Honey.
All through the night, I waited for him to call me, but he didn't. Amelia told me to give him a whole day. I looked at the ornate white clock in my bedroom. It was way past twelve so that meant a whole day had gone. I sat up from my bed and stretched my hand to pick up my phone from the nightstand. I took a deep breath and gave him a call. It rang for some time, but he didn't pick it up. I pouted and fell back on my bed. Did he even save my number?
The next day, I decided to check the shoe store. I had told my Dad about the mysterious fan who was stalking me the previous day, so he hired a bodyguard to escort me. I didn’t understand why my Dad was being overprotective about the issue, but I guessed it was because he knew I was getting more famous and I needed more security. My car was parked at the parking lot of the shoe store and the masculine bodyguard my father had hired came down and opened the back door for me. I wasn’t used to such treatment, but I thanked him with a smile. Then, I walked into the shoe store. My chances of encountering him at the shoe store were slim, but I took my chances. If I was lucky I might run into my handsome savior again. The bodyguard walked ahead of me.
It was another attendant who was standing behind the counter. This time, I didn’t approach the attendant since I wasn’t there to place any orders. I smiled at her and observed the store, walking around the shelves in a pretense of searching for a certain shoe. I knew I was just wasting my time because I wouldn't see him, but I kept checking every corner for him. I brought out my phone again and called him. Still, he didn't pick up the call.
I pouted and fidgeted with my phone. I didn't even know his name. I wondered who he was.
I finally gave up and decided to go back home. I turned and walked towards the exit door. It was then I caught sight of a black figure standing in the hallway of the shoe store. His broad back was to my direction. Without even seeing his face, I knew it was the man who had saved me the previous day.
I smiled, my stomach bubbling with excitement. Who could have thought I would meet him in the store today? Yeah, I was hoping to meet him, but what were the chances?
I turned to my bodyguard. “Wait here,” I said. “I will be back.”
The young man took a step forward, looking ready to oppose my request. “Miss, I am hired to escort you anywhere.”
He made it sound creepy, but I wasn’t going to talk about it.
“I understand that you are here to protect me, but I need privacy. Don’t follow me.” I said and quickly walked towards my handsome savior. There was no way I would let my bodyguard ruin my chances and give room for him to think that my bodyguard was my date or something. No, I wouldn’t take that risk. Not when I finally meet him again.
As I got close to where he was standing, I heard him engaging in a hushed conversation with someone. His thick brows were furrowed and his mouth drawn into a thin line.
“About the man, I had done my research on him. Everything you need to know is in the flash.”
The moment I saw the man he was talking to, the small clutch I was holding fell from my hand. The man he was talking to was no other than the man who was stalking me the previous day. I shook my head in disbelief. I mean he had saved me from this certain man so why did they look like they were familiar with each other. The thud of my clutch drew their attention and their eyes focused on me. The air in the store thickened, stuffing up my throat. I needed to breathe.
Seeing how I was acting, my bodyguard came to meet me and picked up my clutch.
“Miss, are you okay?”
Still looking at the man who had saved me, I nodded. I wanted to approach him and asked him why he was with the man who was stalking me, but I didn’t. I knew nothing about this man whom I had been thinking about since I had met him. Maybe the man who I thought was stalking me the other day might not even be a stalker.
I turned to my bodyguard. “I’m done here,” I said, grabbing my clutch from him. “Let’s get out of here.”
I felt his eyes on me as I walked out of the shoe store. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I didn’t know what to do so I left and went back home. On my way home, I kept thinking about it. I had overheard the other man telling him about doing his research on someone. It made me wonder if the man I had regarded as my savior was actually the one who had sent that man to stalk me.
---
"Why is the stage light so dull?!" Amelia yelled at an event planner. The confused man looked so terrified of her. She might be my manager, but sometimes she could be so authoritative.
