C22 A Step Together...

When White Sibling heard his name both looked at each other even more surprisingly.

"See!! I told you he looks familiar." Adam said again in a very low voice.

"I am not as smart as you. Look at him he is looking very..." Anna replied in the same way, with her eyes still fixed on Asher but couldn’t continue her line.

"Very handsome?" Adam continued her sentence.

"Cough**Cough! I mean very different." Anna said it with little awkwardness and shifted her sight to the other direction. She too knew that this man in front of her was incredibly handsome to make all the girls out there lose their minds but she didn’t want to be one of them.

Amelia: "Why are you so late? We all were waiting for you."

Asher: "I am sorry Grandma. I was busy with some urgent business."

"Were you busy preparing a gift for me? You know what I want." Elder Allen then winked at him

"It will take some time. But sooner or later you will get it, grandpa." Asher said with a sly smile on his face.

"Huuu?" She then mumbled ’Lier! I know what kind of a business?’ Anna remembered, Asher and that woman talking in front of a hotel.

Calin: "Let me introduce you to my best friend’s family. Though you knew them since your childhood I think you must be unfamiliar with them now. He called his friend and said, "John White! Meet Asher-Smith, my elder son."

"Who doesn’t know about him? He is one of the most successful and youngest businessmen in our country." John said it with pride in his heart. He smiled and said, "And there is one more thing to add, the most handsome man."

"Yeh! You are right. After all, Calin took after me."

"Haha! Right."

"Good evening uncle and aunt White." Asher shook hands with John and nodded with a smile to Alica.

Calin: "And these are, I guess you remember them right?"

Asher: "Mmmm"

He smiled and nodded. Both siblings did the same. Asher’s eyes were still seeking a glimpse of Anna’s face in between the conversation. She was aware of it but avoided looking back at him because her heart started to beat faster when their eyes met. She couldn’t understand what was in his gaze that made her feel like this, so she just preferred to avoid it.

Asher was already expecting to see Anna at the party. When he entered halfway inside the party hall, he saw her standing among so many guests. He couldn’t move his sight from her. With every step forward, Asher was observing her. She looked simple, beautiful, and innocent. For him, she was different from all the other girls, who were covered in a thick layer of makeup, expensive dresses, and jewelry. She was just being herself, not minding others. Though he was talking to others, all his focus was on her.

She was wearing a floral lace, off-shoulder, light pink colored ruffle dress having short sleeves. The dress was long enough to touch her knees. Her deep golden brown hairs long up to her elbows parted in the center were kept untied. Just parts of the front side hair were pulled back and pinned up securely on either side of the head, slightly above both ears with matching pink colored hairpins on both sides which made her look too cute like a high school girl. Parts of her hair were laying in front of her both shoulders. She was just wearing earrings which had a pink colored stone hanging to the small gold chain, long upto her jawline and had the same matching bracelet on her wrist. The make-up was very light as her baby's soft skin didn’t need it. She had a natural rouge-like pink shade on her cheeks. She had a small pointed nose and delicate jelly-like lips that were shining like rose petals having light pink lipgloss on them. Her eyes were deep brown with a tinge of golden color in them which made them shine like a bright star under the bright light of the party hall. Long eyelashes made them look even more attractive.

When Calin introduced them Asher didn’t say anything as they had met before. He just preferred to go with the flow. White siblings did the same.

After a moment, an MC came onto the stage and welcomed everyone. The celebration started. He called the Elder couple onto a stage and gave a funny speech that made everyone laugh. The Hotel staff brought a huge 5 story cake on the stage. The elder couple cut the cake and everyone wished them a further happy married life. Soon the MC announced all the couples to come on the dance floor which was in the center of the hall. Whoever was interested went forward and started to dance with their partners, not to forget for a couple of days. Elder Allen and Amelia were looking too adorable. Other couples from the Smith family joined them too. All were enjoying the beautiful and romantic atmosphere in the hall. Everyone in the party hall was curious to know with whom Asher will dance or if he won’t dance this time too. Evan was still nowhere to be seen.

A woman in her early 20s came forward and asked Asher to dance who was sitting in a chair around a circular table near the stage. She was the daughter of one of the good friends of his father and one of the major investors of the Smith corporation’s current project in country Z. Her name was Olivia. She was very much interested in Asher and he too knew about it.

"May I have the honor to dance with you, President Smith?" Olivia asked it in a very polite and elegant way. She was an attractive lady who could make anyone fall for her.

"I don’t know how to!" And declined in a cold voice after taking a sip of wine from the glass. Asher didn’t look at her.

His sight was still fixed on Anna who was standing near the dance floor with her brother, admiring the dancing elder couple. She had a beautiful smile on her face which made the dimples on her cheeks even more visible.

Olivia couldn’t say anything further, after getting his cold reply. She just walked away saying never mind. She was standing far away but still, her sight was fixed on Asher. She noticed that he is looking at a girl in a light pink color dress. She felt jealous but couldn’t do anything.

Adam asked his sisters to dance and both went on a dance floor. Their parents were already present there. Asher was observing Anna while sipping a glass of wine from the glass in his hand. After a few minutes of continuous staring, his sight noticed something unusual which made him put his wine glass aside. He got up and stepped forward in Anna’s direction. Just then Adam’s phone rang. It was an important call so he stopped dancing and excused himself. As Anna was about to get off the dance floor, Asher appeared in front of her. He didn’t say anything just offered her his hand, gesturing her for to dance with him.

She was stunned by his sudden appearance. When she understood what he was asking for, she couldn’t say no because all the guests in the audience were watching them. She accepted his invitation and headed to the dance floor with him.

Everyone was just surprised to see this because Asher never danced with anyone before other than his mother and grandmother and this girl in a pink dress was someone unknown to all the guests present there. Oliva was already jealous and now she was frowning with anger.

When Asher and Anna were standing face to face to start a dance, the lights in the hall suddenly got switched off. Only the dim lights on the dance floor and the numerous small chandeliers hanging to the ceiling of the hall were on, giving it a starry look. That changed the complete atmosphere in the hall. The music changed to a silent and romantic tune. All the couples on the dance floor transformed into their romantic versions. Anna felt a little awkward but still stepped forward toward Asher. She was not looking him in the eyes, instead, her eyes were lowered downward and her heart was beating quite faster.