CHAPTER 3
ANASTASIA
She retired into her room after having a very long day. She washed up and sat down behind her desk to check all her pending messages and emails.
Just then, her phone rang. It was a video call from her best friend, Lucy.
"Hey Girlfriend!!" She screamed, making her flinch. "Hey babe" she replied with a smile knowing how she can be a little extra sometimes. "Guess what?" Lucy screamed again. "What??" Ana asked her with an eye roll. "You know I don't know how to guess,"
"Owww...." Lucy said with a pout. "You are no fun," "Okay" Ana said, trying to think of what she might want to tell her. "You got the tickets for the concert" she said after sometime.
"What? No, silly. That's not it" Lucy said, rolling her eyes. "Ughh" She said frustratedly. "Just tell me"
"Okay then. Bryce and I are back together" Lucy said, squealing like a little girl. "What?" Ana said with a frown. "What do you mean back together? I thought you guys were done for good?" "Well, it just happened," Lucy said with a grin.
"Lucy!! You don't learn, do you?? You know he doesn't love you. He's just using you to while away time while he's in the country. Next thing, he's gonna take off again without as much as a goodbye" she said.
"Well, he's changed," Lucy said with pout. "I know he's changed. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you," she said, shaking her head.
"So how was your interview today?" Lucy asked. "Ahh. So you just remembered now" she asked, feigning annoyance. "Oww. Sorry Girlfriend. I have been with Bryce all day" said Lucy with a pout. "Of course, you were with Bryce" she said, and Lucy replied with a grin.
"Well, it was fine. Though I was late" Ana said and narrated her encounter with the CEO. Leaving out the parts where she almost drooled at the sight of him. "What!!!" Lucy squealed.
"You did what?" She said, squealing again.
"Ugh, I didn't know he was the one," Ana said with an eye roll. "Oh Girlfriend" "So, is he as hot as he's being described?" Lucy asked enthusiastically.
The question made her blush, remembering how handsome he was. "Well, he certainly is handsome," she said with flushed cheeks "Ahh. You have a crush on him!!" Lucy shouted.
"But then again, who doesn't?" She said again with a laugh.
She rolled her eyes at her friend and said "Well, I don't. Am not everyone and I most certainly do not have a crush on him. He's a playboy for crying out loud," She added. "And, it doesn't stop women from falling for him," "That is so dumb of them" Ana said with a frown.
"Anyways, I have to go" Lucy said. "Goodnight then" she said. "Goodnight Girlfriend," Lucy replied, blowing a kiss. And she ended the call.
_________
Lucy and Anastasia had been best friends since high school. Lucy was bullied a lot in high school as a result of having acne all over her face. She always walks down the school hallways with her head down hoping to avoid sneering glances and whispering insults. She has been a target of relentless teasing and has been cruel nicknames.
But one day while having lunch alone and picking at her sandwich, she saw a shadow fall over her table. "Can I sit here?" A cheerful voice asked her
Lucy looked up and saw a girl with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. It was Ana, one of the new students. Lucy hesitated but shook her head.
"I'm Anastasia. But people call me Ana" the girl said, sitting down. "You like science fiction?" She pointed to the book in Lucy's hands. Lucy nodded, surprised. Most people ignored her, let alone noticed what she was reading.
Over the next few weeks, Ana kept showing up, chatting about books, movies, and music. She never mentioned Lucy's skin, and for the first time in a long while, Lucy felt like just another teenager instead of a walking target.
One day, as they walked to class together, a group of kids started their usual taunts. "Hey, Ana! careful! You might catch Lucy's acne!" one boy jeered, his friends laughing behind him. Ana stopped abruptly and turned to face them.
"Really? That's the best you've got? Picking on someone for something they can't control?" She said. Her voice was calm but was as sharp as a blade."Do you think that makes you cool? Because honestly, it just makes you look pathetic." She added. The boys stammered and shuffled away, clearly caught off guard.
Lucy stood frozen, her heart racing.
"You didn't have to do that," Lucy said softly as they continued walking.
"Of course I did," Lily replied. "You're my friend.
From that moment on, their bond grew stronger and they became inseparable. And they have been best friends ever since.
____________
Ana woke up the next morning feeling groggy. She washed up and hummed a song as she stood in front of the mirror dressing up, getting ready for her part-time job. She usually works as a waitress at a restaurant in the morning, giving me the rest of the day to job hunt.
They pay me just enough to take care of my personal needs. She went downstairs to see Lily having breakfast and her mom, getting Lily's lunch box ready. "Ana!" Lily beamed.
"Morning, princess, how was your night?" she replied with a smile and kissed her cheek. "Fine!" Lily replied.
"Have a great day in school today and make sure to be a good girl," she said ,Lily replied, nodding her head.
