Ana's life was a cliche.
She was hiding in a filthy bathroom stall because her eyes wouldn't stop leaking. Not after she had finished reading that trashy fifty-page romance novel she bought from the airport bookstore to pass the time. For goodness sake, its cover had a badly photoshopped picture of Brad Pitt! It was the type of book people enjoyed in secret, then used as kindling after the last page was read.
Ana blew her nose and grimaced at the trash bin overflowing with discarded tissue. The stench of the place hit her nose, so she pushed out of the stall gagging. She headed straight to the sink and splashed her face with cold water. All it did was disguise the salty liquid dripping down her cheeks.
She blamed her tears on the book's main character, who, as the universe would have it, was her namesake.
Anna with the two n's was the plain Jane secretary of a rich, Greek billionaire. Just as these stories often went, she was harboring unrequited feelings of love for her cold and indifferent boss. Yes, the boss was an asshole and playboy, who might as well have been blind, considering how he didn't realize his secretary was female until page twenty.
Under normal circumstances, she would have laughed at the ridiculous plot, but the more she read, the more she realized how she was in no position to do so. It was all so familiar, she might as well have been looking at her reflection.
She checked the dirt-speckled mirror in front of her. The woman gazing back looked like a homeless cat who had spent the night out in the rain. She was nothing like the strong, confident, and successful lady she had envisioned herself to be at age thirty. Just like Anna, she was pathetic.
No wonder Clark never looked my way.
Everything about her was ordinary - from her name to her mousy brown hair. She wished she could say her personality made up for what she lacked in beauty, but in reality, she couldn't count the number of times she had been labeled a bitch. What could one expect, though, from someone who had to fight for everything in her life?
Growing up as a middle child to an older brother who was a star athlete and a younger sister who was incredibly smart, she was often left to fend off for herself. Who had time for Ana when her siblings required to be driven to football practice or flown to the next international Math Olympiad? She had learned being selfish and self-sufficient was the only way to survive.
One time, when Ana had sabotaged her sister's prom dress, her mother had compared her to Cinderella's step-sister. Considering how she ruined her sister's night, Ana knew she deserved it, but nevertheless, it hurt.
Ana pursed her lips at the woman in the mirror. With one last look, she walked to the door, dumping the novel she had in her bag on her way.
Someone had told her once that a person who was ugly inside and out had no right to be pining for Prince Charming. Well, here was the newsflash. Ana was going to be the evil stepsister who'd seduce the prince and live happily ever after.
She was so done with cliches.
******
Clark Choi was every modern woman's vision of a knight in shining armour. He had looks worthy of a Calvin Klein ad, a body that would fit right in with the 300 Spartans of Thermopylae, and lots of cash. After all, he owned half of one of the hottest tech companies currently in the market.
For Ana, none of that would have mattered if he wasn't so nice. Clark was the type of guy who'd go out of his way to make everyone - even a lowly employee like her - smile. And the more smiles he charmed out of her, the more of herself she dedicated at his altar.
"Hi, Ana! Having fun?" The object of her thoughts sat next to her. His cheeks were already painted red by the alcohol creeping into his bloodstreams. His usually impeccable dark hair fell in tousled waves down his forehead. Completing the boyish look were eyes that crinkled at the corners and pearly whites that could sell billions of toothpaste.
Ana's fingers curled like rakes in her desire to tangle them in his hair. "Yes, I am."
They were at their company's annual party. Now that the official program was over, everyone was just drinking and mingling about.
"Have I told you that you look pretty tonight?"
The way his gaze caressed her face, brushing through every feature as if she were a painting, was enough to make her blush.
"Really?" It took all her willpower not to stutter. "I bet you say that to all the ladies."
Clark was always generous with his compliments. The problem was, he dished them out indiscriminately. It wasn't because she was special.
"Nah, I only say things when I mean them. You really do look beautiful."
Ana didn't know what to say. It was true. She did put in more effort in choosing her clothes and doing her makeup, but when she looked at the mirror before she left her apartment, all she saw was the same boring face staring back at her. If he really thought she looked nice, then there was probably a ten percent chance her plan was going to work.
Clark cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him. "Anyway, have you seen Devin?"
She suppressed a sigh. The only time he was finally talking to her, she had to get lost in her own thoughts. She needed to get her head in the game. "Um, Devin already left with his girlfriend. From the looks of it, he was eager to get her home."
Devin Lee was her boss and the other co-founder of their company. Yes, she, too, was some hotshot CEO's secretary.
"Ha, figures." Clark shook his head, a wry twist to his lips. "He's totally whipped."
She gave him what she hoped was an alluring smile. "Since he's gone, why don't you hang out with me?"
Lame. That was the best you can do?
She rushed to add, "I mean I'd like to have some company."
"Sure! I'm planning to hang around for a little bit anyway."
"Hey, boss!" A couple of her co-workers appeared by them, wine glasses in hand. "Happy new year!"
"Happy new year!" Clark raised his glass, causing the others to follow suit.
Ana waited for the ritual to finish, all the while shooting glares at the intruders. It was customary during company parties for employees to toast their bosses in an attempt to get them drunk. If Ana didn't put an end to it, then Clark would be too inebriated for what she had in mind. Once her co-workers had left, she grabbed his arm.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Clark, can I talk to you for a minute?" She tilted her head towards the empty terrace, indicating she wanted to go there.
