"Nice to meet you, Miley," Richard muttered
Miley chuckled. "See you later, Richard," she replied, waving her fingers
Richard smiled and nodded. "Yeah," he said and walked out of the bar
"I'm still going to keep calling you amber eyes, though," Miley voiced out, as Richard left. Causing him to laugh and stare back at her one last time, their eyes locked, their hearts synced and they both smiled. It was a truly blissful moment. But it was cut short
"Damn it, Richard!" Ronald exclaimed loudly from the entrance of the bar. Interrupting the perfectly laid down chemistry between Miley and Richard, what a bummer.
Richard, having heard his cousin's voice, winked at Miley and finally left. Thank heavens. He walked outside and met a pouting Ronald, who looked like he could explode in frustration.
"Really, Ron? I see one good thing in my life after many years, and you want to ruin it," Richard muttered
Ronald scoffed. "Are you kidding? It was hell watching you two in there. I mean, what the fuck was that, a high school prom? You disappoint me, cousin," he tutted and walked towards a red Ferrari enzo.
"Disappoint you? Dear cousin, I have been laid about fifty times this year already. And it's not even February yet," Richard scoffed
"I'm not talking about getting laid, Richard," Ronald retorted. "I'm talking about the moment you had with that beautiful brunette. It looked like a really bad romantic comedy, or a scene straight out of an horror movie. If I were you, I'd just lay her and be done with it. The romance is a phony,"
Richard stared at Ronald in contemplation, he was looking at what part of his body he would dismantle first. But then he sighed. "Normally I'd walk up to you and give you a spanking of you'll never forget, but why should I even listen to you? Of all the guys in this world, you are the least person that should be telling me, romance is phony," he stated
"But it is a phony," Ronald said in defence
Richard scoffed. "Says the guy who's getting married in eleven months," he muttered, before glancing around the parking lot, as if searching for something.
Ronald smiled wryly. "Well it isn't for me, but for you, it certainly is. I can count the number of women whose hearts you've destroyed over the couple of years. And I fear that when you actually try to fall in love, karma would catch up to you," he chuckled.
But Richard wasn't even listening to him anymore, his attention was on something else... Or rather something missing. "Wait, where's my car?" he muttered in confusion
"What car?" Ronald asked
"My Bugatti. I parked it right there, and I still have the keys," he replied, pointing to a certain spot which used to occupy his cat.
Ronald had a look of realisation on his face, as Richard stared at him suspiciously. "Oh, your car. Yeah, it's not here," he muttered
Richard raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, it's not here?" he asked impatiently
"Well, I had it tolled back to the chateau," Ronald replied in a casual tone
"What do you mean, you had it tolled? Why?" Richard voiced out
Ronald sighed. "Relax, cousin. Your car should have arrived at the castle already. I had it tolled cause I figured you'd be drunk already, you should be thanking me," he muttered with a smug smile
"Thanking you? Really? I don't even remember the last time I actually got drunk, it's basically impossible for us. So what are you talking about!" Richard voiced out in frustration. First, he met a beautiful and interesting bartender. Then he found out they had a chemistry, one that couldn't even be trusted, and was later interrupted by his cousin. And now, that same cousin was giving him an headache. He couldn't take it anymore.
"You know what, let's just go. Let's get out of here," he muttered and approached the Ferrari.
"Hallelujah!" Ronald exclaimed and unlocked the vehicle, and the doors slid open for them to enter.
But before Richard could sit in the luxurious interior of the car, a man dressed in a black suit walked out of the bar with a briefcase. He seemed to be an official working in the bar, the manager or owner maybe.
A thought suddenly popped into his head and he a smile grew on his face. "Give me a sec, I'll be right back. Gotta help a friend," Richard said to Ron and approached the man.
"Oh, for fuck's sake. Not again!" Ronald grumbled, but Richard ignored his complaints.
The man stopped by a black range rover and opened the door, but before he could enter and leave, Richard was already in front of him.
"Ah!" he yelled in a frightful expression, seeing someone suddenly appear in his front. "Who are you?" he managed to speak, after seeing the the person was human, and probably not a mugger.
"Relax, sir. My name's Richard. Richard Corsaire, and I have a few requests to ask of you, if you'd be as kind to hear them," Richard replied with a mischievous smile
The man nodded, still in shock from Richard's sudden appearance. And all his senses were on guard, telling him that the man in front of him was bad news
"Fantastic," Richard said, his smile dripping with charm. "So, tell me, what's your role in this fine establishment?" He gestured to the bar, his eyes glinting with amusement.
The man swallowed hard, his eyes darting nervously around the park. "I-I'm the manager," he stuttered.
Richard's smile widened. "Excellente! Now, I have a special request for you. There's a woman who works here as a bartender, her name's Miley, but I don't know her last name. She has brown hair and green eyes, a beautiful smile..." Richard's eyes took on a faraway look, his voice filled with admiration. "Anyways, I need you to give her a raise. Make her wages better, she deserves it more than anyone else. Do you understand?" His tone turned stern, his eyes narrowing.
But the man's expression wasn't what Richard had expected. He looked confused, his brow furrowed. "Wait, are you talking about the boss?" he asked, his voice hesitant.
Richard's eyebrows shot up. "Uh... She's your boss? I thought you were the manager of this place," he said, his tone laced with confusion.
The man nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I am, but she's the owner. Miley Argent."
Richard's eyes widened in surprise, his mind racing with the implications. "Wow, that's pretty cool," he muttered, already contemplating going back into the bar to tease Miley about her keeping it a secret from him.
The man nodded, a glint of admiration in his eyes. "Yeah, she's the coolest boss I've ever worked with. Even though she owns multiple bars and restaurants across Europe, she chooses to stay here, serving drinks to the people. It's a wonder how much she's achieved at such a young age."
Richard chuckled, his mind whirling with the revelation. "Hm, no wonder she didn't jump at my offer," he thought, a wry smile spreading across his face.
He concluded the conversation with the man and made his way back to the car, his mind still reeling from the discovery. He settled into the passenger seat of the Ferrari, sighing contentedly as Ronald started the engine.
"I bet you didn't think she'd be a tycoon or something," Ronald chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Richard shook his head, a wry smile still playing on his lips. "No, I did not."
Ronald's grin widened. "I say that's a good sign. After all, I met Triss when she was a waitress. And she actually turned out to be an elven royalty."
Richard rolled his eyes, chuckling. "That's way different from mine, Ron. You were assigned to protect Triss. I, on the other hand, wanted to sleep with Miley in a car or someplace else that doesn't include a bed. And the worst part is, I still want to,"
Ronald's laughter filled the car, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "Well, cousin, all the more reason."
Richard's smile turned wicked. "Just shut up and drive."
Ronald's laughter died down, replaced by a sly grin. "Alright, SPECTRA, here we come."
The Ferrari surged forward, speeding through the city streets like a blur. They weaved through traffic, overtaking other vehicles with ease. Richard felt a rush of adrenaline as they took a sharp corner, the tires screeching in protest.
Ronald pushed a button on the console, and a blue portal materialized on the road ahead. The Ferrari hurtled towards it, crossing into the portal with a smooth whoosh. The world outside became a blur, replaced by a swirling vortex of colors.
As they emerged on the other side, Richard felt a strange sensation, like his molecules were being rearranged. He blinked, taking in their new surroundings. They were in a sleek, high-tech facility, the walls lined with futuristic equipment.
Ronald grinned, feeling a thrill of excitement. "We're here."