Billionaire Lawyer's Secretary - Chapter 106: Chapter 106

With a loud snap, the overhead spotlights went out, plunging the entire theater into pitch darkness. The massive screen in front of them suddenly lit up, and exciting background music started playing.
The movie began. Three men stood there, illuminated by the glow of the projector, their faces half-hidden in the shifting light.
By the dim light to guide them, they walked toward the two people who were staring in shock.
Logan didn't know any of them. He shot a casual glance at the two people lounging on the sofa. Figuring this wasn't the right time for introductions, he sensibly picked a spot farther away and stretched out there.
Elara frowned. "Why are you here?"
Adrian leaned down and placed the popcorn in her lap. "Victor insisted on coming to watch the movie with Ruby, and he even booked the whole place."
'No wonder no one else is here,' Elara thought. "Then why are you here?" she asked.
"Well, since Victor was with Ruby, I figured you'd be left all alone and kind of pitiful, so I thought I'd come hang out with you," he replied.
Elara thought, 'Wow, you're actually pretty sweet.'
Ruby, on the other hand, was totally unfazed by their antics. She just put on her glasses and settled in to watch the movie, not even bothering to greet Victor.
Elara glanced at the silent Ruby beside her and, in her mind, gave her a big thumbs-up. She slipped on her own glasses, too, lounging back on the sofa without a care, ready to enjoy the film.
The two guys stood awkwardly in the aisle, clearly not wanting to look for other seats. In the end, they just squeezed in on either side of the girls, looking a bit stiff and out of place.
The plush sofa dipped under their weight, making Adrian lean right up against Elara, while Victor edged closer to Ruby, so much so that the two girls ended up squished together in the middle.
The once spacious, comfy sofa bed at that moment was cramped for Elara, and she was starting to lose her patience.
"Seriously, why don't you and Victor go find your own seats? Why are you crowding us like this?" she complained.
Adrian tilted his chin up. "Victor, why don't you and Ruby sit over there?"
Victor shot back, "Why do I have to move? You and Elara go over there."
The two guys both dug in their heels, neither willing to give an inch.
Elara knew these two were as stubborn as mules, so she gave up fighting and just started chowing down on the popcorn.
Ruby reached over, too, grabbing handfuls of popcorn and stuffing them into her mouth. The two of them started giggling and gossiping about the handsome guy who had just shown up on screen.
The two guys locked eyes in a silent standoff, but in the end, it was Adrian who finally lost his patience.
He suddenly stood up and, without warning, scooped Elara right off the sofa bed, carrying her toward the seats in the back.
Elara, still wearing her glasses, hadn't noticed Adrian's movement at all. It wasn't until she was completely lifted off the sofa that she realized what was happening.
Elara squirmed and tried to break free, but Adrian just held her even tighter, as if afraid she might slip out of his arms.
After a few steps up the aisle, he gently set Elara down on a sofa bed two rows back.
The sofa was so soft that when Elara leaned back, her feet lifted a little, and in the shifting light, the hem of her black skirt slipped up, giving a glimpse of her legs. Adrian hadn't meant to look, but the sight caught his eye.
Adrian bobbed his Adam's Apple. He reached over and gently pulled the blanket beside them over her legs, covering her up.
Elara was not happy. "I had the perfect spot for watching the movie."
Adrian sat down next to her on the sofa, reached out, and gently pinched the tip of her nose. "It was too close. Your neck would've gotten tired."
With that, he got up again, went back to their original spot, and grabbed the cappuccino and popcorn, setting them on the small table.
Then, acting like he totally belonged there, he climbed onto the sofa bed, pulled back the blanket, and settled next to her, sharing the same one.
Elara's eyes fell on the neatly folded blanket on his side. "We each have our own blanket. Use yours."
Adrian scooted closer, his thigh pressing right up against Elara's knee and leg through his suit pants. "I'm not using it. I'm just here to warm up your side of the bed. Your legs are really cold."
When he'd picked her up earlier, his hand had wrapped around her thigh.
"That's just because I'm wearing stockings," she shot back.
