I | Mr. Perfect

"May I offer you some champagne, ma'am?" The smartly dressed server extended a platter of half full glasses towards Halle.

Hmm, I could go for something stronger, actually.

She accepted one anyway with a polite smile before her attention was stolen by a heavily pregnant woman. Dressed in a flowing white gown with dewy bronze skin, Violet looked every bit soft and beautiful. She was free of any heavy makeup, showcasing her narrow eyes and heart shaped lips that naturally represented her half African-American, half Japanese heritage.

"I sure wish that I could have one of those." The mother-to-be joked, opening her arms to embrace the other woman. "And I love your new haircut!"

"Thank you so much, Vi." Halle pulled away, gliding her free palm across the back of her dark pixie cut. She'd finally decided to let go of her ragged split ends — something that she was only holding onto for the sake of having longer hair. Her new style was lightweight and proved to be a lot easier to maintain, especially in the sweltering summer.

As usual, the two women fell into conversation about nothing in particular, their voices mixing with the soft piano notes floating through the air. Halle didn't mind at all. She preferred to keep things rather surface level as it didn't require too much effort. She did enough talking at work, and it felt nice to exist without too many expectations.

The regal venue filled with more designer attire and expensive fragrances clinging onto well endowed business men and women. Halle absentmindedly stalked forward, further admiring the painted features of the high ceilings and the golden trim decor lining the walls. She'd seen a lot of the world, the most notable pieces of art and yet, she was still enamored by even the smallest of details.

Another familiar face approached her but this time, she wasn't so keen to return the smile spreading across Karter's wide mouth. He planted a quick kiss on his wife's red lips, dragging his thumb across his own to remove the sticky residue afterwards.

Violet huffed playfully and watched her husband with an awe that he hardly ever returned, too busy ogling other women. Halle was often one of the recipients of his lustful gazes and today is no different, much to her disgust.

Oh please, spare me the bullshit. Just once.

Karter was tall and broad like Rowan, but that was where their physical similarities ended. While her boyfriend's skin was beige, and his chestnut brown hair was trimmed to a crisp fade, Karter owned deep brown skin and the only hair on his face rested above his eyeballs in thick dark strips. With their physiques and many assets, the two men could easily be mistaken for professional basketball players, but both chose the medical field.

Now, why someone as mean-spirited as Karter Steele would choose to work with the sick and injured, one the most vulnerable groups in society, was a mystery. One that often racked Halle's brain.

"How are you, Halle?" Karter breathed out the insincere question while stroking his naked face.

Better if you weren't talking to me.

He drank in the way that the bright yellow dress clinged to her toned figure, accentuating her bronze skin that was a little more golden due to the hot season. There was simply no reason to be shy about appreciating a woman's curves in his opinion. Any man would do the same, hell, every man did the same.

"I'm alright," Halle replied, delicately sipping from her champagne flute.

It was an understatement of course. She was over the moon about Rowan's new promotion, and couldn't wait to see him soak up all the praise from his peers, especially his leering best friend who still stood next to her. In Halle's eyes, her boyfriend was deserving of all the good fortune coming his way. Rowan was an incredibly hard worker who cared immensely for his patients. The two had met at a nightclub that she was bartending at. He was a med student born into a well-off family, and she was a young lady from the slums just trying to make some fast cash. Four years later, they were a thriving couple, and Halle wouldn't want to be with anyone else.

Rowan was perfect.

It doesn't get any better than him.

Dr. Harvie tapped the mic with a gentle smile, her crystal blue eyes scanning the growing crowd before her. "Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for the man of the hour. He's worked tirelessly in the office, on the field, and even behind the scenes to help the community. We are so honored to welcome Dr. Rowan Belliair into our neurosurgery residency program."

Rowan humbly accepted the surrounding applause with a graceful bow, and offered his superior a friendly hug. "Thank you for coming, everyone. Your support means the world to me. Please, try all of the delicious food laid out before you leave. No really, Michelin star catering is not cheap."

Rowan's brief speech was punctuated with a rehearsed wink, and received a few chuckles here and there. Mr. and Mrs. Belliair proudly clapped for their only son's achievements, making sure to shower him with love the second he got off the stage. Halle slowly eased forward, allowing him to have some time with his family without her for a minute or two as to mentally prepare for their unpleasantries.

Mrs. Belliair noticed her first, becoming the second person of the evening to study her body. "Halle, your dress looks nice. Rowan must've purchased it."

Bitch.

"He did not actually, Ms. Belliair." She plastered a closed-mouth smile onto her face and downed the rest of the bubbly, earning a disapproving look from the Mr.