My first ever music concert was tomorrow. Amelia wanted it to be as perfect as it could be. We were using one of the popular event halls in New York and I was totally pleased with it. Well, Amelia wasn’t. Its exterior was made up of shiny glasses and the interior was built with decorative walls. It was spacious and could accommodate more than ten thousand people. The event planners were setting up the hall and from the look of it, Amelia wasn't satisfied with what they had done so far.
Amelia and I had just arrived in New York City a few hours ago. She had insisted that we check out the event hall for the preparations for my music concert.
"The stagelight is as bright as it can be." The event planner pointed out.
Amelia shook her head and snapped her fingers at it. "I don't like it. Get another one."
A female planner was placing a vase of tulips at the VIP stand. Amelia hissed and walked towards her. "What are you doing?" She asked with an edge of displeasure.
The young lady dropped the last vase on the last table and looked up. "I'm placing flowers on the VIP stand." She said, confused.
"Yes, I can see that,” she declared with irritation. “Change the flower, it's too bright."
I sighed and touched Amelia's shoulder. "Amelia, why don't we go and check out one of those lovely cafes in New York?"
She shook her head. She moved close to the VIP stand and observed it. "No, I'm busy."
I came to her front and grabbed her shoulders. "I know you want this concert to be perfect, but you need to take a break,” I took a swift look around the hall. “Come on, the planners are doing a good job here."
She scoffed. "Good job? The concert is tomorrow and the hall still looks disarray!"
I held her hands and pulled her gently. "Let's go get just a cup of coffee, I'm sure the planners will do a good job if you aren't shouting at them."
She removed her hand and brushed her hair backward. "Oh, please. I'm not shouting at them."
I gave her an accusing look.
"Don't give me that look." She said and walked towards the exit of the hall.
While in the cafe, I ordered an American while Amelia ordered a Cappuccino. We were sipping our coffees in silence when my phone buzzed. I jerked up and picked it up.
Gosh, I couldn’t believe he was finally calling me!
Did he call because he missed me and wanted to explain why he was talking to that man?
Without wasting any precious time, I answered the call.
"Hello, Princess.”
The whole butterflies dancing in my stomach died down when I heard my Dad’s voice. I actually thought it was the man I met in the shoe store that had called me.
My Dad informed me he was going to be late for my concert due to a business meeting. I wasn't happy about it, but I understand that he was busy trying to get new investors for his business. So, I wouldn't pressure him.
“Alright, Dad,” I said. “You don’t have to come if you are busy.”
“Princess, you know how much I had been anticipating your concert. There is no way I would miss it. I promise you, once I am done with the meeting, I will go straight to ASH.”
I smiled. “Okay, Dad. But please don’t work too hard. You have me to take care of you so you shouldn’t let your business overwhelm you.”
“I’m alright, Princess. You don’t need to worry about me. All I need you to think about is how you are going to give your fans the best performance ever tomorrow.”
I sighed and leaned on my chair. Amelia looked at me, taking a sip of her coffee. She looked concerned at hearing me sigh.
“Dad, to be honest, I’m kind of anxious,” I confessed. My father was my biggest fan. He was the only one I had ever sung my songs to, but now I was going to be standing on a stage in the midst of thousands of fans. I couldn’t help the anxiety that was gnawing my gut at that thought. “This is my first ever concert. I don't want to mess it up. I know nothing will go wrong with this concert, but I still feel like I will make a mistake.”
“Don’t worry about that, I’m very sure you won’t make any mistakes. This has been your dream, sweetie. To have your own concert, the crowd, the cheer, the spotlight, all this is all you ever dreamed of having so I’m very sure that tomorrow you are going to go out there and make that dream come true.”
I exhaled deeply, tears pooling my eyes. My Dad’s words touched the depth of my heart and made me realize how prepared I was for the concert.
“Thanks Dad,” I said fondly. “Did I ever tell you that you are the best Dad ever?”
He laughed. “You say it all the time.”
I sat in the green room, my phone latched in my hands. It was the night of my first ever concert. I was meant to be thinking about how I was going to make an impression when I performed my songs tonight, but my mind kept wandering to the handsome stranger I had met at the shoe store a few days ago.
