Will to Love (2 page)

Megan saw her, too, ran to her and hugged her tightly.
 
She introduced her to Victor and Megan discreetly checked him out from head to toe as they exchanged small conversation.
 
She winked at Clarise and mouthed "hot" before walking to her other guests.
 
Clarise grinned at Victor who looked very pleased with himself.
 

They got busy with more introductions, saying hello to Rick's relatives and meeting new people who were already there.
 
Their little charade seemed to be working to Clarise's satisfaction as her mum introduced Victor as her date to Rick's parents and grandparents.
 
She can only hope that Megan wouldn't even consider going ahead with her matchmaking scheme.

"Lilly!" Clarise heard Megan call out to the adorable and cute-as-a-button three-year-old girl who walked in with her parents, Mark - Rick's older brother - and his wife Bella.
 
Bella's brother Evan walked in with them too.
 

Victor eyes grew wide upon seeing the new arrivals.
 
He quickly drew Clarise to his side and whispered a little nervously to her, "Oh, no, that's Evan.
 
I know him.
 
And he certainly knows me!"

Clarise gasped at Victor.
 
From his expression, she had an idea what made him nervous.
 
Evan was also gay.
 
Could it be...?
 
"What do you mean 'he certainly knows you'?"

"Well, I met him at this speed dating thing two weeks ago, and we've been out on a couple of dates.
 
He's really cute, isn't he?"

"Oh no, Victor!
 
You're supposed to be my boyfriend tonight!"
 

"Don't worry, darling.
 
I'll tell him of our little charade and ask him to go along with it.
 
I'll just go talk to him and we'll pretend we're talking about the magazine."
 
With that, Victor sauntered to Evan, his eyes shining.
 

Clarise rolled her eyes upwards and prayed that Victor - and Evan, for that matter - can keep the charade up for her, just for tonight.
 
How highly embarrassing it would be if the others notice that Victor was gay when they've already assumed he was her boyfriend!
 
Geez, I might as well have 'loser in love' stamped on my forehead.
 
Please Victor, you're a straight man tonight.

~~

Clarise was mingling with the other guests when Megan sought her out,
 
"Where's Victor?"
 

"Oh, he's over there," pointing in the direction of Victor and Evan who seemed wrapped up in a serious conversation.
 
"They met in an industry function, you know, for work and I think they're talking about the magazine," she babbled.
 

Victor was certainly trying to look straight and masculine, but he couldn't seem to get himself away from Evan.
 
They've been talking for a while now and they both haven't really mingled with the other guests.
 

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to bring a date tonight until you told me about Victor two days ago," Megan said with a grin.
 
"It's a shame.
 
There is a very eligible man here and Rick and I were excited to introduce him to you," she said teasingly to her bemused sister.
 

"Megan," Clarise said with a warning in her voice.
 

"Yes, I know, I know.
 
No matchmaking for me tonight," Megan said with a laugh.
 

"Well, that's a relief!"
 
Clarise said a silent thank you to the heavens.

"You know, we did invite him for the purpose of introducing him to you."

"I'm surprised you only invited one.
 
You certainly gave me the indication that you were going to invite all the single men you and Rick know.
 
I'm glad you didn't though."

Megan laughed, "Yes, that was my original plan, but I was talking to Rick about it and we decided that wasn't a good idea.
 
One at a time would be better, we thought.
 
More personal."
 

Megan's look became serious, her eyes narrowing, as she asked Clarise, "Is there a possibility that Victor is 'The One'?"

"I couldn't be more glad he's here with me tonight," Clarise answered cryptically.
 
It was the truth although it wasn't a truthful answer Megan's question.

Megan, however, seemed satisfied with her response as she patted Clarise's arm and walked off with a smile.
 
Clarise breathed a huge sigh of relief.

~~

At the dinner table, Clarise had Victor back at her side.
 
"How is your strictly-work-only conversation with Evan going, Victor?" she asked teasingly with a low voice so no one else would hear.
 

"Oh, yes, there's lots of things that Evan and I can work on together.
 
Plenty more for us to discuss though," he whispered back with naughtiness in his voice, glancing slyly at Evan who was also at their table.
   

Then he seemed to remember why he was at this party.
 
"I'm sorry, darling.
 
I'm supposed to be here for you.
 
Just hang on to my arm so I don't stray, okay?
 
Evan seems like a magnet to me."
 

Clarise laughed and whispered back to him, "Oh, darling, you seem to have it bad!
 
As long as you keep up the act, pay attention to me every once in a while, and you and Evan keep your hands off each other, it's okay.
 
Megan had already said no matchmaking for her tonight."
 

"Oh, good!
 
Well, for now, I'll look at you like I'm hot for you and pretend I'm whispering sweet nothings to your ear."
 
He leered at her and they both chuckled.
 
A quick glance at Evan showed he was grinning, obviously enjoying their little charade.
 

During dinner, Clarise chatted with Bella and Mark.
 
The couple owned a popular restaurant specialising in chocolate desserts and Clarise had done a review of their establishment for Lifestyle by Design magazine.
 
Offering only food and beverages that were made of or with chocolate, it had been a huge success and they will soon be opening at a third location.

Bella suddenly remembered that Mark wanted to talk to Clarise regarding a friend of his who would love to have an article in the magazine and reminded him about it.
 

