If Claus Marley had known that a night out with the boys at a high-end quarterly party hosted by Penelope Xyon, founder of Xyon Aeronautics, Dubai's most successful aerotech company, would disrupt his calm, carefully planned life, he would have turned them down.
Or would he?
His heart lurched as his phone buzzed with another text — Still won't talk to me? Don't make me chase you.
He took deep breaths, pacing his room while clenching and unclenching his hands. Night was settling over the city but instead of enjoying the evening, he found himself consumed by a sense of unease…and of the unexpected. That was what Penelope wanted but he didn't know that.
He had heard stories of this powerful, incredibly beautiful woman who drew men into her web like a black widow. Some of those who had crossed her had either disappeared or were languishing in poverty in the remote rural towns.
When his friends, Bennett and Jon got VIP invitations to attend the party, they convinced him to take a break from his studies and have some fun for one night. Studying engineering in the university was demanding enough without the distraction. But he gave in, after all, it was just one night.
Once they stepped into the glamorous private suite at the Burj Al Arab, his eyes widened at the wealth displayed by the guests in attendance. Warm lights from crystal chandeliers flushed over the room as champagne flowed freely.
Like bees around a queen, several men stood close to a woman who smiled at each of them, her eyes glinting with amusement.
“Oh, that's Ms Xyon,” Jon said, nudging Claus with his shoulder. He picked up a flute of champagne from a passing server and handed it to him. “Here, take a drink. We must go say hello to her.”
Claus took the drink, his gaze on Penelope just like everyone in the room. She was tall but not the otherworldly beauty his friends and social media had gushed about. Her shoulder-length hair was dark red and glossy. She had wide amber eyes that felt like they could see into a person's soul, a pert little nose but the lips. They were full and shaped like an upside down heart, making her smile magnetic.
Her Wikipedia page said she was forty-eight, one of the youngest trillionaires in the world, yet she looked much younger.
Claus shuddered and was looking away when her gaze searched through the crowd to catch his. Lips slightly parted, he froze as their eyes met and something inside them both connected and clicked into place. He tore his gaze away and downed his drink in one swallow.
Bennet tapped his arm. “Hey, come on. She's looking at us…let's go say hi. This is a chance in a million, bro.” Before he could decline, Jon linked his arms with his and pulled him along.
Claus barely remembered what was said. His friends stumbled over their words, competing for Penelope's attention while she smiled at them, nodding once or twice before turning to look at him. “And you, Mr Marley. What do you major in at school?”
“It's engineering, ma'am,” Bennet answered for him because his tongue somehow ceased to work at that moment.
“Really?” Her amber eyes seemed to pull him in as her sultry voice wrapped around him with unsettling warmth. “I have interest in that field. We should talk.” She slipped her hand into his and led him away from his friends.
His breath hitched as he fought down a shudder. “I…uh, Ms Xyon, I'm still a student and don't know how I could contribute to your company…or to your work in engineering.”
“Oh, please. No knowledge is a waste.”
When she led him to her private underwater dining suite where they were served an extravagant meal and drinks, he realised she was more than he could handle.
The party was still in full swing when he somehow crawled out of a window onto the balcony of another suite and ran away from the sail-shaped hotel.
He pretended to be asleep and wouldn't speak to his friends when they returned from the party in the morning. Then his phone buzzed with a text that sent his heart racing.
I do enjoy a good chase. Be my fantasy, Claus.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short story. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "be my fantasy”.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
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