Laura P. O. V:

"Tuesday, Thursday and Friday?", I spoke silently on the phone, as my exhausted eyes investigated about the jazzy advertisement at the back of the magazine.

I paused the call for a moment and peeped through the virginal shining glass into the town's elite salon to which Chris nagged to go. He was basking leisurely in the silvery lights, pondering over one of the Playboy's magazine.

"Hello?", I heard a irritated robotic voice from the other side.

"Yah. I'm right here."

I looked at the ad again.

Wanted:
A young female for waitressing. Experience: at least one year in an elite cafe.
Strict etiquette and timing is a must.
$30 per day.

Contact: Café Bourbon de Luché

"Three hours? Fine."

"Experience? Yes. I worked at Cafe au Revoir for a year."

"Thank you very much."

The voice came to an abrupt stop followed by a cybernated hang up tone.

Whew. Finally I get to pay back Christian. For his dress and this expensive make up.

I knew that spending a hell lot of money on me wasn't a bother to Christian. But it was a big deal to me. I hated when he does goes an extra mile. And even when I said I don't want anything, he would only bugged till my ears bleed.

"Laura!", he came searching for me as I swiftly hid the magazine behind my back. I slid my phone back into my little purse. I tried to cover the fraudulence with a friendly smile.

"What are you doing?", He asked suspiciously.

"Um.. Nothing."

Act cool. Act cool.

"That face doesn't seem like nothing.", He encircled me, his hands slid down my waist and snatched the magazine from me when I was engrossed in the moment.

"Give it back."

He skimmed through the content of the magazine, slowly through the photos of the male models tanned, topless and trendy.

"Are you getting a sneak peek?"

"What? No."

Gross.

"You are too dirty, Laura.", He hit my head with the rolled magazine.

"Sir, he is here.", A woman called us in.

He?

From the thronged roads, lousy with badmouthed taxi drivers blaring at each other and warm summer air hitting our sweat, we moved into the elite salon again. Chris treaded through the satiny white tiles, while I looked around.

Damn. That would be way too expensive.

The black granite table amidst pure white tiles and satin ivory paints was placed elegantly on the centre with three jet black sofas. A little metallic piece of golden cat was slumbering on a piles of beauty magazines. A wet chill of air hit immediately as I entered and a latent sweetness of fresh jasmine flowed along.

"Hey, Brandon.", Chris hugged a young man in black crisp suit. His perfectly gelled blonde hair, pampered flawless skin and flaunting little crystal pin on his coat sold him off.

"Welcome. Dom"

"Dom?", I exclaimed as I the new name.

He rolled his eyes back at me and went back to ignoring me.

"How have you been? Where have you been?", Brandon asked.

"Fine and Thank God! You are here. Thank you for coming."

"No problem."

Brandon strode near me, his silver tongued words flowed with poise as his eyes felt hot on me. Sweat began to appear when his eyes literally scanned me from top to my toe. A spontaneous reflex to cover my uncomfortable parts with my hands made him look me at my face, taking the hint.

"So this is the girl?"

"Yup, she is the one."

The one?

"Hi, I'm Laura, nice to meet you!", I extended my hand for a nice handshake which Brandon took. And that idiot pushed me into his embrace. His black eyes locked with mine.

Birds of same feather flock together.

"What.. are.. you?", I nuzzled away.

"Bright green eyes, mix of wheat and ivory skin, sleek black hair which seems shiny but a little rough, small thin lips, high cheekbones and a little nose."

I tried to push him away, but his hands were tight.

"Good strength. Work out?", His gaze everted slowly down my neck.

"34-2..?"

"You pervert!", I punched him hard into his chest while he released me from his hug, laughing with perverted mockery.

"Brandon, I told you everything you need to know. She is going to school this week. And I want her looking great."

"You said you want to be famous.", Brandon asked me.

"Yup."

"Alright. Let's sit and talk. Shall we?"

I slouched into the soft black cushion, velveteen silk grazed on my skin, my aching back released all the tension on my spine as I snuggled comfortable into the cotton bunch.

"Thank God, my back was aching ", I let out a big sigh of relief.

Christian sat on the sofa opposite to me, his face turned out on interesting expression.

"Wrong move, baby.", He mouthed the words.

Wrong move?

