Serene had a scheduled meeting with Innovative Data in the afternoon. They will personalize their software and enter all the rules that they’d like added in Lewis Tech’s system. This is where the bulk of the work happens. So, she wanted to make sure that everything was prepared before she went to her client’s office.
She was deep in her work with what she was doing; she did not care at all about her surroundings. The sound of somebody clearing his throat caught her attention. Her hands stopped tapping her keyboard, her head snapped up to see the person who broke her concentration.
Albert’s warm eyes greeted her. He was smiling at her and his eyes looked like two crescents. He and Mary shared the same eyes. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Serene looked at Albert with bright eyes and thought that Albert perhaps had some
The Rain International Building looked very imposing. Its 80 floors towered over Hyacinth Bay’s Central Business District. Serene recalled that she looked at this same building with excitement and enthusiasm after she had graduated. On her first day of work, she felt nothing but pride when her high-heeled feet first set on its premise.How ironic, now here she is, craning her neck as she tries to look at the skyscraper’s expanse. She no longer felt the same amount of excitement, pride and elation she felt almost three years ago. The feeling of dread now replaced those emotions. She dreaded to see those three men.Taking a deep breath, Serene lifted her foot and entered the building. She approached the lobby receptionist, whom she no longer recognized. She informed her of her name and purpose; the receptionist gave her her ID pass.
Serene felt powerless when Dylan kindly requested to make Justin his plus one. She was famished, and all she wanted was to have a steaming bowl of miso ramen. She no longer protested Dylan's request.They took Justin’s Maybach. She sat in the back passenger seat while Dylan sat shotgun with Justin, who drove.As the car was getting out of the basement parking, Dylan, in his signature energetic voice asked, “What do you want to eat, Shen?”She no longer had to think about this question. Serene immediately blurted, “Japanese.”“Excuse me, what?” Of course Dylan knew what she meant, but he wanted to tease her.“Japanese. Japanese food, ramen to be exact.” Serene rolled her eyes at him, to which Dylan just gave a crisp, jovial laugh.Throughout this exchange, one person’s hand was tightly gripping the steering wheel. It was too tight that veins popped at the back of hi
Because Justin was driving, Serene had no choice but to take the front passenger seat. She felt uneasy and kept shifting in her seat. She did not know where to place her hands. She placed them in her lap, then crossed her arms across her chest, then placed her interlaced fingers on her lap and twiddled her thumbs. Justin missed none of these. He’s in a good mood and could not help but have a tiny smirk on his lips. His fascination with her kept growing as he observed her. Serene could feel Justin’s eyes on her. She stole a quick glance in his direction and saw that indeed his eyes were on her. Was that a smirk on his face? She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but his gaze met hers. The longer their eyes stayed locked, the more she felt uncomfortable. After a while, she saw Justin leaning forward, his face moving closer and closer to her.
Start over. The phrase rang in Serene’s ears and tugged on her heart. Yes, Justin was an asshole for not correcting her misunderstanding of his relationship with Bryan. Apart from that, he has not really done anything to her. “OK” was all she could muster. When Justin heard this, she felt a huge thorn pulled out of her chest, making it lighter. He smiled. “Thank you.” He spoke so softly and sincerely. Serene felt the warmth in her heart when she heard him speak. Such simple words, yet he said it like she saved her life. Their call already ended for a while, but Serene still continued to stare at the phone she held in her hand. Start over. Such simple words, yet it carried a heavy meaning for her. Indeed, things between her and Justin started a
The meal went smoothly. She now felt more at ease with his company. Although Justin looked stoic and arrogant, deep down he’s a warm person. And gosh, that laugh. It hugged Serene’s heart and sent shivers down her spine. She has not felt this good in such a long time. After the meal, Justin drove her back to the hotel she was staying. “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” Justin gave her a quick glance. “This weekend? I’ll be in Coast City.” “I see.” Justin nodded. He stopped the car a few meters from the hotel’s entrance, which earned a confused look from Serene. He cleared his throat and looked at her. He scanned her face, not
It’s finally the weekend. Serene packed her overnight bag and headed over to the airport. She’s bound to Coast City. This was an unexpected break she needed. Things between her and Justin had her heart in a tight knot. Thankfully, she did not need to go to Rain International, or else she’d feel more messed up. She was not ready to face Justin. She cannot help but sigh whenever she remembers him. And like the past couple of nights, the thought of Justin stung her eyes. Feeling the imminent tears, she shook her head and picked up her bag. After sitting in the plane for 45 minutes, she’s arrived in Coast City. She took a taxi home but did not stay long. She just left her bag in her room, then drove away to Mary’s boutique. Mary’s boutique was in a mall owned by her fami
The night finally came. Loud EDM music filled the air. Serene sat in the makeshift tent for the models. She was sitting on a stool as she waited for her hair and makeup to be done.Once finished, she collected her first outfit and changed. She wrapped herself with a robe, feeling the goosebumps forming on her arms from the cold.After a short while, the organizers called them and arranged them in order of appearance. Serene gently blew her breaths as she calmed her nerves. It’s been a long time since she last walked the runway. The task looked and sounded easy, but it was daunting. A lot could happen in a live show, from missing a step to wardrobe malfunction.She heard the emcee introduce the show, and the light from the stage darkened, adding to the drama. One by one, the girls before her disappeared as she found herself closer and closer to the stage.She let out a big sigh, removed her silk robe and gave it to the assistant. The moment she stepp
“Serene…” Justin’s voice was raspy. His eyes took in the features of her face, then lingered on her lips. He inhaled sharply, trying to control his emotions.She looked up to meet his gaze. She felt the burning warmth in his eyes. Her eyes darted to his lips and she could not help but lick her mouth as she remembered how his lips tasted.Her tongue’s movement did not escape him. He lost the last ounce of control he had left just by watching her reaction. His hand lifted her chin, and his head dipped to capture her mouth once more. He gently bit her lip before his tongue traced her lower lips, then met with hers.Their kiss which started with soft gentle pecks slowly increased in intensity and passion. Serene felt her knees slowing losing their strength. She clung on t