EVANGELINE MILLER.
"Asher! Over here!"Before I could begin the ask questions, I heard a voice call out from behind me, and both our heads snapped in that direction.Asher. Asher. Asher? I recited in my head. I didn't know any Asher except-It couldn't be him; I concluded, still confused.I groaned at the sight of Mercury, my boss, as she walked closer with an ear-to-ear grin on her baked face. Her clanging heels echoed through the entire room, the skimpy skirt she had on showing off her typical model legs.Mercury was beautiful in a maleficent kind of way, with red lips, seductive siren eyes, and a jawline that could cut paper. Every stride she took was coated in confidence and charisma. Mercury acted as though the world was her runway, and she owned it. A perk of being the daughter of one of the biggest fashion brands. The Uber driver, who is certainly not an Uber driver, waved to her as she neared. Words were caught in my throat, and I was in the middle of finding an excuse to tell Mercury, also trying to figure out who the man was.I couldn't possibly explain to Mercury that I had woken up naked on a stranger's bed. It became more frightening as she walked closer.I was having too many encounters with strangers, and it was sickening. I braced myself when Mercury's eyes met mine, her condescending gaze summing up my entirety. I didn't dare to say anything, and leaving wasn't an option. Mercury wouldn't hesitate to create a scene at the reception."Oh my god, Asher! You finally came!" She chimed excitedly as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a big embrace. She took a few steps back, grazing his shoulders with her long acrylic nails.I rolled my back, dreading having to wait. I couldn't leave without sorting out my business with this stranger, and neither did I want to interfere in their conversation/whatever it looked like that was going on.Mercury didn't seem to have noticed my presence; she was far too immersed in talking with this stranger who still had his face covered like he was made of gold. The way her eyes beamed was questionable. Could he perhaps be her boyfriend? I've heard rumors about Mercury having so many flings. Who knows—also, I didn't mean to judge— he could be fling number seventy-nine.I stood, my hands dangling by my sides, like an unwanted plant waiting to be plucked by playing kids."The interior looks nicer than I expected. It's nice to be here. I'd appreciate a tour."That was the longest phrase the stranger had uttered in the last fifteen minutes of our meeting. His voice sounded a bit familiar, but I brushed it off. It couldn't possibly be someone I knew. If it were, they would have said something rather than watched me linger like a vengeful spirit.I was getting mad that my presence wasn't acknowledged, but it was also to my advantage. Mercury didn't have her claws in my hair yet. If anything, she was an absolute sweetheart to this stranger.I never knew she possessed the ability to smile till now. She always looked as though she was in mourning every day of her life.He ruffled his hair, smoothening some of the tendrils backward, and they listened to his hands.That forehead-His hands wiped the nose mask off his face, just a glimpse of his side profile, and I felt my soul slip out the door. A gasp hung in between my chest and my throat, coming out as a nasty squeal that sent them both looking in my direction.Asher White.Asher Fucking White!My brain refused to work, and neither did my nerves. My mouth hung open as I bored my eyes into the man before me, his lips curving into a friendly smile. Everything else blurred, making him the center of my admiration. The biggest, youngest, and most successful businessman in the whole of the USA stood before me, and I tried not to die.Actually, I thought I was dead, but my sights still worked, surprisingly. My tongue wouldn't make words, and neither did my body move. I was way too stunned to do anything.I had always said I'd act indifferent before famous personalities, but he caught me off guard. Asher White was the face of the White conglomerate, and they had their hands in every business sector.Every!His face had owned every magazine, every billboard all over! And I had addressed him as my Uber driver!?KILL.ME.PLEASE."Do...you know her?" Mercury's voice snapped me out of my drooling episode, and I blinked repeatedly, happy to regain control over my body.It felt as though my soul had just dived back in. Traitor.He shook his head, "No, but we kinda...it's no big deal. Let's get to the tour now."Should I be angry or happy about his response? My mouth still formed an O, and I only remembered to adjust my expression when Mercury's glare reached me."I am so sorry! I never intended to-. I'm sorry, how do I make up for this!?" I finally regained my ability to talk. Mercury stared at me questioningly as I apologized. It was obvious that she was mad at me, but she could wait for her turn. Life was already fucking me so hard right now."It's no problem," He discarded it immediately, and I bit my bottom lip like a sad child. I didn't dare look into his eyes."I'm really curious what happened to make my 'employee' owe you so much apology!" She bit on the word employee to put me in my place. "Then again, she really is a clumsy one. Look at the time she's coming," she ended her sentence with a dry chuckle that spelled out an "I am going to end you."I winced. Mercury wasn't someone to trigger. "I'm