Anushka Madhavan's P.O.V.
"Phew." I breath out after dropping my body onto the soft couch, a blush spreading across my cheek as I remember what transpired in the morning. The billionaire himself was talking to me, not noticing the orbs of men and women eyeing him curiously, mostly women ogling him.
"We've known you from when you were 20, babe." His words were repeating themselves in my mind, which nearly cost a day of my salary and earning a harsh glare from my boss. I work in a relatively quiet bookshop, a place which has all kinds of books and is a heaven to me.
People were staring in amusement as I stumble over the shelves, mumbling to myself and blushing out of nowhere. My friend, Jay, and my boss were finding these actions of mine to be rather suspicious.
Now don't get me wrong, my boss is the best employer there is. A lonely man in his mid 40's who has lost his wife and son during an accident 7 years ago. He's been a quiet and lost man ever since. Though I may not have known him prior to his family's death, from the words of the street, he was once a cheerful and happy man with the charm of a God.
"Hmm, appa and amma never told me anything about him." I mutter under my breath, losing focus as his beautiful eyes come back to assault my mind. He is indeed a very beautiful man. i shake my head in an attempt to ease him out of my mind temporarily, failing miserably as I once again get flustered at the thought of his kiss.
"Ugh." I stuff my face into the pillow I am holding, sitting on the couch in a fetus position. I sigh softly and look to the side, smiling as a bundle comes up to me while wagging its tail violently, causing its whole body to vibrate. "Angel." I call out gently, the little bundle of brown fur barking before launching itself into my open arms.
"Hey there." I coo as Angel continues barking at me, licking my face as I laugh. I remove my scarf from around my neck, bundling up the teacup Terrier and placing her down on my lap. I pat her head and start ranting to her about my day, as I always do. Well, at least it is a little different today.
"Guess what, Angel? The billionaire actually claims to know me! As bizarre as it sounds, they look so sincere when telling me all that..." I trail off, not knowing what else to say. I hear a soft "What the heck?" and soon afterwards, something drops. I turn my head towards the apartment door to find Jay standing there, the pizza box on the floor crying for help.
"You're back? I thought you had to stay for an overnight shift?" I question her as I stand up and approach the poor pizza box, my mouth automatically forming a pout as I crouch down and pick up the box, thanking the Gods for the pizza slices are still safe. "Luke said I should go back and spend more time with you." She rolls her eyes as she walks up to the couch, dropping her whole body in an instance and groaning in delight as she stretches her body.
"Why do you hate him so much?" I ask her with a chuckle, sitting down beside Angel and helping myself with a slice of pizza. She sits up and gives me a sharp look, saying: "You forgot the drinks, woman." She walks up to her handbag which is dangling by the counter table to get a bottle of soft drink.
"Well, it's just us anyways." I mutter as she nods her head and snaps the cap open, gulping a mouthful before passing the bottle to me and getting a slice for herself. As we eat in silence for sometime, she asks: "So, who's this billionaire you were talking about? Is he the reason you were so distracted during work today?" I look at Angel who just stares at me with her head tilted to the side.
"Um, I don't remember who he is... and no, I wasn't distracted at all." I shake my head to emphasize my point. I look up to see Jay pulling on a long face, one of her brows arched and her mouth in a frown. She clearly does not believe me.
"Well..." I open my mouth to say something, but she stops me. "No, please don't say it if it's a lie." She gives me a death glare, and so I keep my mouth tightly sealed. After some moments, she explodes just as she takes another slice of the pizza. "Oh come on, just tell me already!" I try to hide my smile while looking at her.
"Well... I wonder if you know Derek Russo?" Her mouth instantly drops as she hears his name. "Oh my God... that hot, bachelor billionaire everyone simps for?" I give her a blank look, arching my brows and folding my arms before my chest. "Simps for? You have to explain yourself, miss." I narrow my eyes at her as she chuckles sheepishly.
I hear some vibration and soft music from my bed as I come out of the shower, rubbing my wet hair with a towel. The sleeves of my oversized T-shirt hooking by my elbow as my pajama pants nearly cause me to trip over my own foot. I thought my clothes were acting weird today, only to realize my feet were actually wet and I did not bother wiping off the water before exiting the bathroom.
"Oh, jeez." I walk to my bed only to find my phone screen shining with a string of numbers and the incoming call screen on display. "Huh." I quickly glance up at the time to find it is the usual time my parents call me. I slide my thumb on the answer button and wedge the phone between my ear and shoulder.
"Hello ma, pa." I smile as I hear the shuffling, about to ask them why they have decided to use another number to call me while I sit on my bed and pull out my laptop to look for delivery services. All I hear is breathing before a couple of laughter was heard. "She just called you mama and papa!" A familiar voice exclaims while another starts laughing louder. I hear a soft mutter of "Shut the fuck up." before we were engulfed in complete silence.
