It was the same house I grew up in but somehow it seemed colder, more frightening than usual.I was in my upstairs bedroom cowering under my favorite Bratz duvet while I listened frightfully to the heavy footsteps ascending the stairs, intent on my room.Tears coursed down my face as I silently pleaded for the angry man to leave me alone. Assuming the fetal position, I shut my eyes firmly.I heard the creak of my door and strangely I could smell the alcohol from the man at the door through the thick material of the duvet over my head."Alex," he drew the first vowel in my name. "You've been a naughty girl."Suddenly the duvet was yanked from me leaving me cold and vulnerable to the man with the strange red eyes and feral smile. The scent of alcohol was almost choking at that point."Pl ... ease," was all I could mutter through my torrent of tears.He made a tsk sound, the animalistic smile still on his face before he
I hate Mondays.The day was my worst in the entire week. I mean who likes Mondays?Somehow people always seem to still live in the weekend on Mondays.So for a full ten hours I was on my heels correcting other people's ridiculous mistakes.There was the case of a lost shipment of silicon in Germany, a mishap with one of the robots in New York and apparently an employee got knocked off his feet in Tampa trying to dodge a crane's load that had accidentally swung in the wrong direction. Luckily he only sustained a few minor injuries. Which was good since the last thing I needed was a litigation.By 8 I was completely exhausted and sat rubbing the bridge of my nose. Every muscle in my body ached at the simple action of moving my hand back and forth.I heard my door open, the click of heels on the marble floor and the dull thud of something flat hitting my desk.I opened my eyes through my fingers and found Alex standing before me wi
After yesterday night I got back into my normal sad, indifferent self and the alarming speed with which it happened made me wonder if I'd imagined my whole encounter. That my mind was so in need of some respite that it'd conjured up some mysterious woman.But I knew she was real. I could still smell her lavender shampoo, could still fell the soft skin of her thigh and the spark of mischievousness in her eyes.Her eyes.I found those globes even more odd than her mask. They were obviously contact lenses-they were the colors of the rainbow. Seriously what's with her and rainbows?-but she wore them like they were her real eyes. They could've easily been her eyes.I thought that a night's sleep and a good dose of reality would remove her from my mind but by three o'clock I'd replayed my conversation with her about a million times, give or take. It could've been more. I always ended up with the same question. Why'd she suddenly disappear?I sat fe
There were a couple of specific reasons I didn't do pool parties.For one, water and electrical appliances didn't mix.Secondly, after everything I was supposed to hang out in the pool with everyone because that was the best place to hunt for future gigs. Someone swimming in there would have a birthday party the next day or have a friend who had a friend that would love the famous DJ Butterfly to play at their party or club.Reason one although valid was more easily solved than reason two.Reason two was the reason I dreaded pool parties. It required me to put on a bikini and you wouldn't catch me dead in one of those skimpy little things. I wasn't really that comfortable with my body so putting out there for everyone to see was a no-no. Besides no one would be comfortable seeing my big old scar.As I packed my laptop reason two filled me with so much apprehension I could feel the sweet po
“So . . .” I started and trailed off.We were seated in a booth in a small diner and all my senses were screaming that something was horribly wrong.She'd clammed up after the talk about her car and was seating across from me staring stonily at her burger and stabbing her soda with the straw.I sighed. “I'm sorry if I upset you.” It seemed like all I was doing tonight was apologizing but in my defense it was like every breath I took irritated her.She let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. The rainbow colored strands fell gloriously around her shoulders and reminded me of cotton candy. “We have to lay down some basic rules,” she said.“Why? I'm never seeing you again remember?”She shot me a glare and I immediately shut my gob. In the short time that I've been with her I've learned that rainbow hair or not, this chic
The closest I've ever come to meeting anyone from my life during the day was when Willow and Inés — my two girlfriends from work — were entering the club I played at just as I was leaving.I quickly tied my hair up and made a probably-world-record speedy exit.That was last year and I had never cross paths with anyone from my day life ever since. Until yesterday.Of all the people that had appeared in nightmares where my secret was uncovered Carson Miller was never featured, simply because even my nightmares knew that if he ever found out about his assistant's double life I'd be unemployed in a matter of seconds. A part-time DJ who played in sleazy clubs and bars for extra cash wasn't exactly the type of person Miller Inc. would hire let alone allow to work directly with its top dog.There was a grey area where my boss was concerned. In the office I could handle his broodiness and aloof
I woke with the intense feeling that I was about to have a really crappy day and my premonition was confirmed when I heard my doorbell sing out.I looked up from where I'd parked myself on the couch with my laptop and a plate of chocolate pancakes.I wasn't expecting anyone other than Alex but it was just eight-fifteen — way too early for Alex to show up.I resolved to leave the person at the door and continued perusing my emails.The doorbell sounded out again and after I didn't answer it it became an insistent chime.“Fine!” I hollered setting my laptop on the crystal coffee table. “I'm coming.”I got up not bothering that the only piece of clothing I had on was pajama bottoms and a few crumbs of pancakes.I shivered a little and yanked the door open ready to glare whoever was there right back to hell.The d
Ecstasy! was packed.Opening Night was a huge hit and as I sat all the way up in the VIP lounge my heart thumped away at the thought of finally speaking to her again.The top floor had been reserved for the crème de la crème of society while the ground floor was covered with swarming bodies and gyrating hips.Neon lights, sweat, alcohol and a Justin Bieber song attacked my senses but that wasn't what had my attention.From my place on top I was watching her. I was aware how slightly serial killer-y I was being right now but I couldn't stop myself.Every little action she made — from the bouncing of her rainbow-colored ponytail as she shook her head to the way she gripped her pink headphones — drew me closer to her to the point where I almost drooled. She affected me so much even from afar. It was just too bad that that darned mask prevented me from fully