sorry, I was in a bit of a situation., I responded immediately.Her condescending gaze didn't once waver. "Not now. I'd have this discussion with you when I am done." She turned to Asher. "Let's go make this visit worthwhile!"She was going to kill me; I knew it. I was still basking in the embarrassment from the hotel room I found myself in, and now I had to add embarrassing myself before Asher White to the list.This day really wasn't my own.I watched her snake her arm around his, hopping happily as she walked beside him. I was glad it was over, but I wasn't forgetting this day anytime soon.There was an almost irresistible urge to yell at the universe for throwing too much at me. How do I escape mistaking Asher White for an Uber driver!?I reluctantly returned to my desk, only to find a pile of files waiting to be processed. My work as a production assistant for AULA was the same as climbing fences, only to be handed a burger when done.Everyone thought working with such an influential brand meant making a lot of money, but I still microwaved my last night's McDonald's, so I wouldn't die of hunger. Also because Harper would never let me throw it outI sighed, settling dejectedly into my chair. I shrieked when Dave's head popped up before me. He was my favorite coworker who always seemed to steal the limelight with his accents.He waved at me, his fingers flicking as he slammed the laptop shut in his compartment. Dave was the definition of 'tell me you're gay without telling me you are.'His bubblegum made smacking sounds that echoed through the office. I didn't mind since I was used to it."Girl," his tongue rolled the word, "I was so worried about you!"Was it a compulsory thing for feminine men to roll their eyes at every phrase? I was beginning to feel sorry for his eyeballs every time they rolled backward.He continued, "Did you forget she was going to be here today? Oh my god, I was so worried because I didn't want you gone!" His fingers tapped my shoulders slightly.I groaned, "I was in an impossible situation, even though I was so scared.. luckily, something else piqued her attention for a while.""I'm happy for you, girl," he observed my face, tilting my head with his index finger. "You look so pale. Did something happen? One would think you woke up on a stranger's bed!"Wow. It's even written on my face now. How lucky was I?I said nothing as he stared at me, his face growing from one height of shock to a higher one. It was no use denying it now."YOU. DID. NOT!" He covered his mouth with his hand after gasping. "That is so Hollywood! Eva, I didn't know you had kinks!" He slapped my arms gently."Well, I don't-" My phone vibrated, cutting off my words as I checked.It was another message from Lucas' school reminding me of his unpaid fees. The Cherry on top. I refused to receive or participate in any mind-bugging activities anymore!Seriously, what the hell??Now, I needed more money than AULA had to offer.AXEL WHITE. Unlike the others who ended up on my bed, she didn't know who I was. I had been a regular at the club for as long as forever; somehow, she didn't know me. I still remember how terrified she looked when she saw me, and she didn't even tell me her name.I had gone to Club Aqua to knock myself out, as always. Why feel when there was something for numbing? Alcohol, parties, and cunt owners– my mantra. I was on my second bottle of whiskey when she approached me. My eyes were barely open. It was a cinematic experience, proving that the USA accommodated all kinds of crazy people. The memories of that night remained etched in my mind like a nightmare.How she'd walked up to me and asked for my contact, and things took a sudden, wild turn. I remembered vividly how she ended up on my legs, my lips, hot and urgent on hers, and she pressed against me.How intoxicating the feel of her body against mine was. Not to mention the urgent ride to my hotel when I tried not to rip off her
EVANGELINE MILLER"No, I didn't get fired. Thank you for asking!" I yelled as I kicked my shoes off and dipped my feet into the blue flip-flops by the door. Harper just stared, waiting for me to let it out as always. She sat up, monk style, on a bean bag with her phone, of course, then gently placed it by her side.I took off my jacket and flung it across the room. I didn't see what it landed on, but there was a crashing sound that I was going to check later when I felt saner.Right now, the weight of the world rested on my shoulders, I was beginning to feel like I walked out of the marvel dictionary and the writers were trying to dump heart-wrenching backstories on me, so when I finally become a murderous villain on the loose, there would be some sort of justification for it.I sighed, unbuttoning my shirt too. I tore it off, falling to my bed in nothing but a singlet and a trouser so tight around the waist, I could almost not breathe."Spill, Hun. What part of the Hollywood story a
AXEL WHITE. *Readers' discretion advised* "No, don't. Don't do that," I said sternly as I pulled Savanna off me as she tried to place her lips on mine. Her hands were everywhere, all over me. Bold of her to think I'd get kissed by a whore. "Why?" She quizzed breathlessly, genuinely baffled. "Kneel down and suck me off. That's why you're here." She knelt before me while I sat at the edge of the king-sized bed. It dipped, giving in to my weight. The room had fallen into a hush, accompanied by the soft glow of light that came from the chandelier above, casting an orange hue over the room and thereby accentuating the raunchy atmosphere. My nose was filled with the smell of whiskey and weed— although pungent, but I was too high, too drunk to mind. My body jolted in response when Savanna's hasty fingers crawled up my thighs, urgently finding my belt and unbuckling it. I leaned back and arched up, sucking air with my teeth as I allowed her the chance to rip the trouser off me. "Lik