Brandon stood up, adjusted his cuff and took a black pen from the inside of his coat. He then looked down at me, his undecipherable face smiled.

"So do you have what it gets to go famous?"

I looked at him, my puppy eyes looked blank at his question, while Brandon played with his pen.

"I.. I don't know."

"Well, this is going to take a lot of time, I guess.", Chris laughed as he took his phone, plugged his earphones into his ears.

"What does that mean?", I asked Chris, him ignoring me.

Whoosh.

"Oww. What's that for?", I rubbed the sanguine blemish on my right shoulder where Brandon lashed me with a long thin stick.

"No slouching."

"Keep your knees together and slid your leg to one side.", He lashed on my knees.

"Neck up."

"Hands on your lap."

I sat on the most comfortable sofa like a mannequin, adjusting every twitch of muscle on me. This was already tiring sitting like this.

I slouched back when Brandon turned away.

"Etiquette lady. Very important!", He shouted at me, a mini battle was fought between us, while Christian was busy ignoring us and immersed in some kind of action packed movie.

"Smile."

I gleed with the strength which I mustered along the way.

"Not that much. Little. Like a smirk."

"Come on. It's tiring already. Am I training for Miss universe pageant or something?"

"Alright! On scale of one to ten, how much are you confident?"

I answered nothing. We both know that I wasn't radiating with confidence. Brandon sighed out, and sat near me.

"What are you here for, Laura?"

"To get people to like me."

"You will. Certainly. But something is going on. What are you afraid of?"

I looked at Christian who was so much engrossed in the movie, forgetting us there.

"It's just that.. what if they don't like the changed me?"

"You are changing better, not worse as long as I know."

"Yah."

"But the secret is confidence has nothing to do with people liking you. It's never about people. It's all about you. You should be damn fine when they don't like you.", Brandon said to me, his voice soft and gentle.

"We are just into fine tuning you.", He grabbed my arms and made me stand.

"Stand tall. Heads up. Smile. Bright eyes.", He started his strict lesson again, his stick whooshed thought the air.

***

"Ma'am you can't open your eyes.", A young lady rubbed gelid cream on my face, massaging its ambrosial riches deep into my skin. The mix of succulent strawberries and lush orange creme melted on my skin. My half of mind was totally in bliss while the other half was dead worried, since all my things, my purse and my cell phone was with Chris who is sitting outside.

What if he found out that I'm working part time?

Or worse, he see hidden David's photos on mine.

What if Chris ran away without paying money?

"Ma'am. Please close your eyes. Or it will burn.", she warned again with a stringent tone.

Is he even outside? The salon looked a lot expensive. How am I going to pay him?

My anxious heart darted across my sweaty body, my breath increased in the tempo. Darkness made me even more anxious. Sweat studded my creme face, making it hard to dry.

Sigh.

I need somebody to be near me.

Suddenly, a coarse hand entwined my hand, and I startled with horror. I heard dragging of a small chair near me and someone sat on it, while tightly gripping my hand.

"Relax. I'm right here.", Christian said with a low rusty tone.

I felt a gush of chilled air on my face as Christian fanned my face with the magazine in his hand.

"God! Are you anxious?", He asked.

"Why are you here? I don't even know what I should do, sitting all alone in the dark."

"Just relax. Now that I'll be by your side ", he said as he went back to his interesting movie.

Relax? I'm so worried about tomorrow.

Will David get angry on me? Sure he will. He doesn't like a lot of attention on me.

Will Charlie and Cass freak out on me? What if they stop talking to me? I can't afford to lose them.

I wish I was blonde.

Sigh.

"And that's a big sigh. Worry much?"

"Well. Tomorrow is a last day of vacation.", Concern tinted on my timid tone.

"Don't worry. I got everything covered up.", He said, monotonously, while looking at the movie.

That boy is really something.

Slowly, my attention went on to his gentle grip. To hold hands in a complete darkness was completely captivating. His tender grip, fingers entwined into mine, filling all the gaps tightly, the occasional nudging of his thumb against my hand. All the feelings tickled an elated pleasure.

Holding hands weren't nothing. At least not to me.

I tried to flutter away from his grip.

"What is your password?", He asked.

"Well, no. I won't say.", I said, nervously.

"It would be simple.", I heard few buzzers sound from my phone for five times.

If it went past six, it's completely locked and can be opened only by my account.

