Playboy brute

"You!" Eleanor whined in protest, shocked to see the person standing before her. "Again?" she couldn't help but ask in frustration.

"My darling! Nothing can hold me back from pursuing you. I will continue showering you with affections, until you see my pure intentions and agree to be in my possession, forever!"

A boy grinning wildly with a crazy glint in his baby blue eyes declared with gusto. A bunch of flowers, all of different kinds and colors, arranged peculiarly were held in his large hands.

"Don't you mean un-pure, you clinging idiot," Eleanor cursed in a low voice. Eleanor, a girl who always tried to look for the good inside people, hardly ever cursed at anything or anyone. But, she never could resist the urge around this blond fool.

Devin Adams, the only son of the Mayor and heartthrob of Melvedore. Resident playboy, who broke hearts for entertainment- before he ate something and after he was finished with his meal, before falling asleep, and after waking up. His phone was filled with random, unsaved numbers-which many times landed him in trouble, resulting in a few slaps now and then- and his trash was every day filled with colorful love letters.

Even after his horrible treatment, girls continued to follow him, and a few went as far as to trying to stake a claim on him by requesting their parents to arrange their marriages with him. Infatuation would be an understatement but, it was understandable-golden tresses of blond locks crusted on his head, covering his forehead with untidy, perky bangs. His blue eyes, light like the sky when he smiled, went dark and looked electrifying when he smirked with evil desires. A sharp jaw and a shapely nose with lips so alluring and inviting that they appeared in many girl's erotic dreams. But not Eleanor. Never Eleanor. She couldn't care less for the boy standing in front of her with his typical smirk, looking like a model straight out from a magazine cover in his branded casual t-shirt and jeans.

The boy who had girls lining up for his attention like chicks for grains was obsessed with chasing after the girl who refused to give him two cents of her attention. She refused to acknowledge him even if someone offered her countless treasures and abundant riches. Eleanor knew Devin saw her as another quest that he had to accomplish, a challenge which he had to succeed, a trophy that he had to win. She didn't have time for an insincere person like him who only attracted trouble and drama, not like she ever really gave a thought to her social life, much less 'the love of her life.'

She was a hopeless, inexperienced romantic at heart who had a fair share of tears shed over numerous tragic love stories, had awed over the sail of many successful ships, and marveled over the thought of a prince charming and a 'one and only.' But Eleanor didn't really believe in love, not the romantic kind. She didn't think it existed in the cruel reality that she lived in, at least not for her. She was a child born out of marriage, a mistake successfully concealed with the rumor of a divorce between her parents.

Looking at the stretched hand of the person in front of her, she made her face expressionless and took the bunch of poorly arranged flowers from his hand.

"That would be 6 Piones and 20 credes (Nevizian currency), sir," she stressed on the last word with gritted teeth and a polite smile that looked more like an upturned grimace.

Devin kept his cheeky smile on his pretty yet annoying face and shamelessly handed her the flowers. Eleanor adjusted the flowers a bit and tied them together with a ribbon. She was trying to make them look a bit better, but her insincere efforts were in vain. She truly pitied the recipient of the bouquet.

'Wait, I know who it is. I definitely pity myself.'

"Keep the change."

Eleanor felt her fingers itch. She so desperately wanted to slap that overbearing smirk off his face. Except she could do nothing else but nod with a blank expression and accept the payment.

Taking a bill with the royal crown from his outstretched hand, she input the details on her computer, tore the bill, and handed the receipt of his purchase to him along with his flowers.

Devin accepted the receipt but gently pushed the hand with the flowers back towards her.

"It's for you, dear, a token of my love." His audacity was increasing day by day, Eleanor thought as she seethed. In her mind, she had already smacked him with the flowers about a hundred times. Eleanor couldn't bring herself to turn this fantasy into a reality, however. Not because she cared for the impudent dunce present before her, he had already paid and made his purchase. He no longer counted as a customer for her.

She didn't want to destroy the flowers. They were much too precious to be wasted over his worthless existence.

"For me? My, I thought the face of the town would have the decency to gift something more sincere. But it seems flowers from my own shop is as far as he can go. Your earnestness is questionable." Eleanor's politely uttered words conveyed several meanings.

Devin's lips twitched as his smirk threatened to collapse. Alas, he regained his composure too soon.

"This certainly isn't the last of my gifts to you, doll-face. I just thought that in this whole town you're this is the only store with the best quality and variety of flowers-"That is true but because there is only one flower store in the whole town-'Bloom Emporium'- the shop Eleanor's mother left in her care.