"Oh, yeah," Mark said.
 
"My friend Will runs a boutique travel service that's very specialised.
 
He caters to the well-to-do and his company organises high-end type trips to those whose tastes are very discerning.
 
He'd seen the review and the article you've written for us and he was wondering if your magazine would consider doing one for his business."
 

"High-end travel?
 
Sure, it's something we can certainly have a look at."
 

Clarise loved her job.
 
After all, she got paid to write articles on restaurants, hotels and professional services.
 
It meant that she got to sample their offerings and interview some very interesting and influential people.
 
She was also the co-editor of the travel and gourmet section of the magazine.
 

Because of the magazine's immense popularity, they receive plenty of requests by business and establishment owners for a write-up of their products and services.
 
They knew that exposure through the magazine ensured a deluge of new clients.
 

Clarise, being one of the most senior and respected writers for the magazine, was most often sent to work on these requests.
 
She was someone who would truthfully write a negative review when warranted, but she also had this innate ability to make the owners feel mollified when the article she wrote about them did not meet the tell-them-we're-great expectations they had.

"Great! Will be pleased to hear there's a possibility of his business being written about in your magazine.
 
He's actually here so I'll introduce you to him.
 
I was meaning to do it before dinner time but he arrived a little late."

Bella pursed her lips and mused, "You know, I've been wondering why Rick invited Will to tonight's party but didn't invite Stan, Glen or Chris."
 
Then to Clarise, she explained, "They're the other guys they play tennis with regularly."
 

Mark chuckled, "Well, the others will certainly be invited for the wedding.
 
Rick mentioned he invited Will because he's single and available but didn't want to elaborate on it.
 
Looks like the engaged lovebirds are playing matchmaker for Will and someone else.
 
I wonder if it's that girl sitting next to him? I don't know who she is.
 
I'll have to quiz Will about her," Mark said with a big grin.
 

Bella and Clarise looked over to where Mark was looking.
 
Bella pointed to a man with dark brown hair who was sitting with his back to them so she couldn't see his face, indicating that was Will.
 
He was sitting next to Mary Jane, Megan's best friend, and another man was sitting on the other side of him.
 

Well Mary Jane is not single
, Clarise thought to herself.
 
Her husband is currently in Brisbane for work
.
 
Clarise felt herself redden, guessing the reason why Single Will was at this party.
 

"So Clarise, I'll introduce you to Will later, okay?
 
He's really keen to see how he can have a review of his business in your magazine," Mark said innocently, evidently not even considering that she was the girl the engaged couple wanted to introduce to Single Will.
 

"Yeah, sure," Clarise said a little too brightly, trying to hide her discomfiture.
 
They don't know
, she assured herself.

~~

Will was becoming more relaxed as the dinner progressed.
 
There were no single women at his table and no one had been introduced to him so far.
 
He knew that Rick invited him to this party to introduce him to some single woman.
 
Apparently it's all Megan's idea but Rick was all for it.
 

 
But after Karen, Will was not after a serious relationship.
 
No-strings-attached, casual sex worked for him just fine and that was all he was after right now.
 
And if Rick wanted to set him up with one of Megan's family or best friends, he was certainly not going there.
 
It could destroy his friendship with both Rick and Mark.
 

Will knew that Rick hadn't grasped how determined he was on keeping his status as 'not in a relationship'.
 
He hadn't talked to anyone about the reason why.
 
As far as he was concerned, it was no one else's business but his.
 
Most of his friends have wives or girlfriends and were too content in their 'partnered' status that they couldn't understand why Will wouldn't want the same thing.
 

He had been single for nine months now and seeing how devoted he was to his parents, he was a favourite among his friends to be introduced to nice single girls they knew.
 
They all thought he was a decent guy - and very eligible.
 

He had still decided to go to Megan and Rick's engagement party however, even after knowing of their matchmaking plans, for business reasons.
 
He was keen to have an article on Lifestyle by Design magazine.
 
He planned to open another branch in Melbourne and a positive article in the magazine will give his business the exposure he needed for his expansion goals.
 
He knew that Rick's fiancee's sister was a senior writer for the magazine and he wanted to meet her.
 
Clarise Carson's articles for Mark and Bella's restaurants had done wonders for their business.
 

Dinner was mostly finished apart from a handful of people going back to the buffet table to load their plates again.
 
The DJ announced that it was time to start dancing and played a slow, romantic song.
 
Couples started to stroll to the dance floor.
 

Will scanned the room to look for Mark who promised to introduce him to Clarise.
 
He saw him on the dance floor, his wife Bella in his arms.
 
He also saw the engaged couple who were busy looking at each other with lovestruck eyes while dancing intimately together.
 

Well, I might as well look for her and introduce myself.
 
He hadn't meant to arrive late but he got held up with some urgent work.
 
People were already getting food when he arrived.
 
Mark did point her out to him and he caught the fact she was in a blue dress although he didn't get to see her face well from where they were standing.
 
He only noticed her long, glossy, beautiful dark hair that fell straight down way past her shoulders.

He continued to look around and saw Rick's Aunt Bonnie talking to a stunning, beautiful creature in a blue dress with long dark hair.
 
He couldn't help but stare.
 
His heart beat faster and he knew it was Clarise.
 
Something warm flowed through him.
 
He recognised it for what it was - attraction.