Zara
The city is as lively as ever. Couples pass me by, donned in red and white, a symbol of the festivity in the air. It's February 14th, also known as Valentine’s day worldwide. They say it is a day for lovers to celebrate love but I call bullshit.Love does not exist. Trust me, I’ve tried searching. Over the past ten years of my life, I have been in and out of relationships but my past partners only seemed to want one thing – sex.
Apparently, finding a relationship without sex in this day and age is akin to what the pastor in my mum’s local church had used to describe rich men who wanted to make it to heaven; a camel passing through the eye of a needle.My first relationship had been in High school, with a boy named Carter. He was sweet at first, buying me coffee and walking me home after school. One day after he walked me home, he asked to come in. He had made a move then, trying to get under my clothes. I had fought him ferociously , holding tightly on to the material of my flowy skirt.
The next day, a rumor about me being a prude who wore’ granny panties’ , had made it’s rounds at school. I became the butt of the kids’ jokes for the remaining years of High school. I was known by the names; Virgin Mary, Grandma Betty, Zealous Zara. Of course, I wasn’t bothered. I had sworn a chastity oath at the age of thirteen, to keep my bed and body undefiled until marriage.My second boyfriend wasn’t until my third year in college. He was a guy in my school’s campus fellowship. I was wary of him at first but he seemed to understand my principle. I couldn’t be happier at the time. He was perfect; going to Bible study with me, taking me on dates, supporting my every decision. He was perfect, until he wasn’t . On one of our date nights, we had taken a walk around school and he suggested we sat somewhere for a while. I noticed a bit too late, how eerily quiet the place was. He leaned in to kiss me then and I moved just in time to have his lips land on my cheek.
For lack of better words to describe his reaction, he was livid. His face turned a ghastly shade of red as he towered above me in my sitting position. I believe his words had been along the lines of;
“ How long do we have to do this whole back and forth. I know you’re just pretending.”
I had looked at him in pure shock. “ What do you mean, I’m just pretending?”He scoffed then and mumbled under his breath, “ I should’ve known this was going to fail”. I heard him.
“ What are you talking about?”
He ran his hands through his hair and sighed in frustration . “ I made a bet with the boys in the fellowship, to seduce you.”I remember my reaction then, a very comic illustration of shock; mouth opening and closing, with bulging eyes.
The memory makes me cringe.My third and last relationship had been with Mike. Mike with the dreamy eyes and wide smile. Mike , the romantic. We almost got married, not until I caught him shamelessly rutting into another woman , a month after he proposed to me.
What was it he said? Right. “ You’re an amazing woman , Zara but you’re too plain. You wear these hideous looking dresses and skirts and I wish you could improve on that. You’re beautiful, just not enough.”
That had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. I didn’t cry. I had come to accept my fate. Love didn’t exist. Just a bunch of hyenas wishing to take advantage of the word.
That was yesterday.Today, I had decided to take my fate into my own hands. The priest that had led the vow of chastity had said, we could find love if we kept ourselves pure. He lied.
I look up at the tall building in front me. The first step to my metamorphosis. After tonight, I’ll no longer be Grandma Betty or Virgin Mary. Tonight, I’m giving it all away.
I walk into the first clothing store I sight. The attendant, a bubbly young woman walks up to me with a wide smile. “ Welcome ma’am . Is there anything I can help you find?”
I take a deep breath. “ Yes, please. Something that can get me laid tonight”Her smile grows even wider. “ I got you. Right, this way”
She leads me through rows and rows of clothes, until we’re standing in front of a row of tiny looking dresses. She picks a few and hands them to me.
