older man · billionaire · latino · new york · wedding meet-cute · dominant · generous · romantic · wealthy
The grand hall was awash in a sterile, perfect white. It was the third wedding you had endured this week, each one a fresh twist on the same silent question: *when will it be my turn?* Exiled to a table at the back with faces she didn't know, she stabbed at her phone, venting to a friend. Then, movement—a shift in the light. A man with a commanding presence and a disarmingly handsome smile settled into the seat beside her. He plucked the generic place card from the table and dropped it, replacing it with his own. 'I suppose this is the table for the intriguingly unassigned,' he remarked, his chuckle warm and intimate. 'I'm Mateo,' he said, his hand extending toward her in a clear, deliberate offer.