I felt relief that it would get wrong at the last chance and that would be an end to his pestering.

"Your password is 0987?"

"What!. How did you?", Annoyed, I just opened my eyes and saw him, sitting legs crossed on a small stool beside me, my phone in his hands.

"Give it to me.", I said, trying to snatch it away. The pinch of pink creme on my face entered my eyes, making it burn on fire.

Damn!

I rubbed it with my hands, making it more worse. Swiftly I caught Christian by his shirt, smash of pink purple creme tainted his white shirt.

"Stop. Calm down. I'm not going to use it.", He said with fear, placing my phone back into the purse.

"Also stop messing my shirt. It's a pain to wash it off.", He said, as I leaned back into the cushioned chair, going back to the heavenly bliss.

That saves me ton of energy, fighting with him.

But there was no sign of Christian. I can't even hear his voice nor his breath. The salon was ghastly silent, like a horrid movie.

"There is no contact under the name David", his deep voice startled me.

"Are you using my phone again?", I opened my eyes to see him standing near the door, furiously scrolling through my phone.

"Give me my phone.", I got up, the creamy lotion flowed down my face, the plastic cover crinkled and caught between the chair.

"My number is saved as Jerk?"

"Because you are!", I snatched it from the steel, tearing it a bit as I waddled towards him in an absurd plastic costume.

Christian spurted into the reception, his eyes never leaving the screen. I grabbed him from behind, but he managed to wriggle out and skitter behind the customers waiting in the lobby. I felt so embarrassed, as some let out a laugh.

Soon Christian gave me an tricky smile.

"Sweetheart?"

Shit. Shit. I never knew that this day would come.

"Give. it. back.",I charged towards him, hugging him from behind as I peeked above his shoulders, him typing a message.

To: Sweetheart,

I'm free, 2nite.

With a wink tongue out emoji.

"Don't you dare touch-?", My voice burned with top-notch anger.

Message sent.

"God! What have you done?", I snatched the phone away as I stood there, petrified. Christian was stumbling down the floor, laughing his heart.

"You idiot!", I shouted at him, stamping him. A message tick sound was heard and caught our attention. Both were startled at the immediate response from David. Chris got up and peeped through my shoulders.

From: Sweetheart.

Laura? Are you seeing someone?

"Oh my God! Are you kidding me? Christian Dominique, you are so dead!", I grabbed him by his collar and rubbed my creamy face all over his white shirt. A torrent of pink-purple stain doused over his shirt, as Christian caught me by my face, his one hand hugged me tighter. He looked at my purple pufferfish face, struggling from his grip and laughed at me, while I threw daggers.

"Dom?"

A mellow female voice was heard at the end of the hall, towards us.

He turned to see her. In a moment, from being nonchalantly naughty, he wore a tough mask of fawning prestige. He let me out and adjusted his hair, wiped out his face as he walked towards her.

"Mom?"

He hugged her, as she kissed his cheeks.

"What are you doing here?", He asked, with a stringent tone.

"Well, business and also you stole my stylist."

"And who is this young friend?", She strolled towards me, her walk so elegant. Her dainty brown eyes looked me, as she flashed a genuine smile.

He has got her smile.

"Um. She is my...", He stuttered

"Hi, Mrs. Dominique. I'm Laura. Nice to meet you here.", My hands were full of pink creme, yet she took it.

"Oh please, call me Lily."

"Dom spotted in a salon, especially with a girl. I guess something is special then.", She looked at me.

"Nothing, mom.", He collapsed into the sofa.

"That isn't nothing. Our Dom hated waiting in the salon and that face pack smell."

He hated it?

"Seriously? Now you have something to gossip around, can you please leave us alone?", He said with no emotions, trying to concentrate on the magazine

"He is being such a jerk. Isn't he Laura?", She said,

I laughed awkwardly

"You have such a cute smile."

"Also be warned because Chris loves girl who smile like that."

"Mom, seriously? Stop. She is seeing someone else and I'm not interested in her."

"Alright. I'll see you soon, big baby."

"And Laura, it's nice to meet you. And thank you for taking care of our baby Dommy."

She bid goodbye as she entered the VIP room.

"Dommy?"

"Don't call me like that!", His irritated voice gave joy to me.

"No problem, baby Dommy"

***