Chapter One

Calla's POV

I waited by the door as my feet eagerly tapped on the wooden floor at the entrance of the hospital ward. The light beamed brightly ,the smell of drugs and disinfectant pollutes the air, making it hard to breathe. The sirens noise echoes from an ambulance in a distance,making my nervous system a complete wreck. I held back the tears in my eyes and prayed to God desperately. The door swung open and the nurse came out. A flatter of relief consumed me as she gave me a little smile. Thirty minutes--- Thirty minutes had felt like a lifetime of waiting.

I hate it here,it held bad memories.

"You can go in to see her" she said, stepping aside for me to go in. I went in a rush as my heart melted at the sight of my mother laying helpless on the bed. She smiled,but it wasn't the type that reached her eyes. I took her in my arms hugging her softly. "It's alright" I said comforting her and mostly to myself from letting my thoughts run wild.

About an hour ago, Mum had collapsed when making her special Sunday morning pancakes. Now,I stood by her bed as needles pierced in her skin, keeping her, sustaining her, holding her together from God knows what.

A moment later,the nurse came back and requested the doctor wants to see me. I kissed mum on the cheek and went to see the doctor. When I walked into the doctors offices,I'm met with four piercing eyes. She is a blonde woman,I assume is in her later 40's. She wore a tick glasses that made her eyes appear double,almost animated. She offered me a seat and broke the disdain news to me.

The thing about doctors office, it's always going to have an uncomfortable feel. My eyes were focused on her glasses,then her hair,then the coffee mug on her desk---anything to keep me grasping out for a of sense of reality. She hands me a report of mum's diagnosis.

"Lungs...Cancer?" I said in disbelief,my hands shaking profusely. " I don't understand...but...but she's healthy?" I said as tears began to pour.She gave me small hand squeezed and she continued by telling me how there is still time for treatment since it was detected quickly.

I took a look at the a second paper she handed to me that contained the amount of money mum's surgery contains. Where would I get $3000 dollars before the end of the month?,I thought to myself. I managed to gather my thoughts together as I walked out of the doctor's office. Mum was discharged shortly and we both went home to our uncertain fate.

At night,I laid awake in bed with my laptop light igniting my dark and scattered room. I finally checked my messages and saw I had missed so many calls. I rolled over to my emails when Julie's call came on.i looked at my call log and she had called me thirteen times when I was in the hospital. Julie is my Boss at Halt Fashion;a small fashion brand here in Boston. I hesitate feeling completely overwhelmed.

"Calla, there's good news... where have you been- we're celebrating tonight woahh!" She screamed into the phone.

"Hi Julie --"

"Calla,we got the contract with Renault this summer... Well,not yet but we're in the top five to present tomorrow....woahh!" she screamed into the phone. Her drunk voice collapsing together, almost making it hard to understand her.

"What!?" I sat up

"Check your email nowwwwww...come early tomorrow. " she mumbles drunkenly before cutting the call.

I hovered to my laptop and went straight to my emails. I opened it and my hands fidgets on my laps,a crippling smile appeared on my face. I could add this with my savings for a new house to get mum's treatment,I thought.

I rolled over and stared at the ceiling with silent prayers in my heart that everything will turn out alright until I fell asleep.

I woke the next day with a surge of hope. I ran to mum's room to check if she was okay. Aunt Kathy,mum's sister had come in this morning to take care of her. She was a few years younger than mum and a United Nations volunteer nurse in Colombia so she knew more on what to do. I quietly turned the door knob and peeped at her,she's was still asleep. I left a note by her night stand and ran back to my room with water dripping from my hair into my robe. I got dressed for work; I wore my burgundy blazer which I designed last month and a peer of white heels and left for work.

When I got to work, Jeremy,the receptionist handed me a cup of coffee and gave me a long hug. Julia walked in shortly and ran to give me a hug with teary eyes. I looked around and suddenly everyone looked alike with sympathy spread across their face. I'm reminded how much my heart aches and how quickly things turned around yesterday.

Julia invites me to her office and requested I stay if I wouldn't be able to go with her to the meeting with the Renault's. I insisted upon it and explained to her how I need to take up the project since It was my idea in the first place,plus I needed the money for mum's surgery.

We got to Mr Renault's office a little while later. We waited by the lobby before one of his staff directed us to his office to meet with him. When we got to the door,a brunette lady walked in with a sly smile spread croos her face. Her T-shirt was unbuttoned a little too low,just enough to reveal her cleavage and a peep of her lacy black bra. She adjusted her scattered hair and pulled on her shirt to cover up as she saw us.

Julie and I made a brief eye contact before walking into the office. We had a thing were we communicated without utterly a word and I could tell she might have cursed a little. The room was specious with a full glass window,you could see the lights of Boston. One the left side,a big shelf of wine was on display like a bar but more aesthetical. The office desk was placed on a small platform opposite, with a great view of the window and a mini white and gray themed cozy couch sitting in the office and the lights of the chandelier luminary effects reflects on the white tile floors of the office.

