Chapter 2

• Vanessa's POV.
• Sitting in a restaurant, I was waiting for my bestie, Rory Blaze. I wanted to meet him and his daughter but since the busy schedule, Rory has, I couldn't.
• We have been best friends for a few years, I met him at my mom's promotion party, We became friends instantly. I still remember what had happened when he was 18, though it was a terrible incident the outcome was his beautiful daughter. He impregnated a girl, and Her name was Charley Louis. She wasn't a good girl, though, She had cheated on him a number of times but he is a saint who always forgives her. He was a man who believes in second chances, but she doesn't deserve it.
• He took full responsibility for the situation and promised to take care of the child, but she turned out as a complete bitch and tried to abort the baby without his knowledge, the reason she gave was, "I can't be a mom, I can't look after a child and leave my happiness and freedom.... I have so much to do," but Rory didn't let that happen.
• He paid her with a good sum of money but she many times tried to abort the child. Rory was smart, he put a caretaker and maid around her, to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.
• After she had given birth to the child, he took care of that baby alone. He raised her as a single Father with nobody's help. Charley didn't even hold her baby once. She walked away with the money he gave.
• So, Yeah, he has a daughter of 4 years old. She is an adorable little girl. He named her Ariel Blaze.
• So, I called and asked him to meet me. He used his usual excuses to me, "I'm busy, Can't Meet you" God, I hate those words. I begged him to meet me.
• I miss him and his daughter so much.
• After pleading and begging him, he finally said okay and I decided the place and time.
• You may feel I'm not a good friend and a selfish one to disturb him when he's very busy with a lot of work. but this is me. I love his company. I just want to spend time with him and his cute little daughter.
• It has been so long since I didn't meet him, I know he was busy with so much on his plate but I get worried about him and his daughter. I went to his condo many times but the Babysitter used to tell me that he went to the office or had some important meetings. I used to wait for hours and eventually leave.
• So, here I am, in a restaurant, sitting at my table, waiting for him. I told him to meet me at eight. It's 8:40 now, Still no sign of him. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I dialled his number; I was about to call him then my eyes caught sight of him coming inside with his daughter in his arms. she saw me and jumped from his arms and ran towards me "V... "
• "Hey munchkin, how are you doing?" I asked lifting her up.
• "Me fine, you?" She said, smiling at me.
• "I'm good," I said, kissing her cheek.
• "I'm sorry for making you wait, V," he said, hugging me.
• "It's okay," I smiled, kissing him on his cheek.
• We ordered our meal, After some time the waiter brought us our meal. We started digging in.
• "How's work going on?" I asked,
• "It's going fine, dad's secretary Mr. Adam was helping and guiding me in many things. I'm just nervous about the new project I'm working on right now." He said,
• "Don't stress about it Ro, I know you'll do good" I squeezed his hand.
• "Thank you, Venn," he said, smiling at me.
• "Sinng" Ariel pulled the hem of my top, pointing at the group who was singing on the stage.
• When I visit his house, I used to sing songs and rhymes for Ariel, she also dances when I sing, it's so cute to watch her dance. I read somewhere that singing songs would help kids to speak early and make them active.
• I looked up to see the band on stage, playing a slow song. I was watching the lead singer; she has a very good voice. I saw her somewhere I can't remember but I feel like I know her. Her gaze fell on me, and she smiled.
• Rory saw my confused face, and asked, "Do you know her?".
• "No...But I feel like I saw her somewhere, I can't remember where."
• He turned to her, watching her.
• "V, go sing," Ariel said pointing at the stage, I smiled at her. Bending over, I said.
• "I'm not their band member, I can't go there and sing Ariel, it's rude."
• "Please..." she requested with her big baby brown eyes.
• "Ariel baby, she is not their band member. How can she go there and sing dear? She doesn't know them, I promise I'll make her sing a song after our dinner okay" Rory took her hand and kissed it.
• "Daddy promise?" She grinned.
