Droplets of sweats started to soak Audrey’s face. The car’s air conditioner was working fine and the humidity was not the usual since it was getting late, the temperature was dropping low. But oh, her hands were tightly grasping on the steering wheel, and maneuvering the car in the middle of the broad highway was scaring the hell out of her.
“Come on, Auddie. Breath…” Nathan said and shook his head. It had been thirty minutes since they left the estate, but they were still on the road when it supposedly didn’t take at least twenty minutes to reach the restaurant.
“I’m breathing, Nate. Don’t talk to me,” she responded and took a let out a deep breath. Audrey was aware she was holding her breath all along, but she hated to admit it. Not, when she realized how full of herself she was before she got to settle o
The third day of the pre-open was busier despite having fewer people coming in to dine. A piece of sweet instrumental music was played in the background, giving off a pleasant vibe to everyone inside the building. There were a couple of waitresses and a waiter who kept running the errands between the guests and the chefs in the kitchen. They moved in a calm and calculated manner just like how Nathan trained them before but the efficiency was of high quality, making sure that everyone they served enjoys their brief stay as they savored the dishes on their plates.There were only an hour and a half left before the closing of the restaurant. Some guests who came first left one after another after a small chat with Audrey who occasionally had to leave the kitchen if she had to present herself by the customer’s request. Nathan would be in her place as she spent a minute or two with the guests, though the head chef personall
“Cheers!”The joyous laughter scattered in the air outside in the gazebo where a barbecue party was being held. The table was filled with sizzling, barbecued meat bathing in sweet and spicy sauce specifically made by the head chef and also topped with fresh lettuce and sliced tomatoes on a plate, beer cans and wine bottles, a bowl of fruit salad prepared by Nathan on the last minute for those who prefer to have desserts and toasted bread though most of them didn’t have any idea who put a plateful of bread, not that anyone asked about it.“This is fun!” Audrey exclaimed while holding up her wine glass and later emptied it. “We should party like this from time to time,” she added and joined Nathan who was busy barbecuing the meat, leaving the empty glass on the table. Since th
The uncomfortable silence halted when Audrey’s voice rumbled. She couldn’t take off her eyes away from Nathan who was holding a box in his right hand while the other was snaking around the slim waist which belonged to a woman she never saw before. And words were harder to say when Audrey saw their lips locking on each other. She almost blamed herself for ruining their moment as they stopped what they were doing when she came out of the door, surprised.“Uh. It was you. I thought it was some pervert messing in front of my business at this hour. You guys can continue but I suggest you get a room,” Audrey said and shook her head as she walked past them. She initially went outside to see Shane and had no intention to blast Nathan’s romance. “Nate, there’s enough space in the locker room or you could also leave the food and go check in on some hotels. Seriously, you don’t have to ea
Audrey was wondering about whether to feel thrilled about the idea of knowing Nathan’s secret love affair or to focus on the butterflies in her stomach because Shane’s face was too close to hers, and she could feel his breath. She wanted to know what was going on between her assistant and the sexy blonde whose eyes were filled with joy and a little disappointed while looking at Nathan so, despite the ‘opportunity’ to cuddle with Shane in such a situation, Audrey tried her hardest to be calm and watched the scene in front of her.It wasn’t her thing to be nosy, but she knew Nathan very well or maybe not but the years they spent together made her realize his ‘dark side’. Yes, the gentle and compose Nathan also had a side which Audrey observed about him. The man was extremely strict even to himself when it comes to his principle. And based on how he treated the woman earlier, Audrey was
“Hey, baby. Don’t scare me like this!” Shane exclaimed with panic in his voice. He took Audrey in his arms and rushed her outside the building. He was careful in holding her as he walked towards his car parked a few meters away from the restaurant.‘Wow. I don’t know if he’s aware I’m faking it, or that he really thought I fainted,’ Audrey thought. She slightly opened her eyes to take a peek at the actor whose face was filled with concern.The sound of the car door opening made her closed her eyes tightly. Her back landed on the soft seat, and she felt him fixing buckling the seat belt on her. When she heard the door closed, she opened her eyes and saw Shane outside… with Nathan.“What happened to her?” The blond asked Shane while trying to wa
