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
Rina blinked so hard and fast that she felt a dull ache in her eyelid. How did anyone answer that question, as unexpected as it had come? Joel still looked at her in anticipation, and again, Rina’s gaze fell on the design machine.Was she open to dating again? Rina wasn’t sure what the answer to that was. Although it was true that she had thought about it a few times, she’d never really allowed herself to linger in those moments. She’s always left the question unattended, burying it under her mass of determination, and fury. And now that it was here again, she had no clue what to say.She was hoping this would be one of those moments where Joel caught on to her discomfort, opting to settle for something more comfortable. But he seemed to have been thinking about it for a while now and was so interested in knowing what she wanted that he wasn’t paying attention to other things.“Erm…”’ Rina was starting to say, but a sudden chime on his phone made her stop. Usually, he would have throw
Rina stopped by at her cottage to change into something more appropriate to be worn for dinner. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, feeling excited about the night. She was going to be with Joel outside of their work environment for the first time since she signed the contract, and it made her feel giddy.She was putting on a cute black dress that stopped above her knees, cinched on her waist, and flared from that point down. She paired it with a pair of strapped nude heels and a nude beaded purse. Rina’s hair was still dyed red, and since she hadn’t had the time to change it just yet, she left it that way, slicking it back in an elegant ponytail, and leaving a few strands to frame both sides of her face.With very minimal makeup, she left her house and got into a taxi, armed with the address of Joel’s house. It was a building sitting on a hill, with every inch seemingly lit up. Even the grounds had lights in them, and Rina basked in the amount of glow that touched her skin. J
Rina stared at the burly guy in confusion and shock. She took one step back, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the Lamborghini. Joel stepped protectively in front of her while whispering, “Do you know him, or the person who sent him?”“No,” Rina whispered in response. It was her first time seeing him.“Hey, man!” Joel didn’t move one bit closer to the burly man. “I don’t know who sent you, or why the person did, but I think you’ve got the wrong house. She’s with me.”“She’s not,” the man sneered as if repulsed by that idea, his voice identical to his stature. “And I don’t have the wrong house. She’s Rina Powers.”“Who sent you?” Rina asked from behind Joel. She didn’t have any plans on stepping one foot into the car.“As much as I would love to tell you that right now, I can’t. Not while you’re out here. But the minute I ensure you’re safe inside the car, and on your way home, I would be more than happy to divulge that information.”Joel shook his head. “That d
“I don’t think I can sign a contract blindly.” It was the first time Rina had spoken since the commencement of the meeting. “It’s the pattern of relation with every other production house I have worked with. At least, I need to know the genre of movie I am going to be employed for at sets. It's easier that way to make informed decisions. Do you not agree, George?”Her manager nodded with glee. “That is the policy we operate with. And considering how urgent it seemed from our last correspondence, I think we can just hasten things up in here with more details concerning the movie.”The woman spoke next. “You are going to star as the lead actress,” she muttered, confirming George’s speculation. “And that means a lot of attention is going to be on you.”Rina didn’t know the reason she felt like they were stalling, but it was there, persistent and strong. The young man’s eyes darted to the door, as if for help, but it remained strongly shut, making a mockery of his plea.“You are going to
The ceiling-to-floor length window allowed the warmth of the sun rays, to soak into the oddly quiet room. The golden hues created a soft glow on Rina’s face and she closed her eyes briefly, allowing it to go through her. If the situation had been any different, she might have left a comment about how the location of the production company seemed to have been strategically placed, that even though the room was bare, save the sparse furniture in the middle, it still gave that warm aura it was meant to. The chill she had felt first in the room had been dispelled by the sunlight, and Rina found herself relaxing.But not George. He had stared at the watch on his wrist a million times already, wondering when the meeting would commence. His eyes darted to the door at intervals, waiting for the person the rest of the team had mentioned they were expecting. But it remained shut, the fine polish enjoying the glow of the sun too. He sighed in his seat, albeit inaudibly so he wouldn’t ruin Rina’s
Rina was outside the building the following day, staring up at the white walls. They looked really enticing from out there, the floor-length windows creating an aura, like they were stuck in the depths of modernization and making no move to return to the past. The name of the production house was written in fine calligraphy above the building, big enough for everyone to see while walking past. There was something about the name -Allure, but Rina didn’t give it too much thought. She was just so excited about the prospects of being back on screens.Looking at her rearview mirror for the umpteenth time, Rina touched the perfect curls of her hair and angled her head to ensure the makeup was not one hair out of place. Even though she knew she was capable of wowing the directors away, it still took her back to the very first audition she’d attended, before she got scouted by Scottsdale Entertainment. She remembered the nerves that had worked their way into her bones and threatened to ruin e
