Ringing. Like the sound of a school bell or an old telephone. That was all he could hear. All he could focus on. Sharp and shrill and never, ever ending. Adrien groaned, the loud, horrible sound of his alarm was almost physically painful in his tired ears. He clapped his hands over his ears and turned over in his bed. He tried to cover his head with his pillow, but couldn't ignore the alarm any longer.
The small black box was his oldest companion. It was old, simple, and didn't even receive radio transmissions anymore. It had been a gift from his mother when he was a child, so that he could set an alarm and know when it was time to go to bed. It had also helped him learn how to tell time, and know when it was time to wake up. He had treasured the gift. Now, it was a small black hellion that only told him when it was time to stop dreaming, and when it was time to come back to reality. He hit the alarm clock hard with the palm of his hand, and the alarm stopped mid-beep. He sighed, and looked at the clock again, the little green numbers flashed, and told him it was just before 4:00 AM. He frowned before he rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed.
He told himself every day that he should be more accustomed to early mornings and late nights and varied sleep schedules than he was. He never slept at the same time two days in a row, and he was never sure if he would be sleeping in his own bed or not. Still, despite the inconsistencies of it all, he wasn't used to the hectic schedule. His body demanded that he sleep at a certain time, and protested when it didn't happen. So, instead of feeling accustomed to his constant sleeplessness and functioning normally, he usually felt more like a zombie. He trudged from place to place, and pretended to be alive when it was needed.
He continued to stare at the small alarm clock with it's green numbers, and thought of what it might be like to have a schedule that was consistent. He let his mind wander to the good that it would do him, mentally, emotionally, and physically, to have a regular schedule. To have his meals at the same time every day and to have a solid block of sleep. The dream faded as he watched the clock strike four in the morning. Reality called to him.
He groaned again, and hauled himself off of his bed and towards the bathroom. He didn't bother to turn on any lights as he made his way to take a shower. He could almost see better in the dark than he could in the light, and the lights would hurt his eyes. The small apartment was easy enough to move around in, and it was too early for lights anyway. He turned on the shower and listened to the water run for a minute or so before he felt ready to commit to taking a shower. The warm water would wake him up a little, and he would feel better after he washed the sleepiness from his body.
As predicted, he felt rejuvenated and more awake after the hot shower. He was clean and more prepared to face the day. Not to mention that clean hair was one of his favorite things. It pulled the oils and dirt from his scalp, and made his hair light, soft, and fluffy. He walked in the dark to his closet and gave in to the need for a light. He flipped the switch, and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright light of his room. He shuffled through the clothes, searching for something to wear. It didn't really matter what he wore. Everywhere he went he was primped and dressed and lathered in lotions and makeup anyway, so he would make no special effort to look nice now. Eventually, he threw on a t-shirt and a comfortable pair of jeans. It didn't really matter what he wore so long as it was clean. He threw on a light sweater to fend off the early spring chill, and left the closet without checking the mirror. He would be changing out of his own clothes soon enough.
He walked to the small kitchen of his little apartment and pushed the start button on the coffee maker. He put two slices of bread in the toaster and sat down in the chair by the table to wait.
He looked at his phone, checking his schedule for the day. He frowned as his eyes dragged over the small screen. A two hour drive to the Photo Studio, and then a ten hour shooting day, and two hours back. He sighed, and set the phone down on the table, reminding himself of the reason he needed to drive for so long. He could have stayed at his father's house and slept a little longer. But, the blonde boy had decided long ago that being out of his father's direct line of fire was more important than sleep. Moving out of the mansion had been the best thing he had done for himself.
His toast popped up as the coffee maker dinged. He collected his small breakfast, and sat back down at the table. He slowly munched the crispy, buttery bread, and sipped at the coffee. It wouldn't wake him - it rarely did - but it tasted heavenly, and smelled like happiness in a mug. It also warmed his core, helping him feel more ready for the day. He made an effort not to check his phone for the few minutes it took him to eat. It was nice to be free from the screen for a moment or two. His world was filled with notifications and text messages, and it was nice to be free from them this early in the morning.
He finished his breakfast quicker than he wanted, but got ready to leave anyway. He set the empty coffee mug by the sink, and slipped on his shoes and jacket. He yawned and stuffed his keys and wallet into his pockets as the intercom went off. The doorman of his apartment complex answered. The doorman was a kindly old man that had been working at the apartment complex for decades. Everyone loved him, including Adrien.
