They say "behind every successful man is a woman", right? Well, in Maxwell Jay Gallagher's opinion, that's total bullshit! His company, M.J Tech, is the most successful tech company in the whole United Kingdom and there isn't even a single female staff member! For reasons best known by him, he hated women with a passion and he knew without any iota of doubt that he wasn't gay. But why was he developing such strange, bizarre feelings towards his new assistant whom he nicknamed 'little man'? Why the electric sparks and undeniable attraction? Unbeknownst to him, his 'little man' is actually Angelina McQueen, a gorgeous young woman under the disguise of a man who was hired as an undercover espionage agent by his rival in order to steal his company's business ideas... What will happen when he eventually discovers that the personal assistant that had always been not just behind him but in front of him, beside him and everywhere around him, was actually a woman?! And that too, an espionage agent!
View MoreLuca Giovanni put the final touches on one of the most spectacular jobs he has ever done in the twenty years of his career. With one last brush through the short, chestnut brown hair, he spoke in his deep Italian accent,
"That's it! You're all set to go!"
Then, turning the chair around so that the person sitting on it was now facing the mirror, he added,
"Say hello to the latest young Adonis in town! Sei un bel ragazzo giovane, Angelina!"
(You make such a handsome young dude, Angelina!)
Smiling, Angelina corrected him.
"Marcus…I'm now…"
She trailed off as her eyes fell on her reflection on the mirror, or should that be 'his' reflection? Because the person reflected on the mirror was in no way like a woman, far from it!
With her mouth agape, Angelina McQueen stared in utter shock at the reflection staring back at her. Jumping up on her feet, she kept turning from one side to the other, checking out her new, completely different look. If not for the familiar plump, kissable lips, even she wouldn't have been able to recognize herself!
"Luca, you are a genius! I've always known you're the best but today you've outdone yourself!"
Luca Giovanni is the number one make-up artist in the whole United Kingdom. He's so talented in what he does that most actors or actresses, musicians, fashionistas, celebrities and many other creme de la creme of the society depend on him for their make-up. Hence, the demand for his services is always very high and getting an appointment with him required Herculean effort.
Angelina had no idea how her benefactor, Jeremy Logan managed to get this appointment for her but to say she's thrilled with the outcome is a great understatement. She wasn't exaggerating when she said that the man outdid himself. What he did is nothing short of magic! It was as if he had taken a magic wand and used it to transform her into a man!
Luca had custom-made a human-skin-like jacket for her which she wore underneath her clothes and it helped in transforming her figure into a masculine one. The jacket flattened her boobs but not in a suffocating way and made her shoulders a bit wider. Not just that, it extended down to cover her nether region, providing her with fake masculine organs so that if she wears a tight trouser or pant, the outline of her crotch would be exactly like that of a man.
Then for her face, he dyed and cropped her jet-black hair into a chestnut brown bob, giving her the impression of a young man with shoulder-length hair before styling it in a sleek, masculine fashion. He didn't stop there as he reshaped her eyebrows, adjusted her eyelashes, put blue contact lenses on her naturally hazel eyes and finally worked his magic on her nose and lips to make them look less feminine. And with Luca's magic touch paired with the tailor-made suit Jeremy bought for her, Angelina looked every inch the male she aspired to be!
When one of Luca's assistants popped her head into the studio for the umpteenth time reminding him of the anxious clients waiting for him, Angelina finally stopped twirling in front of the mirror and hugged Luca happily. With a peck on his cheek, she gushed,
"Thank you so very much, Luca. You're our twenty-first century Midas with the golden touch! I love you!"
Chuckling exultantly, Luca teasingly replied,
"Sorry tipo (dude), I'm as straight as an arrow and enjoy only a female's touch so I can't hug you back or say I love you in return. But we can bump our fists together. You know, man to man."
He concluded with a wink which made Angelina laugh out loud in her perfect imitation of masculine voice before she bumped her fist with his and hurriedly exited the studio.
To protect herself as a teenage girl living in the slums, Angelina had disguised as a boy in many instances so she was quite experienced in pretending to be a male. However, for this particular mission, Jeremy Logan wasn't comfortable with just experience, he needed perfection. He knew the man they were going up against wasn't anyone's fool and with just one look at Angelina's usual disguise costume, he'll definitely call her bluff. That's why he went through all the trouble of getting an appointment with Luca Giovanni.
As soon as she left the premises of Giovanni's Beauty Parlor, she placed a video call to Jeremy Logan and immediately he answered, she quickly spoke in a masculine voice that has been perfected over the years.
"Good morning Sir, Mr. Marcus Reed reporting for duty. I'm at your service, Sir."
On the other side, Jeremy smiled triumphantly. He knew he could count on both Luca and Angelina. She could have easily fooled him if not for her mobile number which she called him with. And that's even him, the same person who has known Angelina for so many years and has seen her in male costumes on many occasions. So what about a complete stranger, someone who has never seen her before? Yes, Jeremy was a hundred percent confident that 'he' cannot see through their ruse. Success is definitely theirs!