“ The changing rooms are right over there”
I make my way towards the rows of cubicles and step into one. The first dress I try on, is a tight black leather dress, moulding all my curves into one delectable piece. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look …hot. My breasts that always look droopy due it’s large size, spills atop the dress in a way that made me look sexy. The curve of my hips look very pronounced. This is it. I’m going for dangerous tonight, so this will have to do. I take tentative steps outside the room, looking around the shop to make sure no eyes were on me. The attendant spots me first and as she nears me, she exclaims, “ I hope you’re taking that dress, because it was definitely made for you!” I laugh shyly, as I feel a blush coming on. She looks at my sandaled feet and walks away, returning with a pair of black strapped heels. After I wear them, she nods in approval. “Pardon my intrusion, but you said you want to get laid tonight. Do you mind if I offer a suggestion” “ Oh…yeah, sure” “ A friend of mine runs a spa and salon next door. Would you be up for a makeover?” I take a look at myself in a mirror by the corner. My hair looks frizzy and my face ,splotchy from walking around all day. A makeover sounds like a good plan . I turn towards her and nod slowly. “ That’s perfect. I’m about to get off work, so I’ll just ring you up real quick” She stops by a lingerie rack and picks a nude lace set, holding it in front of me , as if assessing my size. She nods to herself and keeps moving . What a strange woman she is. She makes quick work of ringing me up and we depart the store together. Before we walk into the next store, she turns to me with a smile and says, “ I’m Valerie. It’s very nice to meet you”. “ Zara” “ Alright, Zara, let’s get you ready for the most memorable night of your life”ZaraA beautiful, blonde girl stands by the cash register, typing on the system in front of her. She looks up at the chime of the doorbell , eyes lighting up at the sight of Valerie. “ Hey Vee. Are you done for the night?”“ You bet I am. I brought a friend”A friend. She called me her friend. In all 26 years of my existence, I have not had any friends. I’ve always been closed off to people , except my parents and younger brother. It has never been easy for me to fit in with people. But, this woman whom I just met all of thirty minutes ago , called me her friend.“ Vee, she’s tearing up”I look up at the concerned voice of the blonde woman with tears blurring my vision.“ I’m such a mess. Pardon me”“ It’s alright babe. I know Valerie here can be a little bit overwhelming, but she’s a nice person.”“I don’t know whether to be pleased or offended “ , says Valerie, eyeing her friend playfully. The blonde girl introduces herself as Emily -Rose. Valerie goes ahead to inform her about my
MarcelloThis day couldn’t get any worse. First, the company’s stock crashes because of a fake piece of news that circulated social media this morning. Apparently, a girl “I dated” went online to say that I was an abuser and I had constantly beaten her in the short duration of our relationship.Pfft. Everyone around me knew I didn’t do relationships. It required a lot of emotional investment I simply could not afford.I have been up and about since the early hours of today, trying to shut down the rumors but it had already circulated every corner of the media. Being young, rich and popular had it’s perks but it also had it’s downsides; one of it being that when any news about you gets out, people pounce on it like bloodthirsty zombies, regardless of it’s truth status.I just concluded a meeting at the office with the PR team when my father burst into my office with murder in his eyes. My father, Hernandez Andres is who you would describe as terrifying; big build, thick brows and a con
Zara He swipes his key card and the beep of the door matches my pulse. Something tells me I’m about to make the biggest mistake of my life but my mind is made up. If my mother could see me now… I shake my head to get rid of unwanted thoughts. It’s now or never. I’m not getting any younger. Best get this out of the way. I take a deep breath and walk further into the room. I gasp. This place is…breathtaking. I have never considered my family poor but we’re not exactly rich either. This room right here screams ‘luxury’ A chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling, tasteful furniture and pieces decorating the room. To my right, stands what looks like the kitchen island, covered in shiny black marble. The whole interior of the room is black , white and grey. A typical bachelor’s house. I sneak a peak at the man in the room. He takes off his cufflinks and unbuttons his shirt. I had not taken a good look at him earlier but standing here with him like this in this confined space, I
