Tangled

CHAPTER 3

It was a cold and bright night. The moon was full, and the stars were out in their numbers, illuminating the beautiful dark blue night sky. It seemed as though there was a celestial event of some sort ongoing.

The club in the heart of the city buzzed with loud and banging music. The clock had just struck midnight, signaling the beginning of night-life. The queue was getting longer as bouncers hurriedly inspected IDs to dispense the impatient queue at the entrance of the club.

“Hey handsome, can I get a coke and rum please?”

Jeff turned to look at the woman seated right across him from the bar table. Her lips were covered in bright red lipstick and a thick dark line ran from the inner corners of her eyes to the outer corners. She was clad in a lacy black dress which clung to her body and her face was painted with heavy makeup, making it impossible to make out her natural features.

“Right up, ma’am.” Jeff gestured with his hands with a wide and bright smile, bowing slightly.

“I haven't seen you around in a while.” Jeff addressed the woman as he inclined forward against the bar table, placing a glass in front of her.

Lyana looked at Jeff and batted her eyelids at him. She touched him slightly on the arm. “Did you miss me?”

“Just wondered where you were and wondered if I’d see you again. I mean, after your first night, I saw you here every other night. Then I suddenly stopped seeing you. That is a cause for concern, isn't it?” Jeff smiled defensively.

“Well, I'm here now.” Lyana said as she relaxed on the stool and curled her lips up in a broad smile. “And how’s Zoey?”

“Zoey’s good.” Jeff nodded.

“Would you like to dance?” Lyana extended her hand towards him.

“Sorry, bar man duties.” He said with a smile amidst the loud banging music in the club.

Lyana muttered a “mm” and made her way to the dance floor to dance the night away.

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Zoey muttered something under her breath amidst the comfortable silence of the early morning as she turned over to pick up her phone from the bedside table. It had been ringing continuously for five minutes and had refused to stop.

“Hello?” Her voice was gruff.

“Miss Zoey.”

She sat up as she heard Damon's voice from the other side of the phone. She vigorously rubbed her eyes. It was a Saturday and she was off work.

She wondered why this insensitive dude would call her at this time of the day. She pulled her hair back to maximize her concentration as she listened to him from the other end.

“Morning, Miss Zoey.We’ve got an appointment today.” Zoey stared into space blankly with a confused expression. “It's an important one. I'll be waiting for you at the office.” His voice came across.

“Erm, yes Sir.” Zoey responded hesitantly as the line dropped from the other side of the phone.

She dropped flatly to the bed on her back. She let out a long, muffled sigh. She didn't have work today. Why would he call her so early on a Saturday morning for an appointment without prior notice? What does this man want from her? Is he deliberately making her life a living hell? What could she possibly do to make up for how she acted the other night? She wondered as she lazily dragged herself to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

As she got to the entrance of the office building, she spotted Damon’s car. The driver gestured at her right as she made her way to the car’s front seat. He went around and opened the backseat, signaling to her. She hesitated a second, dumbfounded, before quickly making her way to the backseat of the car.

As Zoey reclined on the seat, the usual mint scent of her boss lingered in her nostrils. She relaxed her bag nervously on her lap as she looked over to him. “Morning, Sir.”

Damon was dressed in a white polo shirt with short sleeves. His strong muscles with his perfectly toned arms made him look like a star from a popular TV show. He had on a white cap which covered his sleek, shiny hair.

Zoey gave Damon a once over from head to toe. She was surprised at the way he was dressed. What kind of appointment was he going to dressed like this? He looked like someone who was going to play golf. He scoffed as he turned back to look at her with a smirk on his face. This added even more to her confusion. She wondered what games this man was up to.

“Morning, Miss Zoey. Slept well?” Damon looked straight ahead.

Okay, okay. Seems like someone's in a good mood today. That's a first. Zoey cleared her throat. “Fine, Sir.”

The car suddenly screeched to a halt as the driver pulled up in front of a tall, white building which had pink and white flowers beautifully decorating its sides. The heavy iron gates which had a ‘D’ inscription on them slid open, and the driver drove in immediately.

As the driver pulled up into the compound, Zoey looked out from her position in the car and immediately wore a look of confusion. She looked around, trying to figure out where they were and if indeed they were attending a business appointment.

There was a huge pool situated at the far end of the compound. A tall blonde immediately walked out of the pool as the driver drove into the compound. She flicked her head to one side to pull her hair back as she strutted towards Damon, who had already gotten out of the car. Drops of water dripped from her body and the black bikini she wore exposed her toned, long, beautiful legs. She cupped one side of his face in one hand and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Zoey looked in Damon's direction questioningly. What the hell is going on there? Is this the meeting? Is this the f*****g meeting he woke her up so early in the morning for? What at all did this dude take her for? He thinks she’d rather not be in her cozy bed this early morning than be here watching two adults kiss? She fumed with anger as she hardly slammed the door of the car.

Damon directed his attention towards her.

She looked at him intently with a questioning look on her face. Her eyes had turned red, and she tightly held on to her bag.

The blonde narrowed her eyes at Zoey and scanned her intensely from top to toe, her face scrunching up in a spiteful look. “And who's this wretch? Your house help?” She clutched Damon tightly by the arm as she signaled to Zoey.

“Come on Maya. That's my personal assistant.” Damon addressed the blonde whom Zoey had come to know as Maya.

Sparks of wildfire in her eyes burned in Zoey's eyes as she stared Maya intensely in the face. How dare this daughter of a b***h call me a wretch? If not for the fact that I value my job so much, she wouldn't hear the end of it from me. She thinks I want to be here? Ugly pick me. She eyed Maya with the wildfire of anger which burnt in her heart.

“Well, whatever.” Maya rolled her eyes, dismissing Damon with a wave of her hand.

Zoey strutted along lazily behind them with Damon’s hand on Maya’s waist as they walked into the building.