"What are you waiting for Mr. Reed? The interview is slated to take place at eleven am and it's already a quarter after ten. Go on, go and show them the kind of stuff this man is made of!"
"Aye, aye, Captain!"
Angelina responded with a mock salute before disconnecting the call and flagging down a cab. It was time to take the bull by the horns!
********
Determination, they say, is the key to success. And if there's any adjective to describe Angelina's attitude when she left home that Monday morning, it's exactly that; determined and of course, confident.
Oh yes she was absolutely, hundred percent determined that she'll do all it takes and come rain or shine, she would surely succeed. But all that was then and now...
Now as the cab driver dropped her in front of the imposing forty storey building of M.J Tech, the renowned software engineering company which ranked number one in the whole of U.K according to Forbes, she couldn't really say the same.
As she looked up at the magnificent architectural work, she couldn't help but ask herself; can you really do this? Are you sure you can pull this off without someone recognising you as who you really are and shouting "Hey you, you're an imposter?!"
And her concern is not even about her disguise as she was sure the combination of Luca's magic touch and her wealth of experience in the art of disguising as a male was foolproof. She was absolutely confident that she would easily pull off her role perfectly.
She has lived most of her teenage life disguised as a boy and so she had no qualms whatsoever about blowing off her cover during the interview or even during the duration of her stay in the company if…or when recruited. When it comes to dressing and acting as a man, Angelina McQueen is a pro. So that's definitely not what's making her hesitant and apprehensive.
Strangely, what bothered her was her conscience.
Unbelievable!
Angelina just couldn't believe that. Her conscience?! She kept asking herself some conflicting questions as a debate ensued in her mind. Is someone like her, someone who has lived the kind of life she lived, even supposed to have a conscience?
Of course you have a conscience, Angie. You may have done all sorts of things you're not proud of in the past but those are all trivial compared to what you're about to do. This isn't just petty crime for survival, it's an act of felony! What if you're caught? Even if you're not caught, do you really have to do this? Can you live with yourself if you go ahead with the plans?.
Of course you can Angelina! Remember, you're not doing this for yourself, you're doing it for those poor homeless orphans. Once the job is done and Jeremy pays you, you can make their lives much better. Besides, Jeremy doesn't deserve this from you. Have you forgotten how and who you were when he found you? Look at yourself now, without Jeremy, where would you be now? No, Angie the die is already cast. No backing out now!
As her inner voices' debate ensued, she already knew which of the two she'll listen to. Nobody knows how terrible and pathetic the life of a homeless orphan is better than she does. Experience, as they say, is the best teacher and she has it first hand! So her conscience be damned, she has her priorities!
Squaring her shoulders, she gave the exterior of the highly magnificent glass building one last look before striding confidently towards the security guards stationed at the entrance. As soon as she was cleared along with some other candidates for the interview, she stepped inside while muttering to herself,
"Let the show begin.You're the man, Angie, you're the man!"
Six months later… In the just concluded bakery section of the state of the art buildings of Isabella Gallagher Memorial Foundation, a heavily pregnant Angelina waddled around, inspecting the ultramodern baking equipments. Even though Lucy had volunteered to be the caretaker of the London-based foundation center, from time to time, Angelina goes there to inspect things, especially when a new project has been completed or when some newly- bought equipments have arrived. That's not because she didn't trust Lucy's capability of handling things superbly. No, far from it. She knows she's quite capable and just goes there to make sure things are running smoothly. After all, the foundation is her pet project and her lifelong dream and she loves it just like her own baby! So far, apart from the basic infrastructures that had already been established in both the American and London-based foundation centers, a culinary school, sewing and knitting center, sports arena, arts school for painting
Over the moon with joy, Maxwell hastily slipped the ring unto her finger and as he got up to seal it with a kiss, Angelina's hand suddenly appeared in front of his lips and pushed them away from hers. "Not so fast, lover boy! We have a score to settle first."Maxwell's eyes instantly widened in trepidation. What score do they have to settle? He thought they have already crossed that bridge earlier. He thought she had already forgiven him! But before he could voice out his fears, Angelina's melodic voice reached his ears. "You came here, wowed me with your mind-blowing confession, went ahead to steal my breath away by telling me I'm the one for you, your peace of mind, your bane of existence, your home, your soulmate and so many other mind-blowing things before going down on one knee and proposing to me. You did all that, without even giving me any chance to state my own feelings. Oh I forgot, I don't suppose to have any feelings. After all, 'you know I don't share your feel
Maxwell couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. And he knows for sure that he isn't dreaming so could this mean…He looked towards Ethan who was standing behind Angelina for confirmation and just as he nodded his head to confirm that indeed she has regained her memories, Angelina's voice rent the air once again. "Pfft! Can you believe this, bro? I thought that your friend would be a little more excited about seeing me but it seems…"Angelina never got to finish saying what she intended to as she suddenly felt her body engulfed in a very tight hug against a warm, tall, hard and familiar body. In a flash, her own hands automatically wrapped themselves around the tall, imposing figure. At the same time, her eyes fluttered close on their own accord. Their joined bodies reverberated as in unison, both she and Maxwell released very huge, deeply felt sighs of relief. Home, at last! At long, long last they are finally where they rightfully belonged; in the most blissful home ev
