Chapter 1 - Absolutely Captivating

It was Vanessa's 18th birthday, and the celebration was going to take place at a beach resort that was both private and luxurious. The Hamiltons were able to give a large celebration for their only child because she hails from such a renowned family. The party was very extravagant. She invited everyone from her school, including her best friend Fiona Miller, who was a smart, shy, but gorgeous, lovely lady with a compelling sweet smile. It was this smile that caught the attention of a bachelor man who stood out from the throng named Brandon Hamilton. It turned out that he was Vanessa's uncle, and he was sneakily looking across at Fiona.

"I hope you have an amazing birthday, Vanessa!" Everyone greeted her as they arrived at the place. They were requested to arrive two days early in order to have enough time to practice the choreographed dance performance that was going to be a part of the program.

"Oh, guys, I'd love it if you could get to know my uncle Brandon. He is going to take part in my dance of the eighteen flowers." She introduced him, and all the girls immediately blushed as they realized that he was a really handsome gentleman. Certainly, included in this group is Fiona, whose interest was piqued by the grave expression on his face and the deep set of his eyes. The wild unruly style of his hair further enhanced the attraction of his overall appearance. His eyes were mesmerizing, and it seemed as though they were peering into her very soul.

"Hi." Brandon offers his hand on her to shake.

"Hi, Sir." Fiona was mortified by the thoughts running through her head and quietly bowed her head as a sign of her embarrassment. Brandon was unable to control himself so he softly pressed her delicate palm, which prompted her to feel a fluttering sensation in her core.

"I'm so happy that each of you was able to be here today." After he had finished releasing his hold on her hand, he resumed.

"Of course, we are also glad to meet Vanessa's uncle." Everyone giggles except for Fiona, who just stares at him.

"Hey, Fiona," Vanessa greeted. "Are you okay?" She enquired.

"Of course, I'm fine." As she answered, she was stumbling over her words.

"Perhaps you endured a lengthy flight. I have no doubt that each of you is exhausted. Perhaps, you guys go to your rooms and get some much-needed rest." Brandon made the offer.

"Yeah, uncle is totally right." Vanessa agreed. However, she was curious about his uncle's behavior. She had yet gotten used to hearing him talk a lot, especially in front of people he had just met for the first time.

"Cathy, could you please help them out?" Vanessa inquired with a member of the staff.

Fiona and the others were walking towards the corridor when she couldn't help but cast a glimpse behind towards Vanessa's uncle, who was also walking in the opposite direction. Simply based on the way he walks; Fiona believes him to be very appealing and handsome.

"Hey Fiona, do you like Vanessa's uncle?" Leslie, another one of their friends, murmured something.

"No, of course not." She denied.

"Based on the expression you were wearing; I was able to tell." Leslie giggled.

In contrast to Fiona, who was still uninterested in having a boyfriend despite the numerous suitors she had, Leslie already had multiple relationships by the time she started her freshman year of college. One of these guys was even Fiona's brother.

"Hey, his too old for you. Don't get your hopes up because he might already be married." Leslie chuckled.

"I have already told you that I am not." She persisted in refuting the allegations.

After Fiona had done sorting through her stuff in the suitcase, she reorganized them in the closet. She, Leslie, and Marie all slept in the same room together.

Knock knock knock

When Leslie heard a knock at the door, she rushed to open it as quickly as she could.

"Hi, baby!" Glenn, her boyfriend, took quick hold of her lips as if they were the only ones in the room.

"Excuse me!" Marie was taken aback by the scenery. Despite this, Fiona was so used to seeing Leslie and Glenn behaving in such a way that it made her laugh. Glenn was his older brother, and she could usually hear the two of them moaning to each other from the next room over.

"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away with myself there," Leslie gave a sheepish apology while flashing a big smile.

"Whatever!" Marie snarled and then wandered off to the restroom.

"Fiona, would you like to come with us? While I was traveling to this place, I saw a cool club." Glenn invited.

"I'm sorry, but I need to get some more practice in before my piano performance." She was unyielding.

"Oh, yeah, right. You're going to play the piano for the final dance."

"Yap."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. I have no doubt that she would enjoy staying here to get to know that guy better." The joke was on Leslie.

"Hey, stop it, Leslie!" Fiona wore a frown.

"Who's guy?" There is no change in Glenn's facial expression at all.

"Brother, you shouldn't be concerned about it. Leslie is making these stuff up all on her own." Fiona was quick to speak up in her own defense.

"Hey, Fiona. You have to introduce me to that guy__" Glenn persisted.

"Oh, brother!" She heaved a sigh and then sat down on the bed, grabbing for her ear pods. The normal things she did to keep from getting into an argument with her brother who was too protective of her.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm only kidding. Goodbye, Fiona!" After laughing, Leslie went over to give Fiona a peck on the cheeks.

Fiona coordinated with the staff in order to prepare for her upcoming rehearsal in the midst of Leslie and Glenn's departure and Marie's desire to sleep. Due to the fact that Vanessa considers her to be her best friend, she especially requested that she play the piano for the final portion of the dance, which was set to the song "Dance with my father." She is escorted into a room that has a magnificent grand piano by the event coordinator.

"Wow!" As the members of the staff offer the piano to her, her pupils become noticeably larger. "This is a dream come true." She exclaimed as she touched the keys of the grand piano.

"I'll leave you, Ma'am."

"Oh, sure. Thank you."

After taking a few slow, deep breaths, Fiona sat down in front of the piano, touched the keys, and began moving her hands in time to the music. Brandon, who was an avid admirer of classical genres, made up his mind to look into the source of the music when he overheard someone playing the piano in the next room. As he gazes at her with awe, his pupils dilate, and he seems to lose all awareness of the outside world. Fiona's performance had an incredible amount of ardor and zeal, giving the impression that her heart was truly in it. As Brandon watched her face move in time with the music that she was playing, he found that he was unable to avoid becoming mesmerized by her beauty.

"How incredibly fascinating." He mumbled something.

After Fiona hit the final key, she heard a rousing round of applause coming from the direction of the entrance.

"Mr.?" She jumped to her feet and then instantly lowered her head in respectful submission.

"Don't." Brandon uttered the phrase, "I want to see your face."

"Shit! What possessed me to say that?" He said to himself.

"I'm trying to say that there's no reason to be shy. It was an outstanding performance all around." He alters the manner in which he speaks.

"Thank you, Mr." She wears a beautiful smile.

"Oh, if you please." Brandon was having a hard time controlling himself.

"Would you like to look around?" It was impossible for him to refrain from inviting her and potentially spending more time with her.