Bass sounds and laughter echoed through the lavish ballroom of The Qube, where a sea of glamorous guests danced and mingled beneath the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. It was a Saturday evening, and as was the norm, the crème de la crème of Ruthington met up to enjoy themselves and have a bit of fun.

In the midst of the opulence, Melitta gracefully slipped into the crowded room, her presence virtually unnoticed as she navigated through the throng of elegantly dressed attendees. She had quite a mysterious way of getting past security checkpoints at these kind of places, so she rarely had any experiences with bouncers.

Walking into the ballroom, however, her presence would become evident to all.

Dressed in a bold, red backless gown that clung to her silhouette and showed off a substantial amount of leg, complete with her favourite strappy tie leg high heeled sandals, Melitta moved with the poise and grace of a woman who knew how to command attention. Her natural black hair stood in place as always, and a mysterious air surrounded her, accentuated by the subtle smoky makeup that framed her piercing brown eyes.

She could feel the stares as she walked through. And she could hear some of the whispers about her.

“Yo, Seth, see that babe in the red dress? Whoa! Talk about sexy!”

“Goddamn, that woman is fine!”

“What a beautiful woman!”

“Shit, these black queens just stay winning!”

She smirked as she moved on. The standard reaction whenever she wore this dress; it never failed to disappoint in catching attention. And the fact that it was her favourite dress made it all the more satisfying.

Bought for her by her favourite person…

“Oh my God, it’s awesome! I love it!” she screeched excitedly, turning around to admire her look in the mirror while he stood behind, nodding in satisfaction.

“Splendid! I’m glad you do, coz you look hella sexy in this,” he remarked, a sly smile on his face. “Puts those sweet, sweet legs on display, just the way I like it.”

“I know, right?” she agreed, before throwing her arms around his neck. “Awww, thank you, AZ. You’re just the best, you know.”

“Oh, I know. I gotta be the best if I have the best girl in the world.”

She giggled, then gently pressed her lips against his…

Melitta sighed at that memory. “Good Lord, I miss that man,” she sniffled for a moment before continuing to walk on.

Continuing to move about and blend into the crowd, walking to the bar, she waved at the bartender. “Gimme a martini, please,” she ordered.

As the bartender quickly tended to her request, her eyes darted around, scanning the room. After receiving the necessary intel from Silvius, she knew who to look for.

The bartender placed the glass in front of her. She thanked him, took a note out of her bra and tossed it at him. She turned to keep the young gentleman from ogling over what he had seen, and sipped, continuing to scan the room.

No, he doesn’t seem to be dancing… the VIP section… umm… aha! Voila!

She had caught sight of her target. Across the room.

There he was, standing around at the VIP section. All of six feet, well-built frame, meticulously groomed dark hair, a chiseled face marked by sharp features, and very observant eyes.

Morton Gobbo.

Downing the rest of her drink, Melitta placed the glass on the counter and made her move. With professional ease, Mel glided through the dance floor, seamlessly merging with the revelers. In the whirlwind of laughter and music, she crossed over to the other side. Pretending to walk to another part of the room, she then moved towards Morton… and “accidentally” bumped into him.

“Oh!”

The touch was fleeting, but hard enough to grab his attention. He turned to face her, and their eyes met.

“Oh, I’m so sorry about that,” Mel gasped, feigning innocence, her voice a sultry whisper that carried above the music. “I didn’t mean to bump into you. So sorry about that. Clumsy me.”

Morton, looking captivated by what he saw before him, flashed a charming smile and shook his head. “No, no, no, no, don’t worry about that. No harm done. At least I’m not holding a drink or anything.”

Melitta placed her hand on her chest and sighed a sigh of relief. “Yeah. Thank goodness for that.”

“In fact,” his eyes travelling down to her exposed legs, “it might just be the best thing that’s happened to me all night.”

Melitta smirked to herself. Right on cue.

Morton extended his hand. “The name’s Morton Gobbo.”

Melitta extended her hand, a coy smile playing on her lips. “Oh, so you’re the Morton Gobbo. The owner of Dese-Tome Factories, right?”

He nodded. “The one and only.”

“How splendid to meet you. Amarita. Amarita Barker. Nice to meet you.”

Morton’s gaze lingered on her as he held on to her hand, his curiosity piqued by the mysterious allure she exuded. “Amarita. That’s such a beautiful name. And I must say, you look absolutely stunning in that dress.”

Melitta gave a modest smile, her eyes glinting with a mix of allure and mystery. “Thank you, Mr. Gobbo. I do my possible best.”

“Oh please, call me Morton. No need for titles over here.”

“Okay then, Morton. So, uh, sorry for the bump again and I… guess I should get moving…”

“No, no, no, no, my dear. No need to go anywhere,” Morton insisted, moving to prevent her from walking away. “I thought we were just getting to know each other.”

Melitta gave a shy smile. “Well…I guess so.”

“Exactly. So let’s continue to know each other. Matter of fact, lemme get us a drink.” Morton then signaled to a passing waiter, seamlessly maintaining eye contact with Melitta. “Two glasses of your finest champagne, please,” he said, a hint of confidence in his voice.

As the waiter scurried away to fulfill the request, Morton turned his attention back to Melitta, his charm undeterred. “So, Amarita, what brings you to this glamorous affair?”