• Nodding to her, "Daddy Promise" he grinned.
• I smiled at them; Rory is the best father I have ever seen before. Anybody who sees their relationship will say that a thousand times because he's really a very good father.
• He never made her cry. He gave her his time and love, Even when he was busy with lots of work he would run to her when she gets sad. I craved that kind of love, I missed it terribly.
• After finishing the song, The lead singer waved at me signalled me to come onto the stage.
• It confused me. Normally bands never call a stranger to the stage to sing when they are performing, I know it because I have gone to many concerts and I don't remember any of the singers calling someone over to the stage and allowing them to sing.
• Maybe they do, but I never saw or heard about it.
• "Everyone... Meet my friend Vanessa Foster. She is a very good singer too, let's hear her " she announced.
• Friend? I don't even know her, why is she lying. Who is she? Do I know her? If I do then why can't I remember her?
• Everyone was looking at me, and I was feeling nervous. I don't know her and she just announced my name, asking me to come over and sing.
• I turned my head to look at Rory, he was encouraging me to go. Ariel was grinning and gesturing me to go, I stood up as I was trying hard not to show my nervousness on my face.
• My legs were weak. It was hard for me to move them, and I feel like I was lifting a huge rock. I slowly began to walk to the stage. My hands were sweating and shaking. I climbed up on the stage as I took a deep breath and smiled at everyone hiding my nervousness.
• With my shaking hands I took the mike from her, she smiled at me which confused me more. Why on Earth is she asking me to sing? How did she know that I sing? How did she know my name? So many questions were running in my mind, but I have no answers for them.
• Like the lightning bolt I remembered her, she was there when I sang on an occasion. Where my mom was a host, her name was Olivia Carl.
• My mom's boss treated me like his daughter, and he knows that I can sing, so he requested me to perform that day, So I did. Olivia was a guest there; she saw me singing and praised me.
• I don't personally know her, only once I met her and I never saw her after that. I didn't say anything to her. I turned around to face the people who were curious to hear me sing.
• I glanced at munchkin and smiled. Her innocent face relaxed my nerves a bit.
• I remembered the song which I recently liked, Looking at everyone maintaining eye contact with them, I was clearing my throat. I closed my eyes, took a deep and exhaled it slowly.
• Desert Rose By Lolo.
• [Rising High Note](mine)
• I closed my eyes while doing the high note, I guess my nerves are popping out on my neck by now. Pressing more I sang without breaking.
• [Music]
• As I was singing the lyrics, I saw a gentleman at the last table, looking at me with those mesmerizing green eyes. They had an intensity in them that I started sweating, I wasn't breaking eye contact, he wasn't breaking it either.
• Continuing the lyrics
• That jawline, I just want to trace my finger on it. I for once want to feel his skin against mine. His Sharp and hard jawline was giving me a hard time, I blinked a few times to get out of it. I shifted my gaze to someone opposite to me.
• [Chorus]
• (Lyrics)
• closing my eyes tightly I sang my high note).
• [Verse 2]
• I continued the French part of the lyrics,
• Regarde nous
• (My eyes met his again)
• Les mêmes joues
• Toi et moi, tous les deux les mêmes
• [Like he understood what I'm saying, he was watching my every move, my hands, my face without blinking]
• Plus de joie, en rentrant dans le bled
• [Pre-Chorus]
• (He was very handsome and hot too, he's wearing a black Armani suit, talking to someone sitting opposite him. The man reeked of dominance and authority)
• [De.......] [Backing Vocalist]
• [Bridge]
• [My grip on mike increases with my voice and high notes]
• Lyrics
• [Outro]
• (My knuckles turned into White, my eyes weren't leaving it, I could see him gripping his glass of water. His jaw clenched and a nerve popped out on his forehead and the nerves on his hands were visible from where I was standing)
• (I closed my eyes)
• I was completely concentrating on the lyrics I was singing.
• (My Note)
• End.
