Chapter 20: He Isn't My Boyfriend
"P—P—President De La Rue," Oliver managed to say as he saw the man with blond hair and a black and gold masquerade mask on his face looking so intently at Maya.
Everyone in the room could tell that he was interested in her.
"I thought I asked for tonight to have a theme?" Nathaniel asked in a loud voice sending everyone into a panic.
They were all quick to cover their faces with the elaborate masks that they had been handed when they arrived.
Jay had a customized one, the perfect opposite of Nathaniel's. It was a subtle hint as to who the CEO was under the mask.
Maya on the other hand was still busy staring in awe at the man before her. Never did she think that she would get to meet him in person.
"Maya," Oliver whispered, snapping Maya from her trance.
She began to lift the mask to her face when a hand stopped her from doing so. Everyone was shocked when they saw the President of DLR Enterprise stopping her.
"Shit," Oliver cursed, he was worried that Maya had offended the boss.
Nathaniel looked directly into Maya's eyes and watched them go wide in shock and panic. He couldn't help but smile at the reaction he had managed to get from her. But at the same time, it angered him that she would react that way to another man.
"Your face is too pretty to be covered, it would be a crime against the gods should they exist," Nathaniel said as he held Maya's hand and pushed it down so that the mask was far from her face.
To his surprise, Maya yanked her hand away and took a step back.
"Sir, flattery will get you nowhere," Maya said as her expression went cold.
It seemed that her admiration for the man standing before her ended in the professional sphere.
"Maya, don't be stupid," Oliver whispered.
Even he knew that if Maya had caught the attention of the President of DLR Enterprises she would be a fool to turn him down.
"See even your boyfriend is telling you not to reject my kind words," Nathaniel chuckled.
He was hoping to get a violent reaction from Maya that would push Oliver away even more.
Nathaniel loved Maya, he wanted her to be happy, but he wasn't a fool. He knew that the best thing for him to do would be to discourage Oliver.
"He isn't my boyfriend," Maya hissed as she took another step back, bumping into the cocktail table behind them. Sending it crashing while Maya lost her balance almost falling down.
On instinct, Nathaniel took a step forward and wrapped his arm around Maya's waist stopping her from falling on her back.
Nathaniel's heart beat faster as he wrapped his arm tighter around her not wanting to let go.
Maya on the other hand took a deep breath catching a whiff of an all too familiar scent that had always given her comfort.
She looked into the President's green eyes, something about his gaze had turned soft as he looked at her.
His eyes felt so familiar, so comfortable to Maya that she just wanted to keep staring into them.
"Are you alright, miss?" Nathaniel asked as he pulled his gaze away from Maya and finally released her from his hold.
He couldn't do this to her, he couldn't make her fall for the President of DLR Enterprises only to tell her that he and Nate Rue were the same person.
"Y—y—yes," Maya managed to say as she inched closer to Jay. "But sir, please, next time keep your distance. I don't like unknown men touching me."
Audible gasps were heard around them as Maya quite blatantly turned down the most eligible bachelor in the country.
Nathaniel couldn't help but smile as he beamed with pride, it seemed that even the richest, most impressive man in the room couldn't make Maya's heart falter.
Behind Maya, Jay shook his head and sighed.
Out of all the people in the room, he was one of a select few that knew the truth. He looked at Clark who stood behind his boss.
Clark shook his head, mirroring Jay's annoyed expression.
"Very well, I will keep my distance, but you have to give me your name in exchange," Nathaniel said as he grinned at Maya.
Maya was clearly about to tell Nathaniel off, when Jay grabbed her arm, stopping her from speaking.
"Don't," he whispered to Maya. "Don't make a mistake, I know you don't care, but there are others that do and will be affected."
Maya sighed and nodded before pulling her arm away from Jay.
"Maya, Maya Miller," she said as she introduced herself to the man in front of her.
"Well, Maya Miller, if that man isn't your boyfriend," Nathaniel said as he pointed at Oliver. "Then that one surely must be." He teased as he pointed at Jay.
Jay turned pale at his friend's words, clearly, Nathaniel was using him to get Maya to say what he wanted.
"He isn't my boyfriend," she told the President.
"Then who is the man that's the reason why you seem to look at me like I'm the most hideous thing out there?" Nathaniel teased, making Oliver turn pale and Maya blush.
"There is no one, there doesn't have to be another man," she argued as she stood her ground.
"But there is, I can see it in your eyes and I can hear it in your voice, you're protecting someone," Nathaniel boldly declared as he tried to get her to admit that she had him.
"Even if there wasn't, I don't have to be like all the other women in this room, Mr.—Mr.—" Maya froze as she realized she had no idea who the man standing before her was.
Sure she knew he was the President and CEO of DLR Enterprises, but never had she read his name in the articles.
"Alistair De La Rue," Nathaniel said as he gave her his second name.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone