Rina ensured to get up earlier the following day, but it was more an unintentional effort as she found it hard to sleep, tossing and turning until she gave up entirely and binge-watched a series for the most part of the night. It didn’t help that Zayn was staying in the room opposite hers and that every hour, she had to stop herself from fucking it all, and walking just across her door to knock on his.
When she got out of her room a few hours later just as Michael walked briskly down the hallway, surprise was etched in his features seeing her up and ready. “Good morning, Ms. Powers,” he greeted, nodding his head in polite greeting. “How did you sleep?”
Rina wished she could tell somebody about it, but seeing as no one truly knew the dynamics of their relationship, save Sarah and William back at home she flashed her brightest of smiles and said in a chirpy tone, “Fantastic. I’m excited to work today.”
“I’m glad you are,” he murmured. Michael fell into step with her as they moved up the hallway into the elevator, but Rina couldn’t help turning to look at the door opposite her room. It remained shut and a part of her willed it to open at that moment, with Zayn walking out of it, looking all sexy and sleepy. Swallowing, she turned her direction back to where she was headed, and sauntered into the elevator with Michael, hoping he hadn’t noticed anything.
She withdrew her phone from her purse when she heard the familiar beep, and a smile flooded her face when she saw it was a picture from Zayn. She narrowed her eyes and angled her head when she saw it was the name of the company spelled in front of a building. For a moment, she wondered if it was an old picture or if he had taken a flight back home already. But another one came in almost immediately a launch invite happening the following evening. It still held the name of his company, Graham Conglomerate, but this time, the country they were in, Hong Kong, was spelled beside it.
Zayn was opening a branch in Hong Kong. No wonder he had to be there the previous night. It had nothing to do with Rina. Still, that small voice sounded in her head, asking her if he would have gone through all the trouble locating her room even though it was right across his, if he hadn’t wanted to see her. And there was the kiss…Rina hadn’t stopped thinking about it. Her fingers unconsciously raised to her lips, and she closed her eyes, the image replaying in her head.
She could smell him like he was standing right in front of her, his hands snaking around her waist. Rina felt parched and her breathing threatened to rage. Her eyes flew open when the elevator dinged open, ushering them out onto the first floor.
The first thing Rina noticed was the sudden stares, more than there were the previous night. Usually, she was used to people blatantly staring at her. It had come with fame for more than half her life, but when the lies started weaving intricately and people started believing them, the stares turned judgmental and laden with hate and disappointment.
But this was different. Each time she looked in their direction, their eyes fell to their feet almost immediately, like they were scared and embarrassed by the mere thought of her catching them staring. She walked behind Michael and called him softly. “Why does it seem like everyone is staring? Did something happen?”
“No ma’am,” he answered, shaking his head and looking around. “You are a star even in Hong Kong. Maybe that’s the reason.”
Rina would have put up the argument that the guests in the hotel were stars as well or at least, persons of high caliber. But that would have been a weak one, as she was popular amongst them too. Shelving her reservation far into her mind, she stepped out into the bright skies with Michael and waited out front for the car to be brought around.
Breakfast was waiting for her in the limousine, and Rina was grateful for it. She ate in the silence the ride brought, looking out through the window and trying to rid her head of that damn kiss. Rina didn’t know what it meant for her for her and Zayn. They had tried so hard not to get physical with each other, but it seemed the cosmos had other plans for them as they kept dancing around each other, fingers grazing and breaths hitching.
The building of Pages of Claire came into view and Rina once again kept the thought aside, getting out of the car and walking into the building. Since she was there the previous day, Rina’s nerves were gone, replaced by familiarity and confidence. She strolled the floors in her Palazzo and wrapped top, her heels clicking away on the ground. But it was there again, the stares, searching and questioning.
And there was this tension in the air, almost like something had been let out of its confines that now wove through the space, trying to get her attention. Even Michael noticed it this time as he tilted his head, looking around the hallway lined by designers trying to get about their day. Their gazes lingered, and the questions on their lips died the minute their eyes fell on her.
“You might be right, ma’am,” Michael said when they took the left leading them to the studio. “Something might have happened that we have no clue about. I haven’t been able to check my phone all morning, and I presume you haven’t done that as well.”
Rina shook her head. “I didn’t have the quietest of mornings, but I’m certain it’s nothing. Maybe they saw one of the old rumors on the streets of the internet.” But even Rina knew that wasn’t it.
As Rina walked into the studio, Adam suddenly crossed the space to meet her, a certain look in his eyes. “You …You are just a ball of new discoveries, aren’t you?”