Chapter One.
Anastasia's POV.
"Relax your body." My brain heeds to his command and I calm. My eyes are closed, and my breathing is hitched. My lips are caught between my teeth and my hands gripped the ends of the bedsheets.
His hands were trailing my thighs, sliding downwards and my legs yearns to shudder to his cold touch. Although, deep inside me, I feel so much warmth from his nearness. His tongue is on my cleavage, trailing down my skin. I want to explode into a million and one pieces, but I remain under his figure.
His free hand is helping him lessen his weight on me. A sound escapes my mouth when he grips my underwear, pulling it so tightly against my core. The action made me shiver and not being able to hold back my moan, my eyes shot open, rolled to the back; my throat release an ever tone of ecstasy. But just as I wait for more of his touch, I begin to feel too much warmth that beads of sweats began forming on my forehead.
Just then, a sound so ear-piercing erupts from beside me and I bolt up from the bed, awakening. My consciousness on understanding the situation led my hands to turn off the alarm. Oh, goodness. Never in my life would I forget to place the alarm back on the cabinet after resetting it instead of sleeping off with it close to my ears, almost causing my death.
Something strikes within my memory: a recall. Oh, my goodness. I just had a dream about my soon-to-be boss. I can't believe it. I can recall the face of the man that was touching my body and made me arouse from my sleep. My brain must be faulted, but then, I blame no one but Kyra. She was the one who was so fascinated in showing me my soon-to-be boss. I didn't even require it. I mean, who cares? All I want is the job, and since I already built a connection with my sole consultant, Miss Buchanan, I didn't think it was necessary to also be able to recognize my boss before interview time. Anyway, that's happened, and I just need to clear my mind, oh, I meant cleanse my mind off of those dirty dreams.
Jeez, back to the now, the sun is up early today. I grab the sheets away from my body to lessen the heat. Right after, the door handle twist downward and my best friend, Kyra, enters the room.
Speaking of the devil, herself: my inner mind teases.
"Morning, girl." She coolly voices.
I roll my eyes, as I adjust to sit on the edge of the bed. "Morning. Well, you could knock next time." I always say this, and she always decided not to heed.
She passes me a cup of chocolate tea. "Thanks."
"Hmmp." Is her response. "So, what's up with your interview with the-hottest-of-them-all, soon-to-be boss of yours?" A wink escapes her left eye. Jeez! She really had to say it? Now, it's come to my mind again. I cannot even say if I am embarrassed by the fact that I just dreamt of my soon-to-be boss, something Kyra mustn't know, or I'm glad I finally have a crush to dream about? Well, either way, it is cheesy: and cliché.
While shaking my head at her choice of words, I answer as I stood. "Well, I still have," I pick up my phone to check the time again, "about fifty-two minutes."
"And aren't you going to get ready?" Dropping my mug, I go to open the windows.
"Well, I'll be taking your car and the drive is just ten minutes long. I can make it." As you always say: states my inner voice. I shake her away.
"Nevertheless, you shouldn't waste time. I'll go and cook you something quick."
Before she leaves the room, I tease. "Ooh, you are being nice. Ain't I lucky today?"
"I'm doing this in an exchange for gist when you come back. As mature women, we may not be able to gossip, but trust me, we can gist." Isn't that the same thing? As though she's reading my mind, she adds, "They aren't the same thing. Plus, who wouldn't want to hear the gist about Nicholas, the youngest billionaire in Los Angeles. Ciao." And she disappears.
Tsking, as I gently pick my cheeks with my fingers, I try to shake the dream from my mind. Oh, my...if I'm acting this way when I haven't even seen the man, then, how would I act when I finally see him? I am finally wishing Kyra never showed me his pictures. Damn, it was so alluring.
Woah. Knocking away my thoughts, I hurry to the bathroom and get ready for the day. Woah, it's going to a long one. I can just tell.
I took longer in the shower, because I couldn't help but heed thinking of Mr Nicholas. When I was done, I feel embarrassed of myself. Grabbing the towel, I try to my dry my hair as I brush my teeth.
Fast-forward: in the matter of moment later, I finished and go to the wardrobe to pick myself a dress. I decide to go with a black linen fabric shirt with matching short elastic skirt that stops just below my knees, so it brings out my curvaceous below. Then, I put on an official-seeming black coat that has navy blue patterns all over it, so I could use the same navy blue colour shoe and bag. Not to brag, but I do take my dressings very seriously when I want to, and when I don't want to, it's equal result.
Anyway, going to the mirror to check myself out, I apply light makeup to my face and pack my one-braided, dark blonde hair into a top knot, leaving the very end to slightly drawl down my head, not even reaching my neck.
