“KEEP your mind in the game, Catherine Wayne.”
As she reminds herself and the whole point of why she comes back to this place in the first place.
“Keep your head in the game.”
Shaking her head and out from the past moment, those eyes of Sam that almost take her out from the boundary of her plan is hunting her. She raises her hand and orders a drink just to cool herself and somehow erase those thoughts away from her mind.
"I have high hopes for you myself, you can do this.”
She talks to herself while trying to convince her thoughts with those claims. Drinking the whole bottle of wine in one to three gulps. Making everyone present in the restaurant taken aback by her uncanny behavior.
“Thank you.”
Handing her payment with some tip on the side. She went straight out of the restaurant in a tipsy state. But not enough for her to stumble down the road, yet. A once in a blue moon state and nature that she only does if she is stressed.
“Samuel Lawrence.”
As she reads the name that is written on the business card that she receives. All with the disappointed and hating tone of hers.
“Of course, business. I am all but business.”
Out of drunkenness, but maybe not. As the saying goes that people tend to be honest while drunk.
“Accept it Cath, you are just his business.”
Protesting that fact, as she is hurting from deep within because of the thoughts that are not far to be the truth. She sobs like a kid for a moment, before shaking those thoughts away and fixing herself.
“So what? He is also a business for you now. Just deal with it.”
Now convincing herself and all to her usual self and the turn unlikely her. She tries to book a cab with her phone. But turns out that her vision is starting to see double. She gives up on it and waited for a cab to pass by.
“I’m tired.”
Pouting and all acting like a child. She remembers Nadia, that then she wanted to vent all her frustrations. Takes her phone as she sits at the closest bus stop. She dials ‘his’ phone number and she instead looks for it in her phonebook.
“My life is unfair.”
She whines, making the people around her look at her awkwardly and step back and away from her for a few meters.
“Just why on earth did I meet him and the first for this day?”
Now she blames. Ranting on her phone as she didn’t even let ‘Nadia’ say a thing in reply.
“Did you know what he did? I am just a big business!”
Angry, as the people around her are on the brim of calling a cop or the emergency, maybe. She ends up crying on her phone, complaining it all to Nadia, and all along is cursing Sam’s name.
“If only, just a bit. If I---”
Cut and stops herself as she realizes that Nadia is not saying a thing that long ago and no matter how she whines over the phone she always finds a moment to console her. She immediately looks at her phone and ends up with jaw drops, eyes wide, and in utter stupidity towards herself.
“Your so stupid Cath. Just what happened to all of your wisdom.”
She then scolds herself whispering. Upon reading and realizing that it was an unknown number that she had dialed. Fearing for the worse, she compares it to the business card that Sam’s secretary gave and finds out that it is the same.
“I’m dead.”
Waking up from her drunken state, like she had been poured a bucket of cold water. She crosses her fingers and wishes that it is not Sam that answered the phone. Placing the phone back to her ear and she listens to the voice from the other line. She closes her eyes and,
“Cath, are you drunk? Where are you?”
Left with the worse possible scenario, as she would like to be swallowed by the earth and whole. She immediately hangs the call. Looks stupidly at the distance and for a while could not quite comprehend everything. As she is in the in-denial state.
“I need to go.”
Convincing herself and taking it all to be a nightmare. Finally booked a cab as she just need to wait for it for a few moments. A luxurious car pulled right in front of her. With the people staring in awe. She on the other hand didn’t seem to care. Not before the one who came out from it is none other than the Casanova, Samuel Lawrence.
“What are you doing here?”
She immediately asks, protesting in a kind of whispering tone as she didn’t want to have anyone’s gossip fly or anyone to know about her. For possibilities and the worse might spread and ends. And one of those is her career and the real reason why she is here.
“Your drunk.”
Kind of a confirmation that he demands out of her, as he is in a mix of worry and anger because of her. Thinking for the worse that might happen and all after for a while that he just left her.
“That is not what I am asking you.”
Still in a whispering state as they both are somehow in the brim of fighting over some small trivial thing. The people around them started to notice, and worse that they are starting to take their phones out. Thinking for the worse as they surely recognize Sam. She gives in and says.
“Yes, I am. But a bit.”
Now disappointed, but more likely worried. Sam immediately open the door of his car’s passenger seat and pointed at it with a commanding tone.
“Get inside. I’ll take you home.”
Holding her breath as she looks around and tries to cover her face for the sure-fire type of gossip that will spread around in this city of theirs. Also knowing that news is not bound and flies faster than a bullet.
“No.”
She firmly declines and explains.
