My One-month Marriage With Mr. Hawkins

After a moment of hesitation, Florence finally sat down beside Ernest, leaving a wary distance hovering between them.
Despite the distance, plenty of hostile looks and razor-sharp gazes were being shot at her immediately.
It was obvious that all the women called to work wanted to sit beside Ernest and please him. However, they could only entertain
his friends since he was aloof and forbidding, not wanting any woman to be by his side.
An attractive woman blurted out in sarcasm, “Mr. Hammer, isn’t she your friend whom you have brought over? I don’t think it’s
suitable for her to sit beside Mr. Hawkins.”
Upon hearing the woman’s words, Florence became more guarded and sat bolt upright. Despite their engagement to each other,
Ernest must not have wanted people to acquaint with their relationship since they were out having fun.
“Mr. Hawkins, I will sit at another spot,” Florence murmured under her breath and started getting up from her seat. However,
before she could manage to leave her spot, a big hand had grabbed onto her and pulled her back to her seat, but this time she
was closely seated next to Ernest with no space in between them.
Florence could certainly sense the exquisite and sophisticated scent exuding from his body, and her heart started to flutter
uncontrollably.
His tone was full of no-nonsense as he said, “Where do you think you are going as my fiancée?”
Her heart skipped a beat as she did not expect Ernest to reveal her status in this kind of situation.
It was evident that all those present here had quite remarkable and distinctive disposition, all of them cladded in exquisite aura.
They should all be his mates, but Florence did not recall any of them attending their engagement ceremony. It must be because
Ernest was apathetic about the engagement with her that none of his pals had attended.
But now...
All of Ernest’s companions gaped at the two on the sofa with astonishment as they had not seen him approaching any woman
before this.
It seemed that Harold was right; she indeed was special to Ernest.
“Hi, I am Stephen Thomas. Sorry that I could not make it to your engagement ceremony with Ernest as I was out of the country
when it took place. Let me toast to you to make it up for that today.”

Stephen paced towards her and handed her a drink mannerly.
Florence took an unsettling glimpse towards Ernest only to perceive that his thin lips were pursed together. She could not discern
his mood as his striking face was expressionless and unimpassioned.
She was compelled to take hold of the cup and make a toast with Stephen while wearing a smile on her face.
Just when Florence had finished her glass of drink, another man came up to her to make a toast again.
“Hi, my name is Anthony Brooks. I will make sure to be the first one to reach when it’s the time for your wedding with Ernest.
Here’s to you.”
The wedding was most likely impossible to be held, she thought to herself, but she was obliged to finish this drink for now.
Florence kept the decent smile on her face while continued to attempt to drink, but her glass was taken away from her suddenly.
Ernest casually swung the glass in his hand, danger began to trickle from his fixed gaze on the men, “Are you guys trying to
down her one by one and make her drunk?”
Seeing that their plan was busted, all their eyes started to float around in a guilt-ridden manner. Anthony coughed and earnestly
started his speech in all seriousness, “This is the first time that we are meeting Florence, and it is only appropriate that we
propose a toast. We would only toast her one glass per person, so don’t worry about us chugging her.”
There were around five to six men here on this deck, and even if they were only going to make her drink a toast to each of them
in turn, Florence would have been drunk if not wasted as her alcohol tolerance level was not terrific.
Ernest’s intent gaze dimmed as he raised his glass to clink with Anthony’s. “I will drink for her.” Soon after, he finished off the
drink effortlessly.
Anthony stared at Ernest in a stun as he was dumbfounded. He thought Ernest was just treating his fiancée differently than the
others, but it was a wonder that Ernest Hawkins, who was distant and usually treated everything else with indifference, would be
so protective of her to the extent that he would not even let her drink.
Florence’s heart was breeding with ambivalence as the man beside her chugged more and more glasses of alcohol for her. She
felt like she was indulging in his refuge, and it led her to develop an illusion of being pampered by him.

Harold brought out a spinning wheel instead of a drink when it was his turn to toast. He set it on the table, and said, “How boring
it is to just drink? Since there are so many of us here, how about we play a game of truth or dare?”
“What a brilliant idea. Florence, you should join the game,” Anthony instantly picked up on Harold’s intention, and he grinned
brightly while extending an invitation to her.
Normally Ernest would keep himself out of every game that they played, but with a game like truth or dare, he would have no
choice but to be involved if Florence was in it.
Florence fell into a dither when she was asked to play the game with a bunch of guys whom she barely knew.
Before she could even speak, Anthony had already placed the rolling dice in front of her.
“The first round is yours, Florence.”
Florence could not bring herself to turn down the offer when all keen eyes were on her, so she comforted herself that it was only
going to be a casual game.
She cast the dice and Harold got chosen as the first player.
“It seems that I am on a lucky streak tonight,” he jokingly scoffed and readily spun the wheel.
When the indicator stopped wavering, it pointed at a row of words: Choose someone who is of the same sex to perform a
Kabedon manoeuvre while confessing your feelings affectionately.
Harold’s face blackened instantly as he shot the idea down disapprovingly, “What the hell? To use the Kabedon on a guy?”
It was still acceptable if he had to do it to a female.
Anthony burst out laughing and said, “Serves you right. Harold. Guys, take out your phones and be prepared to record this
historic moment in which Mr. Hammer turns gay.”
“How am I supposed to hit on girls if all of you record it down?”
Harold looked at his “friends” who had all taken out their phones with bitter resentment in his eyes, and after giving it some
thought, he turned to Ernest with a pleading look.
“Ernest, they wouldn’t dare to record if it was you, so could you do me a favour and let me do it on you for one minute?”

“No.” Ernest rejected his plea without the slightest hesitation.
Harold felt helpless seeing that there was no way out of this. He fiercely stared at Anthony who was gloating over his misfortune,
and marched towards him all of a sudden.
Anthony quickly cried out, “I refused to be pushed against the wall by you.”
Harold immediately shoved him onto the sofa with a smug look on his face. “I will do it by force then.”
Florence’s eyes lit up with excitement as even she couldn’t resist the urge to take out her phone to record this moment. Two
striking men entwining on the sofa was such a sight to behold.
A huge palm suddenly covered her eyes while she was having fun watching the scene, and a husky and sexy voice rang beside
her ear, “This is an X-rated scene.”
Ernest’s arm had wind around her shoulder to cover her eyes, and it appeared as if he was enfolding her in his arms. Florence’s
body tensed up, her cheek blushing from shyness as the intimacy between them had made her heart flutter.
After a minute, Anthony angrily pushed Harold away and threw the dice over to him with a scowl on his face, “Let’s move on to
the next round. Roll the dice now.”
Harold cast the dice in a cheerful manner as he was revelling in delight after dragging Anthony down with him.
This time, Florence was the chosen one.
Florence was startled for a moment, but soon proceeded to spin the wheel straightforwardly.
There were multiple punishments on the wheel and the majority was made up of hilarious pranks which were fairly easy to
handle and were fun enough to have a good time with.
However, when she saw the words indicated by the pointer as soon as the wheel stopped spinning, she was petrified and
immediately froze on the spot.
How could she be so unlucky? This punishment was way too...
“This punishment is fantastic; it’s like a benefaction. Whom would you choose to have a passionate make out session with for
two minutes, Florence?”

Harold in no case would pass on the fun, his enigmatic gaze continuously went back and forth between Florence and Ernest like
an expectant crowd.
Florence’s flushed face was in full bloom and she was at a loss while mortification crept up on her.
Was she supposed to kiss Ernest if she had to make out with an opposite sex for two minutes?