Memories were things that made you experience that particular moment, no matter good or bad, all over again. There was no escaping it, the revival of a memory meant feeling how you felt again, meant seeing everything float before your eyes again.
Liliana was feeling like she was falling in love all over again. The pure and innocent love that wasn't tainted by heartaches and devastation of separation.
Her hand reached for the fountain pen unconsciously. She took the pen between her dainty hand and wrote down what came to her mind.
Liliana opened her eyes and the rejuvenation she felt was new to her. This morning, she wasn't woken by any nightmare rather the awareness of seeing him again kept her awake. This day a smile touched her face with the opening of her eyes rather than a frown on her eyebrows.
She climbed out of bed, and trudged to the washroom. She felt like the mirror showed a happier image of herself. Drowsy but happy.
She shredded her clothes, taking her own time. Once she was fully naked, she didn't wait to see the reflection like every other day and turned to climb in the shower. The mirror showed a not-so-perfect image of her back. There were lash marks on her lower back, most were faded but one remained deeper than others. Circular burns dotted her thighs, told of pain and suffering she had kept silent about. This was her true self that she didn't want to face today. She didn't want to remind herself how very imperfect she was for the one single person who showed her kindness when everyone left her alone.
She was feeding herself an illusion , trying to hide her broken soul behind a facade of glamorous beauty. Who was she kidding...she could never deceive herself with the act, no matter others. Who knows what Edison will see in her, herself or the facade she created.
A cold splash of water calmed her racing mind. She closed her eyes letting the chilling water wash away her thoughts. It had been a while since she had let herself think of all the imperfects that made her, her.
Liliana walked out of the shower, wearing a bathrobe and her hair wrapped up in a towel, when the phone rang.
"Hello, Tara."
Tara was sitting in a small cafe, eating her breakfast. She sighed in relief after finally having her call received, "Oh at last! You woke up?"
Liliana felt Tara's accusing tone implied something. She checked her phone only to find three missed calls from Tara, she scratched her head over the towel in guilt, "Yeah, well...I was in the shower."
"I got it. And girl do you take time! I mean, three calls and you're only out now."
"You ring like you will miss your flight or something. You can call someone three times in five minutes." Liliana rolled her eyes, going along with Tara's new-found humour.
"Right, now the blame is on me. No worries, whatever the queen says." Tara said in a yielding tone.
Liliana chuckled and her angelic voice resonated in Tara's ears, she thought dreamily- 'Truly a queen.' Liliana said, "What got Ms. Miller in such a good mood?"
Tara shrugged then remembered that Liliana can't see her, "I Dunno. Just that, it's hard being serious all the time. My face muscles went stiff from making solemn faces." Tara grimaced thinking of the times when she had to make weird, horrible faces before the mirror just to make sure she didn't always have that face around people.
"Um, Tara? You okay, right? What you're saying makes no sense, you know?" Liliana wanted to check the girl's temperature It sure seemed like she was having a brain fever. Okay now she was talking weird.
"No, I make perfect sense. Just like you did when I thought you didn't, but your sense was legit. Donavan Entertainment was horrible, good that we left it," okay she was blabbering now, "That reminds me, the meeting with Edison George will be at ten. When do you want me to pick you up." How Tara spoke so much with no little time to breathe was out of Liliana's mind.
Liliana rubbed her forehead and said wearily, "You come around nine and nine fifteen."
"Aye, captain."
Tara hung up after that leaving Liliana to contemplate on her weird behaviour alone. 'Brain fever indeed,' she thought to herself.
"How is the shoot going?" a groggy voice spoke in the darkness of the room. The thick black curtains blocked tiniest speck of sunlight from falling in the room. The bedside lamp illuminated the body of a naked man. He was lying on his side on the bed, unmoving except for the rising and falling of his chest with every breath and the occasional grunts and words he spoke to person on the end of the call.
"Tiring but fun. It's a beautiful place. I can't get enough of it. Think, I'll stay a few weeks after the shoot is over," the girl said, with her sweet voice. She was a half American-half European with features, a combination of the best of both. She was a beauty in her mid twenties. Her blond hair cascaded down her back like silken drape. Her eyes were a deep shade of green, that captivated her fans more. She had an air of confidence in her, the confidence of a movie-queen.
Edison grunted again, " Tell Jeremy whenever you want to return." Edison was too tired to say anymore. He was sleepy but never sleepy enough to keep his eyes shut after the sun had risen up.
"Why don't you join me. You need a break from the daily stress." she was uncertain but hopeful.
"No, Dorrie. You know how busy I am. I can't leave everything just for a meaningless gateway." His voice was losing the sleep-shrouded grogginess and sounded stern at Dorrie Knightly's suggestion.
Dorrie pursed her lips trying to keep the pain from his rejection to herself.
Nobody treated her the way he did.
Nobody rejected her the way he did.
Edison had everything in the world to give her bit not his time. "Okay then. Take care and don't overwork yourself." she said after a while, knowing he wouldn't listen to her. Edison George listened to no one but himself.
"Hmm, bye."
The call ended with Edison staring at the ceiling blankly. It was dark grey in colour. Every thing in the room was in dark colours of grey, black and brown. Edison was hoping that would absorb whatever light was remaining in the room and let him sleep peacefully but his dark circles proclaimed it wasn't working well. He had couldn't sleep in any form of light, no matter how mild .He couldn't sleep until the room was pitch black but still sometimes even the darkness was glaring. End result, he could only sleep when he was too tired to keep his eyes open.
He got up with a groan and strutted to the kitchen. He would need a coffee before he could function with how tired he was. His half naked self stood before the floor to ceiling windows of his living room, watching the city awake with the early rays of the sun.
He drank from the cup of coffee, the muscles of his arm flexing with the movement. His phone rang and he picked up at Jeremy's name.
"What?"
Jeremy closed his eyes, knowing what happened when he called the boss in early hours.
"Did you forget your language, Jeremy. Speak." he was calm but not patient enough to listen to anyone for long.
"The Japanese are ready to send in the next shipment. You have a meeting with Mr. Kawasaki today at three o'clock to finalize that," Jeremy continued in a faster pace, "And...your morning was free so I put the meeting with Miss Liliana there. It's at nine." Jeremy was afraid the president wouldn't have enough patience to deal with a difficult star early in the morning. Turned out, Edison wasn't as irked as Jeremy had thought him to be.
"Okay, I'll be in the office in a while anyway. The proposal from Mr. Kawasaki, keep it on my desk along with new project reports."
"Okay, sir." Jeremy wanted to say something else but Edison put the phone down. Jeremy looked at the phone and thought, "Did I wish him good morning? I am forgetting even basic etiquettes under his pressure. If not for the salary.' Jeremy shook his head, knowing his complaints were nothing compared to the bonus Edison gave him every year.