His Contractual Mistress

The first song reaches its ends. But Vincent has no plan to stop. The next song that was played by their guest band has a song titled Destiny by Jim Brickman.

This time, both of her arms rested on Vince's shoulder and both of his palms clasping her slender waist. Their body was pressing each other. Too close that it made her difficult to breathe. 

To hide her blushing cheeks, Hailey rested her head on Vince's shoulder. She could not meet his intense gaze either. It feels like, his eyes drawing her into space she knew she should not enter. She's afraid to fall deeper. 

"You look lovely in your dress," Vince whispered into her ear.

Hailey parted from Vince and met his eyes. There is sincerity on them. She smiled and thanked him. For her, Vince is such a gentleman. In months, they were living together, he didn't try to take advantage of her. Instead, it's quite the opposite. However, in these passing days, he started acting strange, and she doesn't want to assume that Vince is also falling for her. 

How if Zenaida is right? How about one day, Vince finally sees her again? How if he finally found her? 

It means Vince's real love has finally arrived. And all of these acts would be only as her wonderful memories. 

Hailey closes her eyes. At the moment, she was lost in her thoughts. Once again, she self-pitied herself and consoled herself not to fall too much. 

She comprehended that the heartbreak she experienced with Bryan is different from the pain she will feel once she let herself fall for Vince. Because what she felt for Bryan is only brotherly love and Vince is different.

There are many times she wishes, that every intimacy they were acting is real. But in the end, she has to wake up, because, in reality, she is not part of his life. 

She is simply His Contractual Mistress. 

Hailey lost her enthusiasm for dancing. She asked Vince, "Can we take a seat now?" 

"Sure! How about dinner?" Vince queried on their way back to the table he was seated at with his friends. 

"Ah... I'm a little hungry, yes." Her excuse. Because what comfort she could only offer to herself is food. 

But Vince is acting gentlemanly again. In the end, she cannot escape from his charm. 

"Seat here. I'll get you something to eat." said, Vince. He pulled a chair and helped Hailey to sit comfortably. He gathered the hem of her dress and carefully tucked them on her side so that she would not step in on herself. 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome. I'll ask a server to serve some water." 

Hailey observed Vince at the buffet table. She sighed helplessly and hid the sadness in her eyes. Every day, she always works on killing her feelings for him. But every single day, Vince is showing her a reason why she must fall for him. 

'And it should not happen.' Her thoughts but not her heart. 'Ah! Stop! You can't decide on your own!' Hailey keeps scolding herself.

Later, Nadia approaches her with a pitcher of water in her hand. She poured the water into a clean glass and offered it to Hailey.

"Thank you, Nads." 

"You are very welcome, Madame Shen," Nadia said teasingly which made Hailey dumbfounded for a moment. 

"Hey! Don't make a joke like that." She warned the girl. However, she could not hide the smile she tried to conceal. 

"You and boss are a perfect match!" Nadia could not stop fangirling and showing how thrilled she was. "Darn! Earlier, when you made a grand entrance, the boss stopped blinking and his eyes couldn't take off from you! His expression was actually caught on camera. And everyone sees it on the large screen." 

"Okay. But I'm actually quite nervous, you know." Still, everyone knows that Vince is married to someone else, and she's here as the mistress taking the wife's place.

"Why would you? You are so lovely and the way you walk was so elegant! When the boss acknowledged you? I saw how Zenaida's eyes were popping out from shock. And when the boss gives you flowers and kisses you and dances with you? Her face is throwing a fret of jealousy!" 

Hailey chuckled. "Alright. The night is great! And the reception is truly amazing. No one should spoil this gathering. And speaking of amazing things to happen..." Hailey pointed her lips toward Hazel dancing with a tall handsome man. "Is he the one Hazel mentioned as her crush among Vince's friends?" 

"Oh! He must be! Darn, Hazel. She looks too obvious that she had a crush on him." 

"I could tell too." Both of them giggled. When Vince came back with plates of food, Nadia quickly left. 

Hailey looked at the platter Vince placed in front of her. Her mouth drop opened after realizing how much food Vince took for her.

"Whoa! I couldn't eat them all!" 

"Don't worry, I'll help you," said Vince with a smile. He picked up a clean spoon and began putting food on Hailey's plate. "Which one do you like?" 

"Oh. That fish fillet!" Hailey pointed to the bowl of sweet and sour sauce. Vince placed it next to her plate, she immediately had a bite of it. "Hmm... I watched the chef who makes them. I figured out how to make the perfect sauce! I'm going to try it tomorrow!" She told Vince excitedly, she put more fish fillet on her mouth. 

When it comes to food, she and Vince develop a greater relationship that Hailey hasn't realized yet. And for Vince, food is the best part since he meets Hailey. Honestly, he never enjoyed the food this much before. Unless it's homemade. 

Coming back from dancing, Jake, Lloyd, and Hazel had a second thought if they should go back to their table. They just have a feeling to bother the sweet couple sharing food at the moment. 

"Damn. I want to believe I was only deceived by my eyes." Jake stated. "Where did he put all the food he's eating tonight?" 

"He must be a cow. He had three stomachs." Lloyd's opinion. 

Listening to these men, Hazel could not suppress from laughing. She shook her head from amazement at how stupid these two men are. It seems they had no idea that food is man's happiness. 'The only food they knew is women.' 

Hazel frowned and rolled her eyes. She left them and headed to their table, casually seated across Hailey and Vince who made everyone envy at how lovey-dovey they were. 

"I started thinking that I was attending your wedding, bro," Jake uttered after he sat next to Vince. 

The guy could only curl up his forehead. His mouth was filled with food, but only humming his words. 

"Don't talk when your mouth is full." Jake took this opportunity to annoy Vince. The guy could only throw a dagger look at him, but it's not threatening at all. Instead, he ignored Vince and stared at the beautiful woman seated next to him. "Hi, Hailey! It's nice to finally meet you! Jake Velasco." 

"Hello, Jake. Nice to meet you, too." Hailey reinstated. She shakes hands with the guy.

"Yeah! I've been thrilled to meet you for a long time already." Jake added, to which he received a sharp glare from Vince. But the usual, Jake ignored him, and he continued chatting with Hailey. 

On the other hand, Hailey is a bit intrigued. Why does Jake say he is thrilled to meet her for a long time already? So Vince told him about their agreement? She could not stop thinking about it. And it made her wonder what Vince told Jake about her. 

"I have to go to the powder room." Later, Hailey informed Vince. 

"Okay." Vince stood from his seat and helped Hailey sit up from her chair. His friends rendered speechlessly witnessing his acts. They could tell that their friends are head over heels to Hailey.

And when Hazel saw Hailey stand up and gesture at her, she followed Hailey and both girls left the men. 

"He's chatty," Hailey whispered at Hazel. 

However, Hazel didn't understand it at first. "Who?" 

"Jake Velasco. He is your crush, isn't it?" Hailey teases Hazel. She didn't need to ask the teenager. Her flushing cheeks answered her curiosity. 

Meanwhile, left at the table, Lloyd left as well to get some dessert. Seeing this an opportunity, Jake pulled his chair closer to Vince. 

"She is more pretty in person," Jake commented. 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Vince asked Jake suspiciously. "You saw the news about us? Someone sending you photos of us which I take them down already?" 

"Yes, ah, no! I'm not talking about the recent photos of her!" Jake having a hard time explaining himself when Vince is throwing sharp glares at him. "I'm talking about the photo you showed me four years ago!"