Sure, Rowan had helped her out of a bad situation and improved her life overall, but she was capable of a few things on her own. Picking out a decent dress was one of them.

Oblivious to the underlying disdain oozing from his relatives, Rowan planted a kiss onto his girlfriend's forehead. He pulled her by the hand while he chatted with his colleagues, nonverbally excluding her from the conversation, but Halle was just thrilled to be away from the ones that judged the most. She figured that as long as she smiled at the right moments and redirected any questions back to praising Rowan, everything would be fine. And she was right.

Rich people loved to talk about themselves.

You could probably get the code to the safe if you complimented them enough.

Halle spent the rest of the evening on autopilot, speaking when spoken to, tasting whatever Rowan raved about, and counting down the minutes until it was time to go home. Once the clock struck ten, she practically skipped out of the massive building. The nighttime air was warm and pure, gently gliding through the palm tree leaves. A willowy valet attendant dashed to retrieve the white Tesla per Rowan's request, just as a middle-aged gentleman with dark slicked hair waddled outside. His assistant was in tow.

"You two kids have a good one!" He grinned, fishing a cigarette from his leather wallet. His Cuban link chain clashed with his busy Versace patterned shirt.

"You too, Cesar!" Rowan laughed. "But we aren't kids."

"When I met your family, you were knee-high, you'll always be little Ro in my eyes."

A statuesque woman with silky, jet black hair clicked onto the pavement, and Cesar became visibly enamored with her lucious brown legs. He motioned for the briefcase that his scrawny assistant held and cracked it open a tad.

"My, my, my." He puffed. "I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of taking something like you home."

"Well then." The woman looked at the stacks of money flashed at her, a single corner of her painted lips pulling into a mischievous smirk. "I guess it's your lucky night."

Her dark green eyes sparkled in a way that enthralled Halle. She was envious of adventurous women, and this woman reeked of more than just pricey parfum. The arrival of the pristine electric car pulled her back to reality and she climbed into the passenger seat.

Voices were replaced with smooth jazz pouring from the speakers, relaxing Halle so much that she dozed off before they'd even reached the highway. Sleeping was her favorite activity. There were no worries when her imagination was shut off.

"We're home." Rowan's voice acted as an alarm clock, and her eyes flew open. Sure enough, they were in the parking garage, stationed in his designated spot. She slipped out of the car, smiling politely to the two men smoking in front of the skyscraper. They were waiting for her to walk by to get a look at her ass, so she dipped her head uncomfortably and sped up while Rowan held the door open to the lobby.

"Slow down, Ro," she whisper-yelled, feeling the sight of her backside being consumed by the strangers.

"Darling, it's been an eventful night. I have no time to teeter around." He dismissed, reaching the elevator first and stepping inside.

Halle broke into a slight jog, her heels clacking noisily against the hard floors and she sighed with relief when she made it before the metal doors closed. Rowan stood with his head pressed against the wall, his eyelids squeezed together in a more innocent expression and she knew that she couldn't be frustrated with him. It wasn't his fault that his legs were long. She just needed to keep up. And that included more ways than one.

Thirty floors later, they reached the penthouse. Halle led the way, helping Rowan slip out of his suit jacket and running his bath water. She lit scented candles to greet him when he exited the bathroom, and poured him a glass of expensive dry wine before it was her turn to freshen up. Halle's shower was thorough and purposeful. She knew that it was her duty as his woman to show her appreciation for him, especially after such an important milestone.

Hell, I want it too. Probably more than him.

Her robe was left open as she sauntered into the master bedroom, just barely covering her nipples. Her skin was freshly oiled, her hair just a little damp, and her core burned with desire for her man. Orgasms were life's greatest stress relievers. With kind eyes and a silent mouth, Rowan watched her kneel between his legs, setting his empty glass onto the nightstand.

She slid his dick through the opening of his shorts and took him into her mouth. As usual, he squirmed and mumbled obscenities in all of the four minutes it took him to come undone. Halle rose to her feet, preparing to straddle his lap when he placed his palm on her stomach, stopping her.

"Let's just go to bed." Rowan yawned, padding into the bathroom to wipe himself off.

What the fuck!

Halle screamed internally and rolled her eyes into the deepest part of her head behind his back. With a deep sigh, she followed him to wash her hands, hardly able to reel in her frustration. The throb between her legs was nearly impossible to ignore.

Whatever Rowan wants, Halle. It's not about you.

"Okay." She smiled. "Sleep well."

~

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-First impression of Mr. Perfect?

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