A night to remember

JASON.

That body build and voice were extremely familiar, coupled with the black overflowing hair I quickly got an exact match as to who was interrupting my meeting.

I quickly raise a fist to stop them from turning her into a dish of splattered brains, bones, and meat.

She raises her head slowly, then gives a nervous chuckle before waving.

She had a sculpted figure which was twine-thin. Her waist was tapered and she had a tanned complexion. A pair of low-arched eyebrows looked down on sweeping velvety eyelashes. Her delicate ears framed a straight nose. A set of dazzling, angel-white teeth gleamed as she grinned nervously. Her flowing, moon shadow-black hair wavered in the slight breeze. Those constellation-blue eyes gazed at me over her puffy, heart-shaped lips.

If someone asked me to describe this woman, I would say loose screw, a beautiful loose screw.

SELENE.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was cold and distant like we don't even know each other, it contained the same chill that made one think twice before they accidentally step on his toes.

"I want to speak to you"

He stands from his chair and prowls to where I am sitting on the table.

In a split second, his hand circles my waist and he sweeps me off the mahogany table, I grab his hard biceps to steady myself.

I inhale him deeply before moving away, burning from embarrassment at what I had just done.

He leans forward and I shrink back trying to force my head into my neck.

When he was so close that we were breathing each other's carbon dioxide, he spoke.

"You reek"

The insult doesn't register in my brain as I find myself staring into those entrancing eyes, I was so wrong about the color. They weren't moss-green like I had thought, they were a deeper shade with a lot more sparkle, like an emerald-green kind of color.

He looks up at the hole I had created in the ceiling and then back at me.

"How did you even fit in there? Not that I'm surprised or anything, you can slip under the door too if you wanted, after all, you're thin enough"

This one registers quickly in my brain, he did not just use the 'T' word, I was not thin.

"If you can slip through all the lasers in that vent, I'm pretty sure you can slip through anything, but then again you didn't need to do that, you could have simply said you're part of the new cleaning crew, they would have let you in"

I felt the muscles of my forehead contract.

"What's with the lousy outfit? Orange on Purple? What's that? Even the rainbow would be ashamed. You do know nothing you're wearing matches, right?, black sandals on purple... what would you even call that?"

My eyelids twitch aggressively.

Sure my fashion style was nothing... fashionable, but did he have to say it out loud and in front of all the other people in the room.

"Where's my cell phone?"

There was a subtle raising of his eyebrow, if I wasn't so focused on his face, I would have missed it.

"What cell phone?"

"I left my cell phone in your car, yesterday, after the whole... fiasco"

"Get yourself a new one, that one looked like it had seen better days"

"I've been using it for years now, that's how it's supposed to look like, and unlike you who lives in money, I wasn't born with a silver spoon"

"Should I get you a new one?" It wasn't the statement that annoyed me, it was the way he crossed his legs on the table as he leaned back on his chair while giving me that look of superiority.

Forgive me Lord for I'm about to commit homicide.

"What did you do with my phone?"

"I scrapped it?"

"You did what?"

"The car was damaged, I didn't want to fix it, so I just dumped it at the junkyard. How would you like a piece of flattened metal as compensation for the phone since it's now... flattened metal"

I bit my tongue.

They are dangerous, they are dangerous...

I bit my tongue harder to prevent myself from spewing bile all over Jason. Living alone taught me a lot, if you want to survive a mental storm you'd have to put on the breastplate of sarcasm and carry a sharp weapon of witty remarks.

But some people were exceptions to this rule, if Jason whips out his gun, my weapon of witty remarks would fall like Lego bricks.

I turn around and make a beeline for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To get me a new cell phone, thanks to you"

"You're welcome and are you even using your pea-sized brain, you came in through my vent, what do you expect the guards stationed at the entrance to think when they find out that you're in here without a pass card?"

I freeze in my steps.

"You don't think things through before you act, do you?"

"So?"

"Why not ask for my help? I might be nice enough to help if you ask"

"Thanks but I'll make it out on my own"

I was never going to ask for his help, he as his bloated ego can go dive into Antarctica waters.

I open the door and slam it shut hard, the thump echoes throughout the floor.

I move towards the elevator.

How do they work again?

"Are you okay?"

A short average man pushes his nerdy glasses up his nose as he peers at me.

"I'm lost?"

"You cannot reach here without an access card"

"Surprise, I crawled through the vents"

His eyes widen.

"How many hours did that take?"

