Chapter Six

Van knew that he shouldn't have been hanging at a club with some bimbo hanging off his arm but he couldn't resist it. Not because he wanted her there, but because he was having his childish revenge on Hazel. His best friend, Zash Steinfield, was chatting up a blonde, who didn't need any convincing as she was all but trying to climb all over Zash's lap as soon as he looked her way. Zash looked over at Van, silently asking to be rescued from his ever eager seatmate. Van decided to play dumb and ignore him.

"You look too thoughtful to be hanging out in a club." Van looked to his left where a new over eager patron had taken up residence beside him. She smirked, titling her head back in what Van assumed she thought to be a sexy pose. "Loosen up, before you get old and married."

Zash stifled a laugh, turning away from the girl in pretense to be checking his phone. His discomfort was becoming painfully obvious.

Sighing, Van turned a frigid glare to the girls that were vying for his attention, "I think I wasn't making it obvious enough that I'm not interested. In either of you. Now get."

Both girls flip him the bird and shuffled out of their seats, calling back more insults his way and sashaying their hips as they stumbled away. Van shook his head, turning back to look at the blond who had wiggled her way onto Zash's lap. She was smirking triumphantly at the retreating figures of the two that left. Van tapped the table separating them, gaining her attention.

"You included. Scram."

Zash flashed him a grateful smile and downed the rest of his drink, "I was beginning to think she'd never leave."

Van scuffed, "Grow a pair and learn how to say no."

He settled back into his seat, looking grumpy again. After all, he needed to grow a pair and say no to his father.

Zash smirked, "I'm too nice to be like you. So why are we here drinking on this uneventful Saturday evening?"

"She arrived today." Van gritted out, feeling agitated again.

Zash smirked, "So shouldn't you be there with her?"

"Yeah. The bit– no, Ms. George told me that I could go if I wanted to." he glared at the beer then exclaimed, "She practically told me that I was of no importance, and dismissed me from my own home."

He found himself rolling his eyes for the second time that evening. "She told me to go to whoever I'd rather be with... So I told her I would and left."

That really set Zash off. He laughed gleefully, throwing his blond head back, "So here you are, hanging out with me." He took a moment to compose himself, "I love you too, man."

Van narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance, then finally gave in, grinning, "Shut up, idiot. I was just shocked, okay. I mean, the moment she got me alone the first thing she says is that I should leave, because she basically can't stand being around me."

"Maybe... She wasn't the one who put both your fathers up to this after all." Zash suggested, amusement shining in his eyes. "Or maybe she was just nervous."

Van rolled his dark blue eyes skyward, "No. If it weren't her then why would she show up looking like a freaking goddess? And the coldness. I swear her glare gave me frostbite."

"She's that hot?" Zash leaned forward.

"Legs for days." His best friend did the opposite by leaning back, "Freaking hot."

"Then take her to bed and show her who is boss." Zash shrugged, as if to say that was the simple solution.

Van contemplated this for a minute, allowing himself to forget everything else he had noticed about her, then grinned, "I think I will."

*forced*

Hazel had been having a rather interesting chat with Mr. Steel about art shows while her father looked on in disgust when Van goth decided to grace them with his presence. It was well into the evening and she had so far heard every childhood story about Van that Mr. Steel could remember. It was obvious that he was proud of his son and that the two shared a close bond; which made her question why he wanted this for his son. Van muttered something or the other about where he had been, all of which she ignored, and strode over to the minibar set into the far wall and poured himself what oddly looked like a glass of juice. Hazel tuned back into her conversation with Mr. Steel. Her father got up, releasing an over exaggerated sigh and went over to stand next to Van. She didn't know why her father hated art some much, and even if she was curious as to why, she no longer cared.

Getting his approval was ancient history; like he should have been, like he was before he sought her out with his sob story.

"Pour me a man's drink, Van." He ordered.

Hazel watched Van struggle to contain his annoyance, but in the end it manifested itself in the dent of his eyebrows as he poured Lionel a whisky.

"You should let me see your paintings some time." Mr. Steel concluded bringing her attention back to him.

"Sure thing, Mr. Steel." Hazel agreed, not caring if she sounded uncultured. At least one person in this madness shared her passion, even if only in lesser amounts.

He smiled knowingly at her, glancing from Van who was struggling to have a conversation with Lionel and back to her. "You should stop this Mr. Steel nonsense, after all, we'll be family soon. Please call me Johnathan."

Hazel smiled noncommittedly. Her body was beginning to ache and she felt sleepy. Anxiety had left her fresh out of energy.

"You seem tired." Mr. Steel stood. "I've been terrible. You must be exhausted and I've been chattering away like the old man I'm becoming."

"Van." Johnathan called to his son. "Come take care of your fiancé." He took Hazel's hands in his as she too stood. "You'll go with him for tonight then we will discuss the marriage contract tomorrow, dear."

Hazel had her reservations about that arrangement but did not voice them. She thought it better to simply speak with the man she was being forced to marry than to argue her rights to his father. The only problem was that there was a very high possibility that she would end up giving Van a fairly big part of her mind.

Van strode over to her, all refined good looks and sensuality. Hazel was very glad that he was handsome. Not because she wanted to like or look at him, but because Van's good looks and dark piercing eyes, which seemed to see right through her, would keep her on her toes and ensure that she did not get too comfortable with their arrangement.

And yet his dark sensual eyes reminded her of Flin Frank. Of when he was unsatisfied with something. That only served as a reminder that men would never be satisfied with her just being her; even if the Hazel she was then wasn't the same Hazel from five years prior.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

She turned to look at Van Steel, staring at her with a charming smile on his pale lips. The smile was probably supposed to make her blush but as her normal reaction to men, she felt exposed and dirty.

"I suppose." she answered cryptically, souring at his expression.

Van frowned at her reply. And she was glad she was confusing him. He had no reason to understand her and she'd give him none.

The car ride to his apartment was not as silent as she had hoped it would be. Van turned on the radio and gestured for her to choose so she found the frequency for a cannel that played jazz. He nodded absentmindedly then opened his mouth, "We weren't properly introduced. I'm Van Steel and it's a great pleasure to meet you."

"Hazel George, likewise."

"I think we got off on the wrong foot." Van smirked, making his tone as suggestive and flirtatious as he could. "We should at least find a way to be civil."

"Yeah... sure."

Van glanced over at her. Hazel had her eyes permanently glued outside at the town rushing by them as they left the suburban area that he grew up in and into the bustling part of the city where his modern apartment sat nestled into the epicenter of New Jersey.

Once Van parked his white Range Rover in the garage, they traveled straight up to the tenth floor and into Van's bachelor pad. Hazel inwardly marveled at the enormity of the place but quickly recovered her equilibrium and kindly asked, "Where's the guest room?"

Van stood staring at her for an awkward minute. "Guest room? I thought we had an agreement earlier."

Hazel's eyebrows shot up at his bluntness, "I don't know what you are talking about, but if it is that you thought I was going to sleep with you, you're sadly mistaken." She rolled her eyes, and offered him a saccharin smile, asking in an equally sweet voice, "Now, the guest room?"

*****FORCED*****

Surprise!! I was not planning to but I felt so energized that I had to update the revised version much earlier than I had planned to.

They are getting along just swell aren't they. ^_^

Love,