"Mr. Adrien? Your transportation has arrived." he said cheerily, his old voice creaking a bit as he spoke, "It's a bit early to be starting the day, isn't it?"
"It is." Adrien chuckled softly, "And, thank you, Manuel. I'll be down in a moment."
The intercom cut off, and Adrien left the small apartment and hopped into the elevator. He rode down to the first floor, and walked past Manuel. Manuel tipped his hat to him and Adrien waved back as he got into the car, "Have a good day, Sir."
Manuel laughed, waving a wrinkled hand at him, "No need to call me 'Sir'."
Once the door to the car was closed Adrien sighed and muttered to himself grouchily, "Manuel is right. It's too early to be doing anything. The sun isn't even in the sky." He mumbled, and looked out the window.
From the front seat a deep voice asked, "Are you ready, Sir?"
"Yeah." Adrien waved halfheartedly.
The car moved forward, and Adrien watched as the city passed by around him. As the dimly lit buildings flew past him, he thought again about how much he wished he could just drive himself. Even though Adrien had a license, and was almost twenty-four, his father still forbade him from going anywhere without an escort. It was easier to let the escort drive then to justify having a car and letting the escort ride with him. And, Adrien admitted, his father paid for the service. It wasn't really for Adrien's safety or his father's peace of mind. It was so that he wouldn't lose the most precious asset of his fashion empire, a son in the modeling business. It was also so that his father could keep one hand in Adrien's life at all times. The escort reported to his father on a daily basis.
Adrien rolled his eyes at the thought. Adrien could take care of himself; fencing and model conditioning kept a person fit. Along with a rigorous fitness routine, he also enjoyed a variety of self defense techniques. He was lean and fit, and could easily hold his own against someone in a fight. Not that he regularly got in fights, but he was prepared if the situation called for it. He was also an adult. It seemed strange to him that his father wanted so desperately to know about his nonexistent life outside of modelling. Despite his ability to protect himself, and his lack of secrets, his father still got the last word. Both as his father and as his boss.
His boss. His father was still his main employer, even though he had tried to get away. He had acted out after he had been forced to quit public schooling. His father ignored it, and continued to book him for shoots and shows. Adrien had even signed on with a private agency once he graduated in an attempt to escape his father's reach. It was a smaller company, and they were happy to have him. However, after finding out which agency he worked for, Gabriel had bought Adrien from them. Gabriel offered to pay for their company's advertising for a year. The small company accepted the deal, and skyrocketed to the top of the most popular agencies to work for in all of France. Who wouldn't want to belong to the same agency that had gotten Adrien Agreste into fashion. And, with little he could do to fight it, Adrien once again belonged to his father. His father insisted on sending cars for him, having a personal escort at all times, and doing anything that might make him look like a good boss. It was all very draining, and really only a farce for the public. Most people thought it was sweet, that his father missed him so much that he bought him back. What they didn't know was that he'd owned Adrien from the start, and all of his attempts to get away were only temporary solutions.
Luckily, his father let him live away from the gigantic fortress that he had grown up in. Of course, he had to live somewhere high-class, with a doorman and a cleaning service, so Gabriel could keep up appearances, and keep Adrien under his thumb. But, the false sense of freedom was enough for now. He currently had no desire to break from his father. His life was not as glamorous as people thought, but he was busy, and that kept him distracted. He was free to do as he pleased in his own space, even if that was the only place he was free to do so.
He leaned back onto the soft material covering the seats of the comfortably large car, and closed his eyes. He wouldn't sleep, he wouldn't be able to now that he was awake, but it was nice to pretend. With a smile he called to the driver, "Wake me up when we get there."
The driver nodded.
Adrien drifted into a slight daze, and absentmindedly listened to the driver's talk radio station. Talk of a peaceful France, the upcoming election, and the excitement surrounding Fashion Week tickled his ears. They talked of politics, world trade, and a bit about the big names that would be at Fashion Week from around the world. Adrien started to tune the radio out as his mind wandered to other things.
He thought of a life where things were simple. A regular job. A regular schedule. Working for his money and not getting anything and everything he wanted when he wanted it. A small apartment. A regular life as a regular guy. Free from the shallow lifestyle of modelling and fashion. He could have a dog. Or a cat.
