The Billionaire's Bundle of Joy

Chapter 33

JUSTIN

When she disappeared from my sight, I breathed a sigh of relief. Whenever I see her, the surroundings feel crowded. I don’t want to embarrass her, but she forced my hand. I already ended things, and I hate it when people insist on themselves.

And where the f**k is Tommy? I’ve been stuck here in the club for a while now. If it weren’t for the cute girl at the other table, I would have left already. I like looking at her, even though she’s not my type. There’s something about her that brings me peace. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen that look on my mother when she’s sad, and all I want to do is make her happy.

When she looked at me, I winked at her, but instead of smiling and blushing, she furrowed her brow and glared at me. Is that a challenge?

She’s cute. No matter how annoyed I was with Veronica earlier, that girl still made me smile. I was waiting for her to get up and go to the washroom, but instead, her companion stood up and went to dance with a guy who invited her. Should I ask her to dance too? There’s another girl left beside her, and she seems unaffected by the alcohol.

Then I realized, I am too old for this. I’ll just wait for Tommy, and if he doesn’t show up, I’ll go home. I still have something to do tomorrow night, and I want to rest. If the girl likes me, she can come over and introduce herself.

“I didn’t know you were a fan of clubs.” When I turned around, I saw Priam with another guy. Ryleigh was nowhere to be seen.

I smiled at him. “If it isn’t the senator’s son. How are you, Priam?”

“Alive and about to kick your ass if you mess with Ry.” I laughed at him. Who would have thought his world would turn upside down because of Ryleigh? To think he didn’t even notice it until now. And that’s because I showed up in the picture.

“I’d like to see you try, Portugal.” I savored his last name as it rolled off my tongue. But I have no plans to fight anyone, especially not him.

“Then let’s take it outside. If you tap, I don’t want to see you near Ryleigh again.” His annoyance with me was obvious. We used to be cordial when we saw each other at charity events and other gatherings. But when Ryleigh had a project I was involved in, he didn’t like the long hours I spent with her, especially on the days I was there.

I chuckled. “Priam, it’s business. How am I supposed to work with Ryleigh if I’m not going to be around? How about you take a seat? It’s hard to talk when I’m looking up.”

He remained standing, and jealousy was practically written all over his face. “You say it’s business, but you asked her out for dinner.”

So that’s what’s bothering this guy. “Am I supposed to ignore her and wait for her to pass out from hunger?” I joked.

“You didn’t have to go with her.”

“Fine. Remind me next time not to feed her.” Priam’s brow furrowed even more, and he was clearly irritated. He’s also a bit touchy when he’s jealous. The old man was right. Priam needs a rival, and his world will be shaken. Did he expect Ryleigh to wait for him forever?

“Good. I’ll make sure Ry eats on time so she won’t starve when you’re around. You might even give her some love potion.” He turned around after saying that and left me. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if my mom hadn’t lost the baby. Would my younger sibling and I be like this? Would we get along, or would we always be at each other’s throats?

And who knew such a successful businessman like Priam believed in love potions? He grew up in the city, but when it comes to love, it seems beliefs don’t choose. He is clearly in love with Ryleigh.

I felt the need to use the washroom. Since there were only a few men there, there was an available cubicle. After emptying my bladder, I washed my hands, and when I exited the bathroom, I ran into the friend of the girl who was immune to my wink. She’s the one who stayed with her when the other one left to dance.

“Hi!” I greeted her.

“Hello!” she replied cheerfully. I noticed the promise ring on her right hand. She’s dating someone.

“What’s your friend’s name?” I asked her directly.

She suddenly giggled. “You, huh! You like Riri, don’t you?! You winked at her earlier. I saw you; don’t deny it.”

I laughed at her. And she’s right; I won’t deny it. “So Riri is her name?” What kind of name is that?

“That’s just my nickname for her. Her real name is Arizona, but others call her Riz. I want mine to be different. You know, you two would look good together, especially since you’re tall. Plus, Riri has a crush on you too. She called you the hottie CEO because you were wearing a coat. Wait, I really need to pee. Let’s talk later. If you want, you can go to Riri’s table so you can meet her. She won’t bite!” she said and hurried into the washroom.

Arizona is her name. Unique, just like her.

When she went in, I walked back to my table, assuming Tommy would be there by now. My mind was debating whether I should go to Riz’s table. I looked over at her, and she still didn’t have anyone with her. I couldn’t even find her other friend on the dance floor with all the people dancing. I didn’t want to be covered in saliva, so to not waste my trip here, I headed toward the girl.

I was rehearsing in my head how I would introduce myself. I don’t understand why I’m so nervous about approaching her. I feel like a high school boy trying to get to know his crush. Ah, s**t. Here goes nothing.

Her eyes were glued to her phone when I sat down beside her. I couldn’t tell if she was crying or just sleepy.

“Hi, I’m Paul. You’re Riz?” My heart was pounding.

Even with her head down, she subtly averted her gaze and seemed to wipe something from her cheek. Her eyes were misty when she looked at me, and that’s when she realized who was in front of her.

“H-Hottie.” Her lips parted and then she smiled at me. And I knew she was drunk. As cold as she was earlier, now she was so friendly with me. She even called me hottie. No one has ever called me that before; she’s the only one.

“I can be a hottie too if you don’t want to call me Paul. Are you okay?” I asked her.

“My head is spinning, but I can still see your gorgeous face. You’re so handsome.” She took my left hand and looked at it. Then she looked at my right hand and giggled. “You don’t have a wife. I’ll be your wife instead.”