ZaraIt’s Saturday and for me ,that means deep cleaning. Only, this time, it’s aggressive cleaning.The nerve of that man!I wasn’t exactly expecting him to kiss my feet and make me a path of rose petals but I also was not expecting to be treated like a bug…You can get dressed and leaveHa!I was dumbstruck for a few minutes after he not so rudely told me to leave . He had proceeded to walk into the en suite bathroom like he did not just trample on my dignity. You give a man your virginity and he does not even have the decency to thank you…Last night may have been my first time but I know enough to not get treated like that. Tears prickle the back of my eyes. I wipe at it furiously. I haven’t cried over a man in my entire existence, I’m not going to start now…It doesn’t exactly help that I am sore all over. Imagine my surprise when I got up to stomp out of the jerk’s place and couldn’t walk straight. I had to limp all the way to the elevator and into the waiting cab outside.W
Zara The past few weeks have been hectic. After the events of that night, I threw my self into work the next week and in the weeks to follow. The only time I had to unwind was when I met with Valerie and Emily. The thought of my new friends brings a smile to my face. I never thought I’d be so open to having other people in my space but I seemed to like it so far. The girls had teased me endlessly on the first night we met. It was definitely hard to keep up with the amount of profanities Valerie dropped in each sentence. The girl swore like a sour grandma but I found myself smiling whenever she spoke. I would say she is a ray of sunshine but she puts the entire sun to shame, that one. Emily on the other hand is gentle, with the prettiest smile. They balance each other out perfectly. A knock sounds outside my office and in walks my Secretary, Leslie. My position in the company is not the highest but being a Senior Associate meant I was entitled to my own assistant. “ Ma’am , the
ZaraThe train ride to the hospital was nothing short of a nightmare. I almost puked all over the train and the innocent passengers. Why?A certain man decided to squeeze every drop of juice from my stomach , with his strong cologne. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it ‘cologne’, death trap was more like it. I was enjoying the scenery and loving the wind on my face when said man got into the seat beside me. I felt my stomach churn in a worse manner than I had experienced at the cafeteria.So, the whole trip, I had to give myself a pep talk, yunno, not to embarrass my family and all, with my fingers plugging my nose.The moment I walked into the hospital, I ran straight for the restrooms. I proceeded to puke out everything I had eaten in the last two days. Now, waiting for my name to be called, I revel in the smell of antiseptic. Have hospitals always smelled so good?I chuckle lowly. It’s funny because the few times I had accompanied my mom to the hospital for her routine examinat
ZaraI walk in a daze up to my apartment and slot in the key. Everything in the background is a blur. I drop my bag and keys on the kitchen island and slide down to the floor, my back resting on the wall. This all seems like a bad dream. Maybe if I sleep and wake up, it’ll be gone.I stare down at the tiny photo card in my hand. The Sonogram…Dr. Meyers had handed it to me on my way out. I stare at the black and white image of what seems like a blob. So, this tiny human is currently growing in me. I move my hand to my stomach and rub unconsciously . I don’t have it in me to get rid of an innocent life but I am at a loss of what to do. Maybe the girls can help…I push myself up and walk to the bag I discarded earlier on the island. I fish out my phone and dial Valerie and Emily. Valerie answers first in that chirpy tone of hers “what’s good, mama?”I immediately burst into tears. “ Help me”It is Emily that says “ We’re on our way”***********Less than an hour later, the girls ar
Zara“What do you mean you’re doomed?”I look up at the concerned faces of my friends. “ I meant I’m doomed, as in D-O-O-M-E…”“We know how to spell doomed, you idiot. You know, I’m beginning to question how you got a degree in Law.” Valerie says and proceeds to roll her eyes .Emily chimes in “ I thought you’d be happy that we finally have a clue as to who the baby’s father is. What’s the problem?”I lift my hands in exasperation. “ The problem is, just today, a man from Paradise group visited the firm and my boss just happened to assign me to him. That’s not the crazy part, he said he was representing MARCELLO ANDRES! Does the name sound familiar?”Emily hums in understanding. “ So, you’re scared because you think you might lose your job for getting hot and personal with a client?”“Isn’t that obvious?”Valerie rolls her eyes again for what seems like the hundredth time. She walks closer and squats in front of me, until she is at my eye level. “ According to you, you had no idea wh
