The early morning breeze skimmed across my flushed cheeks and my heart fluttered in anticipation as I held the gift box in my hands.
I stealthily made it into the palatial compound and my eyes filtered past the shrubs, standing tall on each side of the pathway that led to a giant entrance door.From the corner of my eyes, I sighted my boss sneaking out of what I assumed to be their backyard. I turned to face her with a warm smile that graced my lips and she waved, looking like a doll in her Mickey mouse pajamas.She glanced over her shoulders and back at me, causing her brown hair to whip her in the face as she scanned the massive compound again to ensure nobody was present."Hello!" She whisper-yelled and crinkles highlighted the sides of her blue eyes. "He's still asleep, what about the saxophonist?""They're outside, I wanted to come in first to make sure it's safe," I whispered back, feeling giddy."Get them in." She collected the gift box from me and I rushed back to the gate to usher my colleagues and saxophonist in.Collecting the box from her, she slowly pushed the door open and it made a loud creaking sound. We winced and shared a look amongst ourselves."Don't worry, he sleeps like a dead body." She sniggered and we did the same. "But I have to ensure that he's still asleep."She slid into the hallway, leaving us in the grand foyer. My eyes widened at the magnificent decorations and chandelier that swung above us."Clear." She returned, clapping silently.We decorated the white-painted living room and sprinkled red and white petals on the floor. Balloons hung from the ceiling and my eyes watered at the romantic decor we had done.Lola opened an event and planning company two years ago and I was her personal assistant. Surprisingly, we became topnotch in less than eight months. Of course, everybody wanted to patronize big Daddy's daughter because Lola planning your event meant one thing–Popularity. Miss Lola had invited me and my colleagues to decorate her home for the fourteenth of February Valentine's day and her fiance's birthday. She wanted to surprise him."Well done, guys." Lola cheered softly when we finished decorating the house, flashing her thumbs at us. "I'll go get him."She switched off the lights and we hid behind their leather sofas, waiting for her clue to yell surprise.My palms turned clammy and for a brief moment, a sad feeling washed over me. My boyfriend was away in Miami for a business trip and would be back in two weeks time. Sadly, I couldn't spend today with him or–Fuck it, every day spent with him was like Valentine's day.I shrugged the feeling off, at least, he bought me a lot of exotic gifts before embarking on his trip."I don't know, he said he's here to discuss business." I heard her silvery voice from a distance, accompanied by their footsteps and I held on tight to the party popper."By six in the morning?" He asked grouchily. "Today is my day off."My eyebrows fused into a frown at the familiarity in his voice."He's here." Her voice bounced off the four walls of the living room.We jumped up at the cue and screamed, "Surprise!"The saxophonist began to play, and the light was switched on. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I pulled a small string from the party popper and it emitted a popping sound, while confetti flew out of it.The man was buttered in a blue robe and his hands were held up to shield his face."Happy birthday, baby!" Lola squealed, throwing her hands around his waist to hug his towering frame."You shouldn't have..." He dropped his hands and hugged her, plastering a kiss on her forehead.Fixating my gaze on his face, my face turned white and the empty party popper slipped from my hands. The air around me became thick with dread as realization hit me.'Is that-Is that-' my subconscious stammered as our eyes jammed.I held my breath and his blue eyes widened."Sheldon?" My lips trembled as his name flew out of my mouth. "What is going on here?"My heart pounded violently against the walls of my chest as my eyes grew misty."Is this the Miami, and business deal?" I asked, unsure of how to address the issue and the saxophonist stopped playing his instrument.Lola pulled away from the hug and shuffled her gaze between Sheldon and me. "Baby, do you know her?""Nope, never seen her." He answered with an expressionless face and my heart sank into my stomach."Sheldon!" My voice broke and my knees buckled as tears rolled down my cheeks."I'm sorry, do I know you?" Sheldon wrapped an arm around Lola's curvy waist and pulled her in front of him.He planted a kiss on her cheek