“Shit,” Catherine mumbled, observing how Donovan whispered something in some girl’s ear, causing her to laugh sheepishly. As he traced his hands through her skin and pulled her in for a kiss, Cathy was done watching. She had seen enough. She made a turn in the opposite direction. “And where do you think you’re going?” Rachel asked. Catherine’s heart sunk into her feet. “I—I,” she tried to speak but was tongue tied. Rachel frowned. There was a deep furrow in her brows. Catherine stood silently. “Hi, Rachel. Can I borrow her for a moment?” Kenny pulled her away. Catherine sighed with relief. Kenny was literally her savior. “What’s with you? You’ve been acting strange,” he spoke to Catherine, who was completely out of it. She stared deeply into space, the only space she could think of at the moment, Donovan. She watched as the unnamed blonde traced his biceps, laughing hard into his chest. It stung her, every bit of it, but she still couldn’t tell why. Was she falling for Dono

Donovan was playing to win her. She couldn’t tell if it was a chivalrous act or just downright disrespectful. “Best two out of three?” Ahmed asked. Donovan nodded in affirmation. “Dealer, shall we begin?” He said to the dealer. The game started on a low note for Donovan and ended with both men losing to the dealer. The second round ended with Ahmed as the winner and third, Donovan. It was a tie. “Let’s have a tiebreaker,” Ahmed suggested. “On one condition,” Donovan said. “What?” Ahmed asked. “We’ll multiple the bets by 10,” Donovan declared. Stanford gave him an apprehensive look. Was he willing to lose 30 million dollars in one day? “Fine.” He raised his right hand to summon his uncle. After a few minutes of whispering, one of his goons appeared with a bag, throwing it on top of the table. The dealer unzipped the bag to reveal a huge of money. Donovan smirked, completely unfazed. He dipped his hand into his suit pocket, opened his brown leather wallet and pulled o

After the drama that took place the previous day, Catherine decided to start the new day with a quick run. She knew very well the area she lived, but at that point she really didn’t care. Whether she ruined her new running shoes with dog poop on the side on the road was none of her business. She needed to clear her head and get her priorities in check. After downing her regular ginger and lemon shot, she was ready to begin her day. Catherine stared at the check that laid on her nightstand. After careful consideration, she picked it up. She deserved to spoil herself after all she had been through. Regardless of the situation, she woke up with a huge smile across her face and planned to keep it that way. Her plan was cut short and her smile gradually faded when she remembered the text she got from Ruby. She took out her phone to re-read it. It read; “Hey Catherine, I’m having a little dinner tomorrow night. It’s a girls’ night and we’re basically discussing wedding stu

“What? This really has to stop happening,” she said, holding her head tightly. The room just wouldn’t stop spinning. “Urghh,” she groaned in pain. The headache worsened with every move she made. “You’re not doing yourself any good,” a voice spoke from the door frame. “Stop moving,” he said, walking towards her. She jumped a little, startled. The alcohol had blurred her vision but her other sensory organs functioned properly. “Donovan?” she called out as if taking a guess. She was in his apartment again, but in another room. “Yes Candace, it’s me,” he responded, dropping a glass of water on the drawer beside the bed. “Were you expecting someone else?” It seemed like he expected an answer.“Here,” he said, recklessly dropping a pill into her palm. “Take this or die of a headache, I don’t care,” he growled, sizing her up and leaving the room. Catherine struggled a little but was finally able to get her eyes open. “Arrogant bastard,” she cussed after regaining full consciousness. Why

Two weeks had passed and Catherine still wasn’t able to shake the effects of Donovan’s action in the restaurant off. He was so brave. Standing up to that bully finally put him in her good books, for the moment at least. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought. Her phone chimed. It was a text from Donovan, it read; “Start coming”. She held onto her phone for a while recalling the night with Ruby and her friends. “But I didn’t call him,” she whispered. Another text from Donovan; “Fast,” was the only thing he said. She picked up her bag from the bed and gave herself a reassuring nod. She had a flowing dress and sandals on. Her outfit for the day had really neutral colors. Catherine had finally taken Kenny’s advice on becoming an indispensable part of the senatorial campaign. She solely planned her first charity event: A breast cancer enlightenment and fundraising campaign in the name of the Smith’s. The event was to be held today. They had cute T-shirts printed and lots of promotional m