Sydney
While driving in Mike's tattered old Honda, I continued to praise my stars. I was awestruck by the kindness and opportunities that had sprung out of nowhere. We had left Leah behind. Mike then took a detour and went to the hypermarket.
"All the best," he said, "it's just across the street."
"Thank you," I said and walked towards the store.
****************
Aiden
It was a Monday morning, and I was on my way to work. The traffic was a nightmare. I cursed as the signal went red. The gods wanted me to be late on purpose. As the pedestrians crossed from one side to the other, I sighed. I'm not sure why she drew my attention. Was it because she was dressed in a bright colour that made her stand out from the crowd? Her outfit consisted of a dark red shirt and blue jeans. Or the fact that she was limping and appeared to be straining to walk?
She came to a complete halt in the centre of the road, directly in front of my car, and knelt. She removed her left foot's shoes and jerked her feet a few times. Her bandaged feet were the next thing I noticed. She slid he shoe on and winced, I assumed it was a sprain.
She then turned around to face me. In a split second, the breath from my lungs whooshed out. She was stunning. Her auburn hair hung loosely about her shoulders in lovely curls. Her skin was olive in colour. She stood roughly 5'8", taller than the average woman. Her svelte hips fanned out from her delicate waist. Her features were stunning. A Grecian nose, rosebud sculpted mouth, and the dreamiest almond-shaped green eyes with the longest lashes I'd ever seen stared back at me. My breath was taken away by her.
She jerked her feet again, and when she went down to put on her shoe, I got a good look at her ass. The lights abruptly changed, and I stood there watching as the woman walked away from me. I wanted her!
I had no choice but to move my car when the signal went green, but I couldn't resist searching in the rear-view mirror for a glimpse of her. The heat of excitement flowed to my loins as my body reacted. This was going to be a difficult day, to put it mildly. I moved forwards and became lost in the crowd. But her gorgeous almond eyes plagued me, and her face lingered. What was it about her that was so unique?
I wanted to turn around, but it was a one-way street with heavy traffic. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't have stopped. How do you track down a female you've just seen? There were no names, no numbers, and I had no idea who she was or whether I'd ever see her again.
In a fog, I walked to my cabin, replaying everything. I hoped I could stroke those long curls. I fixed my tie and shook my head. For God's sake, I was an adult, not a bumbling adolescent!
***************
Sydney
To get Mike's attention, I tapped on the car window. He was engaged in a magazine he was reading. He gave me a friendly glance and motioned for me to enter.
"I got it! They employed me right away. Tomorrow is the first day. Ten-dollar an hour!" I said in same breath.
Mike stuffed the magazine back into the compartment as quickly as he could.
"Woah, fantastic gal! Let's have a little party. Shall I take you around for a tour while we wait for my appointment with Rob?"
"Sure, thank you so much for your assistance. You and Leah appear to be Godsent. Since I met you, I've been blessed with an abundance of good fortune."
I leant forwards and hugged Mike, unable to contain my emotions. He stroked my back uncomfortably, looking a little taken aback
"It's no problem. I couldn't help but be the knight in shining armour because you seemed a little lost, like a damsel in distress." He smiled and flashed a row of pearly white teeth.
I burst out laughing.
"Come on, I'll take you to San Francisco's largest art centre and theatres. You'll adore it!"
The next few hours were nothing short of spectacular. Mike took me to the Palace of Fine Arts, which is well-known. I couldn't help but be awestruck. I could have stayed in a creative trance for days. This is exactly what I had aspired to accomplish my entire life: live and breathe art.
Lunch consisted of hotdogs and Coca-Cola. We arrived near a tiny structure around 2:15 p.m. Mike requested me to follow him once he parked his car. We went up a flight of steps to a glass door with the words 'Robert Associates' and below it, 'Every actor deserves a role, we help them find it.'
A chime went off as Mike pushed the glass door open, alerting the office's occupants that there were visitors. A curvy redhead sat at the front desk.
"It's great to see you again, Mr Scott. Mr. Delaware is inside, waiting for you. Should I let him know you've arrived?" A toothy grin sprang on the buxom redhead's face.
"How are you today, Annie? You look lovely, and yes, please inform Mr Delaware that we are here." Mike smiled as he met the redhead.
"Aww, Mr Scott, you're such a nice guy." She blushed.
The curvy redhead smirked as she tapped her table's intercom, alerting Rob to their arrival. A crackling voice asked her to send us in. "Mr Scott, you may now enter."