My Renault looked younger than we expected. He looks just around my age. He stood by his office desk, wiping something from his pants with paper towels. He had dark hair and wore a blue shirt that hugged his frame intensely.He's almond eyes glints as his attention drew on us when we walked in.

"Oh sorry...Hi, please have a seat" He said gesturing to the Mini white couch sitting in the room. His accent was strong but yet corrupted like someone who traveled alot. He sounded English and like a New Yorker,and a little bit of French sometimes. He discarded the tissue paper in the bin beside him and walked over to us.

"Hello, I'm Julie and this is Calla" Julie introduced,a wide smile beamed on her face and I could tell she was checking him out. She was in her late forty's but sometimes she acted so care free like her 20's never ended. She stretched forth and hands, indicating a hand shake. He shook her and his hands,over to me too. I shook him. His palm was warm and slightly sticky. The rush of unsettling thoughts lingers on my mind. He probably cum shot in his hands...or could it be pussy juice from the woman we saw earlier?. An irritating expression cringe over me. I managed to shake the feeling off before anyone could notice.

"I'm James,Mr Renault's son. He sent me here to proceed with the plan--" He began, he was quite an intimidating young man. It was something about the way he gazed. His stare was fiery.

"Ahhh yes" Julie said " We brought the proposal with us and we made the draft for the *Winery& Fashion* event in Château de Versailles in June. Julie when into details about the designs and the numbers of models that'd be used during the event.

I sat there,as my unhinged thought spiral me into depression. I thought of mum and how she struggled to breathe before we got to the hospital. I thought of James sticky hands and what had made them that way. I thought of how much my heart ached so desperately, for once I don't want to be on survival mode, longing for the simple things in life.

James' gaze fixed on me ,his brows ached in a questionable way and I suddenly I realized I had zoned out. Julie cleared her throat giving me a puzzling look.

"I believe you came up with this project,Ms Calla?" James asked. I nodded "yes" I replied.

"Pitch it to me?" He articulates ,his accent becoming more obvious. He rested his back and stared. I was completely cut unaware. My anxiety pushed through my vains--- Julie cleared her throat again,snapping me back to reality.

"We're are bringing fashion in collaboration with winery as an expression of art..." I paused, I'm usually more confident but there was something about his stare. He almond eyes felt naked through my skin... almost sinful. He was looking through me,not at me. " This would effectively shape the media representation of Renault Wine because it would provide a platform for upcoming models, fashion designers and more to recognize Renault Wine,not just as a benefactor but will increase it's stock markets, provide it the luxury of the likes of Louis Vuitton,Zara--- ermmm"

"Enough" he cuts me off. A sense of fear and panic consumed me. My hands quivers, clinching to the hem of my dress. " Ms Calla,you don't seem to be here and I'd appreciate if my time isn't wasted. If you don't mind. Please excuse me" He stood up. I stood up "I'm sorry " I said swiftly feeling tears build up in my eyes. Julie got up and pleaded but he walked away .

I ran to the nearest rest room as tears finally fell from my eyes. I heard foot steps shortly,then Julie walked in ,she walked up to me and held me tightly. We made fun of that jerk, James and his sticky cum hands

"You know, he's hot but he's just another vain trust fund kid, spending Daddy's fortune" Julie said,our laugh echoed in unison

"Agreed!... his button bells shaped butt--" I said furiously

"Woahhh...woahhh...okay,know what yeah" Julie said. A few seconds out laughter had died down and I asked to be alone to clean up and gather myself. Julie is not just my Boss,she was my first friend when I got into the fashion industry. We get each other.

"You know you're in the male restroom right?" She said momentarily.

"Ohhhh-" I said , mouthing my word dramatically

"Clean yourself up,okay...I'd be outside" she said before she walked out of the restroom.

I looked around and it became even more obvious that I was in the male bathroom as the little pee sink on the far left gave it away. I looked in the mirror,to adjust my mascara quickly and leave when he come out of one of toilet stalls. He stood by the mirror close to me and turned on the tap to wash his hands.

James Renault had heard everything we said about him,even worse he heard me cry. A sense of embarrassment flushed me. I felt like I had been punched in the tummy.

He reached out to the hands dryer and wiped his hands with some toilet paper. He didn't acknowledge I was there, maybe my prayers were answered and someone had dropped an invisible cloak on me. He began to walk out the restroom then he turned around and faced me.

That's it,I'm so losing my contract.

He stood so close up to my face,his fragrance clogged my lungs. His breath was warm on my face and I got a clearer view of his almond eyes. He lifted his palm and touched my skin. His warm hands held my arms.

"See,all washed. I didn't have a cum or any juice on them. Not that I owe you any explanation. She spilled tea on my Trouser--". I look down at his pants and he had on a different pair of pants. He made an uncomfortable sound and I immediately avert my gaze my to him. It was as awkward as it could be. "...his button bells shaped butt...what does that even mean?"

He began to walk away again. Suddenly he wasn't the intimidating uptight jerk I was talking to some minutes ago. He turned around, pacing back and forth then stops to look at me his muscles relaxed,he was embarrassed--- or nervous, maybe both. Whatever it was I had fucked up big time.