Knock Knock
Mrs Brookes opened Ayaka's door and peeked in. "May I come in?"
"Mom?" Aya turned around and nodded. "Is there something wrong?"
"No nothing wrong." The woman studied her daughter from head to toe.
She was wearing a little flared black dress, pantyhose and heels.
"What's the occasion? You don't usually dress this elegant on Fridays."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
Aya shot her mother an offended look.
Aliya Brookes sat down on her daughter's bed and shrugged. "I'm just saying it how it is sweetie, you're usually dressed a little umm.. provocative. I mean of course you do look a little sexier than usual right now, but this is a bit more elegant."
Aya rolled her eyes as she clipped on her diamond earrings, curtesy of non other than Greg Kingsley.
'I insist you wear those tomorrow.' He had mentioned over the phone when he had them delivered at her office. Aya convinced herself she was just wearing them cause they matched her outfit, but deep down she loved them. The diamonds were arranged in an A for her name, they were absolutely beautiful.
"I'm going to meet a friend." Aya responded. "No occasion, just a quick dinner."
"Does this friend have a name?"
"He's called a little prick." Aya responded flatly.
"Ayaka Brookes! Mind your language, I taught you better than that!"
Mrs Brookes sighed. "What happened to you sweetie? You were such a sweet little girl growing up, now you're so closed up and reckless."
The woman stood up and placed her hands gently on her daughter's shoulders. "You can talk to me." She spoke, searching Aya's brown eyes for answers.
Ayaka looked at her mother, she felt a little guilty making her worry but the truth is Aya didn't know why she'd turned out like this. It had all started after her heartbreak with Kingsley but she refused to accept that a man could dictate her behavior.
"Mom I-"
Ayaka's phone buzzed to life before she could answer.
Incoming call: Greg Kingsley
Aya picked up. "Relax I'm on my way."
'No need baby I'm outside, come downstairs'
"Fine, I'm coming." Ayaka cut the call and grabbed her purse.
"You're going for a date with Kingsley? Aww honey did you patch things up with him." Mrs Brookes spoke excitedly. "He's such a nice young man, elegant, well mannered..."
"We're not together!" Aya responded, a little louder than she intended.
The thought of Greg Kingsley and her together always managed to put her on edge somehow.
"I'm sorry mom, I'm just a little stressed from work." Aya apologized. "It's a business meeting over dinner, me and Greg are not back together and we never will be back together."
The brunette kissed her mother on the cheek and left to meet Kingsley who was parked outside in his matte black BMW i8, most likely a new addition to his collection of 'his toys' as he called them.
Greg got out of the car and walked towards Aya with open arms.
"Hold it." Aya snapped at him. "Don't get too comfortable Kingsley, cause after the next Friday, I'll go back to pretending you don't exist, got it?!"
Greg was a little taken aback by the woman's behavior, she had always been difficult towards him but today she looked very agitated. Had he done something wrong?
"Yes ma'am." Greg responded calmly. He opened the door and gestured Aya to take a seat.
At the window of Ayaka's room, Mrs Brookes watched the scene below. Oh how she wished her daughter would settle down with a collected man like Kingsley and put her life of unruly weekends behind her.
She took out her phone and looked at a contact number she hadn't not called in a long time and dialed it.
'Hello.'
"Hello Mary it's been a long time." Mrs Brookes spoke into the speaker. "Would you like to come over for some tea? I think it's high time we catch up."
'Of course darling, I can have our driver bring me over at around 2PM tomorrow.'
"Lovely. By the way I saw your son today, he's grown into quite the man hasn't he?"
Mary Kingsley chuckled over the phone. 'He has, his a very hard working man my Kingsley. So much so that he barely has any time for himself. Where did you see him? He told me there was a dinner party with some top clients from around the world he was attending.'
"Oh he was here to pick Ayaka."
'Are they back together? Oh that would just melt my heart, Kingsley has always had a soft spot for your daughter.'
