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
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