Under the blanket, Elara could feel the heat radiating from his body, warmth slowly spreading along her leg from where he was pressed up against her.
She shifted a little to the side, trying to put some distance between them and avoid any more physical contact.
The light from the big screen flickered on and off, casting shadows over Adrian's face. He had a faint smile as he reached for the cappuccino he'd bought earlier.
He handed her a cup of cappuccino with the straw already in it, and Elara took it, a bit surprised. "Since when did Mr. Hartley start buying girly drinks like this?" she asked.
Cappuccino seemed totally out of place for someone as sly, sharp-tongued, and stubborn as Adrian.
"Don't like it?" he asked.
She liked cappuccino just fine. It was just the person who bought it for her that made things complicated.
Elara took a sip and frowned. "It's so sweet." Seriously, it was almost unbearably sugary. She squinted at the cup in the glow from the screen. It was regular sugar.
Adrian reached over, took the cappuccino from her, and took a sip himself. There was a sly, almost mischievous glint in his smile. "Yeah, it is pretty sweet."
He handed her his own cappuccino, the one with just a little sugar, even though he'd already taken a sip. "Here, try this one."
Elara frowned. "I don't want the one you've already had a sip of."
Adrian kept a straight face, lying without missing a beat. "I just put the straw in, and didn't even get a chance to drink yet."
Elara took the cup, still a bit skeptical. "Really? You haven't drunk from it?"
"Yeah, what would I get out of lying to you?" Adrian replied.
Elara's doubts faded away. He had a point. He had no reason to bother lying about something so trivial. If he really cared that much about the cappuccino, he'd probably just claim he'd already drunk from it.
She took a small sip. The sweetness was just right, and she grinned, her eyes curving into a smile. "This one's good."
Adrian's smile deepened. "I'm glad you like it."
Elara got back to watching the movie. The first twenty minutes were basically just a recap of the last movie, and then the real plot started.
A new character appeared on screen, a guy with an attractive face. When he smiled, he looked all bright and charming, but when he took off his shirt to fix a car, his abs totally stole the show.
Elara's lips curled up, and she let out a rare, soft giggle, even with a little snort. Adrian turned to look at her, catching her totally swooning over the guy on screen.
Adrian pressed his tongue against his cheek, feeling seriously annoyed.
He believed that those abs were obviously for the show, probably the result of some last-minute gym sessions and a whole lot of sucking in. It was just a trick to fool girls who are easily impressed.
Adrian thought, 'Those abs have nothing on mine. No way they feel as solid as the ones I've been working on for years. My abs are the real deal, hard as a rock, and all from years of training and low body fat.'
Adrian was ready to burst her bubble. "Those abs? The moment he finishes a big meal and sits down, they'll turn straight into a spare tire."
Elara fell silent.
"Just look at the way he's standing. He's obviously sucking it in for the camera. With abs like that, if he lies down and stops holding his breath, it's just a pot belly," Adrian added.
Elara glanced at the abs guy on screen, and just like that, most of her excitement fizzled out. "Adrian, did the movie offend you or something?" Elara asked.
"Nope, just sharing some wisdom from a guy who's had abs for years. Don't let appearances fool you," Adrian replied.
Elara turned to glance at him through her 4D glasses. "It's not like I'm doing anything with the guys in the movie. As long as they're nice to look at, that's good enough for me."
Adrian let out a low chuckle. "You sure you don't want to feel what real abs are like?"
Elara turned her head back to the screen. "No, thanks."
The two of them fell silent again, each focusing back on the movie.
The movie hit its first big climax. The main character was tearing down a wide-open highway when, out of nowhere, his car got slammed.
Elara was totally engrossed in the scene, but then, all of a sudden, the sofa bed lurched in sync with the action on screen.
Caught off guard, Elara lost her balance and tumbled right onto Adrian, who was sitting next to her.
Her face smacked right into the hard muscle of his left pec, and she instinctively braced herself with a hand on his thigh, trying to push herself back up.
But then the sofa jerked again, and Elara toppled right back onto Adrian, this time grabbing onto his abs for support.
The sofa bed kept swaying in this teasing, suggestive way for what felt like ages, refusing to settle down.