When I see that I'm finally done accessing my warm beige skin and sharp features that make my eyes seem a little too big for my face, funny enough, I put on my glasses. Mind you, I don't always use it.
Kyra is sitting on one of the kitchen stool when I enter the space and when her eyes zeros on me, she shares me her typical look that screams, "yo a bad bitch, girl!"
I smile cheekily, rolling my eyes at her face that won't stop lurking around me. Finally, she spurts. "Woah, you didn't tell me you want to go shove Miss Beauty in their eyes. Or wait, do you have a date, maybe after your interview?"
Okay, there she goes again. "I'm going for an interview only. Don't start anything."
"You started something with this killer dress."
"Should I change it?" I give her the puppy eyes and she shakes her head so quickly in response.
"Nope, this is lovely. I was just kidding." States Kyra. Oh, typical best friend of mine.
"Aw, what have you prepared for me?" I voice in a smooth, low tone as I hurry to the sink, having smelt the aroma right after picking an orange juice bottle from the fridge.
"Your favourite."
"Oh, my...is that toast beans on bread?" I ask rhetorically. Kyra is blushing behind me, genuinely. Opening the flask, I gush to give her a quick hug. I know it may be weird that this is my favourite food, and that's absolutely fine. At least, I'm the one eating it.
I don't waste time to dive into my food and in the next few minutes of finishing up, Kyra and I exchanged words on how I hope things would go. I really need the job since I stopped my writing.
Well, there is a reason why I started living with Kyra, which also stopped me from ever writing, because I actually lost my main inspiration. Her parents are rich, by the way, so they rented this apartment for her and jeez, she's the best thing a girl with a past like mine can have.
When I check the time again, it is fifteen minutes to eight. Oh, goodness. I should leave now.
"Later, girl. Wish me luck." I say and kiss Kyra on the forehead sharply. She pulls me back, almost making me trip in my walk, and embrace me tightly.
"Go get that job. And if you don't, there's no issue. We will club, forget it and look for another." She finishes. Haha! As if it's that easy. Or, like, she's the one who's going to have time for another interview.
I have her car key in my hands, so getting inside her Corolla brand car, I drive out of the parking space after releasing a breath. Ooh, I hope today goes as I want.
Chapter Two.Anastasia's POV.Breathe in. Breathe out.I tell myself this, as soon as I drive to my destination. The traffic has delayed me, which I didn't calculate would happen, but I'm here now, and I'm late by more than ten minutes and I can't help but be intimidated when I get out of the car and was faced with the tall building of the Eclipse publishing company.Oh, did I forget to mention that? Jeez. I resolve back to my calming mantra as my hands straightens my clothes. I can do this: I tell myself inwardly.Shit! You're getting late the more. Pull your shit together. My subconscious is dramatically screaming from the inside, and before she won't stop screaming now, I take my first step towards the building.It looks like its tallness reaches heaven. My eyes hurt when I try to see if I can see the end. Back to the important thing, I walk into the building and are faced by a blonde woman behind the registry counter.Not that I don't see other people, stuffing the space, but I'm
Chapter Three.Anastasia's POV.I am beginning to get anxious, just in time the door opens and entering inside is Olivia. I've had a lot of time to check in details to each of these portraits. They are sore, exquisite."I can't begin to appreciate how much of what you've done...""Oh, please stop." Olivia says, ushering me before I say anything further. I snicker lightly. "Well, you had proved yourself to be better." She adds and gestures for me to walk with her. "So, I'll be letting you in on what is to come next, but before, I need some snacks, do you, too?"I snicker again, "yes, surely." We walk side by side out of the office."So, as your job isn't all about nannying Mr Nicholas's kids, you're also his personal secretary officially and unofficially, you need to know quite some things about how we work here. We have two sections: mass offices and solo offices." She pauses, her eyes catching me from the corners.I think she wants me to ask what she meant. "Um, what does that mean?"