Does he even realize how weird he sounds? Normal people would be calling security by the time I had finished my sentence, what am I even talking about? Before I finish the sentence I would have been thrown into jail but he was asking me how many hours it took to reach the top.

"Are you going down?" he shows me an access card.

"Thank you" I was genuinely appreciative that he wanted to help a stranger.

We rode the elevator together in silence and when we get to the ground floor, yep, that's exactly what happens.

How do people keep a straight face when they're planning evil? The nerdy man sold me to the security team before I could say thank you.

The elevator opens again after some minutes and Jason steps out with some men behind him.

His mouth curves into a devilish smirk when he spots me.

"Do you seriously think you can crawl in and walk out? You think too highly of yourself"

"Let me go and I owe you one" I was not going to beg.

"And if I don't?"

"Let's see who's going to act as your lady in distress when you need it?"

"Ms. Orlando, there are a lot of women that would commit murder for me if only I say the word"

"So your type is bimbos, how fitting"

His smirk turns into a grin, my knees quiver or maybe it's the floor quivering under my legs.

"I knew you were hiding something, they do say a pretty face hides vile thoughts, I have to admit, it's true"

"Oh please, let's not be stereotypical"

"Let her go"

The security man lets go of my arm and I stretch them, I wince as I overstretch.

"Let's go"

"Where?"

He doesn't answer me and heads for the exit. I run after him.

"Would it kill you to answer?"

He enters his car and waits until I enter and buckle up before he starts driving.

"Where are we going?"

"Close your mouth"

I press my lips together and sulk.

He drives for minutes before we finally stop at a mall.

"Blue Jade Malls" I read out the name crafted expertly at the entrance leading to the public parking lot.

Jason backs his car into a private corner and we ride an elevator to the top section of the mall.

The mall was large and circularly built. Imagine the colosseum but more advanced with people buying and selling.

The elevators were made of glass and were completely see-through from the inside though, to those outside it was a blurry mix of glass and faces.

We stop at the top and I increase my pace to match Jason's stride.

"Can you stop jogging?"

Men in black suits are stationed everywhere on the floor, they bow as Jason strides past but cast me scrutinizing looks as I run after Jason.

"Wait–"

Jason stops abruptly and I bump into him.

"You talk too much"

"Sorry?"

"Keep quiet"

"Ok?"

He turns and continues walking.

"Wait for me"

I run after him.

We finally arrive at our destination.

"Damn those long legs" I whisper under my breath as I pant lightly.

We were in a tailor shop, and lots of fancy unfinished designs were hung on Jason-looking mannequins.

I touch one and someone swats my hand away.

"Keep your hands to yourself" the tailor was definitely Italian, it was in every trait, I could see it in the mustache that he twirled between his thumb and forefinger and I could hear it in his accent.

"Paulo, is it done?"

"Yes my Lord, she's to try it? I don't think it would be appreciated by someone of her being"

What's that supposed to mean? And more importantly, try what?

"Let her have it. Take her to the shower room first, she smells"

"So that's the odor I was perceiving, pooh!"

I could only roll my eyes.

The man showed me to a small room that contained a cubicle, he thrust two new towels into my hands.

"Dispose of after use"

As if I wouldn't know that.

I take a slow shower, glad of the expensive-smelling shampoo. Hey, you can't rush a girl when she's having her time.

After scrubbing to my satisfaction, I tie the towel and head for the room. A black long gown catches my eye, there's a note stuck on it.

"Wear this and come out"

I take a good look at the gown before I put it on. It was open at inappropriate places, a long slit reaches right up to my thigh, the neck dips into a V-cut that exposes the dips of my breasts, and there's a cut in the waistline exposing my skin at one end.

"Holy cow"

"Ms. Orlando we don't have all day, come out"

"One second" I try to drag the dress up to hide the dips of my breasts but it wouldn't move up.

"If you don't come out, I'll come in" Someone knocks on the door.

I force air in and out of my nose before I step out.

Jason sits relaxedly on a chair facing the door, he is dressed in a black shirt that is left half buttoned exposing his chest and the tattoos underneath, a gleaming diamond wristwatch sits silently on his wrist, and a silver embroidered black suit jacket lays casually by his side, his polished black shoes shimmer, his hair is combed neatly...

"Wipe your drool"

"Huh?"

I hastily close my mouth.

"Paulo, her hair looks like a bird's nest"

"How about I cut a few strands–"

Yes, please.