• ****
• When I opened my eyes, everyone stood up and I was greeted by applause from the crowd, praising me for my skills and voice.
• "Thank you," I said shyly, Olivia came to me and hugged me. "You sing so well, It's amazing to watch you sing like an angel dear."
• "Thank you," I smiled, walking back to my table I see Rory clapping and smiling at me, I sat down on my chair.
• "You know you have a beautiful voice, if you utilize it you can be a popular singer, make it your passion and career Vanessa," he said.
• I just smiled at him.
• "You sing well," Ariel said and kissed me on my right cheek,
• "What's that song called?" He asked taking a spoon of his meal.
• "It's Desert Rose "
• "Is it a new song?"
• "Yes, I think it was released recently."
• "Love it," Ariel said, looking at me.
• I smiled at her, "Oh...So, my munchkin liked the song hm... Then I have to sing it every time I come to your home!"I said, tapping my chin.
• "Yes, yes," she said with excitement.
• "Okay, I will sing this song for you, and you have to dance for me then, deal?"
• Nodding and grinning "Deal," she replied and I grinned.
• "Oh! I forget to ask how's Mr. blaze? I heard he's sick now."
• "He's fine, it's just the flu."
• "Your Mom?"
• "She's Fine, Too,"
• "Tell me about the business,"
• He sighed, "stressful"
• "You need to take some rest, and you're not a machine to work all day without taking rest Ro, you look awfully weaker than before."
• "I will."
• "You should or else I have to put a babysitter for you."
• Ariel laughed at it, "Daddy gets it, haha!"
• I laughed with her, "Yeah, so funny" he got irritated,
• "Okay, no laughing" I put a finger on my lips,
• Ariel also put a finger on her lips.
• "Hm...(I suppressed my laughter.) what was your project about" I diverted the topic,
• "It was about a product I've been working on lately."
• "What product?"
• "It's a shower gel..."
• I could feel someone's gaze on me. It was so intense that I had to look back. Whatever Ro was telling me wasn't reaching me.
• Those eyes, God just by looking at them I was mesmerized. He got this intimidating personality like a dark aura around him, Making everyone bow down to him.
• Those beautiful eyes, sharp jaw, kissable pink lips and pointed nose everything about him was attractive and screaming for attention. The man sitting opposite to him was telling him something, but his full attention was on me.
• We were staring at each other as everything around us had disappeared. He was looking at me like he was memorizing every single part of my face and it was very intimidating.
• I heard someone calling me; I turned around to see Rory's worried face.
• "What happened, what are you looking at?" Rory said,
• "Nothing, you're saying?" I replied.
• "Yeah. So I was thinking of investing in that company" he was talking about his company. His father was sick, and he took over the company blaze textiles, its leading in Los Angeles. His father has put people around Ro to help him with things with the company.
• My mind was elsewhere, everything I could think of was him. I don't know why, but he took all my interest.
• ****
• After our dinner, we bid goodbyes, and he took off in his car and I started walking towards my car. I saw a sleek black Lamborghini waiting. I saw that same man getting in "rich people," I mumbled and drove off from the restaurant.
• While I'm riding, I felt like someone's following me. I checked out, but couldn't find anyone. So, I parked my car and went inside my house.
• Yeah, I live alone, my mom died due to cancer 3 years back and my father died in a car accident when I was eight. I hate my cousins and relatives. So, I only have my grandma left, she lives in Florida far from Los Angeles.
• I'm still a student studying at Los Angeles high school. I was a High scoring candidate in my school, because of this, I was receiving a very good scholarship from my school. I worked hard for it.
• My mother and my father have put so much money on my name because of which I haven't had a problem till now, my grandmother also sends me money every month without delay.
• I was setting up time in my alarm to wake up and get ready tomorrow morning for school.
• I was about to lay down on my bed but heard someone furiously knocking on the door.
• I stood up, slowly walked out of my room to open the main door.
• I slowly opened it and saw a very handsome man wearing a black suit standing there with something in his hand.