Chapter four.Anastasia's POV."Wake up, Anastasia." I hear a familiar voice that jolts me up from the cramped position I had slept in."Nicholas..." My voice is low, barely audible. I raise my hand to touch his face, but he withdraws and that's when I realize something odd.That's a woman's face.Kyra."Kyra." I say, firmly, blinking my eyes open. Jeez! Did I just have a lucid dream? Oh, my God.When I stand on my feet, Kyra is in front of me, having her arms crossed over her chest. "What?"I try to be nonchalant about it, fully knowing she's not the type to give up easily. "Oh, a what? You just mentioned Nicholas in your sleep.""No, I did not." My voice is demanding that she doesn't further it."Yes, you did." She presses. I look at the wall clock and panic."Jeez! Someone is coming here in an hour.""What, and you didn't tell me since...since whenever you've known that. My face is literally painted with a—this..." She trails off, her hands gesturing the facial cream she has on, co
Chapter five.Anastasia's POV.I spend the rest of my evening in my room, stocked up with streaming on Netflix. I just feel odd, not wanting to explain anything to Kyra. Although, I think the reason for my actions are plainly differently reacted to.I feel like there's a cloud of thoughts in my head, hovering. I stop the movie I'm currently watching when a mail drops on my laptop. Opening it, I gasp. What the heck? I was expecting Olivia's mail, not his, definitely not Mr Nicholas's.Why would he mail me when Olivia could?My heart thuds for unexplainable reasons as I read through the message.Subject: Contract Approved Plus Details That Might Need Your Attention.From: NicholasTo: Anastasia Sanusi.7 mins ago. View details.Hello Miss Sanusi,The contract has been approved, and you are encouraged to be seen tomorrow in the company, as have been told in the contract.By the way, I hope you're having a nice evening. I am not. The kids are really in need of care, which I hope you can o
Chapter Six.Anastasia's POV.A just so you know: entering into the building, it all went like the last time. Blonde number one checked me in before asking me to take the elevator to the second floor. In the second floor, blonde number two checked in for my appointment with the CEO, Mr Nicholas, before she told me to take the elevator to the twentieth floor. Unlike the last time, I'm calm and less intimidated with their exquisite choice of dressing. I get into the elevator and just when I thought the door would close, a leg stops it. My eyes shift from it to its owner. Zeroing my eyes on Mr Nicholas himself, my mind got all shaken up and all of a sudden, it's like I can't think again. I manage to compose myself on the outside as he enters with a daunting smirk on his face. He watches me from the corners of his eyes, as he lowly says, "Miss Sanusi, good to see you early today." I think he's realized I am not about to answer after the smile I return to him, and so he adds, "to my flo
Chapter Seven. Anastasia's POV.Sebastian Hunter, son of Mr Cole Hunter, the Third in media. Sebastian. He's really proved to be a confusing one, because of his actions towards Olivia. The way he had addressed her when he asked for my attention. I mean, after he came to meet us, he and Olivia had a little chat that didn't quite last long and sadly enough, I barely heard anything. Then, he asked to see me, to which Olivia agreed to when he was pestering. I am currently leaning on the cool iron rails before the glassy part of the building, waiting for Sebastian to talk. He's been standing next to me for the past five minutes or so, and I can't take the silence anymore. My head's booming, and I'm tired of looking out into the distance. Just knowing I'm close to the glassy area is scary enough. "So, what's to talk about?" I say and look at him. A smile forms on his face right away, before he winks. "I was waiting for you to start up the conversation, and you did." Okay, that's weird
Chapter Eight.Anastasia's POV.The road is busy at this time of the day. When I check my phone, it's one minute past three in the afternoon. Wow. I'm glad time went fast today. Entering the small shop after Hillary, my eyes flare at the waiting line. There are too many people here, meaning it'll take long before it gets to our turn. "There's too many people here." I say out part of my thought, only making Hillary chuckle. "Ana, go find us a seat. What would you like to order? I'll get yours and mine." He sounds so cool once again, like it's not enough to be panicky about, even in the least.I chew the inside of my mouth softly, as I think about it. "I want cold chocolate tea, please, make it thick with some cupcakes with banana icing on top." He smiles a ghosty smile, "I like that order. A woman that knows what she wants." Him, saying that word, I blush right away and instinctively, my fingers go to my hair to brush it to the side, exposing my right ear. I leave him to do my par
Chapter Nine.Anastasia's POV.I had just placed my phone back into my bag when the door opened and Mr Nicholas walks in. Raising my gaze up to meet his, I find myself almost losing control and gasping right away. My eyes flare, and on the inside, it's like it might pop out any time from now, for staring too much. He looked away from me for a moment, and I take that chance to admire the handsome fellow that he is. He has a sour facial expression, like he's tired or something, but to me, it doesn't very much seem like it. His hair is sprawled around his head, so he's using his left hand to rake it, but sadly enough, the strands wouldn't do as bid and I feel the urge to want to help him out on that. Oh, my God. This usually happens to my female leads in my novels. How could I be also feeling the same?Mr Nicholas's hands swipe down at his coat to remove wrinkles just before he gets to my front. "You stayed, Anastasia."Of course, I would... especially after having seen this gorgeous