his elbow on the high top table and rested his chin on his hand while he stare at me intently.

"Do you want me to distract you from your jealousy." Before my lips could touch the mouth of the wineglass I pulled it away from my face and put down on the table. "Again, excuse me?"

"Are you not? Did I see it the wrong way."

"I am not---"

"Jealous people always say that. The iconic line." I rolled my eyes to Pharrel and find my pools coming back to the man and woman I was watching for the last ten minutes. My feet wanted to move and chase as the two secretly sneaks out of the party but my mind is in control of my whole body at the moment and it's not agreeing on what my feet want to do.

I darted my eyes on Pharrel. He saw what I saw. "Do you know where  are they going?"

Pharrel wiggle his eyebrows playfully. "Where do you think?" I look back at Nico and that woman is nowhere to be seen. No. They're not gonna do what my mind is thinking that they will do right? Maybe he has something to show to her... in private.

I didn't realize that I already lose my control and is walking to find those flirty species until Pharrel run after me.

He tried to seize my movement by grabbing my arm to keep me in place for a moment.

"Please don't make a scene. I'm sure you know his history. He's a playboy and him playing around with different playmates is one of the thing you need to deal with---"

"I don't know want to deal with that," I said and freed myself from his grasp. I remove the diamond linear earrings and gave it to him. "I don't want to see him again."

My patience is drying off up to its last drop ten minutes after I began to hail taxi but no one pull over to accomodate me.

"Adalira." The manly voice made my blood voil. "For Pete's sake, Nicodemus. Let me go home. You don't need me here. You can easily find an instant date in that event... a lot of date, actually." I shut my eyes and do a breathing excercise to calm myself from this rage. We're not an item. I know it but the way he f*****g flirt and do a scandalous thing with someone else while I wait for him on the spot where he left me is making me mad, damn mad. I don't deserve to be treated like that. No one does.

"Is this about Fei? She's a friend."

"Friend?" I pivet and points my finger to him. "Well you two don't look like you're just friend. Pharrel saw what I saw and he told me that if I want to be your girl for the long time that I can. I'm gonna have to deal with you playing around. I can't do that. I will be disrespecting Damon if I settle with someone like you after he sets the standard of how I should be treated and love!"

The anger on Nico's eyes faded until I can't see it anymore. "Let me take you home then. At least I know that your safe. It's the least that I could do for you, Adi."

"ADALIRA?" Uiji's voice snap me back in reality. I closed the cabinet where I kept the beautiful dress that I wore on their party almost six months ago. Like how I want and ask to happened. Nico never showed up after he sent me home.

I opened another cabinet and get the pumps and matching turban that I need before I left my walk-in closet.

"How do I look?" I asked my dearest friend Uiji. Today is my contract signing for an entertainment company. Two months after I graduated I finally receive an offer after sending my sample composition and video of myself singing while playing piano in different entertainment company.

"One thing is missing," she said before she run back inside of my walk-in closet. Two minutes later, she's walking dramatically with a white-framed cat-eye sunglasses. She personally place it before my eyes and clap her hands out of satisfaction.

"Perfect!"

"Are you gonna start recording for your debut too?" Uiji curiously asked. A traffic light made us wait for 116 seconds, giving her time to look at me while she waits for my answer. While my break has just began. Uiji reached her first career milestone last month. She'll be going around the world for CATS, her first big project as a musical actress.

"Before this year end, most probably."

"That'll be seven months from now." I nodded my head. Though I am a performance major. The entertainment company told me that I still need to attend their training program for at least four or three months.

We arrive in Music Co. fifteen minutes before the actual contract signing. Everyone except for the CEO, Mason Parker are already there. My manager Kierra Salvacion told me that the signing will begin once the CEO shows up.

"For the mean time let's retouch your make-up," she said before she bring me in the smaller room of the presscon hall. Kierra gestured me a fancy white chair. A rainbow-colored hair woman come to my side and took a lipstick on the vanity that's the exact shade and brand of the lippie that I used.

"The company prepared a small party for you tonight." I look at Kierra through the vanity mirror because I'm still not allowed to make a sudden move since the make-up artist is adding a pop of peach color on my cheeks.