My eyes widen as I realize who called me. "Uh... Mr. Russo?" A pause before he replies, "Yes, darling?" I feel a little hot on my cheeks while typing on my laptop. "Uh... um... ugh..." I stutter, not knowing what to say. I hear a soft, deep chuckle from the other side and feel my insides twist into a knot. I did not know someone can make you feel crazy, like this.
Ever since I lost my memories, my parents were cautious about sending me outside all alone, let alone allowing any guys near me. They want to keep me safe because of the wild things 'bad guys' will do to girls, as they say. As harsh as the truth seems to be, I think everyone deserves to be given a chance, because not everyone is the same. Everyone uses the term "all men are the same" as if there's no good men left on this world.
Well, I'm clearly talking to a great man now.
"Do you know what you would usually do at this time?" He asks softly, causing me to tilt my head to the side as I check for the orders from customers. "Uh... I usually check my customers orders... for the next day." I tell him, nodding my head in satisfaction as he stays quiet. "Uh... I was asking a question... referring to 6 years ago...?" "Oh, shoot." I say in embarrassment while sticking my tongue out as if he can see my face.
"What would I usually do?" I ask in a hesitant tone, hearing a distant sigh from his side. "You would be waiting by the deck of your house, searching for me frantically as if I wouldn't be alive if you didn't look for me. When I arrive in my car..." He trails off, as if expecting me to complete his sentence. I shut down my laptop and place it beside me, waiting for him to continue his sentence.
"You were such a freaky girl." He says, causing me to choke on my own saliva and cough. "Wh-what?" I stutter. What does he mean by freaky? Only one logical "freaky" comes into my mind and I did not like it, and he confirms it...
"Can't keep your hands to yourself kind of freaky." His words having a hint of smugness and smirk in them. I blush yet another time and screech, "Uh, you're lying." "Nah, babe. Besides, I liked that side of you quite a lot, especially when you start touching my torso-" "Mr. Russo!"
"Call me Mr. Russo one more time and you'll face consequences, baby." He speaks, his tone dropping a few octaves while growling out the word "baby". My eyes widen at his sudden change in behavior and tone. "Uh... Derek?" I call out gently, not wanting to wake up Angel and the brewing beast in that man. "Hahaha!" He lets out a deep hearty chuckle that eases me but infuriates me the next second.
"You shouldn't have done that, okay?" I tell him angrily, gulping slightly at his flirty antiques. "Sorry, baby girl." "You-" "But, remember. Another time calling me 'Mr. Russo', I wouldn't be going all gently on you. You'll probably be up the wall, moaning my name."
"What the actual fish." I curse under my breath, my phone sliding off my hands, landing and crashing on my lap as I hear his erratic breathing. The room grows quiet and I ask him, "Derek... were you serious?" "Yes, babe. I wouldn't lie about these things. The old you knows this very well."
"The old you knows this very well."
"You'll probably be up the wall, moaning my name."
"Uh... so we did 'that'?" I ask shyly, partly because being a virgin is quite embarrassing at this age (because literally everyone makes fun of it). Another part of me, the more conservative one, wishes that he says we have never done it. I want to feel it with him, I want him to give me that pain and pleasure, I want to remember every single moment of our skin to skin encounter-
"What are you thinking, Anushka?!" I pinch myself in the forearm and wait for his answer while hissing at the pain. "What if I say yes?" My heart falls a little when I hear his confession. It is times like this that I hate my memory loss on a heated scale because, it is with a person who knows me so well.
I want to remember what we did that night, where we did it, how we did it, why we started it and when we stopped it.
"What did we do... that night?" I ask , my voice a whisper as I hear him stop moving, his already uneven breathing hitching in his throat. "If only we did. I regret not listening to you." He says, remorse and shame laced in his husky voice. "What? Why are you sad?" Is he really that remorseful, for a such a small matter?
"You insisted on doing it that night, and I said no. Next thing I know, you're out of the house and disappeared into thin air. For 6 whole years." Silence engulfs both side of the line and I slowly decipher what he has told me. "If only I agreed that night, we wouldn't have been separated for all these years." He adds quietly right before I open my mouth to talk.
"Derek..." "No, don't say it. It was my fault for not listening to you. Now, you can't remember whatever that has happened to you. You can't even remember your parents-" "I talk to them everyday, Derek." I cut him off, feeling a little overwhelmed at what he said.
Does he... really love me? He is so concerned about my wellbeing and myself, no other guys I have met ever asks about my parents, ever. But this man here...
I wish I could remember what kind of people Derek Russo and his friend meant to me. What if... they are lying about knowing me? It is possible that that happens, correct?
"You live with your parents now? I went back to check on you years back but your parents weren't there? How are your parents doing? Does your mom still remember me? Where are they now?" He asks frantically, not leaving room for me to speak. "Woah, calm down Mr. Ru- I mean, Derek." Remembering his threat from before, I add, "I live alone with my friend Jay. My parents live in a different state now, though admittedly we were in this state for a few months before moving away."
