Shaking my head, I tried to snap myself out of what I assumed was a dream. However, between the serious look Ms. Priya was giving me and the article on her phone right in my face, there was no denying it anymore. It was indeed my reality and I officially had my picture on an article with such a bold headline. “So, is this you?” Ms. Priya asked me again when I remained silent. “May I have a closer look?” I requested as I extended my hand toward her phone. Ms. Priya nodded and handed me her phone. Once her expensive phone reached my hand, I slumped down on the chair opposite her as my eyes scanned the screen and read the article as fast as I could. Long story short, a columnist for a local e-magazine was at the club last Friday night and happened to watch the whole thing unfold. Instead of stepping forward to help me, she recorded it and took pictures, but thankfully my face was not that visible thanks to the nightclub’s poor lighting. The article continued to mention how ladies shou

My surroundings turned blurry and the chitter-chatter of the photographers became muddled as my eyes fixated on the ghost before me. Okay, he wasn’t dead or a ghost, but he was a crucial part of my past life that I had buried 6 feet under. So, in a way, he was a ghost of my past and he was haunting me.My eyelids fluttered as my eyes slowly started imagining the younger Joshua and there was no doubt that it was him. He had grown taller, stopped coloring his hair, gotten a few tattoos, had a large scar on his left eyebrow, and had surprisingly yet annoyingly gotten hotter for a man. Still, that wasn’t an excuse for me to just pretend like nothing had happened. In fact, it was the opposite as all the feelings I had buried came flooding to me all at once. Exhaling frequently, I grabbed onto a nearby table as I tried to calm myself down from the panic attack I was having.Unfortunately, this caught the attention of Joshua and he approached me with concern. “Hey, are you okay?”“I’m fine!”

The whole meeting room turned eerily silent as they all turned to look at me in shock. My breath hitched and my heart literally stopped for a second when what I had just done dawned on me. Ms. Priya’s eyebrows furrowed at me. “Ms. Olivia, explain your brazen reaction. Now!”“Ms. Priya, I’m s…sorry. I didn’t mean to s…shout like that. It’s just that I don’t agree with the choice of model,” I replied softly, keeping my head down.Gasps and murmurings echoed through the room as my statement puzzled everyone. Obviously, that was because, to a stranger, he looked perfect with his 6-pack abs and chiseled jawline, but that was only on the outside. His soul and personality were polar opposites to how he looked, much like heaven and hell. However, in the world of marketing, Joshua was an ideal model and was the best candidate to capture interest, making people take a second glance at whatever poster or billboard he was on. So, my declaration went against the thoughts of all the marketing per

Joshua’s POVMy motorcycle sped through the rush hour traffic, careful to avoid busy pedestrians who were not in their senses, cab drivers who thought the roads belonged to them, and other drivers who just wanted to get home.“F*ck! You would think that driving a motorcycle would help get through rush hour, but this is insane!” I said out loud as my voice echoed in my helmet.Several minutes later, the open road was gifted to me as I exited the ramp leading out of the city. Twisting the handle, I accelerated my bike and sped forward as the wind slammed against my body. Here was just something about it that made me feel light and at ease. What others felt was dangerous and too nerve-wracking was relaxing to me. After parking my baby in the covered basement, I headed up to my apartment with a skip in my step.“You look like you had a good day,” Mrs. Baxter said as she entered the building with a few grocery bags in her hands.Walking down the staircase, I approached her and shifted two

Olivia’s POV My eyelids fluttered at the sight of the towering man in front of me, blocking the sunlight that was shining on me. Joshua Taylor was standing in front of me, dressed in a pair of washed-out blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a denim jacket. He also had a motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm while his other hand ran through his messy hair. Was I worried that he had heard me cursing him when he was late to our meeting which was my attempt to try to apologize to him? Hell Yes! “So, care to explain yourself, Princess?” he asked as his face contorted into a serious look. His narrowed eyebrows and his piercing gaze on me paralyzed me. The new and improved Olivia Jamerson was no coward but at that moment, I was terrified of him for reasons unknown. To be honest, I hoped that I was dreaming and even tried pinching myself to w