“Thank you for tonight,” the staff said in a chorus before leaving for their homes. Nathan smiled at them and close the door when they were gone.“Take a seat,” he told the woman who was standing silently in the corner. Nathan was worried about Audrey but Francesca’s presence put him in no position to tend his boss, especially when Shane was also there to snatch his chance away. “Perché sei qui? (Why are you here?)” He asked her when the blonde settled down. He sat on a chair across her.“Per parlare con te (To talk to you),” Francesca replied while bowing her head. She looked pale and sickly which he didn’t notice until the other guy told him.If it were five years ago, Nathan would have been jumping in joy to see her but a lot of things happ
It was almost midnight when Audrey and Shane arrived at the villa. The lights were still on and the young miss felt bad for any housemaids who had to stay up to make them wait for them to come back. She sighed which caught Shane’s attention, so he gave her a reassuring look although she wasn’t saying anything.“Are you worried about someone else while I’m here with you right now?” He asked her while parking his car in the garage.She only smiled a little at him while waving her hands ‘no’. She admitted that she was glad about his behavior though it might be silly of her to think it was sweet when he minded those trivial things especially when it concerns someone of the opposite sex.Audrey didn’t have her purse with her but her semi-broken phone she had in her p
The trip to Nathan’s place was quiet. Francesca dare not to talk about anything while inside the car and the man was glad about it. He didn’t like the idea of letting his ex-lover to his apartment, but he already agreed to talk with her, and going back to his words was not his thing.“Entra (Come in),” Nathan invited the woman when he opened the door to his flat. It was clean as usual and no speck of dust could be seen.“Hai un bel posto (You have a nice place),” Francesca commented as she roamed her eyes around. A smile appeared on her lips while she reminisced some memories of the time she shared with the man who was now cold towards her.“Grazie. Ma apprezzo se non ti abitui e te ne vai non appena il cosiddetto discorso di cui parlavi è finito (Thanks. But I
The reddish lights painted across the sky meeting the sea ahead was more than a magnificent view to witness at dusk. A rare beauty to find in the middle of the ocean. Between the vast sky and the deep sea, a couple was found hugging each other. Loving gazes flashes across the other and sweet smiles were inscribed on their lips. It was a rare affectionate sight, filled with joys and hope melted on their faces. “Isn’t it wonderful?” Shane whispered to the woman in his arms. He prompted her to turn around and enjoy the scenery in front. “They say, watching the sunset together promises a happy life ahead till the last breath. Do you agree?” He bent down his face to smell the floral fragrance coming from the beauty in his hold. “Hmm… If I have known that watching the sunset will guarantee a happy life with you, I would have had already dragged you to watch the setting
The following days were hectic for the Vargas family. Mrs. Vargas was a perfectionist at times and was the most reliable to handle the wedding preparation. She didn’t want his son to get more embarrassed after his epic-failure when asking for Audrey’s hand. After all his cheesy plans to surprise Audrey, Shane ended up getting surprised instead. The elder couldn’t forget how her son blushed while answering ‘Yes’ to her future daughter-in-law’s proposal. It was a rather unique marriage proposal she ever witnessed. Well, who would even want to give up her diamond engagement ring for the man she loved only to make up with him after giving him a tease during the crucial moments? Only Audrey was willing to do.Mrs. Vargas was told that the ring Audrey removed and inserted on Shane’s finger was the same ring that her son bought from overseas and used to get back with Audrey when they once had a major
“Are we there yet?” Audrey asked while being guided by Shane somewhere outside the house. The actor came back in the evening with a bright face. He surprised her with a hug and kisses while she was preparing dinner. Thankfully, it was a weekend and Audrey didn't need to go out for work. Furthermore, she could spend more time with her fiancé which boosted her mood tenfold. She was so happy that she forgot about the 'pregnant' dilemma she had after the housekeeper mentioned something about it.“Almost there,” Shane replied as he held her hand by the hand. He made her wore a blindfold to add spice to his surprise. “Be patient, baby. There's no need to rush,” he continued.Audrey may not be around the house every time unless she got no plans during her week offs and had to stay home if not visiting at Nathan's place to have a ch