It was hard avoiding him in the same building, as even though he’d been doing so since he confessed his feelings, it just felt different this time. She could feel his presence, looming in the hallways, yet she never bumped into him. Even as she told the models it would be her last day working with them, she half-expected to see his intense eyes by the door, watching with a scowl on his face. That would have been better than the last look he’d directed her way on the first floor earlier that day. It made the hair on the back of Rina’s head stand.However, the worries about Joel soon got immersed with the others when George sent her another email. It was a confirmation message from the production house, scheduling the following day for the meeting to discuss the terms of their contract and how long it would subsist. Rina didn’t think it would be that soon, as she had already planned on spending the day indoors.Her fingers hovered above the call icon, but George was faster as the phone
“I wonder what that was about,” Joel murmured as he stepped in through the doors. Rina had been deep in a conversation with the photographer, so he met her in the hallway. She peered at him, noting the worry lines on his face.“Is it some of my anti-fans?” They were always up to something, so Rina didn’t doubt the possibility of them causing some trouble with Joel. It was all the more reason she needed to get moving.“It’s Mr. Graham. I met him outside and he seemed so … I don’t know, angry. Like I’d done something wrong. Remember when we got into that contract and I told you it felt like he was constantly attacking me? It felt like we were back on that page. I was going to schedule a meeting to split the output from the fashion show, but he didn’t even want to hear it. He asked me to keep it all.”If Joel had paid close attention, he would have seen the sudden change in Rina’s eyes, how they watched him with an emotion that bothered on pity. He would have figured out that she knew th
Zayn navigated through the traffic, drumming his finger on the steering at intervals. Returning to the country had been a spontaneous decision he had made the previous night, weighing the cons and pros in his head before calling the pilot to prepare the jet for take-off. Graham Conglomerates had already been launched over there, but there were a few things that were left before business could begin, but he’d decided to leave it to Mago to handle.“What are you thinking about?” Rina asked quietly. He had felt her eyes on him since they left the villa, but for the first time, Zayn wasn’t certain of what to say to her. He felt himself pulled under by some feelings he couldn’t decipher, and now, he felt his principles crumbling. Years, and even months ago, Zayn never believed in love. He saw it as the unnecessary release of chemicals, that only ended up doing more harm than good. But now, something had changed. It was… Zayn shook his head abruptly, refusing to accept it.“Nothing,” he mur
The next day, Rina got a forwarded mail from her manager while getting ready for work. She opened it once, her eyes reading the message in one glance. She heaved a sigh of relief, going through the details again. The phone vibrated in her hands, and she picked up the call at once.“George, I got the mail. What do you think?”“I received it late last night and had to research the production house first before sending it to you. They are legit, and the best news is you wouldn’t have to leave the country to work for them since they are a local production house. If it is something you want to do, I can reach out to them to schedule a meeting on your behalf.”“Yes,” Rina nodded. “I trust your judgment. Since you’ve done your research, I can go ahead with it. It will at least, keep me busy until something else comes along. And the longer I stay at O.S.N fashion house, the more I put Joel’s business on the line. He doesn’t want to admit it, but I know his sales are suffering because of me. P
The gallery suddenly seemed to be devoid of people, even if their chatter had gone up a notch. She drowned out the noise unconsciously, unnerved by the looks in their eyes. “Seen what?” Rina looked from Isaiah to George, wondering what that was about. It didn’t seem like something she would be ecstatic to find out, but then again, Rina knew there hadn’t been enough ecstasy in her life since the spread of the rumors started.“Didn’t you see the people gathered at the entrance of the gallery?”“The oil paintings lining the wall?” She angled her head, even if anxiety was eating away at her.George nodded, then sighed. “I think it's best you see it yourself. I must warn you though, there’s nothing joyous about it.”“There’s nothing joyous about what my anti-fans think of me,” Rina murmured, allowing George to lead the way while Isaiah came up at the rear. The small crowd that had gathered parted ways and whispers graced their lips as the trio approached the line of paintings. They stopped
It had been a few days since Rina’s confrontation with Regina at Scottsdale Entertainment and what she had been trying to avoid still happened. There were videos everywhere, circulating like wild fire.Almost every person in the country knew that she had been banned from stepping feet into that building, and it didn’t help that she had to go to work every day with certain people who entirely believed the rumors on the internet. Even if Joel had warned them not to do anything against her, it still didn’t stop the glares getting sent her way.Rina was taking the development remarkably well as she still went about her usual daily activities. She had brought some of her stuff at the cottage down to the villa, and no longer had to use the items she had met in the closet. It was one of her greatest reliefs as she hadn’t let go of the fact that even though Zayn told her no one else had been in there, there were traces that it had been a lie.Trying not to feel entitled or anything, she said