To get through a heartache after the sudden breakup, Arabella moves to New York City to start another chapter of her life.
Driven by the hope to make Adrian Castle, the man who left her broken to pieces with an excuse of protecting her against his w...
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A loud horn blares from down the window; I nearly ruin my lipstick with a fuzzy move of my preoccupied hand.
What the hell!
"It's a third one! I think your escort is running out of patience by now," says Camilla while stalling into my room with a very teasing smile.
I'm very late.
Why did I binge-watch Netflix and chill on Sunday night with the two unemployed ladies I live with?
I'm fully dressed but every time I want to call it ready I feel like something is missing. Achieving a decent hairdo has been bizarre this morning, which is why I ended up with a sloppy bun held by several bobby pins like a jenga tumbling castle. And my dress... Well, it's new and perfect—leopard print, long sleeves, tight, with a decorous height below the knees.
My makeup, however...
"Are you even listening to me, Ara?" Camilla repeats. "Have mercy on the poor guy waiting outside." She chuckles, watching me apply the lipstick in no hurry.
"Well, Last time I checked, I didn't ask for a bodyguard, did I?" I blend the deep red color on my lips by slamming them together swiftly while staring at the round mirror of my powder kid. Back to Camilla I say, "I swear I'm fine. I don't need a chaperone going to work. Can you tell that to him, please?"
Her shoulders sag off, reminding me how petite and fine she is even in an oversized pajama suit. "Tell that to your ex-boyfriend, a.k.a my boss, yourself and maybe he'll understand."
I fake a wide grin and reply, "In that case, let him suffer!"
She just smiles.
Sometimes I feel sorry that she's caught in a feud between her boss and me. It's not fair to her but there is nothing I can do about it I'm afraid.
"Adrian takes your safety very seriously in case you haven't noticed, Ara." She slumps her butt on the edge of my dressing table, crossing her arms on her chest while giving me an interesting, level look. "He still cares. He'll never stop doing it. And now that you're here, start getting used to it because he lives in this city too."
I roll my eyes and set down the mirrored powder kit and lipstick, finally calling it quits.
I think I've tried my best.
"It's his call, Cam. I don't care. Do I look like I care?" I reply. She gives me the Are-you-kidding-me look with her eyes almost rolled at me, "All I see is a control freak who decides everyone's fate at his inept whim. Not my favorite color at all so tell him to mind his own business even if we're sharing the same boulevards and restaurants and whatnot."
"Oh, my God," Camilla whispers under her exhausted breath. "You're really determined to make him pay, aren't you? I thought it was all fun and games before but... now I'm not so sure." She's concerned by the look of her now-serious face.