and hugged her from behind. "She must be an obsessed fan or must have decorated for one of our company celebrations," He muttered.My boyfriend of two years just denied me in front of another woman, which only meant one thing–They had been fucking and I have been the side woman for two fucking years!My stomach tied itself into knots and I stood rooted to a spot; tongue tied with a crawling skin as my colleagues all looked at me with pity."You bastard!" I screamed and Shelly, who was the secretary rushed to my side, encircling my waist."What's happening here?" A husky voice asked from the doorway and I turned to face him.He was tall and neither lanky nor built, I wasn't sure, he was wearing an oversized sweater. A bouquet of roses could be seen in one hand, while the other had a small box in it."And who are you?" Sheldon asked, narrowing his gaze into crinkled slits."Lola's boyfriend."Gasps erupted in the air and Sheldon released Lola with a furrowed forehead."Oh, he's just a lovesick ex begging for my love." Lola waved dismissively at the man cladded in black straight pants, and his hair gelled back. "Remember Cole?"Sheldon asked, "The puppy that wouldn't let you be?"She nodded and they guffawed. My chest constricted.The walls of my throat burned and I forced saliva down my throat. My chest constricted, squeezing my heart as I watched the duo make a mockery of me and Cole that they had tagged as poppy love. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to burn a path down my cheeks. How could Sheldon?My colleague let go of my waist and gripped my shoulder, asking, "Are you okay?" "Yes," I managed to say, unable to take my gaze off the couple who had an uncanny resemblance. "I thought you were different," Cole said with a brittle voice and I noticed the veins that appeared on his forehead. "I loved you with the whole of me, Lola.""Oh, please. Stop lying to yourself, Cole." Lola rolled her eyes and encircled her arms around the neck of Sheldon. I shut my eyes, taking in shaky breaths as I felt a pang of jealousy in my heart. "This is the only man I love."I opened my eyes and caught sight of the two sharing a kiss. My jaw ticked. Cole walked out of the house, but I was unable to move because shock
"What do you mean?" I asked, sizing him up with utmost disgust as he stood before me, clad in a pair of jeans and a white polo T-shirt. "Mama," he began, darting out his tongue to wet his bottom lip. "The thing is I'm not in love with Lola."My eyes narrowed into crinkled slits as I drilled holes into his forehead with my molten gaze; bile rose in my throat. "B," his gruff voice tickled my ears and ran a cold phantom finger down my spine. "You're the one I'm in love with."The volcano in me erupted and waves of anger wracked through my body. Acting on impulse, I raised my hand in the air and let it fall, striking him in the face with all my might. "How dare you show up your ugly face to feed me with lies?" I snarled. The force of the slap tilted his head down and he shut his eyes, tightening his dental bone."Babe, give me a chance to explain." He locked gazes with me once again and I couldn't deny that he was pleasant to look at with his white skin deepening to red on his cheek f
The distant sound of a clock ticking, steady and precise drew closer until it roused me from my sleep but my eyes were still latched. My duvet seemed warmer than usual and my air-conditioning flattered my face with its cold licks.Smiling, my eyes fluttered open and I parted my lips to yawn, stretching my hands over my head. My smile disappeared when I felt a bastard headache making its way up my head. Blinking a few times, my vision was still hazy so I turned to the other side of the bed and got the biggest shock of my life when I made the shape of an even bigger human lying beside me with his back turned against me. What the actual heck?! I swiftly cleaned my eyes with the back of my palms and widened them only for my heart to skip at the reality beside me. "Oh, no," whispered me, gripping the sides of the blanket and pushing it up to glance at my body. My muscles tensed, why was I naked? I dropped the covers, scanning the room only to notice it wasn't mine. The walls matched