Adrien's daydream was interrupted by a sharp ring. He blinked his eyes open, and pulled his phone from his pocket. Who in the world would be calling him at this hour? He looked at the screen. Of course. He should have known. A smile spread across his face, maybe he would have a better day than he'd thought.
He set the phone to his ear, "Hey, shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"Shouldn't YOU be sleeping?" a woman's voice whined, "Adrien! I was trying to surprise you!" she pouted, "I'm standing here in your apartment thinking that you might have been kidnapped because your bed is empty!"
Adrien snickered, "I'm already off to work. The Studio is two hours away, and I have to be there by seven. I didn't have an extra ten minutes to wait for you. I didn't even know you were coming."
"Adrien!" The girl cried.
Adrien laughed, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I missed you."
The girl sighed, "It's okay. I guess I'll just give your muffin and coffee to Manuel. Cute old man will appreciate it more than you." She sassed him.
Adrien smiled, "You're lucky that I find your American sarcasm enchanting. Other men might find you too hard to handle, or disrespectful." He snickered, and continued before she could talk over him, "And, thank you for coming to see me. Manuel will probably love the treat. That's so thoughtful of you. He'll be so excited. I'm sure he gets tired standing there all the time, even if he is good at it. If I was Manuel, getting a muffin and piping hot coffee from a beautiful girl like you would brighten my day." Adrien smirked.
"You're making me blush!" The girl reprimanded him.
Adrien laughed, "Also, don't be too nice to Manuel, I'm not very nice when I get jealous, and he's my favorite doorman. I wouldn't want anything to happen to him."
The girl laughed, "Oh are you? I'll give him a heads-up."
"Oh, yes. It's my fatal flaw." he closed his eyes again, leaning against the cool glass of the window, "I'm also upset that I didn't get to see you. I must have missed you by mere minutes. If I would have known you were coming, I maybe could have pretended to have lost a shoe and waited to at least kiss you goodbye."
"Don't tease me, Adrien Agreste." she huffed.
"I will do as I please, Robyn Handen."
"Wait!" she screeched, "When will you be home?"
Adrien hummed, "I don't really know, Byn. My schedule says it's a ten hour shoot, but I can't guarantee that it won't run over, or end super early. You're a model too, you know how it goes."
She sighed, "Unfortunately. I just miss you is all. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. I love and hate this time of year. The fashion and atmosphere are so enchanting, but I'm so busy that I barely have time to eat."
"I miss you, too." Adrien yawned, "Maybe next weekend we can go somewhere. My schedule is clear because it's the end of the season. So, I'm all yours."
"All mine? Isn't that what you are already?" She giggled, "We could go to California for a few days. The sun and the sand would be good for us both. And I miss my beautiful America."
"It's a plan, then." Adrien smiled, "I'll have someone put it in my schedule as soon as we're done. I'll text Nathalie and have her make the arrangements." He paused, "Speaking of schedules, what are you up to today?" Adrien hummed. He missed her dearly, but they were both so busy all the time. Listening to her voice wasn't as good as seeing her in person, but it was still better than nothing.
"Well I stopped by to surprise my workaholic boyfriend with a treat for breakfast, but even though I came at five in the morning he's still gone before I get here. Annoying, but I'll get him for it later. Now I'm off to the city for a shoot. That new branch of the company, Square, is shooting their new season before their designers leave for fashion week, so I'm going in for a few hours to model. It sounds pretty low-key, and I've only heard good things about the photographer. I might even be done in time to swing by and see you."
"That would be exciting," he smirked, "I hope you have a good time. Square is one of my favorite branches of the company. They are trendy and edgy, and I've never met anyone from their staff I didn't like. They are all very genuine," Adrien paused, "And you should do something about that delinquent boyfriend of yours, he sounds horrid."
Robyn's laughter filled his ears and his heart warmed, he was lucky to be in love with her. She was kind and smart, and though she wore her emotions on her sleeve, she was loveable all the same. It was a bonus that she was beautiful, and it was some kind of miracle that she loved him. Especially since he didn't really know if he was doing this right. Robyn was the first girl he'd ever really been in a serious relationship with. He must be doing something right if she stayed.
Robyn sighed, "Well, I have to go. My agent is in the car, she came to pick me up, and she'll want to talk to me about the day's plans. Call you later?"
