Chapter 323

Julie’s point of view

Stella waved her phone in a cutting refusal, saying spontaneously and naturally: "No need to request a strange taxi and pay money... I will call my brother Mike now to come with his car instantly and deliver you to the hotel door."

I froze in my place with embarrassment, felt tightness, and moved my head in negation, saying with embarrassment: "Stella, please... no need for this, I do not want to disturb him and delay him from his businesses because of me."

Stella answered with a light laugh while pressing quickly on the buttons of her phone screen: "Disturb what, by heaven’s sake, girl? He certainly will be happy, rather, highly fortunate to deliver you."

She made the call and spoke with him for mere seconds rapidly, then closed the line and turned to me with good tidings and a wide smile: "He agreed instantly without hesitation... he is on the way to us now."

After a few brief minutes, the horn of a familiar car echoed, stopping before the glass salon door. Stella patted my back lightly and pushed me outward with an encouraging smile, saying: "Come on, go now and steal the sights... good luck in your singing segment."

I said with sincere gratitude: "Thank you for everything."

I opened the outer door of the salon and went out with balanced steps, carrying with caution the edges of my long blue dress with one hand so that it would not get dirty from the ground. But the cursed shock completely paralyzed my movement in the middle of the sidewalk and my eyes widened in sweeping astonishment. Damn this luck! Mike was not by himself in the car as I expected! Rather, the cursed, scoundrel Jake was sitting beside him with all comfort in the front seat with his entire fatal coldness and a provocative calmness!

I stopped in my place for seconds and felt a sweeping and deep-seated desire to retrace my steps to the salon running and lock myself in, but my stern mind reminded me that the time was already late and there was no room for retreat or flight and losing the work opportunity. I took a deep breath, feigning coldness and strength, and moved with prideful and highly confident strides toward the car. Instantly, upon seeing me, Mike opened his seat’s door and descended with great speed to head toward the back door and open it for me.

He scrutinized and looked at the features of my face, his eyes widened, and he said in a faint tone: "Julie... you... you look beautiful, highly charming, and attractive tonight."

I rested my body lightly inside the seat of the car, adjusted the edges of my long dress quietly, and said in a quiet tone: "Thank you, Mike, for your kindness and delivering me."

Mike closed the back door politely, and in that exact second and speed, Jake turned his head completely toward the back and fixed the look of his piercing, burning eyes into my features. He tilted his head in a slow, bold, and provocative inspection of my makeup, hair, and the details of my dress, then emitted a raspy, faint sound: "Mmm... "

I darted a dry look at him and said: "What is wrong with you looking at me like this?"

He turned his face with supernatural speed toward the windshield with rigidity and steadfastness, and did not answer me with a single word as if he were ignoring me. Mike rode behind the steering wheel of the car and started the engine, driving the vehicle quietly and steadily, carving through the twisting roads toward our destination at the hotel.

We finally arrived at the outer courtyard of the luxurious hotel filled with lights. I descended from the car door, but I was highly surprised when I saw Jake stepping out he too from the car beside Mike. He advanced toward me with slow steps, stood directly before me, crossing his strong arms over his broad chest, and said: "So... today indeed we will listen to your sweet voice and see your talents, my sweetie."

My jaw tightened with burning vexation and fury due to his calling me by that title. I pierced him with a look burning like embers and ground out from between my teeth with a cutting and fatal warning: "Don’t you dare... don’t you dare say this to me again, Jake! Do you understand?!"

He tilted his head sideways with a malicious smile, enjoying my anger, and took a wide step toward the inside, saying with a provocative stubbornness and insolence: "Fine, fine, as you wish... my sweetie."

I took a deep, deep breath, and tried with all the strength I was given to control my nerves so that I wouldn’t explode in his face before everyone. For that reason, I turned my head with rigidity and completely ignored his childish provocation. Mike stepped forward with calming paces, saying: "Do not pay attention to him, Julie... he is just like that."

I looked at Mike with constricted features, and ground out in a dry tone overflowing with tightness: "Yes... I see that he is a provoking person."

I turned my body and carved my way with swift, tense strides through the massive glass doors and stepped inside. The moment my foot set upon the lobby, the hotel manager caught sight of me. Her eyes widened with reproach, and she directed her way toward me with fast, firm paces, saying in a blaming tone the moment she arrived before me: "Julie... you are late!"

I lowered my head with a bit of embarrassment, and said: "I am sorry, Mrs. Melissa."

Melissa crossed her arms over her chest, the lines of her face tightening with sternness as she said: "You know that you must commit to the specified time."

I took a tensed breath and answered her with serious features: "It will not be repeated again."

Her features relaxed a little and she waved her hand with haste: "Fine... come on, hurry."

I turned quickly and left Mike standing there, going from the other side to enter through the door designated for performers. The musical band was crouching in the backstage, waiting for me with their instruments, the features of their members apprehensive due to the delay. From behind the curtain, I caught a glimpse of the vast hall, where there were many, many foreign tourists sitting around the tables in their elegant clothes, chatting.

I held the edges of my long blue dress with hands trembling a little to lift the length, and ascended onto the wooden stage amidst the intensely focused spotlights. Then I walked with calm paces toward the members of the musical band, and tilted my torso toward the lead musician to inform them of the name of the song I would sing tonight.

I turned my entire body and advanced with slow steps toward the microphone stand fixed in the center of the stage. I gripped it with my fingers forcefully, and as usual... exactly as it happens every single time I stand upon the stage, and the moment my hand touched the cold metal, the walls crashed down inside my mind. I remembered with fatal details that day in which I sang in the club under Robert’s piercing and dominant gazes.

My lip trembled, and I closed my eyes tightly to banish his phantom that haunts me, and said in a bitter hiss and a hysterical repetition inside myself, as if I were trying to convince my rebellious heart: "I do not love him... I do not love him... I do not love him!"

[I’m going to ask you a question: I wanted to write a story inspired by a true story. But I’m a little apprehensive about the idea, so I’d like to get your opinions as readers. Can you read a true story or not? ]