Lucy's point of view
"Sir! You wanted me?" I walked inside the editor-in-chief office. He beckoned his fingers to me, "Come in, Lucy."
I never saw him smiling since I started working as a journalist. I dreamt of being something and succeeding, but I didn't get the chance to prove my skills.
"Sir," I said in a low voice.
He ushered me to a seat, and then he handed me a magazine; I looked confused, "sorry, but I don't understand."
He pointed at the bachelor tycoon on the cover of the magazine, "your next assignment is him."
I swayed my head, trying to process his words, "sorry, but what do you mean?"
He huffed, "What's wrong with you? You always wanted a chance to prove yourself and get a promotion. Your next assignment is Mr. Nash Braden. I want you to get close to him and expose his secret life to the world. If you succeed in this, you might not only get promoted, but you might get a lot of offers to be a tv presenter. "
I got impressed and gasped, "Really? why? is he that famous?"
He raised an eyebrow, "oh god! No way. don't tell me that you have never heard about Mr. Nash Braden!"
I lied, "I sure heard about him, but can you give me more details? please." I begged.
He said sternly, "this is your mission, find out the sources of his money and every dirty thing and his secret affairs, everything. You have one month. And all the expenses you need, the journal will pay you. now get out."
I left his office, holding the magazine, and suddenly felt confused. Why was I given such a mission? I have no idea who this man is and how he made his fortune, and even though his career is growing, I have to go against his wishes. Why did he hand me the assignment? I don't know if I'll succeed in this task, and I don't even know if I'm the best person for it.
I went home and told my parents, "mommy dad, I've been assigned by our boss to follow Nash Braden and expose his secrets."
My mom gave her usual response, "what kind of job are we talking about here? Are you going to make some sort of documentary or something?"
Dad smiled wryly, "no, dear, nothing like that. This guy has a lot of money, so there must be something fishy behind it. We just have to dig up whatever dirt we can find."
Mom sighed, "you're right, honey. Let's hope you won't regret it."
They both agreed with me, and they were excited about the new challenge I had received. They hoped I would finally get a chance to shine and show them what I could do. But when I told them about the deadline, their excitement died down.
Before the assignment started, I met Nash Braden at the party. The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he wasn't normal. His smile seemed fake, his laugh sounded forced, and his conversation was weird. Even though I am usually shy around strangers, especially rich ones, I couldn't help myself from staring at him while he talked to people. When I realized everyone else thought the same, I blushed furiously and tried hard not to stare anymore.
When it came time for the assignment to start, I asked the editor-in-chief, "why me?"
He laughed loudly, "because you're perfect for the job. Don't worry, you'll be fine."
But I still had doubts. Maybe he just wants someone young and inexperienced to take care of the project.
Nash Braden stood in front of us and started to speak, "good evening, ladies, gentlemen. My name is Nash Braden. I'm very pleased to meet you all."
We stared at him blankly. Everyone except me. I was mesmerized by his blue eyes and his soft brown hair. I felt hypnotized by his presence. It took me a few seconds to realize he was speaking again.
"Now, let's get straight into business. First of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for attending this event. I see many familiar faces here tonight, and I appreciate you coming to support me. Thank you."
Everyone applauded politely, and I noticed Nash Braden winked at me after he finished thanking everyone.
Then the hostess introduced herself, "Hello everybody. I'm Jennifer. I would also like to welcome you all to this wonderful night. I have prepared several appetizers, so please feel free to enjoy yourselves. For those of you who haven't eaten yet, I suggest you eat as much food as you can. Because tomorrow morning, you will wake up hungover, bloated, and miserable. So please, indulge yourself tonight."
She left the stage, and Nash Braden spoke again, "now, let's talk about this year's charity campaign. As most of you already know, our company supports various charities. Last year, we supported the homeless shelter, and this year, we decided to focus on children with cancer. Our goal is to raise 100,000 dollars for the cause. Of course, we expect that amount to increase substantially once this fundraiser begins. So please, donate generously. If you want to learn more about the organization, visit their website."
He handed a flier to the hostess, who walked off the stage. He turned back to face us, "so, let's get started!"
And then he led the crowd in singing a song. After the first chorus, he announced, "okay, next up is the entertainment! Please join me on the dance floor, and sing along."
A couple dozen guys joined him on the dancefloor and began dancing together. Then another group of men followed suit. Soon almost everyone in attendance was doing the Macarena.
