Thanks too all those that continue to leave reviews… It sparks my imagination to hurry up and finish but I plan to post a chapter a week.. Hope I can keep my promise
Chapter four:
Serena had been avoiding Andrew officially for the last week and Andrew was an emotional wreck.
She had been mad at him before but never like this, she hadn't called him or come over to his house, He couldn't sleep, so he arrived early one morning to open up the club but found that someone else was already there.
Serena was sitting at the bar, starring at a newspaper, and Andrew knew what she was looking at, it was the front cover on every news stand that morning… "Cooperate Millionaire is set to Marry"
Andrew sighed and walked softly besides Serena and took a seat.. "Want to talk about it?"
Serena was honestly in a state of denial… "About what?"
Andrew removed the newspaper from her hands.. "About this."… he pointed so blatantly to the head line
Serena rolled her eyes… "I could care less."
she stood up and Andrew knew better than to let an emotional Serena walk away from any situation.
He stood and pulled her back down by her hand… "Serena Sit"… she crossed her arms… " you're not going to tell me that this doesn't bother you in the least Bit?"… He held up the newspaper to her eyes and Serena just glared at him and she ripped the paper away from his hands
"I COULD CARE LESS."
"Serena, ignoring your feelings isn't going to help…"
"MY FEELINGS!"
Serena's loud statement baffled Andrew, she was ready to blow up and he was the target of her rage
"My feelings?"…She said it again to emphasize her point but her glare intensified at the prospect of her next statement, she closed her eyes as she began to embark on her journey of bitterness… "Do you have any idea what it is to feel invisible?"….it was a rhetorical question and Andrew knew very well not to be a sarcastic fool in this moment… "Well, I do…That jerk has the nerve to come in here and he doesn't even recognize me. I was his best friend, he told me so, and I was the one he confided in, the one who …OH NEVER MIND…"…. She opened her eyes to glare at Andrew once more… "I don't care anymore."
With that she huffed herself into the wine cellar to have more time to chill out as she pretended to count inventory. Andrew knew she needed more time to really deal with all that she was feeling and right know it would not be a good idea to push any other subjects upon her.
OooOOOoo
The morning dragged on and there was much tension in the air at the usual cozy atmosphere of the popular louge and restaurant, Mina was working with Serena today at the bar
"Hey you are feeling okay?", Mina asked sincerely worried about her close friend
Serena nodded, she felt bad that her emotions were easily seen and wearing on the staff. She looked up to see all of her employees on edge and she stood and sighed
"The truth Mina… I can't believe him."
Mina thought for a second she was talking about Andrew but the look in Serena's eyes was different, a dimmed sparkle… "You mean Darien?"…her inquiry was quiet and soft
"Yeah"… Serena had told Mina everything about Darien and her past… " I can't get that whole situation from last week out of my mind and then this morning's newspaper just seemed to make it worse. I can't help but feel like something's out of place and nothing in the world is right and I'm falling and no one is there to catch me, I'm just falling."
Mina stood there silent, she knew that nothing that she could say would change her sulking friends disposition.. "Sere, I think that we should have a girl's night out. Let's go and have some fun, I can't change what happened but I can dam well try to make sure that "me" the "girls " and our little friend "Grey Goose" help us to forget about stupid old Darien."
Serena just looked at her friend and couldn't help but fall into a fit of giggles, the bubbly blond was suggestively raising her eyes brows and winking at Serena like a crazed wild banshee women … "How can I say no to that."
"WHOOOHHH… Look out gentlemen! Tonight we are hitting the town…"… Serena rushed her hand over her friend's mouth, as Serena waived nervously to the patrons who had gone wide eyed at Mina's outburst
"SSSssshhhhh… we have people here"
Mina bite Serena's hand to have her remove it
"That hurt!" Serena shouted out in a whisper
Mina just shrugged her shoulders…"All is fair in love and wages."
"WAR...Mina… you mean WAR…"
"Yeah, whatever Boss lady."
Serena turned to her friend.. "I've known you for over 6 yrs now and you're one of my closest friends why do you insist on calling me BOSS LADY?"
Mina giggled… "Spell BOSS backwards"
Serena spelled it out loud "S.S.O.B"
Mina started to giggle more… "NO spell it like this… "Double" S.. O…B!"
Serena eyes went wide… "You little bitch.".. but Serena was in a fit of laughter herself at the funny gesture of it all, she didn't take it personally because she knew Mina didn't really feel that way, right?... "Mina, you don't really think that I'm mean?"
"NO, Sere, the line is just funny… please you're the best BOSS ever"
This time they both laughed and had everyone looking at them, but it was expected at Constellations, it was part of the restaurants charm and people always came to see the antics of the staff but enjoyed the great food and atmosphere.
The phone suddenly rang breaking there giggling and antics. Serena picked up the phone
"Thank you for calling Constellations, this is Serena speaking, How can I help you?"
"Hi, is this Ms. Tsukino?"
Serena pondered who would be calling her at her work number
"Yes."...She hesitantly answered
"Hello, this is Amber and I'm calling from the office of Seiya Kun, you auditioned for him last month and he wants to see you again, tomorrow morning at 8, so please come with your music, he can't wait to see you again."
"I WILL BE THERE."… Serena's voice could barely contain the excitement that she was having inside, after all the waiting and hard work, it had final paid off, she was being called back to come and perform for the music producer Seiya, who was the main vocal for the hit sensation, the Star Lights.
Serena was now in full antics of screaming silently, while dancing a jig and doing the cabbage patch…Mina looked on in wild amusement
Serena hung up the phone and starred at Mina in disbelief
"Serena what happened?"… Mina asked without hesitiation
"Oh my Gosh Mina, it was Star Records calling back… I have another audition tomorrow for Seiya Kun, HE WANTS TO SEE ME AGAIN! AHHHHH!"