"I can't wait." Adrien cooed.
"I love you, Babe."
Adrien rolled his eyes at the American pet name, "Je t'aime, Byn."
He ended the call and threw the phone to the seat of the car, not even watching where it landed. He'd find it later. He sighed and leaned over his knees, resting his head on his arms. They arrived at the studio before he knew it, and he felt the familiar pull of his body begging him to sleep. He pushed past it, and exited the car. Before he could get a word in, he was ushered into hair and makeup and the day started like every other job; in a flurry of hairspray and expensive clothing.
He and several other male models posed for the newest line for Agreste Designs. Though he wasn't a very good father, Gabriel Agreste's name as a famous designer was well won. The lines of his designs were perfect, and the ensembles were always fabulous. His taste truly captured the allure of Paris, and set the bar high for all other designers. Too bad he wasn't as famous for his parenting skills. Adrien did have respect for him, though. His father was a genius, and the perfect businessman.
He'd stopped hoping that his father would come around a long time ago. His hatred and jealousy was replaced with understanding and acceptance. His longing for his attention had faded, and in it's place was an appreciation for the small amount of attention his father did give him. It helped that Robyn was in his life. She was a ray of sunshine in his otherwise stormy existence. Adrien had given up hope that his father would wake up one day and suddenly care for him like he'd always wished. Instead, he clung to the love he did have, from Robyn and from his mother, when she had been alive.
The modelling wasn't bad, and around ten or so, they were joined by a set of female models. Adrien felt his heart leap at the thought that Robyn might be among them, and that he would get to see her. It was a slim chance, but he was still hopeful. Seeing her would lift his spirits and make his day brighter. As they filed in, Adrien frowned, there was no sign of his sweet American girlfriend among the stuffy French models.
Several outfits and layers of makeup later, they all broke for a very late lunch. Adrien slipped away as they all ordered something small and light from the nearest and most expensive cafe. He didn't understand the culture of modeling. How was it "watching what you ate" if you didn't eat? He avoided the crowd and made his way to the Studio Office where he knew there was a couch and a mini-fridge with simple food. The owner of this studio, Marco, was a friend, and had tipped Adrien off to the coveted napping spot and snack stash during one of his first shoots here. Adrien slipped into the office and flopped ungracefully onto the soft couch. Napping sounded so much better than eating. Adrien set an alarm for one hour, and let himself drift.
As he tried to fall asleep, he found himself lost in thought about going with Robyn to the sunny beaches of California. He hadn't been to California in many years. He let his mind wander to the beautiful, sunny state in America and what his super hot supermodel girlfriend would look like in a swimsuit. Gorgeous, of course. This trip was going to be fantastic. He couldn't think of anything he needed more than a real vacation right now. He would have to thank Robyn for the idea. His father would be delighted.
Of all of her good qualities, Adrien was most often grateful for the fact that she had charmed her way into his father's stone heart. The great Gabriel Agreste was quite fond of the girl, or as fond of her as he was able to be fond of someone. His father had told him more than once that he would approve of Adrien marrying the girl. Most of the press and people who read what they wrote believed that he and Robyn would get married. They probably would, since they had been together for almost two years, and spent all of their spare time together. She was kind and caring, and she understood him. His need to sometimes be alone, but also his need to sometimes just be with her. And she was so understanding of his schedule and was probably the only person who understood his lifestyle.
As he drifted, he thought about what it would be like to propose to her in California. With the sun on her tan skin and in her brown hair, it would be more than perfect. And with that notion, he could think of nothing else. Being married to Robyn would be wonderful.
He shot her a quick text.
-"Thinking of you. Miss you 3"-
To which he received and almost immediate reply
-"Same ;)"-
Adrien rolled his eyes and snagged a sandwich from the fridge as he lay on the small couch. Robyn never let her phone get too far from her, she always seemed to have something to do on it. She posted and tweeted and favorited things on so many different social media sites that he couldn't keep them all straight. He was content with texting and calling. He had a media team that was hired by his father to keep up all of his social media sites. He had the apps on his phone, but never opened them. He set the phone down and munched the sandwich slowly and fell into a light sleep for the last few minutes of the lunch break.