“I already call for a cab. As it is already on its way. You do not need to do this. I can take care of myself.”
She emphasizes as she is also teaching him that she is not the same Cath that he uses to know that is someone who easily gets scared. Dependent on him in some ways, and an easy one that he uses to know what she is thinking that he is thinking about him.
“Thank you.”
Walking away, as she couldn’t stand what is happening as they are more than just taking everyone’s attention. She started to walk away from him and fast. But not the type of giving up, Sam gets inside his car and tails her from beside, windows down from the passenger seat and convincing her.
“Get inside Cath. You are drunk and I could not let you in that kind of state.”
With a deep sigh, she looks at him while still walking fast.
“Thank you, but I humbly decline your offer. I am not that drunk and for the nth time, I can take care of myself.”
She declares, standing firmly with those words and her pride. But to both of them, it is not that easy to give up, especially since they already set their mind on it. Sam then drops his trump card that always works on her without any fault.
“Then, should I call for Brian to fetch you instead?”
Stopping in her tracks as she gazes and looks directly at his smug face for dropping the trap that she couldn’t escape. Knowing her and how much she respects her older stepbrother. Considering that she couldn’t do anything to disappoint him after what he did for her in the past, and literary saving her life.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
She threatens that doesn’t have any effect on Sam. Instead, he opens the door on the passenger seat and gave her the obvious choice.
“It’s your deal, your choice. Now, get inside.”
Biting her lower lip as she is fuming with rage. She took her phone and cancel the cab that she booked. Getting inside as she almost slams the door shut. Sam draws a winning smile on his face as he rolls the window up.
“Where will you be staying and how long?”
Asking the basic questions that she doubts that he wanted to know as she knew that he already found the necessary information from Brian who in turn is working for him. She took a deep sigh and casually answer it nonetheless.
“Take me to my mother’s house.”
With the choice that she had been thinking and deep, she only needed to stay in the such house for a while. And that she can tolerate it because of his stepfather who is much more a parent than her true parents had been.
Sam knew it, as he didn’t pry more knowing how sensitive she is when it comes to her family.
“How long?” He repeated, asking the same thing. “How long are you going to stay here, Cath?”
After a few silent moments the both of them. Cath replied in a weak tone.
“One month? Maybe three, but I am not staying here longer than four months.”
Disappointed, yet what could he do? Just then silence took over them as he drives her to her mother’s place.
“We're here. Cath?”
Noticed that she had fallen asleep and was reminded of how an easy sleeper she is and especially when it comes to riding cars. A smile draws to his face as he slowly tucks the loose hair to her right ear. Leaning quite close, he whispers.
“Can I make you stay here for good?”
“YOU are such a piggy-rabbit, do you know that?”Suddenly reminded her of the past that she rather wishes that she didn’t. Cath open her eyes as she felt a slight pang of pain in her head. “Where---”Cutting herself, her vision slowly made the layout of the room. She sighs deeply as she realizes that she is already in her bed and old room way back when she is still living in the place. “Can I make you stay here for good?”Somewhat slap with the thought that she is in the hang of believing that it all happened or not. She immediately shakes those thoughts away as she might be just hallucinating it out of drunkenness, yet. “How did I end up here?” Electrified for a second as she jumps right out of the bed and looks all over under the mattress for any trace of a nightmare that might just happen last night. Considering that there is only one person she’s been with. “Wait a minute?”As she thought to herself. Now sitting properly on top of her bed thinking logically about what happe
“YOU are starting to be pathetic Catherine.” As she scolds herself whispering those words while deep sighing once in a while. All after knowing what happened last night and what her stepfather had told her. “Get your head in the game Catherine. There is no room for mistake.”Reminding herself and once more that somehow becomes her ritual every time she thinks and feels like she is being retracted from her original goal. Sitting in somehow an uncomfortable manner with her head somehow a bit on the cloud with the events that just happened. Her phone rings and she immediately picks it up. “I’m almost there.”As she assures, while looking out the window of the cab with the driver that’s for a while is looking back and forth from the passenger mirror and the road ahead. “Aren’t you the famous journalist Miss. Catherine Wayne?”Somewhat alarm in a way that she is thinking of keeping her job a secret just to be cautious of what might Sam thinks upon knowing. That will end up wi
