I descend down the stairs and am immediately offered a glass of champagne. 

The house is amazing. The ball room is huge and bright. Potted flowers everywhere.

Women and men laughing and talking among themselves. 

An older looking man walks over and greets us.

"Oh hello Arraine. Who is this beaut you have here?" He asks.

"Oh, this is Gemima. Gemima this is Mr Timothy. " she says and I greet back. They start talking about business. That's my cue to leave.

I walk to a far corner and I sit look out to the balcony. As I'm seated there. I feel eyes on me. I dont turn because eyes have been on me since I got here. I look at the little watch on my wrist.

Its seven PM right now.

"Hello there." Someone says. I skip a bit.

A man who looks to be in his older fifties walks over to me. His hair is grey and falls down his neck, perfectly jelled back.

"Hi." I say, feeling uncomfortable.

"I'm Mitch. What's your name?" He asks. He smiles a tight lipped smile.

"I'm Gemima." I tell him. He nods and moves an inch closer. I try to move closer but I'm met with the balcony.

"Oh, don't you want to go some place more quiet?" He asks. Slurring his words.

He smells like an intoxicating perfume and sweat. His eyes are blood shot. His pot belly presses against my body.

Fear overtakes my body. I feel myself trembling .

"N-no thank you. I'm g-good here." I tell him. He looks disappointed but he persists.

"Come on sweetheart. Let's find somewhere we can be comfortable at." He says. Dropping his arm on my lower back. My face twists in fear and disgust.

I'm going to be raped.

"Come, let's go." He begins.

A young man stalks over to us.

He is wearing a tuxedo, his eyes are hazel brown and he has pearly white teeth. He is handsome, incredibly so. His brown hair falls perfectly from his head.

"Honey I've been looking for you all over." He says.

I want to tell him that he must have confused me for someone else. But his eyes beg me to play along.

"Oh, who is this. Mr Jenkins. I see you've met my dime." He says to Mitch.

"Oh, Nathan. What a pleasure to see you. It's been a while." He says.

Its surprising how he just switched from pervert to this respectable man. Appropriate for his age.

"It has, I see you've met..." he sponders. Realizing that he doesny know my name.

"Gemima." I whisper.

"My Gem. Well we'll be going." He says. Mitch nods and walks away.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

"I'm okay thank you. But I think you have me confused with your wife." I tell him.

"I don't have a woman in my life. I saw how uncomfortable you looked, so I decided to come over to help. I'll leave now." He says.

"No... you cant leave? I dont even know your name." I tell him. Begging that he doesnt leave. I'll be left to deal with more men like Mitch.

"I'm Nathan Meyer. You can call me Nate." He says with a chuckle.

"Why are you chuckling?" I ask, smiling.

"You really dont know me or are you trying to seem nonchalant?" He asks.

"No, I really dont know you." I say and he nods.

"Well that's a first." He says looking to the distance.

"Why is a beautiful lady like yourself alone?" He asks.

"Are you with someone?" I ask, with one eyebrow lifted.

"Touchè." He smiles lifting his arms to show surrender.

"Hey, how good is your eye for colour?" He asks.

"Its fair." I say, not willing to blow my own head.

"Come with me." He says. I pause for a moment. Contemplating my decision. Do I really want to leave with a complete stranger. But it feels like I've known him forever.

"Relax, you're safe." He says.

We walk through the hall and up some curved stairs. Then to the left we head up . He opens some double doors and it's like we have walked into another house.

It's like a huge apartment. There's a kitchen , living and dining space in an open floor layout. 

The kitchen is white and black. The lowers cabinets are full black and the uppers are white. The blonde herringbone floors invite you into the living dining area. There is a huge blank wall and a large box near the dining area.

"I'm looking for wallpaper choices for an accent wall. I've picked one already but it comes in three different colours but I cant pick. " he says pulling samples out.

The wallpaper has geometric lines. One is white with gold lines , another is white with black lines and the last is black with gold lines.

"I really like the white one. I think that white brings a sense of lightness in a space. Its peace. It's like a mini oasis. So I'm leaning more on the white one. What do you think?" I ask him.

"I like the white one too. Let's go with that one." He says.

"So your house is incomplete?" I ask him. He smiles.

"Yes. I forgot about this gala thing. I hadn't booked a place for it yet. So I just decided to have it here. The bedrooms are completed. It's just this room and the greenhouse out back that need a little more work." He says.

"Okay, so where are you living right now?" I ask him.

"I have an apartment,  a penthouse just twenty minutes from here. " he says.

"Oh, so you're settling down. Maybe you'll find someone to be the mrs of this place."
I say to him wiggling my eyebrows.

He chuckles and I join him.

"Most probably. Tell me about you. What do you do, what's your normal day like. What do you love to do. Who do you love the most?" He asks. I can tell that he wants to know if I'm seeing someone or not.

He stares at me. Not at all rushing me. Just staring patiently. I'm not feeling uncomfortable at all.

"I'm a journalist slash PA. I work alot. I love design and plants and I love my son the most." I tell him.

"You have a son?" He asks.

"Yes a little two year old. His name is Ethan." I pat around looking for my phone. Then I remember that I gave my clutch bag to Arraine.

"Oh Ethan. I'd love to meet him." He smiles.

Definitely did not expect that reaction from a Male. He smiles. Gosh he is attractive.

"How about dinner? Can we go out Monday evening?" He asks.

My mind drifts to the man I left at home. Would it be bad of me to do this? I mean he's also seeing someone. I'm just doing what he does.

Nathan shakes my shoulder gently to get me out of my daze. Gentle. Something Jeremy hasn't been in a while.

How could I say no? Nathan is everything I'm looking for in Jeremy.

Yet, I made Jeremy the mess that he is. Am i really going to leave him to deal with it all alone?

Oh come on, he made the decision on his own. You didnt do it to him!

Why am I even thinking all of this? It's just a harmless dinner!

Focus Gemima. Focus.

"Gem are you alright?" He asks. The concern in his voice makes me squirm.

He calls me Gem. Like my parents used to.

"I'm alright. I'd love to go for dinner. Let me give you number." I tell him.

He smiles. I return the smile.

"Thank you." He says smiling.

I feel myself melt. Oh wow.