POV: Rhys Anderson

The estate was beautiful and was surrounded by trees and flowers, letting a gentle breeze into people’s homes. There was never a doubt about Nathan’s taste in houses, although his dress sense could always be questioned.

“What do you think, man?” He asked, standing in front of one of the luxurious mansions in the estate, which was going to be my home for the next few months...maybe weeks, depending on how fast I was in getting done with my mission.

I removed the dark sunglasses covering my eyes, nodding my head, impressed with his choice.

“It’s worth the millions of dollars you spent on it,” I said, then put back on my sunglasses.

He chuckled. “I knew you’d have my head if I didn’t spend your money wisely,” Nathan said.

“You know me well,” I said.

“We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. Why wouldn’t I know you?” He asked in a rhetorical manner, with a smile plastered on his face.

“You’re very right. I hope everywhere has been tidied up,” I said, looking around the house.

“Yeah. I made sure it was cleaned thoroughly,” He said to me.

“Good, because I intend on moving in today. My suitcases are already in the trunk of my car and I can’t wait to rest, hopefully, sleep peacefully on the bed in my bedroom. Before I get my hopes up, there’s a bed in my bedroom, right?” I asked.

He rolled his eyes. “No, you’re meant to sleep on the tiles. Of course, there’s a bed in your bedroom,” Nathan said.

“Perfect. All that’s left is a good and warm bath. I’ll just have my bath and sleep. Please, have mac and cheese prepared by the time I wake up. I know that’s what you cook best,” I said to him.

“Sure,” He said, as the smile gradually dried up from his face.

“I’ll be inside,” I told him, and began to stroll causally into the mansion.

“Rhys,” He called, his voice laced with annoyance that he seemed to be desperately trying to hide.

I turned back around, putting my hands in my pockets. “Yeah?”

“Who are you leaving your suitcases for?” He asked, arching his brows with suspicion directed towards me.

I shrugged my shoulders. “You, obviously,” I replied, with a nonchalant expression.

“Hello? You said you were coming to Texas. I left what I was doing at San Francisco, met with several house realtors just to get somewhere comfortable that matched your taste, and prepared virtually everything for your coming. What do I get in return? No thank you, no nothing. All you do is order me around forgetting that I am not your servant,” He said, slightly taking me aback.

“I never said you were my servant,” I objected, surprised at his outburst.

“Then, why do you ask me to do practically everything for you?” He questioned, sighing in exasperation.

“That’s easy. I do that because you’re the only person I can trust,” I told him.

He seemed to have cooled off a little bit, and I smiled inwardly. “Still, you should be a little more appreciative when I do stuff for you,” He said.

I nodded my head, agreeing with him. “I will try. Now, can you stop being upset with me?” I inquired, extending my arms for a hug.

He walked right into my embrace and I snuggled him closely. “I’m not upset,” He said.

“Good. You wouldn’t mind bringing in my suitcases, right?” I questioned, and he immediately withdrew from my embrace.

On his forehead were lines of clearly visible anger, and I tried so hard to not laugh out loud, lest he got any more upset than he already was.

“I knew you were going to ask me to do stuff for you again,” He said, adjusting his glasses.

“And I know you’re just going to do it anyway since you want me to put in a word for you as regards to that receptionist you came across in the hotel I just checked out of,” I told him, with a wink from my left eye.

This act only infuriated him the more, and he seemed more upset. “Why did you have to bring her into this discussion?” He asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I thought that reminding you that you could only smash that lady with my help, was quite necessary at a time like this. Thanks in advance for bringing in my luggage. I’ll see you inside,” I told him, with a smirk playing around my lips.

“Rhys!” He exclaimed, throwing tantrums like a little child.

“Nathan!” I retorted, using the same tone of voice he had used. With a cheeky smile, I then turned around and began to walk away.

“I hope you remember that you blackmailed a friend someday, and be filled with regrets,” He called after me, in a loud voice.

“You’re the bestest friend ever,” I retorted, opening the door.

“There’s no word like that,” He called back.