It was the sound of his phone that woke him. He looked at the screen of his phone, a picture of Robyn's face smiled at him. He rubbed at his eyes. Had he really fallen asleep? He must have been more tired than he thought. He frowned as he got another message. The large phone buzzed against his face, telling him it was time to get up. He sat up groggily, and pushed a hand through his hair before he looked down at the screen. There was a long string of texts. He sighed and unlocked his phone, preparing the read the novel from the American girl. This happened every time. He just wanted to say hello, and then she didn't stop replying. The first of several messages, that was at least six centimeters long, showed up on the screen.
"Not again." He rolled his eyes.
"Mr. Agreste, you're needed on the floor." A woman's voice called.
Adrien slipped his phone back into his pocket without reading the messages. The texts would have to wait; he was needed back at the photo shoot. As he made his way to the brightly lit spot in the otherwise gloomy studio, people swarmed around him. He was used to it by now; the group of people paid to fix his hair and touch up his makeup as he walked into the bright studio lights. Most of the other models had left for the day. This was normal. He worked much longer than the others because he was the literal face of Agreste Designs.
"Where do you want me, Marco?" Adrien smiled at the jovial man behind the large camera.
"Oh, Adrien, you spoil me. The only model I work with that does what I tell them to do." Marco gushed, "Don't tell the other models but you are my favorite."
Adrien laughed a little, "It'll be our little secret."
"Now," Marco pointed, getting serious, "over there."
Adrien put on his game face, and stood on the markers on the floor. Normally, he would be a little lethargic by now. But, with the thought of asking Robyn to marry him, he found he had the energy to be bossed around and fussed over for a few more hours.
88888888
After a few hours of changing clothes, a few more layers of hairspray than was probably needed, and no more breaks for snacks – the photo shoot ended. Adrien emerged from the small studio, tired and starving. The sun had set hours ago, and the chill of the night bit through his light jacket. He got into the car that was waiting for him, and started the long drive home. He took his phone out of his pocket, hoping to check the time, to find the entire screen of his phone filled with texts and missed calls. They were almost all from Robyn. Adrien sighed, and called her back. The phone barely rang before she answered.
Her voice was frantic, "Adrien! Where have you been?"
Adrien laughed a little, "Where I always am. I told you I had a long shoot today."
"That isn't a good reason to ignore me. My phone said that you saw my texts," Robyn whined, "How long does it take to send a text message Mr. Agreste?"
Adrien could hear that she was upset with him, and his attempt to joke about it. He sighed, "I'm not allowed to have my phone during the shoot, you know that. And we didn't have any breaks after I checked the messages the first time. I'm sorry."
Robyn sighed loudly, "I'm just glad you're okay. We should just sync our schedules so I don't have to worry about you all the time. Or turn on that tracking app. That way I always know where you are. Not in like a creepy way. Well, maybe. I mean. You're famous! What if you'd been kidnapped? What would I do?"
Adrien laughed, "Robyn, I'm not going to get kidnapped. I have a personal guard and I take personal defense lessons from the most skilled fighters in the world. I'm okay."
"I know." She huffed, "I just worry okay? Are you on your way home?"
"Yeah, we just left the studio." Adrien smirked, "I haven't eaten dinner yet. Would you like to have dinner with me? I know I won't be there for a couple of hours, but I still have to eat."
Robyn laughed, "It's a date."
"I'll pick you up."
"I'll be waiting."
There was a pause and then a beep in his ear that said the call had ended. He leaned back against the seat, feeling the exhaustion from the day starting to win him over. He leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder.
"Instead of going to my house, can you please pick up Robyn first? She lives in the Villas on 10th. I can put the address on the GPS if you'd like."
The driver smiled, "Yes, Sir. I know the place."
Adrien smiled a little, and sat back.
Adrien leaned back against the seat, and closed his eyes, trying not to think about how tired he was. If he fell asleep now, he wouldn't wake up until the next morning. The thought of sleeping almost made him fall asleep on the spot. Instead, he forced himself to think about Robyn. He thought about the first time he'd met her at that open house for his father's company and modelling business. He thought their first date, when she'd asked him to coffee and they'd ended up spending the whole day together. He thought about their first kiss, that night on the bridge. They were fairytale material. He thought about how excited he was to see her. How excited he was to go with her to California, to ask her to marry him. He would take her for a walk on the beach, and when they'd walked so far that they were all alone, he would get down on one knee and ask her. Then a paparazzi would probably pop out of the sand like a gopher and take a million pictures. Adrien smiled to himself.