The excitement was heard all over and Andrew came running into the Bar area
"What's going on?"… Andrew nervously asked
Serena ran into his arms, which he was happy about because she wasn't mad anymore, at least right now, but she was hopping up and down like the little bunny that she was
"OMG, I have an audition tomorrow for Seiya Kun. THIS COULD BE MY BIG BREAK!"
"Serena I am so excited for you."…. it was all that he could say, she had been chasing after singing for so long… "What about the talent night tomorrow? Are you still putting it on?"
Serena thought a moment, it would be a lot to do all in one day but the posters had been placed up already and everything was set in motion, she couldn't bail out… "No everything is still on. I should be here by 4 tomorrow; he wants to see me in the morning."
Mina looked on in interest… "But what about tonight?"… "are we going to have fun still?"
"NO WAY… drinking would kill my vocal cords…. NO… I have to go home and practice SOOOO that means that I need you to cover by yourself."
"WHAT?", Mina exclaimed
Andrew looked at Mina with big eyes begging "PLEASE"…and Mina gave in so easily…. "OH FINE!"…
Serena gave her a big hug… "THANK YOU SO MUCH."
Mina hugged her back.. "Just don't forget me when you're famous."
Serena rolled her eyes and looked at Andrew…she smiled at him and he smiled back at her and all was good in the world again, he knew that her joy had overcome her sorrow about Darien, at least for right now.
"I'm leaving now"… she took off her apron, and revealed her fitted hip hugger jeans and fitted white top, her golden hair flocked around her in loose curls and Andrew grew protective…
"I'll take you home."... He went to go get his car keys
"No, don't worry about it Drew. I want to walk"… She spun around and smiled… " it's a beautiful day outside ."
Andrew didn't want to argue with her, so he let her leave but stared at her as she left… "She is going to be the death of me."
Mina stood besides the tall handsome blond… "Don't worry BOSS she will be fine."
oooOOOooo
Serena walked with a light step in her strut, she was on cloud nine, and it was beautiful outside. The sky was blue, the trees were green, and there was a light breeze that made Serena's hair flow around her like ribbons, she was a beauty to look at.
Her eyes were on the children playing at the park as she crossed the street and she stepped off the side walk not looking and when she heard the loud honk, her eyes were like a deer's in the head lights, she paused and braced herself for impact but it never came.
She opened her eyes and the car had squealed to a stop and she stood there looking at the driver, who was shouting out his car window… "HEY GET OUT THE STREET, CRAZY LADY."
Serena was trying to move, but her brain was still in shock, she had been spared a painful blow.
She suddenly felt a strong hand grip hers and pull her onto the side walk on the other side. Her eyes followed the strong hand to the face of the person who had dragged her out of the street.
She tugged her hand back making the man stop and look at her... "YOU!"
The man stood looking at the women again… "Is that how you greet an old friend? Who just saved you from being a rush hour traffic martyr? "
Serena squinted her eyes… "OLD FRINDS?"…her tone full of doubt and anger … "When did you decided that we were friends again? And I'd rather be a martyr than to have you touch me again."
Darien looked at her in amusement, she was beautiful, her features pure and perfect, he stared at her pink lips, that continued to speak, but he blocked out all that was being said, then he tilted his head looking into her eyes, they were filled with that passion that he remembered from many years ago, but there was the fluttering feeling that he should not be starring at her like that and that he should be getting back to his office
Darien spoke… "Don't flatter yourself meatball brains, obviously you still haven't learned to look before crossing, you're lucky I was taking my lunch stroll and I saw you."
Serena was full of fury and just wanted to leave his presence, it made her feel insecure under his stare, she could have sworn that he had stared at her in a way that was inquisitive, but she suppressed it as nothing more than his ego already setting into plan his arrogant statement… "I have to go "
She walked away and Darien looked at her and wondered when she had started to wear her hair down, it was a radiant golden color and the sun only enhanced every loose curl, she had grown into a beautiful women and he saw the stares of the men that passed her and noticed how she was oblivious to every one of them.
Seconds later Darien saw another male after turning from Serena's direction and was heading back to his office…. it was Andrew…
Andrew was trying to chase down Serena, who in her giddiness forgot her cell phone…
Andrew had caught the back of Darien starring at the back of the blond who was stomping away from the tall business man. Andrew saw that Darien had noticed him and so he walked up to the male
"Hey, wasn't planning on seeing you for a long while.", Andrew barked out
Darien was a little tensed at him statement… "I wasn't planning on that encounter last week. It was Setsuna's Idea. I had hoped to have met under different circumstances, one where I could tell everyone about Setsuna myself, instead of how everyone found out. I feel indifferent about the whole situation and Setsuna is livid at me for it still, she said that I was acting very childish"
Andrew just sighed.. "Well, at least you're getting your just desserts. We should catch up later but I have to really get Serena this phone, we have a talent show going on tomorrow night."..
Andrew thought about giving Darien another chance to redeemer himself, he felt kinda bad for the guy.. Serena did kick him… "If you want you guys should come down, Serena is showcasing her new song that she wrote, matter of fact, she has an audition with Seiya Kun, the music producer, tomorrow morning."
Darien was about to decline but as soon as Andrew mentioned Serena in the show, he was overwhelmed with a sense of amazement, he had no clue she sang and she wrote, it was a window that he had never peaked into and he wanted to stare into it.
He played it off though and even deceived himself into believing that he was going to say Yes because he knew Serena, she would choke, she had stage fright, she told him herself…. "Yeah I will take you up on that offer; I will see you tomorrow then."
To be continued…..