"Don't worry the big bosses won't come. It's just us and the people you'll work with in the future." That was a relief. I'm afraid I might not enjoy and spend the rest of the night feeling anxious because our bosses is here.

"By the way that is Nyx." The unocuppied three finger of Nyx in the left side of her hand that is holding the blush brush wave to me. "Nice to meet you," I mouthed in between my smile.

"But isn't that the new major shareholder of the company will be introduce too in the employees today?" Nyx closed the blush and carefully put it down on the vanity table. "You're done," she said before she throw her eyes back on Kierra to talk further about the new major shareholder.

"Yes."

"I was thinking. There's a possibility that the bosses will join the party tonight because of that. I heard the party that the company organize for later is grander than the usual welcoming party we host for our new artist."

"Could be but we're not sure of that. If they show up I don't think they'll stay for a long time though." Nyx snap her fingers before she points it at Kierra. "You're right. These bosses doesn't even stay until the end of every anniversary party of the company except Sir. Mason because he have to give his closing speech." A couple of knock on the make-up room's door made them stop talking.

"The CEO is here. We will start in three minutes."

Next to contract signing is a massive picture taking. There's a picture of me and the three bosses, individual shot of me and the big boquet of my favorite white tulips, another one with Mr. Mason Parker.

When the formal program of the contract signing ended. The security team of Music Co. escorted the reporters to their way out of the company. The other two bosses left the presscon hall while Mr. Mason and I get to talk more until he asked Kierra to tour me around the building to be familiar with my new house, he said.

"The second and third floor is for the regular employee of the company. Those who do all the paperworks and stuff." Kierra pressed the sixth floor button of the elevator. "The fourth and fifth floor has four practice room each. Fourth floor is for the trainees while the fifth floor are for the artist," she added. The door opened.

We continued to walk around the sixth floor. "These are the recording floor as everyone calls it. All of that room is a recording studio Music Co. singer-songwriter artist spends most of their time here." We walk into an empty recording studio. It's quite spacious and of course the room is soundproof. There's a long and big table filled with recording equipment and three black swivel chair. One meter away from them is a blue to grayish four-seater sofa.

Kierra pointed the high-ceilling of the hallway. I look up to it and saw nothing but the dim and white lights. "The seventh floor is for the executive, the company lawyers and a meeting hall when Mr. Parker call for a board meeting.

The tour ended with Ms. Kierra walking me to the parking lot where Uiji is waiting for me now. 

"I'll see you in your party tonight." Ms. Kierra wave her hand for a goodbye and I did the same thing before I close the tinted window.

"THAT doesn't look comfortable!" I groaned and shove away the metallic off-the-shoulder dress and mirrored heels that Uiji wants me to wear.

"I know and sometimes being comfortable is one of the many things we need to give up in order to look beautiful. It's not a short dress, come on!"

"Yeah but it looks tight."

"Because it is body hugging!" Uiji yellled at me frustratedly. I sighed in defeat and take the mettalic off-the shoulder dress from her to wear it.

Uiji sprayed something on my hair so my flirty high-ponytail will look the same from the beginning until the party ends. The off-shoulder dress is not that uncomfortable and itchy as I thought they will be earlier but I'm not gonna tell her that.

"She's here!" Ms. Kierra damp her cheeks with mine and crane up my hand and make me do a slow turn. "God, you're so beautiful. I'm sure you'll sweep lots of modelling project aside your music career once you debut." I smiled at Ms. Kierra as I don't have an idea how am I suppose to accept her compliment. I'm afraid that I might look too boastful if I agree on all the things she said.

"Mr. Parker wants to introduce you to the new major sharehoulder. They're up in the vip section of this place." Kierra lead me to the second floor of Elexir where there are two people enjoying each other's company. One is Mr. Parker and the other one is I still don't know since his back is facing me.

"There she is." Mr. Parker stood up from the sofa of the bar and gestured me. The man he's with then turn his head to me. Bullet of sweats came out of my body after seeing his face again.

"This is Mr. Nicodemus Possilico, Adalira." Mr. Parker introduced him to me.