The only interference they had was the one time Joel’s phone rang, but he was quick to swipe the end button, paying rapt attention to Rina. He watched as her lips moved, accentuating every word she said, and the way her eyes lit with excitement when spoke about something she particularly enjoyed.There were gaps in the story, like how she breezed over the doorbell she’d heard ring that morning, but didn’t actually tell him what she’d found. But Joel didn’t push it. If he was going to be friends with her, he needed to allow it to work out naturally. She didn’t trust him enough to share every single detail about herself. And in truth, Joel couldn’t blame her. She’d been through a lot.“How about your day?” Rina laughed, her red hair catching in the light. “I’ve been the only one talking. Now that I think about it, I just might have bored you to death.”“No.” Joel shook his head slowly, his eyes watching her face intently, memorizing every detail. “You can’t bore me. I actually enjoy hea
Joel leaned over the table to grab a pen, flexing his lean biceps in the process. It bulged a little through the linen shirt he had on, and Rina's glances lingered a little too long. Catching herself, she pulled his gaze away, grabbing her phone and scrolling through nothing in particular, until she heard him speak again.“I prepared the contract this week,” he explained, trying not to sound like he had been super excited drawing out the terms to both of their benefits. He wouldn’t reveal that it was the most important thing for him in the process – the terms being favorable enough to Rina.Most employers wouldn’t have done that, as realizing profit was the end goal in the long run. And maybe Joel would have been that way if he was dealing with a random model he barely felt a flicker for.But this was Rina. No part of him wanted to do anything that wouldn’t be beneficial to her.Sliding the papers over to her, he watched her face as she flipped through each page diligently, her eyes g
It was already evening by the time Rina left the constructed building for the O.S.N fashion house. She stood just a few minutes away from it, her face raised up to the gathering clouds. It was going to rain that night, so the logical thing was to return home before it met her on the way.But as Rina reached out to flag down a taxi, she remembered the note Zayn had sent earlier that day. The taxi stopped in front of her, with the driver sticking his head out of the window to ask where she was headed.Rina shook her head softly, her red silky strands bouncing across her back, and a few coming to the sides of her face. She pushed them behind her ears as she leaned closer to the driver. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I changed my mind.”The driver nodded and sped away in the distance, surprising Rina. She’d been so sure he’d recognize her and dish out his own venom without holding back. Perhaps, not everyone knew her as much as she thought. And there was also the possibility that not everyon
It was a seven-star restaurant located at the heart of the city, yet conspicuous enough not to rouse any unwanted attention. Rina was touched by the intentionality that went into picking this place for her. The security at the gates did a light check to ensure it wasn’t a reporter or the paparazzi before letting them through.During the ride, Rina had tried making small talk with the driver, but his replies had been so curt and polite that Rina gave up altogether. He hadn’t even looked curious when he saw her get into the car, almost like he’d expected his passenger to be the famous Rina Powers.He brought the car to a halt at the small entrance, and said nothing else, pulling away and returning to the gates. Rina walked inside hesitantly, her eyes taking in the space, still on the lookout for another face even though Zayn had told her they would be the only ones dining.It was a really huge space, but the dimmed lights made it appear smaller. The restaurant went with an exotic black
The playlist was now on The Chainsmokers’ Something Just Like This. They were on the first course, and true to his words, no one, not even the waiters, was around the restaurant. She chuckled as he went behind the counter, coming out with a cart.“I would have told you what was in the appetizer, but the only thing I recognize there is the cornbread.” Zayn was kidding, but he loved hearing the sound of Rina’s laughter. She shook her head, her face brightened from the humor that had settled comfortably.Zayn slid in a plate before her, then took his and returned to his seat. The cart still had something in it, and Rina looked at him with the question in her eyes.“Oh, that.” He grinned ruefully. “I couldn’t go back at every course. I don’t know much about serving myself either, so I just decided to get it all in there. The dessert is going to be slightly different because it can’t be brought out just yet. One of my men is keeping watch over it, though, but you shouldn’t worry. He’s pret
It started raining, soft paters gently hitting the window panes. Yet, in the middle of the restaurant, Zayn and Rina were untouched. The rain ushered them into their third course, a light meal of chocolate pudding that melted in Rina’s mouth the moment she placed it on her tongue.Zayn watched when she rolled her head back as the taste buds burst with richness and texture. He swallowed when his eyes met her nape, tender and elegant, like a swine. She had on small pearls – his favorite piece of jewelry.If Zayn didn’t know any better, he would have thought Rina was trying to seduce him.When she returned her head straight up, she met his eyes, brown fierceness that made Zayn release a deep breath. This was becoming too much trouble for him. The more he tried to avoid it, the more it smacked him in the face, forcing him to stare in that direction, to be painstakingly aware of every moment.Pulling his eyes from hers, Zayn continued with the rest of her face. Her pointy nose was built on
It was a quiet ride, the exact opposite of what Zayn had expected. At intervals, he cast short glances at Rina, wondering what went on in her little head. The dim glow from the street lights washed her face and made her look so vulnerable. She shifted in her seat, and blinked, her long lashes sweeping underneath her eyes.When he pulled over at her house, he decided he wasn’t going to be going inside. Not tonight. Perhaps, the silence in his car had given him a mental shake, questioning everything he’d done these past few days. Although Zayn enjoyed the thrill he felt, he wasn’t sure what was right and wrong with Rina anymore. Tonight had made him see that.It was true that Zayn knew everything was built around the contract, and his need to get a wife on time so Nathan didn’t get a hold of his father’s shares and the subsidiary company, the line was beginning to get blurred. He left the engine running and turned to Rina.“Congratulations on getting back in the industry.” As much as
Rina was so busy for the next couple of days that there was barely any time to stop and think. She’d gotten right into work, going to the studio at the fashion house for her shoots. At first, it was awkward to repeatedly take stances that didn’t show her face. But, Rina got used to it after a while, and in fact, started enjoying it.She loved the break-in-betweens where she got shown the images and was given the liberty to choose the ones that would get published on social media and inputted into the market. As much as O.S.N was about Joel Osteen, he still wanted to make the movement about her, so he accorded her as much liberty as the establishment could afford.During the breaks also, she got to talk with Joel and have lunch with him inside his new office on the first floor. Since she didn’t want to be seen with him in public because of the anonymity concept of her pictures, they had to order in all the time. Neither Joel nor Rina minded, because while Rina thought it was a great wa