MARCELLO’S POV I thought I would catch up on a bit of work before I have to go to the office but the thought of Zara keeps filtering through my mind. Acquiring a company seems like roses and extra profit on the surface, but so much work has to go in to make sure everything works without any hitch. So far, I have done some major balancing on the accounts through the merger. I know that the company employs only competent hands but I cannot afford to have mistake. Those are expensive and that’s why I have been working myself to weariness. She is fast asleep and has been for hours now but I can’t seem to catch a wink of sleep. She acts like she hates my guts most of the time but her actions tonight were on the contrary. Going as far as cooking meal when she can hardly stand on her own was what got to me the most. And that little peck on my lips earlier? Goddammit! I’m acting like a hormonal teenager. I have tasted every inch of the woman’s body but it’s that little kiss that has me ac
Zara’s POV I open my eyes to a silent room. The lights in here are dim and the atmosphere of the room feels cozy. I must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. Marcello wasn’t exactly gentle with me; not that I’m complaining. I heard him leave some minutes back, and that’s after he made sure to wipe me off with a wet rag. That was embarrassing as hell but it felt…nice.Sitting up, I scan the room in search of my clothes and find them folded neatly on one corner of the bed. I pick up my sore body and get dressed. I choose not to dwell on what transpired earlier in this place. The last few times were filled with me questioning my decision but this time, I’m just going to let it be. I can’t claim any innocence on this matter; after all , I reciprocated just as much as I was given. And I’m definitely not going to overthink the onslaught of emotions I felt today either. If I ignore it, maybe, just maybe , it’ll go away. I walk the hallway quietly as if there are other people on this floor
Zara’s POV Thankfully, the whole tabloid thing dies off in days. The company has been doing well , judging by how much Marcello has been cooped up in the office. And when he comes home, he barely sleeps, throwing himself into more work. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a bit worried for his health. He’s riding the wave of the recent increase in revenue that he’s neglecting himself. What the man does may not be my business but he has done his best to make sure that I do not want for anything during my pregnancy journey. So, I’m going to try to re turn the favour. I ask Mr. Phillip to stop by the local mart, so I can pick up a few things I may need. Last time, he cooked me a Mexican rice dish that I very well remember the taste of but can’t for the life of me, seem to remember it’s name. I just remember that it was rich in protein and veggies. So, I stock my cart with a healthy serving of beef and every other vegetable that looks good. On my way to the counter to check out the items I picked,
Zara’s POV I wake up with a start, to the insistent blaring of my alarm. My eyes are still heavy , even thou I probably slept for ten whole hours. Sunlight streams through the curtains, casting a golden halo over my face. I sit up, hands outstretched above my head. My body feels heavy, largely owing to the increasing size of my belly. At six months, it feels like I have been pregnant forever and not to sound conceited or anything but I wish the babies could give me space to breathe; maybe come out already.My attention is drawn to my phone buzzing consistently on the pillow beside me. I must have fallen asleep while texting the girls last night. Something about the constant vibrations makes me anxious. I watch dazed for a moment as the notification bar moves with more messages. Sluggishly, I reach for the phone, my movements slowed by my still booting brain. Over 500 notifications on my social media and a few messages from the group chat with the girls. Emily’s message is the fir