Clark agreed, although his eyebrows shot up in question. He was probably surprised at the way she was clinging to him.
Ana relished the feel of his hard muscles underneath the posh suit, while she dragged him to their destination. As soon as she shut the door behind them, the noise of the party dimmed to a faint murmur. With reluctance, she dropped his arm and pulled her coat closer as the cold air nipped at every exposed surface of skin it can get to.
"What's up?" Clark placed his elbows on the balustrade, his back to the street. Above him, a milky full moon hung on an indigo backdrop shaded with faint wisps of white.
Bearing the full brunt of his attention, her knees trembled. She leaned against the glass behind her for support.
Get a grip, Ana! This is your chance.
Clammy fists clenched with determination, she straightened her back. After taking a deep breath, she spelled out the sentence she had rehearsed over and over in her mind. "Clark, I want to sleep with you."
Short and to the point - exactly how she wanted it to be. She gave herself a mental pat, but a sudden yelp interrupted her pep talk.
Clark's elbows had slid down the marble. There was a moment of suspension when she thought he was going to fall, but before she could do anything to help, he caught himself.
"I... I'm not sure I heard you correctly." His mouth opened and closed, in search of the right words. "Did... uh... hmmm... Did you... uh... did you just say you want me to sleep with you?"
While he spoke, Ana dug painful crescents into her palms. Her instinct was to flee, but she raised her chin and stood her ground. "Yes, that's exactly what I said."
There was a pause. It was the kind that made her want to look at her feet and chew a groove on her lip. Like a rubber band, the silence stretched on and on, until it snapped. Clark was laughing.
"Ana, you're drunk, right?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.
His touch burned a hole through her coat and set her on fire, but his laughter and disbelief let loose insecurities she tried so hard to restrain. Deprived of her initial bravado, her shoulders slumped. "I..." Doubt softened the volume of her voice. "I only had a glass of wine. I'm completely sober."
"Oh." He withdrew his hand and used it to rub the back of his neck.
In the absence of his touch, the cold came full force, settling in her veins, until it dug icicles into her heart. She braced herself for the rejection, which she knew will follow. By the way his eyes looked at anything but her, she saw how the idea had disgusted him. Ana bit her lip to stop it from quivering and gave in to the urge to stare at the maroon tiles beneath her feet.
God, why did she even think she had a chance? Her life was a cliche. Period. Someone like her was destined to live alone. Even her ex-boyfriend had said so. Every prince wanted to rescue a damsel in distress, not an old hag who might as well be a child-eating witch.
"Ana, you're a very attractive woman--- "
She scoffed at the lie.
"---and I respect you, but---"
There it goes. Just as she had expected.
"---but you're my employee. I've made it a point to never sleep with my employees."
"I've resigned," she said to the ground.
"What?"
The alarm in his voice sounded genuine, so she cast him a hurried glance. "I gave Devin my resignation letter a couple of weeks ago. I'm leaving the company in a few days."
"Why?"
Why?
Because she wanted to pursue her dreams. Being a secretary was a decent profession, which paid her bills and allowed her to live independently, but she had no passion for the job.
"Don't worry." She gave him a small smile. "It's not because of you. I've just decided to start doing something I really like."
For several years, she had been learning ballroom dancing. When she was on the dance floor, she felt special. It was the only thing she was good at. That's why when the dance academy owner offered her a job, plus a chance to perform at an upcoming DanceSport competition, she took it. That was the final push she needed to set things in motion.
"Well, I'm quite disappointed you're not doing it for me." A familiar grin marked the return of the Clark everyone knew. Gone was the awkwardness and in its place was the perfect veneer of charm he often showed the world.
Ana refused to answer. After the gravity of the truth she had laid bare, his teasing irked her.
Clark, however, was oblivious. "I just have a question, though. Why do you want to sleep with me?"
Was he doing this to further embarrass her?
A flash flood of anger drowned the defeat, which had buried itself deep into her gut. Soon, she was filled to the brim and the deluge spilled red-hot from her lips. "Isn't it obvious? If you're going to say no, then just say it. Why do you have to drag it out? You don't know just how much it took for me to ask you that!"
The force at which her words hit left him at a loss for words. There he was, a beautiful statue, just within her grasp, yet completely beyond her reach. The longer she stayed alone with him, the harder it was for her to hold back tears.
She turned towards the door, eager to escape. "I'm going home."
"Don't you want to know my final answer?" A much larger hand held hers in place, preventing Ana from turning the knob open.
Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was standing a mere inch away. The space between them throbbed with tension, making the hair on the back of her neck rise. Despite her anger, the strength of his pull was undeniable. Staying still made her ache with the denial of her desire.
"I thought you already gave me your answer." Like the last leaf on a tree in autumn, Ana's voice trembled.
"Oh? Then you know you're coming home with me tonight, right?"
Ana pressed her lids together.
"I'm coming home with you tonight?" She needed him to say it again to know her mind hadn't conjured those words.
"Yes, you're sleeping with me."
In her mind, she started reciting the numbers from one to ten. Before she could even reach five, she whirled around and pulled his head down for a kiss. He responded by tangling his fingers in her hair.
For once, she was glad the kiss was like every cliche in a romance novel - explosive, passionate, and all that shebang.
How she wished she could say this was happily ever after, but her life had never been a fairy tale. This was just the first chapter.
Ana's story with Clark had just begun.