Chapter 1 (FLOWERS)

CRIMSON

I was running the errands that were tasked to me by Mrs. Li, the flower store owner, who is so kind and sweet. She gave me my current job right now and I am thankful that she even gave me some food allowance aside from my salary. 

I am now back in the Philippines, the country where I lived before I was adopted by Mama and before she brought me to her country. I have been living in this country for almost three years, poor and alone. Working like a dog. 

Anyway, I love dogs… and I’m accepting any kind of job as long as it will give me the money that I need. 

Nah! Not all kinds of jobs. I can’t sell my body, I really can’t. I may sound hypocritical, but it's true. I can't sell my body, no matter what it takes.

Well, Mrs. Li is Chinese Filipina whom I helped with some snatchers while she was shopping in Divisoria, a commercial center located in Manila. After I helped Mrs. Li, she was very grateful and told me that I could work for her if I wanted to. 

Of course, I want to and that is the reason why I am working for her now. 

Anyway, she told me that I needed to deliver the bouquet of red roses to the commercial building that is located two blocks from the store. I immediately followed her instructions. I am not the one in charge of the delivery but Clint, the delivery boy, was not in the store at the moment because he had delivered some flowers too. 

Mrs. Li asked me to make the delivery because the one who ordered it is a constant customer and it was a shame to let the customer wait for an hour since the location was just near us. We are in Bonifacio Global Complex in Taguig City or most usually called BGC Taguig. 

I checked the address on my phone where I took a picture earlier and looked at the name of the building. I was standing in the 80-story building and I needed to go to the top floor. Well, Mrs. Li said that the owner of the building resides on the 80th floor. Some rich people for sure.

I went inside and showed the guard the instructions for delivery coming from the store. He let me in and guided me to the elevator and he even escorted me until we were on the 80th floor already. I managed to say ‘salamat po’, which means thank you, perfectly and without a British accent. I was raised in England by my adoptive mother and it’s hard for me to speak Filipino without a British accent. 

“This is your pass,” the guard said to me in Tagalog words and gave me a laminated card with ‘Pass No. 1’ words on it. 

“Thank you,” I murmured my thanks again and then he showed me where the hallway that I needed to pass through to deliver the flowers was. 

I hate what is actually happening. Why didn't he just take the flowers from me to give to the one who ordered them? 

This looks ridiculous! What if I am a bad person or a thief? Don’t they know the right way to ensure the safety of their boss? Of the building owner? Which is the CEO? My gosh… Some people are rich but lack sense in their heads or the security guard must forget the SOP he learned during his training.

I was now in front of the door and I began to press the doorbell button when I felt the dark feeling that surrounded me. I felt something bad would happen. I turned around to make sure there was no other person that was following me. I don’t know, but I felt weird. I felt that someone’s eyes were staring at me. 

No one was on the floor aside from me. I sighed. I cleared my mind. 

What stupid thoughts am I thinking now? I don’t believe in those supernatural things. Nothing exists in reality aside from humans, animals, plants, and the things created by man. I should stop thinking about those creatures that once upon a time I heard from the old woman I talked to three years ago. Yes, that was three years ago and it is impossible for me to see her again. 

I was about to turn around to continue what I needed to do and that was to deliver the bouquet when I was awed by the presence of the man standing tall in front of me. He was staring at me and I was amazed at his different eye colors. He has heterochromia for sure. One is blue and the other one is golden brown. 

Oh my! His eyes perfectly suit him. How I wish that I had the same eye condition. I gulped. Why do I feel he wants to swallow me? Is he mad? Why? Why does he seem pissed off? Gee! This man must be busy and that is why. Probably, I disturbed him.

But... I didn’t hear him open the door. I felt weird again, just what I felt like when the granny I talked with years ago was no longer beside me at that time. The same feeling I am feeling right now about the man in front of me made me think of some scary thoughts. It was like when a big bad wolf wanted to eat Red Riding Hood. I now know what Red felt at that time. 