Zara’s POV Mama doesn’t let us leave immediately, insisting that we stay for dinner. Hence, me hiding out in Carlotta’s room. Left for me, I would take a cab home , so I don’t have to face my ugly impulsive decisions . I know I have said this before but let me reiterate; Marcello is cancerous. One minute I was bawling my eyes out in Maria’s arms and the next, I let go of my morals in Marcello’s. This stupid, stupid pregnancy hormones. Carlotta is downstairs helping out with dinner and Marcello is well…being Marcello somewhere around the house. I hope he stays busy until we have to leave . If I face him now, I might simply die of mortification . I offered to help out also but Mama chased me out with a spatula. At a few minutes past 6 pm , Carlotta pops in to let me know that dinner’s ready. When I get to the dinning room, I see Mr. Hernandez already seated, reading a newspaper with his glasses perched atop his nose. He puts down the paper when he sights me and beams “ Mi Queri
Marcello's POV True to her words , Zara stormed out of the house with a duffel bag. I could only watch, stunned, as she walked past me with every determination in her. It was only after a few minutes, that I came to terms with what just happened. Thankfully, she had Uncle Phillip drive her. One less thing to worry about…I immediately thought of calling Mama to inform her that a very angry, pregnant woman was headed her way. Mama laughed when I explained the entire ordeal to her and then proceeded to scold me for letting my pregnant and very emotional wife out of my sight, without running after her to pacify her. She promised to take care of her and threatened that if I didn’t drag my behind home within the next hour, she would personally make sure that Zara die snot return home. I really cannot understand women . Hence, I am en route the family home and I didn’t forget to buy a lot of gifts to pacify Her Royal Majesty. I have heard men say things like ‘ happy wife, happy home’ b
Zara’s POV One thing I didn’t expect that accompanied my recent bouts of morning sickness ,is the heightened appetite. Not just the appetite to eat good food, I have the most insane cravings these days; especially spicy food. Desi, Thai, Korean, Chinese , Japanese, you name them. And Marcello, bless his heart, has been a sweetheart, offering to buy me whatever I crave. Pretty sure the man has visited all the indigenous food places in New York in the span of one week but I am eating for three, so…This past week, I have gotten used to his tendency to call me random endearing names. At first, thinking about it gave me a major migraine but I’ve decided to just go along with the flow. Just as long as he keeps buying me spicy buffalo wings…I woke up this morning craving egg tarts and Julio has been MIA for a while now, only coming in one day out of five. Not gonna lie, I’m a bit worried about his absence but I’m not one to pry.It's Saturday and I know that Celine will be ordering a tot
ZaraDr. Meyers beams immediately she sees me and offers me a seat. “ Zara! I wasn’t expecting you today but it’s so good to see you” She looks at the Stony- gazed man beside me , “ you came with your husband too. This is great.”Marcello offers her a handshake in his usual professional manner and she accepts it. “ Marcello Andres” “ Sharon Meyers. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Andres.”“ Likewise”“ So, what brings you here today?”“ I woke up today with a really bad case of morning sickness. I’m worried because I no longer had that but I woke up today feeling like my stomach was twisting itself from the inside. Dr. Meyers hums in contemplation. “ Most women go through morning sickness until the end of the third trimester, so I wouldn’t be worried about that. However, what worries me is the pain you’re feeling . That’s not normal, especially at this stage. You’re nearing the end of the your second trimester and this is a critical time.”My heart thrums rapidly at her w
ZaraSomething smells awful. It’s a familiar smell but it something smells repulsive today. I rollover on to my right to ward off the smell but it seems to be me everywhere. My belly folds over life a turbulent tide on a beach, recoiling and rumbling in disagreement to the smell assaulting my senses. I feel the wave within trying to force itself out of my throat but I force it down, taking deep breaths. Only, that was a big mistake on my part. I jump out of the bed with a sense of urgency, almost tripping on the sheets wrapped around my ankles. The moment I kneel before the toilet, a torrent of vomit comes hurling out of my throat. Remnants of the rice Marcello made for dinner last night. My stomach twists uncomfortably with each bout of retching and it actually feels like my intestines are eating me from the inside out. I may have experienced bad morning sickness the first few weeks but they had ceased for a while. I guess I was wrong to be relaxed. I flush the toilet and rinse