As he daydreamed about how fabulous being married to Robyn would be, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw his father's secretary's number on the screen. He groaned; what could they possibly want of him now? And so late. He pressed the green button, and set the phone to his ear.
"This is Adrien Agreste."
"Adrien, this is Nathalie, your father insisted that I call you immediately to address the issue of Fashion Week." Her voice was distant.
"What of it? I'm already going, I have to. What more does he want?" Adrien yawned.
Nadalie hummed, "One of our top models quit this morning. You are to take his place. Your father has already made all the arrangements."
Adrien felt his heart sink, and frowned, "Understood."
"Wonderful. I will email you the details." The call ended.
Adrien put the phone in his pocket once again. Of course one of the models had quit. Working for Gabriel Agreste was only fun until you actually worked for him. He was a man possessed by fashion and obsessed with winning. Everything was a competition. Adrien and the other Agreste Models lived a life of strict diets and physical schedules. It was a price to pay to be beautiful, or at least that's what his father said. Adrien was suddenly very envious of the other model's ability to just quit. Adrien didn't have that choice, he couldn't just quit being his father's son. Something within him stirred, but he let it go. No sense in dreaming about that.
He had been a model at fashion week before. It was draining and the hours were horrendous. He loved modelling in the right situations, and Paris Fashion Week was not the right situation. He frowned, and resisted the urge to pout or scream or smash something, to express how he felt about the new development. But he did nothing, He only sat in the seat, seatbelt across him, and accepted his father's choice, as he always did. This year, he had convinced his father to let him be there as a name and not a model. Adrien was surprised when his father agreed to let him be free of modeling. He should have known that he would get roped into Fashion Week somehow. By now, he was used to his father's manipulative ways, but that didn't mean he was any less frustrated. He fumed as the sleeping city passed him.
The next thing he knew, the door to the car was opening and Robyn was sitting next to him. His mood instantly lightened, her bright green eyes twinkling at him in the dim light of the car.
She looked at him for a moment, "Are you sure that you want to have dinner together? You seem awfully tired."
"I am. It's been a long day. But I'm also starving. And I haven't seen you all week. I know that you're busy tomorrow, and I'm headed out of town next week, so this will be the last chance I have to see you until Fashion Week is over." Adrien looked at her sleepily.
"You're sweet." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
Adrien leaned back against the seat, "What would you like to eat?"
"How about Take-Out?"
"Take-Out?" Adrien raised an eyebrow at her, "What's that?"
She blushed, "Oh sorry, American slang. Chinese. It's slang for Chinese."
Adrien smiled, "Perfect."
Robyn leaned forward and smiled at the driver, "Can you go through the drive-thru at Mi-Yung's?"
The driver nodded and pulled out of Robyn's driveway.
After ordering more food than they probably needed, they drove back to Adrien's apartment and sat on his small couch, laughing and making fun of each other as they tried to eat with chopsticks. When the food was gone and it was well into the next day, Robyn stood and yawned.
"Alright, Babe, I have to go or I won't get enough sleep to be useful at my shoot tomorrow. Have fun packing, and call me when you get to Paris." She winked at him.
Adrien walked her to the door, and let her out, "When I see you again, we will be on a plane to the sunny state of California."
Robyn hummed and stood on her toes, "Sounds perfect."
He leaned down and kissed her sweetly, and smiled against her lips.
She leaned away, and turned to leave, "Goodnight. I love you."
"Night, Byn. I'll talk to you later. Now, go get some sleep."
She giggled and walked into the elevator, blowing him a kiss as the doors closed.
Adrien retreated to his room, ignoring the mess of chinese boxes and trash all over the living room. He would clean it later. Tomorrow had been left open for him to pack to go to Paris. But, packing wouldn't take that long, and he decided to sleep without turning on his alarms for once in his life. He burrowed into his blankets and was quickly asleep.
He dreamed of Robyn in a wedding dress, himself in a suit, and spending his life with Robyn Handen, the beautiful girl from America. This seemed like the best escape from his rigorous life he could think of. With no threat of the morning wake up call, and with the thoughts of Robyn filling the empty places of his mind, he drifted into a deep sleep.