ARSHER "Is there somewhere else you'd like to go before returning to the suite?" my PA asked as we exited the hall. I dismissed with a wave as I reached for my blaring phone from my breast pocket as we descended the stairs. The worst meetings to participate in were the ones about mergers. It was both physically and mentally draining. My PA shuffled behind me, taking long strides to keep up with mine. Isaac was both my PA and driver, so he moved closer to the parked car and clicked it open with the remote. I motioned for him to wait as I checked my phone. It displayed an ongoing ring from Axel. I was surprised since he rarely ever called, and whenever he did, it wasn't always for a good reason. I sucked in air through my teeth, contemplating whether or not I wanted the rest of my day to be ruined by whatever Axel has to say. "What did you do this time?" I said as his voice came from the other end, livelier than usual. "Did you get it? My present for you. I know the merger was a su
ASHER."Oh, my fucking god!" Mercury yelled as she stared at the car and the scratches on it. The kid stood about a foot away, looking the most terrified I'd ever seen anyone.He'd gone pale with the thoughts of the things that were going to happen to him. The car was a ridiculously expensive one. From my point of view, this was one of the most unfortunate things to happen to anyone.She shot her head up after going around the car, examining every dent and every streak that had been altered by the poor kid's bike. Mercury looked at me, then at the kid."Did you do this!?" She asked. Her voice was breathy and hushed, barely louder than a whisper.The kid— who seemed to grow shorter as time went by— moved his lips as if to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat, as expected. He responded with a stiff nod before looking at me, and I noticed how hard he fought back tears. Judging from his look, he looked aged within the range of fifteen to seventeen, way too young to be dip
EVANGELINE."NO, NO, NO!" I yelled out loud as I dropped my phone on the bed next to me. On a lovely Saturday like this one, on which I'd made plans to sleep in, I was met the most devasting call of my life.So devastating that I felt bike rise in my throat immediately. It was simpler when Marcus called and explained to me an accident that he'd gotten into. It was a car, fine. How expensive could it be to the point of scaring him out of his mind?I should have asked him the model before another call came in from a certain Mr. Isaac asking if I'd be chanced to talk about the repair process. That wasn't all, and he also mentioned the name of the car to be a Bugatti.I took my phone again and typed hastily. "Bugatti la Voiture noire," I muttered in the most ridiculous accent I could ever come up with, and the search popped up, feeding my eyes with results I wasn't sure I wanted to see.I scrolled through the search feeds and saw several photos of the vehicle in question alongside the wor
EVANGELINE.I pulled out another sweatpant from the myriad of choices happily showcasing themselves in my wardrobe. I flung it to Harper on the bed, and she dropped her phone, repositioning herself as she looked at it.Harper squinted. "You're gonna wear this?" She threw it back to me. "Pick something better, Mrs Mismatched! I told you the family is kind of a big deal. My friend wouldn't reveal their last name till you get there."Yes, I applied for the sitting job— after making up certain skills that I may or 'may not' possess. It shouldn't be hard since I have babysat a few times. Only the size was different."Miss! Do I look like a Mrs!? Why is everyone calling me that?"Harper shrugged. "I don't know. Everyone assumes every gorgeous lady is a Mrs. It lies in the elegance.""Oh, that's better. I feared I was getting old." I picked up the sweatpant and examined it again. "This is my best though. Why do you make it seem like it's the worst thing ever?""Probably because it is!" Harp
EVANGELINE."White? Axel White? The- White??" I asked, bewildered, barely trying to hide my confusion. The walls seemed to shrink around me, and I felt like the most miniature thing in the room.Axel, with his hands still in the towel, turned around and came to sit opposite me. His eyes ushered me back into my seat. I picked up the purse I didn't realize I had dropped and clutched it tight."So…" Axel's hoarse voice broke through the silent air. He finally pulled the towel off his hair and placed it on the couch, then he reached the table next to him and picked up the piece of paper on it. "Did you lose the glasses? I must say…that was the only reason I didn't recognize you.""Uh-?"He studied the paper. "The passport you applied with. You look like a nerd in it, contrary to the wild personality I was opportune to meet, Evangeline.""That w-was uhm-" I gulped hard. For no fucking reason, I could feel the heat creeping up my face, and I hoped it wasn't obvious. "That picture has exis