As I watched them, an idea popped into my head, "hey, Nash Braden, why don't you come over here and dance with me?"
His smile grew even wider, but he shook his head, "sorry sweetie, I promised the others I wouldn't leave until the end of the party. You should go ahead and enjoy your fun without me."
I frowned and looked away from him. I didn't really mind, because I wanted to watch the other dancers anyway.
After the last song ended, Nash Braden stepped onto the stage, "thank you, everyone, for participating. I think we did pretty well, considering it's only been two days since the fundraiser was announced. I hope you enjoyed yourselves."
He clapped twice and said, "and now, it's time for some awards. This year, we are giving out three different types of prizes. The first prize is given to the person who raised the most money. That winner will receive a large cash award. Second, four winners will be chosen randomly from among the top donors. Those lucky recipients will win a gift certificate to any restaurant of their choice. And third, the best dancer will be awarded a special prize. I'll announce the results soon."
He paused for effect and added, "of course, these rewards will not affect the overall fundraising total. But if you donated enough to make it into the top ten, you might find yourself receiving one of the gifts. Now, I'll give you five minutes to grab your things, and we'll move inside for the presentation."
The guests grabbed their purses and coats and headed towards the door. Nash Braden went behind the podium and picked up a microphone, "please gather around."
Once everyone was assembled, he continued, "the first winner is...Linda Williams."
There was no applause or cheering. Just silence. Linda Williams came forward and accepted her award. She was wearing a white blouse and a black skirt. Her long blonde hair fell down past her shoulders, and she wore a pair of red lipstick.
Next, Nash Braden called out, "next up is..."
This time, he read names one by one. When he got to mine, I felt myself blush furiously. Nash Braden gave me a big grin when my name was announced.
Finally, Nash Braden made his way to the front of the room, where he stood beside the podium. Everyone had gathered around to listen to what he had to say.
Nash Braden cleared his throat and began, "this year's grand prize recipient is Nicole Hamilton. Congratulations, Nicole."
Again, there were no cheers or applause. No one seemed surprised. They just stared at me silently.
When Nash Braden finished speaking, I took a step backward and tried to look everywhere except directly at him. My eyes kept returning to the stage.
Then Nash Braden asked, "Is anyone else feeling nervous? Because I'm sure, many of you have heard rumors about the kind of behavior I've seen tonight. Well, I can assure you, those stories are completely false. In fact, none of the women in this room has done anything inappropriate. So relax, and enjoy the rest of the night."
With that, he motioned for the doors to open, and the guests filed through. As they left, I saw several people whispering amongst themselves. Some laughed nervously, while others simply nodded in agreement.
All the tension drained out of me as I realized how much fun I'd had so far. I smiled and decided to walk outside for fresh air. It would probably help calm my nerves too.
It wasn't easy getting into the car park. There must have been close to a hundred vehicles parked all around the building. Luckily, the valet service worked quickly, and I found my own spot right away.
By the time I reached the exit, I could see the sun setting beyond the trees. A cool breeze blew across my face, and I breathed deeply, taking in the scent of pine needles and wildflowers.
Just then, someone tapped on the window. Startled, I turned around to find Nash Braden standing next to the driver's side door. He leaned against the hood of his Mercedes and crossed his arms over his chest. His expression was serious again but still friendly.
"Hey," he said softly. "You're leaving?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I swallowed hard. Then I opened the passenger door and slid inside.
As I closed the door, Nash Braden walked around to the other side of the car and climbed in. After starting the engine, he pulled out of the parking space and drove slowly back to the main entrance. Once we arrived, he stopped near an empty spot and put his hand on my knee.
I looked up at him, and our eyes met. For a moment, neither of us moved. We both knew exactly what we wanted.
His voice was soft, almost tender. "So, tell me why you did it." I knew he was referring to my award. I won the last award as the best dancer. Yes, I didn't have much time to compete with the wealthy fundraiser, but I was an outstanding dancer. But it didn't come to my mind that the unique gift to the best dancer was a date with Nash Braden. I had no idea if he thought about this award before picking the winner's names or if he thought of this after I won.
A shiver ran down my spine. Part of me desperately wished I hadn't agreed to meet with him. Another aspect of me couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.
After a brief pause, I answered, "because I want to know more about you."
He chuckled and shook his head, "you don't even know who I am."
….