Mrs Brookes' mouth curved up into a smile. "Why don't we talk more over tea, maybe we can give the children a little push."
'Of course, see you tomorrow.'
*
"El, what's up man long time no see."
Rayan and Liam shook hands and patted each other on the back. The two had met a while back while doing a collaboration on one of Rayan's songs and they had kept in touch ever since.
"You look good man, ready for the show?" Rayan asked the blue eyed man.
"Yeah man I'm always ready."
"Can't wait to hear your new track, oh and by the way your manager insisted that you be the opening act since you're debuting your album and all, you know like a little teaser." Rayan explained. "So you'll be up first."
"First?!" Liam swallowed hard, he had written zero songs and had no idea what he was going to perform. His plan was to act it out and play the 'too drunk to perform' card on the last minute. But now he was the first performance? He couldn't get wasted in less than two hours it would be suspicious.
Rayan patted El on the back and smiled at him. "Break a leg bro."
"Yeah thanks." The blue eyed man responded nervously.
The last couple of days had been a flop, he'd spent all his time stalking Aya trying to find any traces of her supposed husband or son but found nothing. All except that video he'd seen on her social media. He was frustrated and a little heartbroken, was the woman he was so bent on making his own married and had a family of her own? If so, why did she sleep with him that night?
*
Greg parked in front of a five star hotel in front of a red carpet that rolled out into the building. The sides of the building were swarming with paparazzi and flashing cameras.
"What is this?" Aya questioned the man sitting next to her. "I thought you said we were having dinner?"
"We are." Greg responded with a smirk. "It's a business dinner party with some of the most important moguls in the world, come on, you'll fit right in."
Before Aya could retaliate, Kingsley got out of the car, opened her door and helped her out. He gave the keys to a valet and took her hand in his arm.
The two walked down the red carpet as paparazzo took several snap shots of them.
"Mr Kingsley!"
"Over here Mr Kingsley!"
"Loosen up baby you'll look weird in the pictures." Greg whispered to Aya.
"I don't want to be in the pictures!" Aya responded angrily in a hushed tone.
"Smile." The man whispered as he pulled Aya close.
"Mr Kingsley over here!" A reporter walked up to the pair and pointed a microphone at the man. "You've elevated the company exponentially over the past few years, and we have a lot of insight on your work life. But what of your social life? Is there anyone special?"
Kingsley looked down At Ayaka and smiled slyly at her.
"Don't you dare." The girl warned him.
"I like to keep my social life private, as you can see she's already quite uncomfortable, please excuse us." Kingsley responded, he then held Ayaka's hand and walked towards the entrance.
"You jerk why did you say that?!" Aya questioned the man.
"Say what? It's not like I told them YOU'RE the special person in my life." Greg responded nonchalantly.
"But you insinuated it!"
Aya pulled her hand away from Kingsley.
"But you ARE special to me Aya."
"Take me home Kingsley I want to leave."
Greg Kingsley took Ayaka's hand and leaned towards her ear. "There are very important people in the business world attending this event, how you behave will have a direct implication on Brookes logistics. Be a good girl and behave yourself."
Aya glared at the man in front of her, he was right, she wasn't in any position to cause a scene, it would be an embarrassment to her father's company.
"Fine I'll behave, on two conditions."
Greg smiled, Aya was so stubborn and he loved it. "Yes baby, name your price."
"First, don't try anything inappropriate." The girl poked his firm chest as she spoke.
"All night?"
"ALL NIGHT Kingsley!" Aya responded. "And secondly, I get to leave by 9pm."
"What's happening at 9 pm?"
"None of your business." The girl hissed
Kingsley looked thoughtful for a minute, he then leaned in and whispered in the girl's ear. "Anything for my baby."
"Argh!" Aya pushed Kingsley away and walked into the fancy restaurant. What would it take to get this guy to leave her alone?