Ethan and Robert had just finished having an early dinner together and were on their way to the airport when the former received a call. Upon checking the caller id on the screen, a frown materialized on his face. But that notwithstanding, he swiped and answered the call. "What's up Dr. I-know-it-all? Have you perhaps forgotten your stethoscope with me? Or is it your brain?"From the other end, Dr. Nick sighed. "Look, Mr. Marlowe, I haven't called you for another round of bickering. We need to talk. Urgently. Where are you now? Since you're answering your calls I can tell that you haven't boarded the plane yet, so where can I meet you?"It was Ethan's turn to frown as he instantly became alert. "What's the matter? What happened? How is Angie? Don't tell me anything happened to her! M.J would kill you if anything happens to even a single hair on her head!"Dr. Nick huffed. "Relax, dude. Jolie is perfectly fine. Well, I guess she'll be if only you keep quiet, listen t
Dr. Nick clamped his eyes shut as out of nowhere, sudden pain, sadness and gloom overcame him. How could he have been so blinded? How could he have let his feelings cloud his rational thinking? He had fallen for a woman who is way beyond his reach! He knew right from the onset that she belonged to someone else, that she was someone else's wife but he still let his guard down such that his hidden and long-suppressed feelings for her gradually resurfaced!And now, she is pregnant. What cruel game is this that fate is playing with them all? Here he is, deeply and passionately in love with his childhood buddy but he can neither express it nor even think of acting on it because she's carrying the baby of another man. Another man whom she has absolutely no memories of at all– the man she believes is nobody but a complete stranger to her! God! What kind of mess is this?!What is he supposed to do now? How is he going to break the news of her pregnancy to her when she doesn't even remember h
Angelina grinned widely at him. "Of course! You're my best friend so of course you can't just like me! And you know the feeling is mutual too, right? You're the bestest best friend in the whole wide world and so I love you too!"Once again, Dr. Nick gave her that strange, intense look and cleared his throat. "Erm…Jolie, I have something that I want to tell…"Just then, the shrill sound of his phone interrupted him and as he looked down at the caller id, his entire demeanor instantly changed. Without answering the call, he abruptly got up from his seat while saying to Angelina, "Shit! I completely forgot that I'm supposed to meet someone by two pm today and it's already a quarter to two now."Perplexed at his reaction to the call, Angelina, who had also seen the caller id before he silenced the phone, frowned up at him in confusion. "Who is this Mr. Blondie whose mere call has gotten you so worked up like this? You don't even behave this way when the hospital medical
Maxwell stood in front of the large painting of Angelina and himself in his exquisitely furnished living room, slowly tracing the outline of his wife's gorgeous face with misty eyes and a forlorn and wistful expression on his face.All of a sudden, he felt a hand on his shoulder and even before her gentle, soothing voice rent the air, he knew it was his mother. "You know that staring at her picture will not magically conjure her up, right? Why are you doing this to yourself, son? When will you stop punishing yourself? It's been almost two months now since we left Croatia. Since you left your wife with a complete stranger! All you do is keep sending money, stuffs and either Ethan or Robert to go check on her while you remain here torturing yourself with depressing thoughts. Just take a look at yourself. You haven't just lost a lot of weight but also look so haggard! Arnold told me that once I'm not here, you don't eat at all and hardly sleep at night. And now you're standing here
When Dr. Nick had given Angelina the two gadgets that Maxwell sent over for her, she had only accepted the laptop and refused to accept the phone, claiming that she had no use for it since she had no one to communicate with.Even though that's what she claimed, the real reason is because she doesn't want any reminder of her past life at the moment, the past life that she has no memories of as at present. She knows that once she has a phone, someone connected to her forgotten past might call her and that will inevitably push back those depressing thoughts which she had shoved away to the forefront and hence, make her sad and gloomy. And that's the last thing she wanted at the moment. All she wants is to pretend as if all is well, to live in the moment, to be happy and keep having great fun with her best friend. Therefore, she surely doesn't want a phone as of now! If her memories return in the future, then she'd surely require a phone. But as of now, she had no need for it!When Dr. Ni
Dr. Nick didn't get a chance to return to his office until much later in the evening when he had rounded up all he had to do for the meantime. And after having one look at his tired face, Angelina abruptly got up, took the lunch basket in her left hand before holding Dr. Nick's hand with the right one. "You're coming home with me right this second, Dr. Lifesaver!"However, instead of letting her to pull him along with her like she intended to, Dr. Nick stayed put in his place while shaking his head and saying, "No Jolie. I can't leave now. I just performed surgeries on two of my patients and I have to be there when they eventually come to. I need to assess them and…" "Oh no, Dr. Lifesaver, you have already done your part. There are other doctors who can do whatever needs to be done. Besides, you look so tired and dead on your feet and as far as I know, you can only save lives when you yourself are alive and well! So like I said earlier, you are coming home with me now
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments