ROSE “Rum…? Err, we’re not done yet,” squealed the flustered assistant producer. “Sorry, Grace. I need a three,” Rum replied solemnly as he rushed past the lady who smiled back sheepishly. "Three minutes!" Someone shouted in the background as I continued to be tugged forward. When we were out of earshot, I tried to wrench myself out of that stinging grasp. “Let go of me!” I hissed. “Oh, now you’re whispering? You’re finally aware that everyone’s looking?” he muttered sarcastically. The second we entered the dressing room, Rum slammed the door shut, locked it and caged me against the wall with his hands on each side of my head and his angry face in mine. "I don't care what the fuck is your problem…." Those blue eyes held my gaze. "But you better get your shit together. You got a problem working for me, then FUCKING LEAVE." I stared at him. Fear was slowly seeping from his glare into my veins. So he brought me here to cool off. But he made it abundantly clear: he wants no
ROSE BUZZ, BUZZ! Hmm? I pushed open my eyelids and the curtains of my bedroom windows came into view, rising and waving in the gentle breeze of the night. BUZZ, BUZZ! My phone. It’s ringing angrily. It sounds important. Like I’ve missed something. Shit! What time is it? Did I sleep through dawn?! I jumped upright in my bed, whipping up my phone, and answered it immediately. “Yes! This is Rose!” “GET YOUR ASS HERE! NOW!” I rubbed my eyes. “Rum?” And he hissed, “Fifteen minutes or you’re dead!” And the call disconnected. Wait. What? Shit! I’m not dreaming; I’ve overslept! I stretched my eyes and stared hard at the time. 7:45 p.m. OH MY GOD! Did I sleep through the entire day?! I checked the date. TUESDAY, 10 JAN. I sank in relief. Thank goodness… I’ve only passed out for thirty five minutes; I didn’t sleep through the entire day. It’s still today. Rum’s still at his dinner date with Goldie—. Wait. That was Rum on the phone, wasn’t it? Why did he call?
ROSE The journey up to Rum’s penthouse was filled with silence until the gentle ping of notification that the elevator would soon open. But when the doors slid open, Rum didn’t dash out as usual. Instead, he remained leaning against the rear wall of the transporting box. I didn’t move either. I felt too tired to lift a muscle. So the doors stayed open. Jokes aside, I’m still crossed with Rum. But then, I’m also feeling guilty for throwing my temper at him and judging him for simply doing his best living in our world. On top of all that, right now, I feel scared. What if Rum found out that I’ve fallen in love with him? Disappointment. He’d be disappointed with me. And I don’t want that. I want him to think the best of me. I have to hide all these feelings I have for him. Maybe I should act like I don’t care. The doors slid to a close, jarring me back to the elevator, and I realised we’re both still inside. Finally, Rum stepped forward to press a button and the doors halte
RUM The buzzing won’t stop. “Urgh…,” I groaned. “Get it, Rose.” BUZZ… BUZZ… Jesus Christ! “ROSE!” I roared and jolted to a push-up position on my bed and glared to my right. It was empty. The ruffled sheets definitely told me that someone had slept in it. Last night was glorious, and it was real. It happened. I slept with Rose again. We agreed that we wouldn’t. But I wanted it to happen again, and, to my excitement, so did she. Something didn’t feel right. A sense of emptiness in the air. A dreaded sense of emptiness. I grabbed the duvet, holding it around my waist, and got out of bed. “Rose!” I called for her and then I listened. For the sounds of water raining from the shower, her soft humming in the bathroom, her feet padding across the carpet in the living area, to the kitchen and the gym and back to the living area. Nothing. Only silence. “Fuck…,” I murmured. Where the fuck is that girl? Only then I remembered the buzzing sound from earlier—my phone. I
JOY At first, she was smiling, when I saw her at the door, a bag on her shoulders, four large paper bags strapped around her forearms—two on each side. She was in her jumper and jeans but gone are the specs, just as I had last seen her. She looked like she had just gotten out of bed and had rushed through the packing up to leave wherever she was before coming back here. I assumed that place she was at was Rum’s place, and was about to ask her what happened when her eyes became watery. I took the paper bags from her and asked if she was fired. Then large teardrops started rolling down her reddened eyes. So I hugged her and told her she had done her best. Big companies like B.A.D. are hard to survive in, and she's only an intern. But she managed to stay there for four years, despite having no formal training, and that meant something. And then the incredible girl wailed, loud and hard. In a voice shaking with grief, she blurted that she would no longer be Rum’s assistant. And
ROSE Yes…. Yes, I’ll save him. I won’t let them push Rum around. I won’t give them the token to use it against Rum. I’m going to put a stop to it, even if it means losing my fast track to achieving daddy’s dream. “Stability,” I breathed, just before those tantalising lips touched mine. “I want stability.” He paused and jerked back. His face shot up to level with mine, showing me a curious yet upset expression. “What the fuck… What the fuck are you trying to say?” “I’m sick and tired of the roller coaster life at B.A.D.,” I said. “And I’m sick and tired of walking on eggshells around you.” Those blue eyes enlarged with surprise, giving me the boost in my morale to continue with the lie. “You heard me, I’m done with this life of anxiety and uncertainty. I feel vulnerable all the time and I hate it.” I gritted my teeth at that handsome face. “I HATE IT. Did you hear me?” BANG! His fist slammed on the door just above my head and he leaned in. “You don’t seem to hate it when
WARNING: This chapter contains crude language which you may find distressing. ROSE “Oh… that singer… What’s his name again?” I was drilling a hole through the tray of hair styling tools with my eyes, my body unable to move. Rum’s face is everywhere in my mind, crowding, squeezing, spilling. “Hmm… Gin? Doesn’t sound right….” “Hey! What are you waiting for?” My gaze jerked up at the mirror and the customer was glaring at me, silently chastising me for wasting his precious time. “Hurry up!” he snapped impatiently. “Right!” I heard my voice squeal in panic and sprang into action, my hand shot out to the hair clipper. “Whiskey?” Mrs. Yves continued. The second the clipper came into plain sight, the bossy voice freaked out. “What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you wanna wash my hair first? Are you really from B.A.D?” I stared at him. The man was getting on my nerves—I should tell him to shut up, let me do my job. But my voice is stuck. I feel stuck. I turned on the cl
WARNING: This chapter contains explicit language of sex and violence that may cause distress. RUM Fuck… something’s not right. I let go of the nipple with a pop sound and kissed the side of Brenda’s left breast. And her whimpering stopped. Pressing her chin down, she gazed up at me, breathless in her voice, “Rum? What is it?” Shut up, my inside growled. I closed my mouth around her other nipple and swirled it around my tongue, just as she liked it—and her whimpers grew high and tiny, just as before. But still, something’s off. I released the maroon bud and leaned up to take those plump lips, shooting my tongue through them to stroke that sweet, shy tongue… rubbing and caressing as though I wanted to take in all of her… I want all of her…. I grabbed the back of her head and angled my face to reach deeper, conquer more of her nectarine mouth, taking in that fragrance of Crane’s bill and rose….. ***** ROSE I popped the last bite of pizza into my mouth and clapped my han
ROSECarefully, I picked up my iPad and the impatient phone and turned towards the exit of the office. I thought to answer the call once I’m outside, but it stopped buzzing. So I moved cautiously towards the elevator, when it arrived just as I halted to push the button for it. The doors opened and my handsome Alpha King appeared, worried as hell. ‘Why didn’t you answer my call?’ he demanded.I rolled my eyes. ‘Because I’m getting through a door with this.’ I pointed at my huge belly. He was about to carry me like a bride when I slapped his hands away. ‘Stop it!’ I hissed. ‘You want everyone to know?!’ ‘Wheelchair. If you ever missed my call again.’ He stepped aside for me to enter the metal carrier. ‘Alright, alright…’ I chuckled. ‘So how was it?’ He asked, glancing at my iPad. ‘Did she approve it?’ ‘No.’ I sighed. ‘It’s too extravagant. The actress specifically asked for more grounded styles. She wants people to relate more to acting than her beauty.’ And Keithen scoffed. ‘Goo