“English can kiss my ass for all I care,” I retorted, then slammed the door, but not before I heard him grunt out loud in frustration.

When I stepped into the house, I didn’t even make it to the bedroom before collapsing on the sofa, tired and exhausted from not doing pretty much anything.

“Shoes,” Nathan said, coming in a few seconds later, as he kicked my feet off the sofa.

“You’re my friend, not my mum,” I said, putting my legs back on the sofa.

He attacked me with a pair of scissors, and I immediately removed my legs from the sofa. “You’re such a killjoy,” I commented.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” He said to me, wheeling the suitcases away.

“Do you go about carrying a pair of scissors around now?” I inquired in a loud voice.

“Only when I know a child in a man’s body is coming around,” He retorted.

Heaving a sigh, I smiled broadly.

Nathan was my best friends. We had met at church when our mothers both dumped us at the children section. While I was always talking and asking irrelevant questions, he was rather reserved and calm. I liked to pinch him on the arm and disturb him a lot, but he wouldn’t say anything...not to me or even report me to the Sunday school teacher or his mother.

We were just two years old back then, but as time progressed, we became good friends. I couldn’t wait to speak to him about a whole lot of things on Sunday since I was an only child and had no one to talk to at home, and he was a good listener. He would listen attentively and he soon became a talkative like myself, but not as bad as myself.

Nathan was the best friend anyone could ask for, and even after all these years, despite our separate lives and distance, we still found ways to connect to each other. He was the only true friend I had ever known, and he was the only person that ever got me.

“What are you thinking of?” I heard him ask, jolting me from my thoughts.

“You,” I replied, with a chuckle.

“Stop lying for no reason,” He said, with a sneer.

“I am not lying,” I said, in all honesty, but of course, Nathan did not believe me.

“You’re thinking about the lipstick girl from yesterday, not so?” He asked, looking directly into my eyes.

“Are you insane? Why would I think of someone like that?” I retorted, giving him a glare that made him dart his eyes away from mine.

He shrugged his shoulders. “What’s wrong with thinking about her? You refused to wash the shirt she stained with her lipstick and you were smiling in your thoughts. So far, that’s the only woman you’ve mentioned since you and I reunited and I bet she caught your attention with the way you described her to me yesterday,” Nathan said.

I coughed out loud, acting like I was about to puke because of the disgusting words he had just spilled. “Jeez, Nathan! Why would you think that I would spare someone that I hated on our first meeting, even the slightest amount of thought?” I asked him.

“Maybe because you had the same smile on your face like the one you had on when you were telling me about her,” He said.

I sat up on the sofa immediately, staring at him with distaste. “This just became so gross. If I spend any more time with you, I sure as hell will vomit my lungs out,” I stated, then stood up immediately and began to walk in the direction of the passage.

“Where are you off to?” Nathan demanded.

“I want to have my bath and sleep in the bedroom, of course. If I stay here and listen to any more of your nonsense, it will take a toll on my health,” I said to him.

He chuckled softly, then as I made to go in, we heard a knock on the door.

“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked.

“No. Are you expecting someone?” Nathan asked.

“I don’t even know my way around the estate yet, nor do I know anyone in Texas, and you believe I could be expecting someone?” I retorted.

“No need to be so rude about it,” He said, then gestured for me to open the door.

I made signs that I wasn’t interested as I was already on my way inside, then he pointed at himself to show me that he couldn’t be the one to open it since he was clad in only his underwear.

I rolled my eyes in frustration, and he pleaded with a whisper.

Angrily, I stormed off to the door, and without bothering to check the peephole first to see who was standing at the door, I opened the door just to know who it was, so that the person could be done with his business and leave immediately.

My precious sleep was waiting and I needed it badly, but sleep vanished from my eyes the very moment I saw who was standing by my door in just shorts and a pink tank top.

My dark blue eyes met with her doe-like hazel eyes, and upon recognising each other, our mouths flew agape; more in shock than in surprise.