"Good morning, Mom," She greeted as she walked into the kitchen. "Morning, darling," Margaret replied. "Ready for work?"
"Yes, I am," she replied. "Where are Dad and Jordan?" "Oh, they left a while earlier," Margaret replied. "Okay, bye," she said halfway through the front door. "Bye, Ana," she heard Lily shout after her.
__________
The warm morning sun filtered through the glass panes of Bella's Bistro, casting golden rays onto the polished wooden floors. Ana pushed open the door, her bag slung over one shoulder. The faint smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries greeted her as she stepped inside, instantly lifting her mood.
"Morning, sunshine!" called out Emily, her fellow waitress, who was already tying her apron behind the counter. Her curly auburn hair bounced as she turned to face Ana. "You're cutting it close today
Ana grinned sheepishly as she pulled her apron from the rack and began tying it around her waist. "Overslept. I swear, my alarm is a conspiracy against me."
Emily laughed, handing Emily a fresh cup of coffee. "Here, I made it strong for you. Figured you'd need it."
Before Ana could respond, the kitchen door swung open, and out walked Nate, the head chef, balancing a tray of muffins. His crisp white chef's jacket was spotless, as always, but the mischievous glint in his eyes betrayed his otherwise serious demeanor.
"Ladies," Nate greeted, setting the tray on the counter. "If you're done gossiping, there's work to be done. Table two already ordered, and I'm not about to take the heat for slow service."
Ana rolled her eyes playfully. "Good morning to you too, Chef Bossy Pants."
"Good morning," he replied with a smirk. "And don't forget, my muffins are the real reason people come here."
Emily snorted. "Sure, Nate. Keep telling yourself that. It's obviously my charming service."
"And my award-winning smile," Ana chimed in, striking a mock pose. They all burst into laughter, the camaraderie easing away any lingering morning sluggishness.
The doorbell jingled as the first customers of the day walked in. Ana straightened her apron, exchanged a quick glance with Emily, and smiled. "Showtime."
Nate gave them a mock salute as he retreated to the kitchen. "Let me know when you need brilliance on a plate."
With a shared nod, Emily and Ana moved to greet the customers, the restaurant buzzing into life with the energy of a new day.
LUCIEN
He stood tall in front of the mirror buttoning up his shirt, getting ready for work. He looked at the bed and saw the naked girl sleeping soundly.
"Get her a bouquet and some fancy jewelry," He told his bodyguard as he walked out of the hotel room. "She really did a good job pleasing me, so she deserves some compensation," He thought.
He met Tasha at a conference meeting just the day before.
She was smiling seductively at him throughout the meeting, and she had been more than willing to follow him to the hotel like the little slut she is.
He entered the car with a smirk on his lips, feeling pleased with himself, remembering how the girl kept screaming his name as he f**ked her hard.
_________
He walked into his office after hours of meetings, feeling tired. Minutes later, Mr. Will, the head of the PR team, walked in with a folder in his hands. "Good day, sir," he greeted.
"Mr. Will. What can I do for you?" Lucien replied.
Mr Will pointed to the files in his hands and said, "These are the profiles of the people that applied for a job as your secretary. I have narrowed them to these five," he added.
Lucien gestured his hands to the desk and said "Okay, leave them. I will get back to you after going through them,"
He opened the files and looked through them, but his attention was suddenly caught by the profile of Anastasia Smith. He remembered her from the day of the interview.He remembered his encounter with her at the coffee shop.
He remembered how hot she looked in her dress, how she smelled when he leaned forward- a smell of lavender with a hint of something he couldn't quite place, maybe vanilla or honey. It was subtle, but it clung to the air around her drawing him closer without him realizing.
'She most certainly is beautiful and intelligent and would be an asset to my team,' He thought. "She certainly is an interesting woman." He concluded.
He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Mr. Grey," a voice said. "Send a message to Miss Smith and have her resume next Monday," he said. "Yes, sir," the voice replied.And he ended the call.
And just then, A call entered his phone and he discovered it was Tasha. Knowing she's most likely going to rant about his rude way of leaving her in the hotel, and then ask when they are going to meet again, he didn't bother picking up and put his phone in silence.
Most girls like clinging onto him after just a one night stand. They think they are special just because he gives them attention. And when he gets tired of them and stops picking their calls, they come crying about how he had used and dumped them. 'This always doesn't end well' he thought with a frown.
He had barely gotten out of a similar situation a month ago. The girl had stalked him in every way possible. "Had a great time last night. When can we do it again"
By the second day, when she realized she was being ignored, she started showing up everywhere he went. Until he had to file a restraining order.
It was always the same. He would
slip away, thinking it's done. And then-bam. They'd reappear clinging like gum to the bottom of his shoe