ONLY a bit after seven thirty in the early morning and already the Lawrence’s household is in chaos. “I do not want that!”Monique screams, throwing her crayons and papers onto the floor while the three maids are in a big dilemma on how to subdue their little miss tantrums. “Little Miss please do not do this.”“No!”Wild like a lioness who is hunting for prey for the pride’s food. Monique even shrieks with a high-pitched voice that is like torture to everyone around her. While she is kicking and throwing everything that she could see. “I want to bring Mr. Scuffles!”She demanded. Her favorite cat that she always insists on bringing to school, with her reasoning that it will guard her against everything. Her spoiled and acting nature becomes their every morning struggle, just to get her to do a thing before going to school. All because she isn’t allowed by Sam to bring her pet cat Mr. Scuffles to school. Her adviser and some of the students in her class are allergic to cats. The su
“MONIQUE, LITTLE BABY BEAR.” As Sam’s voice started with a calm one, with a little bit of pleading and more on the side of sweetness as he started to convince his daughter once more to give up her tantrums that are getting way out of her supposed to be doing. Considering that she is not a three years old girl anymore. “You know that you cannot bring Mr. Scuffles to school, right?” He still and calmly started once more while holding his daughter’s hand. “Miss Anne is allergic to cats and so some of your friends at school. Do you want them to be in pain because you took Mr. Scuffles to school?” As he gently explains and puts some emphasis along with a lesson and two. That in reality is his dialogue every other day. As it all depends on Monique’s mood and level of being a brat for the day. “Then let them be!” she protested and fast. “I hate them, I do not like them, so they deserve to be in pain because of Mr. Scuffles!” Pulling her hand from him as she pouted in anger and cross
WITH a smile that is a mix of composed, yet jumping excitement. Sam is all over the moon upon knowing that Cath is on her way to his house. “You’re coming here?” He asked once more which gained her the kind of look of wonder, and secretly giggling thoughts and emotions from his servants and most especially from his nanny. “I am.” Hearing the confirmation and one more time from Cath. He couldn’t help but both be anxious and felt excited by that very fact. Smiling from ears to ears as he didn’t notice that he’s been walking back and forth in the same direction for a couple of minutes right now. He finally ends the call casually and with a bit of a business tone. “Then I’ll be seeing you in a moment.” Both ended the call while still on their toes walking in the same direction, but a little bit worse this time. With him looking down and thinking even deeper than he had ever been. Like he is about to go into the most difficult business deal of his life that all means a life and de
“WELCOME to our secret base!” Sam cheerfully introduces. Ass smiles and is excited to present that little garden that he made do from the back of their mansion and by which his nanny help him make. The garden that he builds with a little fort on top of the tree is Cath’s little castle. “Wow!” As Cath’s face brightens with a huge smile and an excited tone upon seeing what Sam prepared for her. “You made this for me?” She immediately asks looking around the place that completely mesmerizes her. While on the other hand, Sam is all with his smug face proud and prideful as he took all the credit and said. “Yep! I did everything, aren’t I just awesome?” Both giggled as they knew that he couldn’t do much without any help, yet Cath just let him take the credit. All knowing that he did it for her sake. To cheer her up and all after her parents finally divorce and for quite a while left her in a sad state. “Do you like it? Well, I know that you like it.” All proud and still, he sta
“THE light shines along with your long and shiny hair. The wind kisses your freckled cheeks. While the moon is making your eyes shine brighter. When you are showing your sadness, you started to sob with your eyes crying. How I hate it. Thinking and quick to make you smile. I want to tame your heart. I want to be the one you’ll love. Reminded me of the day that we first met. The start of the roller coaster ride that makes us both hate and like each other. Please, please let me tame your heart. Little kitty-cat, you have long been in me. I promise to always be by your side. No matter what happened nothing can tear us apart. Hurry, hurry let me have that heart. Do not hold back nor lie to me. Say you’ll agree, and just say yes. Without hesitations, I will gill all the sweetness just to you. I want to be your love. I want to tame your heart. That time when we first met. I couldn’t forget even a single from it. The roller coaster ride is just too memorable to even dare to be forgotten.” Im
“HURRAY!” Monique cheers screaming the word in glee like she is some adult whose been in different countries. Along with the still silent Cole, but jumping along with her older twin sister with all his wide smile. All because Cath just agrees to accompany the twins to their school. “Thank Miss Catherine!” As the twins hug her tight with Monique who is much excited by the news. All the servants and Lindsey couldn’t help but smile and cry a little for seeing the twins happy unlike ever before. “Hmmm.” She gestures and acts like thinking deeply in a convincing way for the twins. Crouching and seeing the twins at their eye level, she then smiles and said. “How about let’s start by calling me Cath, rather than Miss Catherine?” Proposing as it delighted the twins even more than before. The twins then nod and without any hesitation agrees with what she said. “Then.” A bit now knowing the twins, as she is working her way, even more, to be close and genuinely in return to them. S