I decided to wait at the reception desk while he entered the office. I started conversing with Annie because I had nothing better to do.
"Are you his girlfriend, then?" Annie inquired, moving her head towards the entrance that Mike entered through
"Oh no! I am his sister's roommate, and we only met yesterday. Since I'm new here, he offered to tour me around." I stated it cheerfully.
Annie seems to relax a little.
"That's really thoughtful of him; Mike is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He's always willing to serve others, and he smells wonderful." Annie said.
I couldn't help but smile when she mumbled dreamily.
"Hey, he's nice; why don't you ask him out? It appears that you like him."
Annie flushed and said, "I can't do that; it's unprofessional. He is a client of ours.”
I could tell she wasn't opposed to the notion by the way she shook her head.
"If my supervisor had heard me right now, he'd fire me," Annie said.
"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret safe; you like him, don't you?" She flushed a little more and nodded.
We were soon chuckling and laughing and plotting how Annie could 'accidentally' run into Mike at his steakhouse. We came to a halt in our female discussion when the door unexpectedly opened.
Mike stated as he walked out with a middle-aged, skinny wiry man, "Hope I didn't keep you waiting for long."
"He must be Rob," I thought.
Mike gave me a friendly smile as he introduced me to Rob. Both men embraced each other and patted each other on the back. Mike was distracted on the way back to the apartment, so we drove back in silence. To celebrate my new job, I made chicken schnitzel and coleslaw that night. Mike was still a little distracted while I told them all about my job interview, and Leah spoke away about her day. I addressed Mike about his mood swing after dinner, when Leah was away washing the dishes.
"Is something wrong with you, you look a little off?"
"I'm sorry... I guess I'm just tired. I believe it is time for me to call it a night. I'll see you in the morning tomorrow." Mike offered me a faint smile before heading into his room after saying that.
"Can you tell me where is my useless brother?" After she completed the dishes, Leah inquired.
I said, "Oh, he was tired and went to bed."
"It's far too early to go to bed! But oh well! Can you help me in getting the trash out? Mike was meant to do it. He was, however, 'tired,' as you can see." For the term 'tired,' Leah murmured rolling her eyes and lifting her hand to make quotation marks in the air.
"Certainly," I said as I stood up and assisted Leah in taking out the trash.
That night I thanked my parents for being my guardian angel as I stared at their photo. They introduced me to excellent people who were willing to help. I felt fortunate and quietly went off to sleep, blissfully ignorant of the impending storm that would bring my life crashing down.
Sydney After a week, Mark moved to a different floor in the same apartment building, and I was given her own room. Mike and Leah had become close friends. The three of us would occasionally go shopping at the local market. Meet up for late-night supper at Mike's steakhouse, where we received a 50% discount since the eatery used to clear out its old stock. My art school was doing well, and I hoped to find work as a designer after my studies were through. My favourite pleasures were walking around art galleries, theatres, and museums, which never failed to fascinate me. I got a call from Leah on a Thursday afternoon. "Hey! Do you want to go dancing tonight?" She made a chirping sound. "That sounds fantastic," I remarked as I shut my laptop.
Aiden A touch on the back greeted me. "Are you all, right?" As he approached my side, Matt remarked. I reassured my pal, "I'll be alright." I tried to breathe normally while closing my eyes. Those two had a habit of infuriating me. "Apart from his physicians, nurse, and bodyguards, I don't want any visits for Grandpa. No one should be permitted to enter his room. Those two, in particular." I murmured, nodding at Fiona and Will as they walked away. "Done! Do you want to stay the night?" Matt inquired. I gave a nod. "I'll arrange for an extra bed for you. Please contact Wendy if you require any other assistance. She works as a nurse. She's
Aiden "Wait, what?" she inquired. She shook her head, noticing my deplorable condition, and said, "Please accept my apologies. Are you all, right?" She seemed to be truly concerned. I grumbled, "You damaged my favourite shirt." Her smile became shaky. "You were blocking my path. I didn't intend to run into you." She stubbornly crossed her arms over her breasts and glared at me. Feisty. I loved feisty. "I said sorry," she said. I blocked her again as she made a move. I told her, "Sorry, it isn't enough." Her lips were stunning. Just a whiff of those cherry lips was enough to drive a man insane. I said, "It's not fair, I lost a shirt, and you lost your coffee." "So, you'd like me to go out and purchase you a shirt?" Her gorgeous eyes enlarged as she was taken aback. "No, I'll buy you a cup of coffee." I made an offer. She locked her gaze on me for another minute before tilting her head to one side, revealing her neck to me. I wanted to kiss it. "I'm OK; I don't want any coffee