The white ceiling in Lucy’s office was always boring but somehow, Shane took an interest in it and even stared at it the whole time since he entered his manager’s office. The actor chose to face the ceiling rather than looking at Lucy’s fuming face. If was born with a talented hand, he could have already drawn her cartoon version with the smoke-like effect coming out from her nostrils. He was thinking about how his manager would look like when he heard him call his name in her infamous low voice.“Shane,” Lucy mumbled his name slowly and with an accuracy of the sound of every letter containing his name. “What do we do now?” Her tone remained the same though her voice went lower than before. Shane could guess, Lucy was in a not so good mood.A month ago, he did something on his own without telling his manager again. Just
The soft breathing sounds woken up Audrey. She smiled upon seeing the man beside her. His face was an embodiment of manly beauty. She could watch him all day long and would be certain not to get bored at all. Her hand fount its way to his cheek. She chuckled when she remembered how she pulled it off until it turned red though she was glad it wasn’t swollen.“Good morning,” Audrey greeted with a smile when Shane opened his eyes. His dark brown irises were always fascinating. They were like magical crystals that drew her in whenever she looked at them. “I love you,” she mumbled and moved closer to kiss him on the lips. It was a quick smack, and she found it sweet yet sincere.Shane smiled back at her after mouthing ‘Good morning,’ as his reply. He pulled her closer to his bare chest, rubbing their skin against each other.
An awkward silence filled the car while Shane was driving home. He would throw glances at Audrey who kept wearing a serious face that terrified the other. The trip was long and the actor wished he could make the car sprint to the villa just so to avoid Audrey’s occasionally cold gazes. After what happened back in the restaurant, Shane suddenly felt intimidated. Why not? Audrey effortlessly beat him almost to a pulp. If not for Nathan and Francesca’s interruption, pulling Audrey away from him, the actor would be less than admirable with his bruises. Well, he didn’t blame Audrey a bit. He was aware of her ‘violent’ side beforehand. After all, he earned a kiss from her in advance. It was more than sufficient for him.“Have you had dinner?” Audrey took the chance to break the silence when Shane was parking the car on the driveway. She took a peek at the time on her digital wristwatch. Sh
Tears welled-up in Audrey’s eyes when she finally saw the man she was longing for after a month which seemed to be years of waiting. Her hands automatically moved to reach out to his face, she caressed him softly with nothing but tears of joy in her eyes.“Shane…” Audrey called out his name again. She blinked her eyes several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming but her tears just blurred her sight instead. Shane wiped her tears with his thumb and smiled at her. “Shane,” Audrey whispered. She had a lot of things to say but her mouth didn’t want to cooperate with her. All she could mutter was his name and it had been three times since she called him out.“Yes, baby. It’s me, I’m back,” was what Audrey heard him say. The lady still couldn’t believe her eyes, but she was genuinely glad to s
It had been a month since the last time Audrey saw Shane in person. She was missing him so much though she couldn’t lift her phone to dial his number nor compose a message. Her long face became her everyday mask. The staff in the restaurant were never tired of cheering her on. Not that she wanted to worry them, she could still do what she had to. And her current situation was something she had to face alone. She decided to trust Shane and while she was at it, Audrey thought it would be wiser not to bother the actor in the meantime. Calling him should be easy for her but who knew? Her action might cause him more trouble. She decided to wait, and she would endure it how long it may take.“Auddie, aren’t you going to take a break? You can let Nathan take your place for a while. You need to eat,” Francesca who became more talkative than usual said. She rarely talked in Italian thus the others could easily
The function hall was filled with media reporters coming from all over the city with their crew in tow. It was late in the evening, yet they couldn’t miss the rare opportunity to be present during one of the celebrity’s press conference. Especially when it was someone who never had any press con before unless it was regarding promoting his movies and shows. Not when it was about his personal life which people were more curious about.Camera flashes stopped and the hustling of the crowd slowly went down when the superstar and movie king, Shane Vargas stepped on stage. He was wearing the same suit he had when he attended the movie premiere earlier. With his inborn beauty and appeal, he took over everyone’s attention. The noise inside the hall died down when he prompted to speak on the mic prepared for him. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming,” Shane started with his ‘charming tone’, ac