Amber's P.O.V.:

Right now mom and I are in the salon getting our nails done. It's my day off and I wanted to pamper myself and also because mom wants me to accompany her to her friend's anniversary party. Last night mom flew down to London and surprised me. She came here to see me and also to attend her old friend's anniversary. Dad couldn't come along because he was busy with the restaurant.

"Amber, get a facial as well. I also want your hair to be styled elegantly. For how long are you going to be like a tomboy? You need to learn some of the lady-like habits." mom said in a taunting tone.

"Mom, it's your friend's anniversary and not my wedding." I said, rolling my eyes.

"All my high school friends are gonna be there. I want them to see how beautiful my daughter is. And you never know, I can even find a suitable son-in-law there." she said, dreamily.

"Mom, stop day dreaming. And don't you even dare to play a match maker there. I am going there just to accompany you and not to find myself a groom." I said as I closed my eyes for the parlor lady to place the cucumber slices over my eye lids.

****

"Please don't over do the make up okay?" I said to the parlour after the facial was done.

"Don't listen to her. Please do an elegant makeup to match her gown." my mom interrupted.

The parlour lady looked at me in pity. I made a puppy face and she started doing the makeup. After about half an hour, mom and I were ready into our outfits. I looked at myself in the long mirror in front of me.

"Mom, I look so barbie-ish!" I said looking at myself.

"Shut up, Amber! You look very beautiful and sexy. Everyone's eyes are going to be on you tonight." she said, looking at me in adoration.

"Thanks, mom!" I said, smiling.

"Oh, I can't wait for tonight's party. I wonder how many men are going to lose their heart. I hope I find a son-in-law tonight." she said, excitedly.

"Mom!" I warned. She ignored me and pulled me by my hand towards the cab that was waiting outside the salon for us.

*****

We reached the venue at around 9 pm.

As soon as we entered the venue, the ladies of around my mom's age kept coming and hugging mom one after the other. My mom's friends were loud like my mom. No wonder they were friends when they were in their high school. They not only hugged my mom but also managed to crush my bones by pulling me with them in their group hug. I am never gonna accompany my mother to her parties again.

We finally excused ourselves from them and went to greet and give gift to the hosts of the evening. They were one of the richest people of the town. After we were done greeting, we walked towards the table where a group of ladies were busy gossiping. Apparently, they are mom's best friends. As soon as we joined them, mom started giving her inputs into their never ending gossips.

God! My mom really loves gossips.

I was getting bored siting in between the queens of gossips so I excused myself and went to the bar to get myself something to drink.

"One margarita please." I said, politely to the bar tender and waited for my drink when a man came and stood beside me. He was wearing three piece chocolate colored suit. He must be around my age and had green eyes and brown hair. And he was extremely handsome.

"Hello, pretty lady!" he said and smiled forming a dimple on his right cheek.

I swear if he's going flirt then I am leaving right now. I am done with all these handsome and sexy men coming to me and trying their luck on me.

After seeing Chris' mood swings, I am done with men.

"Hey!" I said, slowly grabbing my drink from the table.

"I haven't seen you before. Are you one of my mom's friend's daughter?" he asked.

"Your mom?" I asked raising my eye brows.

"Yes, it's my parents' anniversary." he said.

Oh, so he is the son of the hosts of the evening.

"Yes, I am your mom's friend's daughter." I said pointing at my mom who was still busy gossiping with her friends. And her face looked like as if she was giving a speech on the current economic situation of the country.

Can't believe how serious she looks when she's gossiping.

"Oh, I am Elvis Kent. What's your name?" he asked extending his hand towards me for a handshake.

I accepted the handshake.

"Hello, I am Amber Milburn." I said.

"Nice name." he complimented.

"Nice party!" I said to return back the compliment.

I should have complimented for his name and not for his party. How dumb, Amber!

"I mean you also have a nice name." I corrected myself.

He chuckled at that.

"You're cute." he said looking at me.

"Cute as in barbie-ish cute? That's the last thing I want to hear right now. " I said sipping on my drink.

"Why?"

"Because I am looking like a real life barbie." I said pointing at my attire.

"And is that bad?" he asked looking at me with a smile.

"No, it isn't. But it doesn't suit me. This isn't the real me." I said honestly.

"Then how is the real you?" he asked,

"Like Annabelle." my mom interrupted as she came and stood beside me.

"Mom!" I said, embarrassed.

"She's like Annabelle in real. Today, I made her get dressed up like a lady otherwise, she hardly combs her hair and doesn't even care to change into something presentable when she's going out." she continued.

"Mom, please!" I said trying to stop my mom from writing an embarrassing biography of me.

Elvis couldn't stop laughing. Suddenly, his mom came and stood beside him.

"Why are you laughing, young man? You are no better. You don't even shave unless I come and rant." now it was his turn to be embarrassed. I laughed looking at him.

"Lucy, is he your son, Elvis?" my mom asked in surprise.