"No, leave the hair as it is"

"Why no? The hair is a nuisance sometimes, it would be good if he cuts a few strands"

"As you wish Boss" the man obeys Jason's orders without question. "Sit!"

He pushes me down to the chair and begins to mess around with my hair.

"Color?"

"Leave it as it is"

"Length?"

"Cut it a little"

"The same way"

Do I have no say in how I want my hair to be?

The man puts a comb through and I already wince before I feel the pain, to my surprise, it doesn't hurt, the comb slides through as though my hair was made from silk.

What exactly did he rub into my hair?

"Can I get the ointment you used to soften my hair?"

"You can't afford it, why bother?"

Snotty brat.

"Can you at least tell me the name?"

"It's a family recipe"

Yeah right, a family recipe my derriere.

After my hair, he proceeds to my face.

"What are you doing?"

"You need a makeover, you'd look like a lost child in there"

"I'm okay looking like a lost child"

Some major ingredient of pancake made my face itch.

"Let her be"

"Yes Sir"

He smothered my lips with a red lipstick and straightened my eyelashes, my legs were forced into a silver pair of heels and a diamond necklace with bangles was attached to my neck and hand as last touchups.

What was with all the extra extra? It was just an event and not a visit to the royal house.

"Can't have you disgracing the Boss"

Thanks for clarifying that...

"We're done, my lord"

Jason glances up and then goes back to his phone.

He doesn't comment as though he didn't see me, I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Where's my car?"

"Parked and waiting. Everything is ready"

Jason wears his suit jacket and heads for the door.

"Do you need an invitation, Ms. Orlando?"

I scurry after him, almost tripping a gazillion times before we reach the elevator.

"Damn these heels"

"Is there something wrong with the heels?"

"I don't know if I'm wearing it wrong but it's digging into my foot"

Jason bends down on one knee and raises my foot a little way off the ground. I have to admit, he is drool-worthy, the suit couldn't hide the muscles of his back. I stretch my hand to touch his jet-black hair.

"Not your size"

"Huh?" My hand freezes a little way from his silky strands.

He looks up and glares at me through my fingers.

"What are you doing?"

Good question. What was I doing?

"I was trying to rearrange the hair, it was falling out of place"

He stands up and dusts his knee.

"You're a terrible liar"

Trust me, you're not the first person to tell me.

Jason presses a button on the elevator. It slowly descends and stops shortly.

He doesn't wait for it to open completely before he begins his stride.

"Could you not walk so fast? I could barely keep up with you in my flats, heels are not as sturdy as flats"

Jason stops and I manage to halt my leg brakes before I crash into him.

He crooks his arm, I eye it suspiciously.

"Three... Two..."

I grab his arm, and he tucks my hand and pulls me along.

"Slow down, my feet"

"Do you always complain?"

"Are you always insensitive?"

He clenches his jaw and lets go of my hand.

"Walk by yourself then" he leaves me and continues to walk at his own pace.

Arse.

I slowly follow behind, he disappears behind a door and soon I reach it.

Jason is sitting comfortably when I enter.

"My my. Such a beauty" A man invades my private space before I could even let out a sigh.

He scans me before he pulls me to sit beside Jason.

"I should take a photograph, you two are looking extremely picture-perfect. Perfection in reality"

Definitely a lot of loose nuts in there.

"Get her a pair of shoes, size forty one"

The man runs to get me another pair of heels, and a medic kit.

"Why did you walk so fast when it was hurting you?" The man presses a ball of cotton wool soaked with spirit to the red patches on my leg and I wince.

I turn to Jason.

"Someone doesn't know how to stroll"

"My Lord you should take it easy, a woman's body is frail and fragile, if she had not changed these heels, she would have hurt her legs and luckily you met me" he produces a new pair of solid black stiletto high heels and helps me wear them. "Just your size"

How Jason knew my size from lifting my leg was still a mystery.

"Thank you..."

"We're done here" Jason heads for the door.

I run after Jason still shouting thanks at the man whose name I didn't hear.

A man opens the door to a fancy car which I had seen in car commercials as a Rolls-Royce.

Jason enters, and the man rounds the car to open the other door and waits for me to enter before shutting the door.

The Rolls-Royce begins to move.

Jason leans over to my seat with a glint in his eyes.

"I've been meaning to tell you something since I saw you in that dress"

I find myself switching my gaze from his eyes to his lips.

He leans forward until we're almost an inch apart...