POV: Harmony Winters

My twelve-year-old brother, Mason, had showed up in my bedroom where I was rehearsing my lines for the next commercial advertisement I was to star in. He was wearing a sullen expression, and I could tell already that he needed something from me.

“Yes, Mason? What do you want this time?” I asked, bored of his usual demands.

“Why do you always assume that I want something from you?” He retorted, avoiding my gaze.

I shrugged. “Maybe it’s because you always want something from me,” I replied, wearing a small smile on my face.

He sneered.

“Now, don’t be shy. Just tell your big sister what it is that you want and she’ll consider granting your wishes,” I said, staring at him with a warm expression written on my face.

“My ball...”

“You want another ball? Did something happen to the one I got you two weeks ago?” I asked, without waiting for him to complete his statement.

“It’s not like that,” He said, fiddling with his fingers.

I rolled my eyes, as I folded my arms underneath my breasts. “How is it like then?” I asked.

“I was just bouncing it all over the place while returning from the basketball court, and it got into the neighbour’s garden. As a punishment, he seized it from me,” Mason explained.

“And why did he do that? Did you hit him with the ball by chance?” I asked.

He shook his head, giving me a negative response.

“So, why did he have to do that? It was just a simple mistake, not so?” I asked, and stood up, without even bothering to listen to his opinion on the matter.

“Where are you going to?” He asked, looking up at me.

“I’m going to get your ball,” I said, slipping on my feathery flip-flops.

“Harm, but the man is scary,” He objected.

“He might be scary, but I’m sure he is not as scary as your big sister,” I told him with a wink, stepping out of the bedroom.

A broad smile, exposing his dental braces, appeared on his face, as he followed me out to the living room.

“I’ll be right back, okay? Just stay here and wait for me,” I said, then went outside as soon as he had nodded his head, signalling that he was going to do as I had asked.

Stepping outside, I headed straight away to my nearest neighbour’s apartment. I hadn’t noticed any strange or scary-looking man like the one that I had seen the day before, and I had been seeing him for the very first time.

He had put on a flowing white robe and had also worn jean trousers underneath it. On his feet were white canvases and his eyes embraced very thick glasses, which made him look like an alien who had lost his way in this world. He also had bushy heavy beards that were really long and an eyesore.

I didn’t even pay him so much attention or care about how he looked. However, if he thought he could just come suddenly out of the blue to oppress my brother, he was in for a big fight. No one harassed my little brother and got away with it. No one.

There were low whispers coming from inside the house and I couldn’t quite make out the conversation that was going on. I tapped thrice on the door, then looked slightly around, waiting for the child oppressor to come out so that I could give him a piece of my mind.

When the doors opened however, the words I had been aching to say once I met with the man one on one, were nowhere to be found. It was as though someone had cut off my tongue, because for the very first time, my sharp tongue seemed to be paralysed.

What was more was the fact that the guy standing at the door also seemed to be very shocked upon seeing my face. A pregnant silence fell upon us as we both held each other’s eyes, with our mouths opened wide in astonishment.

“YOU!” We said in unison after several moments had passed, with our index fingers pointing at each other.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, eyeing me with doubts expressed on his face.

“I live in this estate. What are you doing here?” I retorted.

“I live in this estate,” He responded, shocking me all the more.

“What? You liar!” I accused, unable to believe both my eyes and my ears.

He scoffed. “Funny how you have the audacity to call me a liar when you are no more than a stalker,” He said, embracing the look of disdain as he eyed me all the more.

I glared at him, with anger making my blood boil. “Stalker? Why would you say that?” I inquired, as I clenched my fists.

“You followed me all the way here, didn’t you?” He retorted.

I gave a broken laughter, surprised by his level of stupidity. “And why, Mr gold-digger, would I follow you all the way here in a pair of shorts and a tank top?” I fired at him.

He shrugged. “Maybe because, Lipstick girl, you just wanted me to believe that you weren’t stalking me. Pervert,” He stated.

“That’s enough. I have heard more than enough from that rotten hole you call a mouth,” I declared, getting angrier with each passing second.

