Exorbitant Promotions

Hotel NH

The giant private hall was filled with chatters & laughter. It had marble floors & walls, classic French touch to the chandeliers & the dining table & chairs. While the windows had a Roman touch to it, the glass was sculpted with ancient drawing & painting textures.

Jessica stood by the window silently, sunlight illuminating her fragile structure. She had a face which could feign innocence & be fierce at the same time. The dark circles were apparent under her eyes. Her long brown hair was crisp & it flowed down to her middle back. They were swaying gently giving her an appearance of a forlorn goddess. Her eyes were glued to his fiancé, Rajvir. Today, both of their families had gathered to discuss their wedding next month. Last night, Jessica couldn't sleep very well because the vision of Alice waving those vulgar photos had haunted her dreams a million times. Rajvir, who was a sales executive, came from a humble family, like her. She was already head over heels for him. Now, at this point, she couldn't afford to lose him. He was now laughing & smiling along with the others.

He suddenly caught her staring & his face broke out into a smile. He excused himself & reached her with long strides. Jessica glanced down with a smile.

"What were you looking at?" Rajvir questioned her handsomely as he pulled her into a bear hug from behind, trapping her in his embrace.

"You", she said without any hesitation. The next moment, his soft lips kissed gently on her earlobe. She was alarmed, "What are you doing!?"

"Why?", his voice had a teasing edge to it, "Didn't sleep last night or was thinking about me?"

He meant the dark circles under her eyes. She lifted her head to look at him, "Thinking about you."

This time, he swiftly placed a kiss on her lips. She frowned & said, "You go enjoy. I'll be in the washroom."

"Okay!", saying this, he released her & went back to his seat.

Jessica quickly slipped out of the room & typed on her phone, "I'm willing to provide the evidence. You decide the time & place." then she pressed send.

---

Amnesty Entertainment

The private room was bathed with warm sunlight. The French cut window became invisible under the sun's glare. The white-washed room looked brighter under the broad daylight. A girl was sitting on a chair behind the table. She had a plain white tee with short jeans. The white sneakers complimented her long slender legs. Her shoulder-length bob-cut hair framed her petite face perfectly. One hand cupped her chin while the other tapped the table top rhythmically in an impatient manner.

The table was decorated with a desk calendar, a flower vase & a nameplate. The nameplate had a name.

Alice Buds, Singer & Lyricist.

Hmmm, Alice was sitting in her room & had already waited for Amy for half-an-hour. She called her that morning saying that she had something important to discuss. So, Alice quickly drove over to the agency after dropping Catherine at her apartment. Only God knows where that woman had disappeared! With her patience finally dissipating like acetone, Alice stood up from her chair. Just then, the door opened & a woman wearing a pink pantsuit entered the room. Amy's face was marked with a broad & charming smile.

What!

It felt like the woman had forgotten how to smile for the past few days. What now? Alice perked up her brows with wonder. She smirked before she remarked, "Why my dear, already got a new boyfriend after breaking up with the previous one?"

The moment Amy heard those words, her smile vanished & turned into a frown. Then, she yelled like a child being wronged as she threw her hands into mere whacks everywhere, "Why the hell would a mum to a five-year-old have a boyfriend?"

"Huh?" Alice narrowed her eyes.

"Slip of tongue", Amy avoided eye contact with Alice & they darted all around.

Alice didn't bother because she felt Amy was getting better & better in joking. She sighed, "Why did you call me?"

Sensing the change of topic, Amy became serious before declaring, "You've two nominations for the Blue Phoenix this year. One, Most Promising Comeback for your 'Sparks' & Best Female Playback for your 'A day in Spring'."

Just then, a chime came from Alice's phone indicating that a message had arrived. She quickly opened it & a smirk played on her lips. But she composed herself & said to Amy, "It feels good even to be nominated." Indeed, she felt like flying!

"Nah!" Amy crossed her arms across her chest, "You've to win!"

"How? How can I control the outcomes?" Alice pouted like a child.

"You can appeal to your fans through your social media handles", Amy explained, "And once the promo starts airing on T.V., I would instruct your online fan clubs for some exorbitant promotions."

Alice smiled at her enthusiasm.