"It just so happens that it's owned by you. It also provided me with an excuse to see you. As for sincerity, careful, my wholeheartedness might just melt your heart to a puddle."

"Is that so?" Eleanor's polite expression turned deadly, "Mr. Adams, if I recall correctly, I only recently reminded you to not waste your time in courting me. I have no interest in you or anyone else for that matter."

Devin faked a pained expression, pressing a palm to his chest, right where his heart should be if he had one.

"It's a shame that you see me courting you as a waste. At the same moment, it delights me that you care about what I do with my time. Maybe, it's not as much of a waste as you think."

Eleanor's eyes narrowed in irritation. He's getting good with his words.

"Trust me. I don't care a bit about what you go about doing in your time. It's only my time that I care about, and you're wasting it," Eleanor dropped the act. " I do not like you, and I absolutely despise even the thought of dating you. It's not possible between us. I hope you'll move on to your next prey."

Devin laughed. A sound that many would describe as a mellow rhythm, warm, and heart fluttering.

Eleanor thought it was awful, with a high probability of being a cause for noise pollution.

"I was wondering how long you were going to sweet talk to me," he smiled with a devious glint in his azure eyes. Eleanor gagged mentally. 'Sweet talk? You make it sound like I was the one flirting and trying to make an advance!'

"It was amusing, but I missed my feisty kitten." His deceiving smile switched to a smirk.

"Stop with these cringy endearing terms and the possessive pronouns. If you want to practice your language skills and lame pick-up lines, do it elsewhere. Preferably someplace far away from me," Eleanor growled, her hands clenched into fists. If need be, she was ready to fly some punches.

If it had been someone else in her place, Devin would have made sure to make them regret it pretty bad. But this was the girl whom he had caught a glance of at the town fair last year, handing balloons to little children with a gracious smile and a cheerful demeanor. It was a rare warm summer day that didn't have the torturous heat waves in the atmosphere. Instead, a gentle breeze flew that provided a comfortable feeling against the sun's hot rays. Her locks shone golden in the light of the day, dancing to the silent beat of the tender gale as it flew through it. Even though he only saw her side profile, she looked ethereal in her white dungaree, her cheeks red from the heat and exertion. The boy who had ever only known how to break hearts had always prided himself for feeling nothing for any girl except lust was surprised to feel his monotonous heart skip a beat.

Ignoring the fluttering in his chest and the butterflies in his stomach, he approached her when he deemed the time to be right.

With his signature smirk and model-like gait, he neared closer to the angelic girl. He was again blown away by her beauty when she turned to face him, hearing his approach, her rosy lips parted and jade eyes sparkling with curiosity. She was breath-taking, and she didn't even know it. Devin had noticed the various glances thrown her way, which made him mad for some reason. He was glad when he discovered her ignorance, or should he say naivete.

When he started speaking with her in his usual confident and flirtish tone, the girl guessed his thoughts and halted his advances. The ever-successful playboy failed miserably. His ego was wounded and deflated drastically. It was then that he decided to make it his life's mission to woo this girl and make her his.

Easier said than done.

Eleanor, who had no interest in romance, started despising it more due to this blond bimbo who refused to take a hint. She didn't want to end up as a trophy in his arms, something which he'll toss aside easily like a ball when his interest and apparent 'true love' moved on from her. She didn't believe in real, everlasting love. Her plans were to secure herself in her dream job and settle down with a man who shared the same interests as her and was in a humble and respectable occupation. She was content with hoping for mutual respect, understanding, and loyalty in any prospective future relationships. In her opinion, if true love did exist, then it was much too demanding with uncertain risks to be taken and arduous tests to be passed before a happy ending, which even then wasn't always possible.

Too bothersome.

"No need to act like this sweet bun. You know you like it," A dangerous glint entered Devin's eyes as his expression hardened.

"My patience is running thin, darling, so I suggest you stop playing hard to get now."

Before Eleanor could even register his words fully, he moved, and with the blink of an eye, captured her hands in his comparatively larger ones, pulling her body closer to his, over the broad counter. Eleanor was caught by surprise. She never thought he could ever be as audacious as this. The shop had one glass wall through which it was possible to see inside as well as outside the shop. If anyone caught them in this promiscuous position, then it wouldn't be wrong to assume a false rumor circulating about her with this troublesome boy in the small town by the fall of the night.

Flustered and vehement, she tried to pull herself free, but her struggles were in vain. Devin was much too powerful for her weak physique.

"Let go of me, you brute!"

He continued smirking, leaning closer, inch by inch, causing Eleanor's eyes to widen.

"Excuse me? Pardon my intrusion, but is something wrong here?"