“They say the truth is bitter, and that’s why you’ve had more than enough because you can’t handle hearing the truth,” He said to me, with a smirk playing around his lips.

My fists clenched tighter and I felt like throwing a punch in his eyes, as anger surged through my veins. “You think all this is funny, but it isn’t. I am not going to stand here and trade words with you about whether or not I actually live in this apartment, since it is quite clear that you are never going to accept my explanation being the dumbass that you are,” I said, deciding not to let my anger get the best of me.

“Sorry?”

I ignored his question asking for repetition, and decided to just go straight to the point. Clearing my throat, I spoke up. “Anyways, I am here to see your boss,” I said, eyeing him mischievously.

“My boss?” He asked, looking confused.

“Yes, your boss. Since you’re all in for honesty, please, don’t lie that you are the Lord of this mansion. I know your type very well and I can say for sure that you work for whoever pays the rent of this house,” I said, wearing a knowing smile on my face.

He began to laugh awkwardly. “And why do you think that I am working for anyone?” He asked.

“Isn’t that quite clear, Mr gold-digger? You extorting five hundred dollars from me is enough reason to believe that you work for people. In fact, I am hundred percent sure that you can’t afford this luxury. If you could, you wouldn’t have acted so pathetically yesterday,” I said.

“What exactly are you arguing over with the visitor?” A stout figure asked, coming into view.

“Finally. Are you the boss here?” I asked, looking away from the annoying human who couldn’t seem to stay the hell out of my life.

“Boss?” The stout guy asked, looking even more confused than the gold-digger.

I rolled my eyes, already running out of the energy I had had while coming to the apartment. “I guess both of you work for the same man. I’m in search of a man with heavy beards,” I explained.

“Who the hell is that?” The gold-digger asked, looking at his supposed colleague.

“Oh. That must be the realtor,” The stout guy said, realising who I wanted to see.

“I see. Um... do you know if he took a ball from a little kid?” I inquired, worried that I had probably made a mistake.

“I don’t think he has the time for that. Why do you ask?” The stout guy asked.

“It appears that your realtor took my brother’s basketball. If you don’t mind, can you search the place and give it back to me?” I asked.

“Now, that’s just absurd. Why would he take a ball from someone he doesn’t even know? Go back and ask your brother who really took his goddamn cheap ball which I don’t get why you’re making a fuss over,” The gold-digger said, all in one breath.

I scoffed. “Are you freaking kidding me? I know my brother doesn’t lie and you have to go in there and get back that ball this very minute, or...”

“Or what? You’ll get the police to come with a search warrant and search for a ball which they sell anywhere and everywhere?” He cut in, staring at me like I was some sort of crazy person.

“If that’s what it will take to prove that you are a thief and a child oppressor, I might very well do just that,” I said.

I had barely completed my statement when I heard Mason call my name. “Harm!” He said, and when I looked, he was waving at me with the ball in his hands.

“Is that yours?” I asked, trying to confirm from him.

“Yeah. Mr Martyrs stopped by and returned it to me,” He said.

I looked back at my new neighbours, then pushed a strand of my hair at the back of my hair, filled with so much shame and embarrassment. Dammit, Mason!

“Don’t you owe us an apology?” The gold-digger asked, with his arms crossed.

“I clearly misunderstood you. I’m sorry,” I managed to mutter, and before shame and embarrassment could swallow me whole, I turned around and began walking away with my brother.

I felt like sinking into the ground hearing his mocking laughter as I walked off hastily. Even after committing a capital offence that could have me thrown into jail for a lifetime, I hadn’t felt this much shame.

Why did he have to make me feel so pathetic and miserable? No one had the right to make me feel that way, especially not a gold-digger who was obviously squatting with a friend. No one!

POV: Rhys Anderson

The annoying lipstick girl had barely left when Nathan suddenly pulled me inside the apartment, taking me by surprise, then he slammed the door behind us and began to pace around the living room with his hands placed thoughtfully around his neck.