I tried to give the man a smile to cover my uneasiness with the way he was staring at me. I need to do my work, so Mrs. Li wouldn’t say anything bad about me. 

“Flowers for delivery to Mr. Adamos,” I said with a smile, yet I know I look awkward because of the stupid feeling that I am feeling. I tried to calm myself but the way the man gave me a cold look made me more nervous. I am thinking about the delivery rate he will give me later. 

Poor me! I hope he isn’t mad at all. 

“I am the one who ordered it,” he said in his deep voice. I felt that I could be drowned in the deepness of his sexy and husky voice. Oh damn! Why am I thinking about the sexiness and huskiness of his voice?! Am I alright?!

“What is your name?” he asked me while staring at me. He looks weird, especially when he looks like he wants to sniff me, as I could see that in the way he was giving me a stern look and judging the movement of his nose. The man looks so handsome but he is weird. The weirdness that makes him more desirable. 

Holy moly! Here I am… talking nonsense! 

Desirable? Did I think that way? 

Oh no! What am I thinking? I shouldn’t have been thinking any stupid thing about this man, for he obviously wouldn’t like someone like me. 

Hey! Wait! What am I thinking?! Am I a sucker for love and attention now? Nah! That’s not me!

Focus, self! You need to focus on your priorities and not go daydreaming!

I again returned my gaze to the man that was now looking back at me too. Even with his dirty blond hair, the man was so masculine that he had tied it in a bun. He is tall, six feet four inches, I think. I looked like a dwarf beside him although I am taller than other girls, as I am five feet seven inches. 

“I am asking what your name is…” he said in his cold tone and I felt stupid in front of him. I thought he was staring at me but he was just waiting for my answer about my name. I breathed out heavily. My rating for delivery will go down from one to zero because he doesn't seem happy with my delivery service. Oh, shit*!

“My name is… my name is... Crimson.” There! I gave him my name! 

I don’t like my name at all. How I wish that the orphanage named me Red or Scarlet and it was much better than Crimson. 

Gosh! Crimson… I hope it is Red because I am thinking I am like Red Riding Hood earlier while staring at the wolf who wanted to eat me. 

No! He couldn’t be a wolf. I haven’t seen a bi-eyed wolf. This man, if he could be an animal, is more like a Siberian Husky or a cat because those are the animals I usually saw with bi-colored eyes.

I saw him smirking and I don’t know if it was a smirk or a grin. Did he find my name funny? Yeah, it could be. 

“Crimson,” he said after he gave me back the delivery slip he had just signed. “Tell Mrs. Li that I need to talk to her. Tell her that she needs to report to me this afternoon.” 

I was about to nod but then I saw a beautiful woman walking behind him and hugging him on his waist. I was starstruck. The woman is like a goddess with her beauty, but obviously she’s just a plaything of this man for sure. Poor woman! 

My brows furrowed, I think I know the woman. Yes! She was an influencer, famous for her dancing moves and fashion style.  

“Is that for me?” the woman flirtatiously asked the bi-colored-eyed man, and the man handed her the bouquet and then they both kissed in front of me. Eww… they are disgusting, rich people, but disgusting! 

“And why are you still standing there?” the woman asked me while laughing at my expense judgmentally when she faced me.

I felt dumber than ever and walked away from them after saying sorry. I had no business with them, so I left as I needed to head back to the store. 

“Oh…” I heard the woman. “Hey, delivery girl! Come back here! I will give you a tip. Sorry! I forgot…” she said and handed me a five hundred peso bill while giving me a smile that made me feel insulted. She is literally insulting my work by the way she gave me a look. 

Crazy bitch* she is. 

I smiled and still managed to say thanks for what she gave me. A five hundred peso bill is still five hundred bucks. Insults have always been in me since the day I was born, so it won’t matter anymore. I don’t care at all. I need to save money like the tip she gave me. Though I felt insulted, it made me happy, so I left the 80th floor smiling widely.