His head was bent and his eyes were glued to the screen of his phone. He looked even more handsome than I remember and he seemed to have gotten a fresh haircut. The sides of his hair were lowered and his beard connected from the side of his head to his mustache, looking like they were securing his face in a box. My stomach tied itself into knots, and I gulped. "Alright, I'll take it from here." He dismissed the secretary with a wave and she left. My fidgeting hands pressed themselves against my thighs in a bid to dry off the sweat that made them clammy. "Your name is..." He trailed off, dropping his phone on the desk and raising his head to meet my gaze. "Vanessa," I answered, not missing the glint of shock that flashed in his eyes when he beheld my face. "You..." He drawled, knitting his eyebrows into a quizzical frown. "Sit."My legs shook internally as I maneuvered my way around the chair opposite him and sat, chewing onto my bottom lip with heat spreading up my neck and devo
Butterfly!" A childish squeal filled the mall, and it gained the attention of the fellow shoppers. I rubbernecked over my shoulder and glanced down to take in the beautiful sight of grey orbs, sparkling with excitement. "Hey..." A sweet smile graced my cherry lips as I recognized who she was, and she grinned, showing off her white canines. "It's you again."She manoeuvred her way to my front with her hands still gripping my thighs tight in a warm embrace. I placed a hand on her head and ruffled her pigtails. "Yes, me again!" She let out a shout of glee and a blush spread up her neck, staining her white cheeks. She released my thighs and reached her hands up, wiggling her fingers and gesturing for me to pick her up. I glanced around, looking for the father of the little child who had grown accustomed to me after meeting me just once. I heaved her off the floor and popped out my hip to balance her on it."Her daughter is so cute!" A teenager gushed to her friends from behind me, an
I took one glance at the mirror to make sure I was good to go. I had on white office pants which hugged my thighs, making my hip dips even more pronounced than they used to be. A black Zara top was perched on my upper body and my hair was allowed to cascade down my back in curls. Grabbing my handbag and a small grocery bag which I had folded Cole's sweat pants and shirt, I dashed out of the house and left the locking of the door to Shelly. She had woken up with a fever this morning and she had phoned Lola to give her the day off. "Trenton's Inc!" I yelled to the moving cab and it stopped, reversing to where I was. "Where did you say, babito?" He adjusted his Gatsby hat on his head as he bared his gum at me. "Trenton's inc." "Get in." He gestured and I did that, hoping I'd reach there on time. I glanced at my wristwatch and it was seven-thirty! It was going to be my first day at work and I was already late. I drummed my fingers on my bag, occasionally glancing out the window, loo
We arrived at the place and for the first time since the ride, I could breathe well. Cole's actions were doing numerous things to my body and everything he did came off as sexual to me, especially the way he gripped the gear and pushed it. "Shall we?" He sounded from behind me and walked past me. I followed suit, scanning the evergreen area. New York was beautiful, no doubt and the sun was setting, staining the sky with an orange color. "From Trenton's Inc, Coltran McPherson, and Vanessa Carter," Cole stated to a man who was behind a desk. The man who was on his journey to going bald wore a single magnifying glass which had a silver chain hanging from the side. He flipped open a huge book and traced his finger down the list of names. "Ah, here your names are." He pointed, meeting Cole's gaze. "Table one." We proceeded into the hall and the twin doors were held open by two men dressed in tuxedos. We were welcomed by the soft jazz playing in the background and the spinning of head
I pulled up short when I got out of the building. I rested my palms on my knees to catch my breath as my vision became clear. My hand went up my chest to steady my uneven breathing, the man beside Sheldon and Mr. Arnold had been smoking a tobacco as fat as two of my fingers fused together, and I was very sensitive to smell. I stood, straightening my back and hoping my actions spiked Arnold's doubt for Sheldon. My plan was to get Lola's dad to not sign Sheldon's contract, but I disgraced myself instead. He was going to pay for calling me puppy love."Vanessa." A familiar voice seethed, tugging onto the strings of my attention. "What was that stunt you pulled in there?" Sheldon walked to me and pulled up short when he was a few inches away from my body."What stunt?" I asked, playing dumb.Sheldon knitted his eyebrows into a frown and glared at me. "What. Was. The. Meaning. Of. What. You. Did?" "I'm sorry, I thought you weren't aware of who I am, so why are you speaking to me?" I fir