"Huh, that's weird... I should've been able to find you if you were in the state." He mutters and without any alarm, I hear a high pitched screech. "Oh my goodness, Anushka! How are you doing?!" "Woah, who's that?" I ask, pulling my phone away from my face and rubbing my ear. "Uh, that's Damien. My little brother."
"Hey, Damien." I say with a smile, only a second later realizing he can't see me. "Hey, mama." I choke, yet again. "Wh-whut? Why are you calling me m-mama?" I stutter, the word 'mama' feeling so weird, with it being said to me. I am pretty sure Damien is only a few years younger than me, why would he call me that?
"You used to take care of him when my parents are out for work or 'quality time'." Derek explains in a 'duh' tone. "Uh... that doesn't explain why he called me 'mama'?" The line on the other end stays silent for some time before he says, "Well, you were trying to prove to me that you were ready to be a mother."
"What?!"
The next day.
I walk down the quiet street with a sigh, my heads down as the headphones blast music into my ears and my mind starts drifting towards the billionaire. So many old memories being told to me in a single phone call was overwhelming, especially the parts where I just embarrass the crap out of myself by proving that 'I am ready'.
"Oh my gosh, Anushka. What the flying fish were you thinking about?" I ask myself, recalling how numb my face was the night before due to the cringe I had towards my old self. The three man narrated my shameful experiences as if they were the ones who went through it, clearly having me somewhere in their heart as they coo after I ask them to stop telling anything they know.
I know that Derek enjoyed teasing me with my humiliating instances, a little way too much. "Huff." I breath out, not happy with the outcome of the conversation from yesterday. As I enter the shop, a warm smile greets me with a happy looking Luke and a grumpy looking man. "Hello, Mr. John and Luke." I smile at them, totally disregarding the fact that Jay is grumbling behind the two of them.
"Why is she angry?" Luke whispers to me as I walk into the back room to sort out my things before my shift. "Of course, we were supposed to have our shifts together today, but well, hehe." I giggle at the end as his face turns sad and he pouts. "Does she... hate me?" He asks sadly, knowing well about Jay's impression towards him." "no, she doesn't. She just... thinks you're childish." I tell him honestly.
Luke is a college student who works as a part-timer in the shop. He has been showing interest in Jay for some time now but she has always turned him down whenever he asks her out on a date. According to her, he is a childish, annoying and immature guy who is desperate to be in a relationship.
"I wonder why she is always cold towards me." He sighs and walks out to the customers who are waiting for their pre-ordered books as Jay walks in. "Why are they making this harder for me?" I know myself enough to know I am crying on the inside as she approaches me, my smile masking my crying soul as I try to think of any reasons she would want to confront me.
"We were supposed to have our shifts together, girl." She complains, crossing her arms over her chest. "Luke is the one who is supposed to be immature, correct?"
"Well, I had to go to the vet. Angel is sick." I say, my mouth hanging open as she says, "Yeah right, you probably went to flirt with your rich billionaire boyfriend." "What?! No!" I screech, my face immediately burning up at her words. "Who?" Mr. John asks with his head peeking into the small room me and Jay are currently in.
"Uh... no one, John." I say cautiously, noticing that he is growingly curious at what we were talking about. "It's really nothing--" "It's about her boyfriend!" Jay exasperate in an attempt to make John question me more on the topic. "No! He's not my boyfriend." I say calmly, already feeling that I have slipped up a little. "Oh, then who is he?" John asks, with his head tilted to the side, his eyebrows raising while Jay looks at me suggestively.
"Well, answer him, Anushka." She says my name with a hint of tease. "Uh, she knows that this will get you into trouble and is still doing it on purpose." I internally groan as I look up at John with puppy eyes, hoping he will understand that I do not wan tot talk about it. "Well, you have to tell me one way or the other, child." He says while steering Jay to the front door by her shoulder with Luke walking happily behind them as he holds Jay's and his own belongings.
"Well, finally they are gone." I sigh, walking out of the back room and into the shop, my eyes drifting to the few stacks of new books that have arrived early in the morning. "Oh wow, we have a sorts of new books--" I come to a halt in y words as I stared at the book right in front of me.
Derek Russo: A Biography.
"No way." I mutter. I must be dreaming, right? I rub my eyes a little, shake my head and look at the book again.
Nope, I stand corrected. It is his book.
"Oh my gosh, what is going on?" I ask myself softly, voice cracking in a sequel as I hear John whispering from beside me, saying: "You're falling in love." "No, I'm not." I say with my face turned to the other side as he mutters "childish". "How about you explain Jay numbing all day about Derek Russo, your supposed boyfriend?" He motions towards the book in front of me and eagerly waits for an answer.
"Uh well..."
"He's my coffee boy."
P.S. Sorry for the extremely late reply everyone, after exam I was knocked off for some time, and I couldn't focus well on writing during my semester break as I was not stressed out at all... if that even makes sense to you guys haha.
Question:
1. What is your favorite book?
2. Who is your favorite author/writer?
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See you guys on the next one :))
Love,
Ava Kris.