ROSEI rolled myself onto him, loving the way my skin rubbed against his, feeling his warmth and heartbeat against mine, as well as the vibrations of his chuckle. He swept the sticky damp strands off my face, hooking some around my ears, then combed the rest to the back of my head with his fingers, and all the time, I had my eyes closed, savouring the moment. And he chuckled some more. ‘You want another round?’ he whispered. My eyes burst open, and his arms squeezed my bare waist as he laughed. ‘I’m hurt, cub. You look like a car was about to hit you.’ I shifted closer to his face—my breasts scraping his hard chest, and he grunted a little—and kissed him on the mouth hard, delivering all my passion, all my apologies. Immediately, his mouth opened and he shifted to push me forward, so that his tongue could dive in a little more, consuming me breathless. Just as the familiar desires stirred inside me, I pulled back, tore my lips from his and captured his face with both hands, tryi
ROSEI’m a werewolf, aren’t I? Okay, not entirely. Just half wolf, half human. But that still counts, right? There’s still some wolf inside me to make this work! This has to work! Concentrate. Focus, Rose. Think of the gate. I could be at the beach, or the back alley. Does it relocate to the same place twice? Or does it choose a new place each time? ‘Rose, are you having a headache?’ asked Joy. I opened my eyes and evaluated my best friend for a while. Then, I made up my mind. ‘Joy.’ I grabbed her shoulders. ‘I’m about to tell you something that nothing in Science can ever explain.’ ‘O…kay?’ I could see the wheels of her mind churning to come up with the plausible reason for my sudden strange behaviour. ‘Is it Harry Potter kinda something?’ I nodded firmly. And she mouthed ‘O’, with a knowing gaze. But behind that gaze, I still caught her disbelief. ‘It’s alright to not believe me. Just promise me that you won’t tell a living soul.’ I was staring at her so hard, I could almost
RICHARDA video showing Richard in his midnight blue shirt with his arm stretched across the desk. The files shifted and a sketch of a female figurine in a puffed up flowy gown with petals in her hair and on her lashes and lips. Richard was flabbergasted. He turned back to the CEO, his mind churning furiously to come up with the best excuse to save his ass. ‘When Rose brought me that design, I thought to myself: this is something that ambitious Annie would use. It’s extravagant and flamboyant. Wouldn’t it be nice to distract her with this, so my precious gem can focus on levelling up her skills? She can’t be stuck in the B.A.D. crap all the time.’ Richard felt deflated. His world was crashing down into dust. ‘Y-You set me up.’ The CEO laughed heartily. ‘You flatter yourself too much, Richard. Set ups are for my equals. This is just a test. But you scored full marks.’ The young rising star slammed his palms on the desk and glared at the CEO—the woman who had previously doted on hi
ROSE‘... the winner of this styling face off is—.’ The emcee’s eyes rolled left to right repeatedly as he read the card. His brows knitted as a mutter of disbelief spilled from his mouth, ‘Annie from B.A.D.’ My insides sank to the deepest parts of my spirit. ‘YES!’ Annie shrieked out victoriously. With a smugful grin, she cast a look of condemnation in my way. ‘I told you she’s a fake! She can’t style at all! Extraordinary—ha!’ That was… … unexpected. I thought I had a good chance. I really did read Miss Jewel’s comments wrongly. ‘Oh! The main judge has something to say!’ The emcee shoved Annie aside to make way for the retired supermodel, Jinda Avengelistford, who gracefully took the centrestage at an astounding height of six feet. ‘Based on the styling standards, Miss Annie has met every single one.’ She turned to the head of B.A.D.’s styling team and flashed a warm smile. ‘It was exciting—your unexpected. There is still a difference between professional and personal styling.