“What’s wrong?” I inquired.

“Rhys, do you know who that girl is?” He asked, still pacing around as I stared at him in a state of confusion.

I shrugged. “She’s the girl I told you about yesterday,” I told him.

His eyes opened wide in surprise. “What?”

“You heard me,” I said.

He walked close to where I stood, then stopped about a few feet away from me still looking stunned. “She’s lipstick girl?” He asked again.

I nodded my head in the affirmative. “Exactly. She is lipstick girl,” I affirmed.

“Fuck! No!” He exclaimed, then immediately raced away from the living room and went to his own bedroom.

I stood still watching him from a distance, wondering what was going on with him. He was mostly weird, but when it seemed like he was panicking, it was usually for a good cause.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, calling after him in a deep tone.

“Just a moment,” He said.

I walked gently and sat on the couch, waiting for him to come back and tell me exactly what it was that was bothering him.

A few seconds later, he came back to the living room with his laptop in his hands.

He sat on the couch beside me and drew the centre table close to where we sat.

“What’s all this fuss about?” I inquired, still somewhat confused.

“All this fuss is about lipstick girl, who I feel is a very important person that you just treated like trash,” He said.

“Trash? I treated her like trash? For crying out loud, I haven’t done anything to this girl. First, she stained my white shirt...”

“...which was an accident,” Nathan interrupted.

I rolled my eyes at him, and continued with my statement. “Next, she clearly told me to my face that I had to be a servant in this house because she was so sure that I couldn’t afford to stay at a place like this...”

“...and why shouldn’t she have thought that a grown-up man who collected five hundred dollars from her because of a small lipstick stain isn’t capable of affording luxury? You go about collecting even a change of fifty cents and expect people to think you’re well-to-do? Funny,” Nathan said, cutting in again.

Sure, he did have a point, but I wasn’t ready to hear what he had to say. “Anyways, she laid a false accusation...”

“...which she apologised for, but you wouldn’t stop rubbing her mistake in her face,” Nathan said, opposing me again.

I threw him a glance, which showed how very much annoyed I was. “Are you seriously supporting that girl over your best friend?” I asked.

He made a gesture for me to look at the laptop on the table, without even bothering to answer the honest question I had asked.

What I saw on the laptop made me shocked to the bone and I couldn’t take my eyes off the laptop for several moments, being held spellbound by bewilderment and astonishment.

“She’s...she’s the target?” I asked out loud.

“Yes, she is, and this is something you should have known had you not been too preoccupied with other stuff instead of your main job,” Nathan said, banging his fist on the table.

“No. This has to be wrong,” I said, punching a few buttons on the keyboard of the laptop, which was staring right in my face.

“It is not wrong, Rhys. Clearly, the universe had already been giving you chances which you could have utilised properly, but you ended up throwing it all away in the air,” Nathan said.

I ran my hands through my hair at a loss for words. “Nathan, how the hell was I supposed to know that she was the reason I am even in Texas right now?” I managed to ask him, trying not to express my disappointment in my tone of voice.

“That is why you should learn to be nice to everyone. When she had bumped into you, you could have overlooked it and told her not to apologise for doing anything since it was clearly a mistake, and everyone makes mistakes. You should have told her she looked beautiful and held her hand when you noticed she was scared in the elevator...”

“I stayed by her side,” I interrupted, defending my actions.

“Whatever, Rhys. When she came here just this afternoon, you should have been nice to her instead of being unnecessarily rude and an annoying arse to her,” Nathan said.

I heaved an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I have made a mistake, but you are also clearly at fault here. I told you to get an apartment close to hers and I never told you to get one in the same estate as hers,” I said.

“And what is the difference?” He asked.

“The difference is that it would have been less suspicious if we weren’t neighbours. Even if we were neighbours, we could have still worked things out smoothly, but the problem is that you failed to tell me you rented an apartment in the same estate as hers...not only that, our apartments are close to each other. If you had told me that, I would have been nice to everyone I met in this estate,” I explained.

