Unexpected CEO

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"Now what?"

They were on the sidewalk of the shopping strip. Their feet are covered in shopping bags with the logo of almost all of the top brand stores in the area. Now that they were contemplating what to do next.

Laurie was disappointed since she didn't get her fun. Andrei whipped his credit card paying for everything she bought, and even paid for some of Bella's clothes, without batting an eyelash.

She now regretted wasting her time doing something she disliked.

"Let's go hit the bar. I need alcohol to fuel my rage."

"Sweetheart, I'm no longer depending on my mother's allowance. I'm a self-made man - a very successful one at that. My wallet won't take a bruise from your spending." he smirked at Laurie's tantrum.

"Whatever!" she rolled her eyes as she clicked her tongue.

"You are too old to act like a child, Laurie." His lips curve in disdain as he looks at Laurie's behavior.

"Oh, please! Stop preaching with your - I'm already a matured adult - attitude. I don't need that energy from you."

"Guys, can you stop it now. I know a place where we can hang out to wind up those tensions."

"How about our shopping lot? Should we check-in at our hotel first so we could leave all of these…" she swiped her hands to the shoppings bags littered around them, "...before we hit the bar?"

"Oh don't worry about it," Mei Mei waved her well-manicured fingers in the air, she glanced at her diamond-encrusted Rolex watch. "My driver will be here in a minute. He will deposit all of these bags in our hotel room. We can just go straight to the bar --"

The black sedan that picked them up from the station stopped in front of them, and the driver, wearing a black suit, white gloves, and the shiniest pair of shoes it was possible to see in the street, stepped out of the vehicle like lightning.

Soon, all of the shopping bags had been put into the car. And the driver left them on the curb.

"Now what?" Andrei once again asked.

"Let's go to the bar! What else!"

She hailed the first taxi she saw on the street and the three of them piled up in the backseat while Andrei sat next to the driver.

Mei Mei gave the address of the bar to the taxi driver. The address she gave sounds oddly familiar but she didn't give it much thought and had a surprise when they arrived at the said bar.

"Hey, Mei Mei, isn't it --"

She was still talking, but Mei Mei had already entered and taken a few flights of stairs going downstairs.

Bella and Andrei followed her without words while she scanned the outside of the bar. Though the establishments around the area were not the same as she remembered, she was sure that she had visited this place before.

She decided to follow them inside the bar to find out if her guess was right about the place.

Pushing the swinging door of the bar made the small bronze bell hanging on top of the door ring and announced her entrance.

The first thing that met her eyes was the long shiny red wood bar counter. It is lined by dark red metal stools. Where her friends were already grabbing their chosen drinks.

When she stepped forward she saw an impressive alcohol collection in the bar. The long bar counter was staffed by three bartenders, two men and a woman who looked like a high school student. Considering that this is Japan, and the bar is located in an affluent neighborhood, the kid must be young-looking but not a minor.

Laurie grinned as she noticed that all of her friends had already given their orders to the male bartender wearing all-black clothes and silver frame spectacles.

"An Old Fashioned please," she asked as she gave a flirty smile to the bartender. "I'm with them," she said, cocking her head to the direction where uniformed staff ushered her friends to a sitting area.

An elevated floor separates the VIP seating area from the cluster of tall legged metal tables in deep maroon, in front of a stage set up with a gleaming Steinway.

The VIP sitting area is a table surrounded by a circular couch with a high backrest in - you guessed it - luxurious red leather!

The leather couches have high backrests, which make each table private from other patrons. Due to the high backrest, even though you sit next to each other, you can only see the tops of the heads of the other patrons.

Bella and Mei Mei sat on the inside of the couch while Andrei took the outer right side. She sat on the outer left side of the couch. Their table was near to the stage, they could clearly see the pianist even with the dim lighting of the bar.

And since they came in early there were only a few patrons and they were the only people occupying the VIP area.

"This looks really nice." Bella gushed in amazement.

Before Mei Mei could say anything, the uniformed staff that ushered them to their table returned with their drinks. Once he had put all their drinks on the table, he made a polite bow before leaving.

"Yes, the place looks good," she replied to Bella, her eyes fixed on her. "It was renovated a year ago."

"It does," she agreed as she scanned the surroundings with the glass of Old Fashioned in her hand.

"Andrei, Bella --" she grinned, darting her eyes on the two, "especially you Andrei, since you spent a lot of money on Laurie's, you can enjoy yourself and order whatever you want."

Andrei's eyebrows raised in silent question regarding what Mei Mei said.

"Well, it's because this lounge bar was co-owned by none other than -- Miss Crisostomo!" She announced proudly as she swept her hand in her direction as if she were introducing an honorable guest.

Laurie choked on her Old Fashioned after hearing Mei Mei's words.