"Yes, Anna." his mom replied, smiling.

"Oh my gosh, I couldn't even recognize him. He has become quite a young and handsome man." she exclaimed looking at him in adoration. Elvis smiled.

"Your daughter has grown to become a beautiful lady as well, Anna. How time flies! Remember how they used to play with each other the whole day during their summer breaks and cried when it was time to go home?" his mom said looking at both of us.

"I do, Lucy. They were inseparable." mom said remembering old times.

Elvis and I were looking at each other in surprise. We have known each other since our childhood?

"Mom, we were childhood friends?" he asked his mother.

"Yes. But you both were more like childhood sweethearts. Remember, Anna when one time we got them dressed into tux and white frock and put a veil over Amber and got them married for fun?" she replied and I choked on my drink.

"Are you fine, Amber?" mom asked as she passed me napkins to wipe the drink from around my mouth.

I nodded my head slowly. I excused myself to go to the washroom.

Jesus!

Childhood sweethearts? Where did that come from? And why did they get two kids married? Isn't child marriage illegal?

I came out of the washroom finishing my business when I noticed Hee Young; Chris' step mom standing with my mother and Elvis' mother and chatting with them.

What is she doing here?

I walked towards them.

"Hee Young? What are you doing here?" I asked in surprise.

She looked at me in surprise and hugged me.

"Oh my god, Amber. I wasn't expecting you to be here. What a pleasant surprise!" she said as we parted from the hug.

"You both know each other?" mom asked me.

"Yes, mom. I am an intern in her son's company." I said.

"Such a small world! She is our schoolmate. We were in the same group." mom said.

Indeed a small world!

We started chatting with each other and that's when I came to know that Chris had come to drop his step mom at this party but he had some work so he didn't enter the venue.

Thank god, he didn't decide to stay.

Suddenly Elvis came and kept his hand around my waist.

"If you ladies will allow me then I would want to take away my childhood sweetheart to join me for a dance." he said looking at me and winked.

I blushed. I knew he was joking around. We all laughed at that while Mrs. Collins looked at us in adoration.

"You both look like a cute couple." she said. Before I could correct her, I was already being pulled by Elvis towards the dance floor.

"Childhood sweethearts, huh?" I asked, teasingly. He smiled shyly and we started dancing on the song 'A Thousand Years'

We were dancing and laughing. It was after such a long time that I was laughing like this. Elvis is a really fun guy to hang out with you. And I was amazed to see how effortlessly he had managed to make me feel like a lady and he didn't even try to flirt or impress me. He was his natural self with me.

Third person's P.O.V.:

Chris dropped his step mom outside the venue of the party and was about to drive away when he realized that he forgot to ask when shall he send the driver to pick her up. He called his step mom.

"Hello, Chris?" she said from the other side of the line.

"Sorry, I wanted to know when shall I send the driver to pick you up." he asked, politely. He respected his step mom a lot. After all it was her who helped his father move on from his unfaithful wife.

His heart filled with hatred thinking about his mother. He hated her to bits and even thinking about her made his heart bitter.

"Oh, you can send the driver at 10. I will be done by then." she replied.

"Okay!" he said. He had his Bluetooth receiver in his ear and was about to cut the call when he heard a familiar voice. He concentrated to listen to what they were talking about. Luckily, his step mom had forgot to cut the call. It gave him the chance to listen to their conversation.

He listened to everything they were saying and found that his step mom was friends with Amber's mom. He wasn't expecting that and was surprised to know that. He felt good after listening Amber's voice and her laugh. He knew he was being an ass to her but there's no other way. He needs to be an ass to her. It's better for both of them. He knew he would never be able to give her what she wants. He was about to cut the call when he heard a male's voice.

"If you ladies will allow me then I would want to take away my childhood sweetheart to join me for a dance." the male said.

What the f#ck?

Childhood sweethearts?

His blood boiled listening to the person's say those words. He clutched onto the steering wheels tightly to control his anger.

"You both look like a cute couple." he heard his step mom saying.

This was enough for fueling his anger. He cut the call and exited from the car and entered into the venue furiously.

He looked around and found Amber and a man dancing on the dance floor.

He balled his hand into a fist. How he wanted to go and pull that man away from Amber but he had to control his anger. He didn't want to create any scene, after all, it was his step mom's friend's party. He didn't want to embarrass her. So, he slowly walked towards his step mom without averting his eyes from Amber and the man dancing. That is when he realized how beautiful she was looking tonight in that baby pink gown that she was wearing. And the light makeup and the elegantly styled bun was adding to her beauty.

"Chris, you're here?" his Hee Young asked, surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Umm...yeah. Actually, it's 9:30 already so I thought maybe I should wait for you and take you back with me." he said, politely.

She smiled. It's these little things that he does makes her heart fill up with happiness. Though Chris wasn't her biological son but she never treated him as a step son. She always loved him and cared about him. She knew how broken he was when his mom left him and his father and knew how much he needed love and affection. Though he never called her mom but she knew that he respected and loved her dearly.