“Are you trying to pin the blame on me or what?” Nathan fired at me.

I shook my head in negativity. “Not at all. What I am trying to say is that we both made mistakes...”

“Not this time, Rhys,” He cut in.

“What?” I asked, perplexed.

“Don’t try to make me share the blame with you this time, Rhys. Today, all that happened is all on you. Even if I failed to tell you that I rented an apartment in the same estate as this lipstick girl, it was your job to have known that she is your target. You love procrastinating when to do things and that act has finally caught up with you. This deal may not work out because of your mistake...”

“Now, that’s where you’re wrong. When the lipstick girl finds out about the amount of money I have invested in her modelling agency, she is going to have a change of heart towards me,” I declared.

“Hopefully, she will, but what if she doesn’t? What are you going to tell the boss? He doesn’t take lightly to failures, so what exactly are you going to say to him? You already collected more than half payment for the job, not so? Are you going to return it to him?” Nathan asked.

A smirk played around my lips. “I won’t be returning anything, Nathan. Any money that comes into my hands never leaves, and as for the job, it’s going to be successful. Just trust me,” I told him.

Nathan looked like he was having a hard time with believing my words. “I don’t know, Rhys. First impression matters, and twice now, you’ve made a wrong impression on her,” He said.

“I know, but I have made greater messes in the past, all of which I ended up successfully cleaning up. Tell me, Nathan, have I ever left a job halfway or failed at any job?” I inquired.

“You’ve never,” He replied.

“Good,” I said, entwining my fingers together in deep and calculative thoughts.

“What are we going to do now?” He asked.

“For now, I’m going to sleep as we had planned earlier. I work better when I have rested well enough, and as for you, you’re going to prepare that mac and cheese we talked about,” I said, wearing a small smile.

My phone began to ring suddenly, and when I checked, it was the boss who was calling.

“He always has the ability to know when something is amiss,” Nathan noted.

“That is his business, not mine. I’m not going to pick any of his calls. In fact, I’m putting my phone on silent mode,” I declared, picking up my phone from the table.

“Then, he’d just call me instead,” Nathan said.

“Which is why you should either put your phone on silent mode or simply switch it off,” I said to him, rising to my feet.

“About what you said earlier on...”

“What exactly?” I asked.

“You said we were both at fault. I should have told you that lipstick girl is the main target when you were busy exchanging words with her, but I also wasn’t sure if she was truly the one. We all make mistakes, I guess, and I’m truly sorry about that,” Nathan apologised.

I bopped him on the arm in a playful manner. “You don’t need to apologise for a mistake that would be fixed soon. We all make mistakes, yes, but only few people like myself can turn things around for their own benefit. I haven’t even slept yet and I’m already optimistic. Wait till I finally feel refreshed after having a long time sleeping, you’d be amazed by the number of plans that I’ll come up with to turn things around in our favour,” I said to him, wearing a broad smile.

“I believe in you,” Nathan said, smiling back at me.

“That means so much. Thanks,” I said, and began to walk towards the bedroom, hoping that no one stopped me from sleeping again.

When I looked at my phone screen, I could see that the boss was still calling, good thing I couldn’t hear the sound of the ringtone. Normal people called you once or twice and stopped calling when you failed to pick their calls, but his case was different. He would ask one of his bodyguards to keep on dialling your line until you picked his calls.

Sooner or later, he was going to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t picking up his calls today, and I’d probably be fast asleep and off to dreamland when that happens. Even when I returned his call later on when I woke up, there was no way I could tell him about what had happened, given the fact that I had made him believe that I already went through the girl’s pictures and even knew her name.

I had thought that I was going to be over with this issue in a matter of weeks, or mostly, one month. However, with the mistake I had made, I was probably going to be around for a year, which was three hundred and sixty five days. Yes, I had acted all optimistic with Nathan, but truth be told, I didn’t expect lipstick girl to come around soon because of my actions towards her.

Damn! I really needed to find a way around this new unwelcome development. Harmony Winters... I am coming for you.