KEITHEN ’CUT!’ The director’s frown was as clear as the blue sky outside. I could tell that he’s been trying to hold it in. But the shit’s about to explode. ‘Rum.’ He forced a smile. ‘Are you sure you’re not unwell?’ I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said this: ‘I’m fine.’ ‘Then what’s the problem?!’ The older guy grabbed his hair, about to go crazy. I stared at the line of the script that was shoved into my view. Instantly, the clog in my throat grew real. As real as the reality I’m about to face in an hour’s time. ‘Maybe Rum’s upset that this is all going to end for him soon.’ I looked up and a pair of kind eyes smiled back at me. Sherry patted my shoulder as that sweet smile turned into a sympathetic one. ‘I bet he misses all this. Don’t you, boss?’ I chuckled dryly and looked down again. ‘I’m not your boss, Sher. I’ve said it many times.’ That’s it. No matter how hard you try. You can’t fight reality. You just can’t. You can stay hidden around her. It won’t ma
RICHARDA day before the styling competition… ‘Go right in. She’s wrapping up the conference call,’ said the lovely PA of Miss Jewel. The young man in his stylist’s midnight blue shirt and grey bubble pants grinned sweetly and nodded. ‘Thank you, Celia. You look lovely today.’ And the PA gave her usual polite smile. Richard entered the glasshouse of an office and settled himself in the same chair he’d always been in whenever he’s here. A minute turned to three… and then it felt like ten. Richard’s fingers began to tap with impatience. He thought of checking his phone for an update from the private investigator he’d sent to tail Rose. The thought of Rose brought a grin to his glossed lips. Miss Jewel must have called him in to talk about Rose’s resignation, and he was prepared to sacrifice his precious time and help the agency convince Rose to retract it. There is no way the CEO wouldn’t agree to his one and only condition: that Rose stays as his stylist for as long as he’s wi
ROSEBANG, BANG, BANG!I stared at the door, unable to breathe. Unable to stop the tears. Unable to shut him out. ‘OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, ROSE!’ thundered the Alpha King. ‘YOU BETTER GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION RIGHT NOW!’ Hands clamped my ears. My head kept shaking in disagreement. My chest screaming: go away! Please, go away! ‘I know you’re in there! Open the fucking door!’ The banging continued. The same hands now clamped my mouth. To stop me from telling him to stop. Stop the noise, or someone will report him to the police. You’re a fucking celebrity! Stop it, Keithen!‘I’m counting to three. No open door, and I’ll fucking shift right here! Hear that, Rose? Footsteps! People are coming out. They’ll see me—.’ The hands were back on my ears. Shutting out his voice. My feet shuffled back, away from that enraged door. Hide. Go and hide, my mind told me. And I did. I scampered back to my room and slammed the door shut. Locked it. Then backed away, towards my bed. The second my calves bum
RICHARD‘I told you it’s not going to happen!’ the young man hissed into his phone. The female voice at the other end of the line screamed curses. ‘Everyone’s been talking about your peach silver outfit—more than mine! What happened to the black jacket! You said you’d wear it.’ Richard Black rolled his eyes at his reflection in his bedroom mirror. ‘She wanted to change it. What else can I do? Say no? Has your precious Rum ever said no to you regarding his outfit?’ ‘I can’t let her win that competition,’ chanted Annie. ‘Dan’ll have my head!’ ‘I’ll get you a chopping board then.’ ‘You lying son of a bitch! You didn’t keep your end of the deal—have you any idea the sacrifice I made for that article?’‘Sleeping with a reporter instead of some big shot? You call that a sacrifice?’ Richard scoffed. ‘You’re a whore, Annie. Everyone who knows you knows that. The models—they talk. A hell lot.’‘And you think your Rose is a virgin?’ ‘SHUT UP!’ Richard shouted back, and the ugly chuckle r