Her Right Mistake

(27) Vren

Vren signaled the bartender for another drink. There were a few women flashing smiles his way, the invitation clear and plain. He would jump to the opportunity to spend the night with one of them and leaves her bed early in the morning before she wakes up to offer breakfast – which he normally steer clear from. He enjoyed most of it. He likes to socialize and he happens to like women. However, things got a little different when he turned thirty. His choices narrowed and he went from a little picky to exceedingly... picky. And it sucked the fun out of everything. He could even say it was so damn close to lonely.

He took a swig of his drink and set it back on the cocktail napkin. A decent display of dainty female legs caught his eye and he turned for a better look. It was wrong to stare but the long pair of legs got his eyes trained on them. His gaze drifted slowly from the heel clad feet, working their way up to the delicate ankles, a shapely calf and a ton of smooth thighs. A woman with legs like that could turn the heads of heterosexual man and would ogle as Vren does at the moment.

The slit was high up to her thigh but it was far from being indecent. Still, the legs on display sure was garnering attention. Vren wills himself to look up where his eyes were supposed to be.

Shit.

Brown eyes gaze back at him. "Vren."

He temporarily doubted if it was just the alcohol or Audrey Danler really was making her way toward him. A trail of lingering gazes followed behind her. The hair was down her shoulders. They were curled. All the more reason for him to be doubtful.

She slid into the bar stool next to him. It was tough to focus when the black dress allowed him a peek of her cleavage. Audrey came to punish him, that's for sure. "You've seen a ghost?"

The bartender came to get her order but something tells him it was just to shower her with attention. She merely shakes her head. "I apologize for being late."

Vren was miserable not finding her anywhere in the venue. About half hour since the party started, he begins to waver between staying for a little while or leave the instant he realized she's not coming at all. He was sulking – disappointed even. He would like an apology. He just doesn't know if Audrey is seducing him into forgiving her.

"Vren, are you drunk?" She rotated her bar stool to take a good look at him.

It took his brain almost two seconds to catch up. "No. I just thought you—"

"Would let you drown yourself with alcohol when I'm not even allowed a sip?" She laughs softly.

Vren shakes his head, stifling a smile.

"How many did you have?"

"A couple," he answers truthfully.

Audrey nods. "Okay." Her phone buzzes in her clutch. She then takes it out, her other hand keeping the curly strands from her face.

Vren couldn't help but stare. He was supposed to keep his hands to himself. Audrey and that damn dress would require him a lot more effort than he has been keeping in check.

"What are you staring at?" She types in her phone – probably an email.

He swallows. "Nothing."

"Can you ask the bartender for a glass of water?" She asks, her eyes on her phone.

"Sure. That I can do." He gestured the bartender who came over. The guy gave him a look, hesitating.

There was a clearing of throat. "You've been asked for booze all your life you don't know what water is anymore?" Audrey snaps irritably.

The bartender nodded, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Now, there's the Audrey he knows.

"Should never ridicule other people's choices, buddy." Smiling, he lifted his drink to his lips.

A finger touched the rim before it made contact with his mouth. "We're leaving. I think we stayed long enough."

"We're leaving?"

Audrey turns to the bartender and speculated the glass of water he laid in front of her. "You can stay. Maybe enjoy yourself while women gawk at you."

"Do I hear jealousy, Audrey?" He teased.

She takes a sip from the glass. "That was sarcasm, Vren. Ever heard of that?"

Vren chuckles. He's not the one getting gawked out around here. If she looks around, there are more men lurking like predators stalking their prey. As if he would let them near her. Audrey might not care about them but he does – more than he could ever admit. In fact, if one even dare come over, his fists are in good condition into launching at some guy's face.

She puts down the glass of water and takes her phone back into the safety of her clutch. "Let's go."

Nodding, his hand rode on the small of her back as they wended their way through the throng of people and finally to the nearest exit. One of the parking valets springs forward when they came through the door. "I parked your car to the most accessible area, Mr. Parkinson." He pointed at the VIP parking lot nearest to the gate.

"Thanks." Vren pressed a tip on the young man's palm.

She allowed him to lead her down the brick steps toward the parking lot, not making subtle attempts to dislodge his hand from her back. "I didn't know you're so generous with tips."

"Well, you still have tons to know about me."

They made it to his Audi. She stopped by the driver's side and turn to him. "Give me your keys."

His brows shoot up. "You want to drive?"

"Unless you want to drive while intoxicated."

He hadn't thought about that. "I don't want to get into trouble." He hands over his keys.

She opens the door and tossed her clutch inside. She wiggled a black Scrunchie from her wrist that he only noticed just now. She probably secured it around her wrist when they were making their way out of the crowd. His keys jiggled noisily as she tamed her curly hair with the Scrunchie.

Vren watches her, barely blinking. That one drunken night doesn't seem to have been a mistake anymore. Or it might have been a nightmare before he had known Audrey Danler. His breath caught in his throat when she stares back at him.

"What? Do I look weird?" She closes the car door and shove her chin up.

He lets out a small laugh. "No. You look beautiful."

She froze in place. Her brown eyes jerked away for one millisecond. She was rejecting the compliment. She will kill him if she ever finds out he thought it was adorable.

Vren steps forward, setting his fingers beneath her chin and nudged her face up with his thumb. He waits for another second, giving her a choice to pull back or stay. When he lowers his face to hers, Audrey meets him halfway through. In the back of his mind, he is a happy man. He met a woman he desperately wanted to kiss without an ulterior motive of spending the night in her bed. 

I hope you're all doing fine this quarantine. How long have you been on quarantine? I think I stopped counting on day fifteen. Quarantine made me developed this habit of not doing anything all day. And also sleeping longer. Now, how can I break these habits? 

Shout out to this beautiful soul @meow_almacen !