Melitta, who was typing something on her phone, quickly put it down and flashed a playful smile, her eyes glinting with a hint of mystery. “Oh, you know, just trying to escape the monotony of life and have a bit of fun. You know what they say, all work and no play…”

Morton nodded. “Uh-huh, uh-huh. Truer words couldn’t have been spoken. Nothing better than getting a chance to unwind in this glorious place. You came with someone?”

Melitta shook her head. “I’m a lone ranger for tonight. My girls are out of town.”

“Oh, I see. You don’t have a boyfriend?”

“Nope. Five years and counting.”

Morton looked amazed. “Really? Surely a woman as incredibly beautiful as yourself can’t have been single for that long!”

Melitta shrugged and smiled. “Well… they say I’m a sight to behold, but no suitors have come forward, so, I ride solo for now.”

“Well, I’m sure that’ll change soon,” Morton commented, his gaze moving down to her legs once more. “Because they weren’t lying. You really are a sight to behold.”

The clinking of glasses announced the arrival of the champagne, and Morton took both glasses from the tray and nodded to the waiter. He gave one glass to Melitta and raised his in a toast. “To chance encounters and unexpected delights,” he proposed.

Smirking to herself, she raised hers. “To chance encounters and unexpected delights.”

They clinked glasses, and the bubbles fizzed, creating a momentary symphony of celebration. As they took sips, the subtle strains of “The Lady In Red” by Chris De Burgh began to fill the room.

Morton grinned, a adventurous glint in his eyes as he nodded to the song. “You know, Amarita, they say ‘Lady In Red’ is the one of the many perfect songs for a dance. Would you honor me with one? “

Mel pretended to consider for a moment, her eyes scanning the dance floor. “I don’t usually dance, but suppose I could make an exception, especially with a song as enchanting as this.”

“And the fact that you’re literally the lady the song is about right now,” Morton added teasingly.

Melitta laughed. “You got me. Let’s do it.”

Taking each other’s hand, they made their way to the dance floor. While the chorus echoed throughout the room, Morton held Mel in a confident yet gentle embrace, leading her in a slow, intimate dance that matched the rhythm of the music.

“You know, this chorus couldn’t have been more accurate,” he murmured, looking at her while they swayed. “Coz I hardly know this beauty next to me. And I’ll probably never forget how stunning you look right now.”

Melitta grinned. “Looks like I’ll be the source of a lot of emotions whenever you hear this song henceforth.”

“Indeed. And I like that.” He looked into her eyes, captivated by the allure she projected. “I can sense there’s some level of mystery about you, Amarita. And I’d love nothing more than to unravel it.”

Melitta met his gaze with a sly smile. “Some mysteries are meant to remain unsolved, don’t you think?”

He smiled. “That sounds like a challenge to me. I’m very good at overcoming challenges.”

“Oh, really? Challenge thrown down, then. Unravel the mystery of Amarita Barker.”

“Duly accepted.”

***

“Ugh, really, girl? Just as the party’s getting good, you had to ruin it for me. You owe me, Netty… yeah, yeah, fine. Alright, I’ll get moving. Bye.”

Melitta hung up and turned to Morton, an exasperated look on her face. They had barely stepped off the dance floor before this call came through. “My cousin just called me. She needs some help with something. Looks like I gotta get moving. Ugh! Just when I was enjoying myself…”

“Oh, don’t worry, don’t worry. These things happen,” Morton insisted, an understanding look on his face.

Melitta sighed. “Only ten minutes of meeting the charming mogul and I have to get a move on.”

Morton smiled. “It was an unforgettable ten minutes. No worries. Let me see you off.”

Lifting her to her feet, he gently held her hand, guiding her towards the exit with all the class of a chivalrous gentleman. Once they stood at the door, he let go, and she turned to him.

“Thank you for the champagne and the dance, Morton. It was such a pleasure,” she said with a charming smile.

Morton nodded. “Pleasure is all mine, Amarita.” He then hesitated a bit before continuing. “Um, listen, I can’t let such an enchanting woman slip away without at least getting her number. How about we continue this conversation over dinner? My treat.”

Melitta paused, playing her coy role to perfection. “Well… I suppose that could be interesting. Alright.”

Morton eagerly retrieved his phone from his pocket, handing it to Melitta. “Here, put your number in. I promise I’ll call you soon, and we’ll plan something small but special.”

Mel duly entered a string of digits, and handed the phone back to him. “Looking forward to it, Morton. Thanks again!”

As she made her way toward the exit, Morton watched her with a lingering gaze. “Until then, Amarita.”

“Until then, Morton Gobbo.” She blew a kiss at him before stepping out the door.

***

Once outside the venue, the cool night air hitting her in the face with no mercy, Melitta shook her head in amusement. She couldn’t help but marvel at the ease with which Morton had fallen into her carefully laid trap. His infatuation, his eagerness—it was all too perfect.

“Christ, Silvius was right,” she laughed to herself. “Just one look at my legs and the man’s already inviting me to his house. Jeez! What a bum!”

She turned to the phone in her hand and dialled the last number that called. A sly grin played on her lips as she hailed a taxi, which stopped. As she got in, the person on the other end answered. She mentioned her location to the driver before getting back to the call.

“Yeah, wassup?… Oh yeah, I’m out of there. That ten minute timer was so on point! Just as I expected, he took my number. Now he wants us to have dinner together…”

Yeah, looks like Morton is quite the sucker to be inviting her to his house so quickly. Good for her, though. The mission continues…