Sydney - My hand was still in pain. I'd slapped the jerk in the face with all my power. I kept running till I arrived at the art school and slumped on a bench. What was the matter with me? And what was the matter with him? Even if I tried to ignore it, the man was a walking dreamboat. He was much taller than my 5'8" height. Probably 6”4. His stunning appearance, tanned skin, and dark hair were enough to make any sensible woman want to hurl herself at him. However, if only he had not been such a jerk. He was unlike any other man. At the thought of that lengthy drawn-out kiss, a flush crept up my cheeks. The way his lips brushed against me. I could still detect his scent. I felt a tremble run up and down my spine just thinking about it. I said to myself, 'No.' 'Why am I thinking this way?' I shouldn't be doing this. He kissed me without my permission. Instead of thinking about those deep blue eyes and muscled arms, I should be pressing charges. He had not followed me; I was sure of t
Sydney- Mike wished me luck for my interview as he dropped me off near Reiner towers. "Thank you," I said, my gaze fixed on the enormous structure. "Don't be worried; you'll do fine." Mike patted the top of my head. The Reiner tower resembled the standard metal and glass high-rise tower. I crossed the road and entered a huge foyer. It was crowded with people coming and going. The brown granite floor reflected them like a mirror. I approached the reception desk, where a nicely dressed woman handed me a visitor permit and directed me to the 30th floor. I took the elevator to the 30th floor. It opened into a stylishly decorated foyer with a plush green carpet that gave it a grassy impression and an entire glass wall on the right side. I could see the entire city's skyline. "How may I assist you?" My reverie was broken when a lady at the smaller reception asked. I replied, "I'm here for the interview, for the intern positions." "Please provide me with your name and photo ID. Mr. Ra
"Come on, Sydney, open the door!" For the past half-hour, Leah had been beating on her door. Sydney screamed from inside her room, "I don't want to talk Leah, just leave me alone!" Her eyes were red and puffy when she returned. She had obviously been crying. She then locked herself in her room and refused to eat her meal. Leah had given her a couple of hours' time alone, but she was suddenly concerned. "This is it, I'm calling Mike," Leah declared emphatically before dialling Mike's number. He was on his way downstairs in no time. **************** Sydney ************* Mike's calming voice asked me to open the door when I heard a knock. "Leave me alone," I yelled back. "I'd leave, but who would prepare the dinner? You know Leah is a terrible chef, and I'm starving." Mike yelled out loud. "Hey! I'm not a terrible cook!" Leah shut him down. "Oh, no! Yes, you are; you can't even make good mac & cheese." He retorted with a snide remark. I couldn't keep a smile from appearing on m
"Would you like to dance, Miss Rosbak?" Aiden inquired, oblivious to the girl standing next to her. Her expression was priceless, and she was breathtakingly lovely up close. Her clothing matched her green eyes. It's all the more tempting because of that. Her dress, which appeared modest from the front, but it didn't have a back and ended in a deep V at her waist. Her soft, gorgeous skin was on show, beckoning him to touch it. Why is God so cruel? He sighed. He had put his hand on her delicate waist and steered her to the dance floor before she could say anything. Her eyes had narrowed into slits by this time, and she was furious. She gave him a panicked expression. He chuckled to himself, 'Still feisty.' "What are you doing here?" She asked. "I have the same question, but to be honest, I don't give a damn. Isn't it wonderful to see each other again?" He grinned. She froze and frowned at him the instant he smiled down at her. "Are you stalking me?" she inquired. "Stop thinking so
Sydney I was still smiling as I moved towards the bar. A hand stopped me, and I whipped around to face Mike. "Gosh, you scared me!" I spoke. He inquired, "Where were you?" I explained, "I was just out for some fresh air." "What happened earlier? That man. You know who he was?" Mike asked. I nodded, "Aiden Rainer, the CEO of the Reiner group." "How do you know him?" "He took my interview, and I refused the offer," I sighed. Mike's eyes swelled to the size of saucers. "Why?" "Because he is an arrogant man who believes he can have any damn woman because of his looks and his absurd bank balance. He has a lot of delusions about himself. He believes he is charming and that ladies will fall at his feet begging him to take them, but he is mistaken. The only ladies he can ever hope to attract are those feather-headed, goose-brained, clingy knuckleheads. I don't want to see him again because he is a shallow man." "Ah, I see." "Thank God, you see," I murmured, and then it dawned on me