"Lucy, Anna, meet my son, Chris Collins." she introduced him to her friends, proudly.

Both the ladies looked at him in adoration.

"Hello." he greeted them, politely.

"So, you're my daughter's boss?" Amber's mom asked, adoringly.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, politely.

"I hope my daughter's working well. And please don't call me ma'am. You can call me aunty or Mrs. Milburn. Whatever you're comfortable with." she said, smiling.

"She's a brilliant intern, Mrs. Milburn." he replied, honestly.

No matter how much he criticized Amber when she's working but he knew how hard working she is and how passionate she is about her work.

"I am glad!" Amber's mom replied.

Mrs. Milburn couldn't stop imagining her daughter and Chris together. They would make a cute couple. She thought.

"Can I have a dance with you?" Chris heard a girl asking him.

If it was some other day under a different situation then he would have rudely rejected but tonight he had to say yes. He wanted Amber to be jealous and make her feel what he was feeling right now seeing her dancing with some other man.

"Sure!" he said, smiling at her charmingly.

He then held her hand gently and walked towards the dance floor with her. He intentionally went and stood closer to Amber and Elvis. Amber noticed him and was surprised for a few moments but managed to cover her shocked expression and continued dancing.

Amber's P.O.V.:

I couldn't stop myself from looking at them furiously. He smirked looking at me and started dancing.

Don't get affected. Just don't get affected. I chanted in my head.

I tried to ignore him and his partner by looking at Elvis and started making small conversations with him. Fortunately, Elvis' jokes were too funny and it brought me at ease. I laughed a little louder than necessary after every joke he cracked so that Chris could see that I was not affected by him or his partner.

Two can play this game, Chris.

Chris looked infuriated as he glared at us.

Keep looking at me like that, Chris. I don't care. 

I could see his grip tightening around the girl's waist. My blood boiled looking at his hands around her waist. 

I could see the girl wincing in pain. 

He looked down at her and seem to have realized how tightly he was holding her waist and loosened his grip on her waist.

Oh Wow! He never saw my pain and, look, how he is sympathizing with her. 

Wow! Just wow! 

Elvis twirled me and I deliberately went closer to them, taking Elvis with me so that I could hear their conversation. 

"I am sorry! I didn't realize." he apologized.

What the hell? He apologized?

He has never apologized to me. The first person whom he should apologize to is me.

The girl smiled looking at him and blushed. I will kill you, girl! Stop blushing! I wanted to pulled her hair and beat the crap out of her. I balled my hands into fists and looked everywhere but them. 

The song changed. I was done seeing him and his partner dance so I decided to walk away when my hand was held and I was suddenly pulled backwards. I turned around and found Chris standing in front of me, holding my hand.  

"May I have a dance with you?" he asked, looking into my eyes. 

No, you can't! I was internally punching him again and again. 

I wanted to be really rude to him but then my conscience kicked in and made me realize my vow to be as professional as I could with him, I finally gained back my confidence. I looked straight into his eyes and replied.

"Sure, sir!" I said with a fake smile and put my hand in his hand.

He pulled me by my waist which made me crash onto his chest.

'Don't let your guards down!', I kept reciting the mantra inside of my head.

We started dancing to the song, 'I wanna grow old with you'

"Who was the guy you were dancing with, Ms. Milburn?" he asked. I could see how hard he was trying to calm himself down.

At first, I was shocked to hear him ask this but then, I maintained myself and didn't let my real emotion come out.

"He's a friend." I replied looking into his eyes. I had to maintain a smile on face since my mom and other ladies were looking at us. 

"A friend or a childhood sweetheart?" he asked, tightening his grip on my waist.

I couldn't hide her shocked expression this time.

How did he know?

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Don't play dumb, Ms. Milburn. I know he is your childhood sweetheart." he said as he pulled me closer.

I looked into his eyes in shock.

Did he meet my mom?

Did she tell him about it? 

Mom!

After a long pause, I replied. 

"It doesn't concern you even if he is my childhood sweetheart." I said, boldly.

I was headstrong that I wasn't going to let her guards down. And even if Elvis was my childhood sweetheart, it shouldn't concern him. Which boss interferes into his interns' personal life?

"It does concern me." he said, in a dead serious voice.

"Sir, please don't interfere in my personal life." I said what he had said to me two weeks ago.

I could almost see fire coming from his eye. He took deep breaths to calm his anger and didn't speak anything for a while. He seemed to be into a deep thought. 

"Fine, I won't interfere into your personal life, Ms. Milburn." he said calmly as he left my waist and walked away from there. I followed him.

We reached where our mothers were standing. He went to Hee Young and asked politely to her if she wanted to go back home. 

"Yeah. I think we should head back. It's already late." she replied. 

She bid goodbyes to her friends and came to hug me the she left with Chris.

Think of me as the barbie you'll never get to play with, Chris Collins.