I had invited him to my concert and I had even given him a free ticket. At the very least, if he wasn’t going to show up, he could have called me and let me know about it.
I sighed. He hadn’t even collected my phone number to begin with, let alone save it in his phone.
The door leading to the green room opened and Amelia walked inside. She wore a dark green jumpsuit that had lines of sparkling sequins. The shade of her clothes aligned with the color of her eyes which made her look more stunning.
Amelia stood before me and observed my outfit. The short dress I was putting on was high above my knee making me shiver as the night was cold. My curly hair had been straightened and was now touching the back of my shoulder. I wasn’t going to deny it, the stylist had done a wonderful job in making me look my best tonight.
“Are you ready?” She asked. “You will be called to the stage soon.”
I dropped my phone on the desk before the sofa I was sitting on and turned to look at Amelia. That simple action caused my stomach to clench as the stylist had tightened the corset of the dress I was wearing to the point that it felt like I was holding my breath. Well, I was the one who told them to make me look as sexy as possible.
“Yeah,” I said.
“That’s good,” Amelia said, looking pleased. “Oyin, remember that you just need to be yourself tonight. You really don’t have to stress yourself before you give a good performance.”
I smiled. “Thanks, I will keep that in mind.”
We walked out together. There were a lot of people working on one thing or another in the background of the stage. Soon, I was told to step on a lever that would carry me up to the stage. Amelia attached a micro speaker to my chest.
Then, she held my shoulders, her eyes observing one last time. She hummed in satisfaction. “Yeah, you are good to go.”
Suddenly, the lever started to move upward to the stage. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had waited for this moment for a long time and it was finally happening. I rubbed my sweaty hands on my dress and braced myself to face all my fans who had come from different places in the world just to watch me perform tonight. The moment I got to the stage, all my anxiety washed away at the loud cheers of the crowd.
A tall man stood at the far end of the stage, holding a Mic. He hollered with a deep voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you HONEY!!!”
Just when I thought the cheer couldn’t get any more crazy, a new wave of screaming and shouting swept through the hall. I smiled, looking around at the crowd. My chest swelled as a warm feeling of fulfillment filled me from within.
Over a thousand people had gathered at ASH tonight and they were here for me!
I raised my hand towards my hair and brushed it backwards before walking to the front of the stage. I poised gracefully, resting my hand on my hip and angling my body in a way that accentuated my hourglass figure. Then, I started singing. Many dancers filed out from the back stage. They danced as I sang, following the beat of the song. I felt so energized by how much the crowd were cheering me on.
One of the dancers grabbed my waist as I started singing a seductive song. Following the dance routine, I grabbed the nape of his neck and rolled my head along his shoulder. The cheer went wild at my seductive movements. The crowd was going even crazier as my song boomed around all corners of the concert hall. The male dancer holding onto my waist, let go of me and I walked to the other group of male dancers who were rhyming to the song I was singing.
I caught a dark masculine figure moving at a corner behind the stage and I froze for a second. I didn’t see his face, but there was this dreadful feeling building up at the awareness that someone was watching me in the dark.
I tried to concentrate on my performance, but my eyes kept wandering to the dark side of the stage. This wasn’t part of the performance. Nobody was meant to be standing at the back of the stage. I glanced at the back as I made a swirling dance move. The backstage was now empty. Nobody was standing there, but I was certain I had seen something watching me from there.
I shook my head and continued singing. I smiled as the crowd started singing along with me. I might just be feeling edgy because of that man who I thought was stalking me the other day at the shoe store. And even if for some reason that man was truly stalking me, it wasn’t like he could harm me or something. I was well protected. I have about three bodyguards guarding the stage which I was performing on and let not even forget that I was in the midst of over two thousand people.
While still thinking about it, the stage light above me shifted, causing the spotlight to move away from my direction. I didn’t think much about it and continued my performance.
I was so immersed in my music that I didn’t notice when it happened. The stage light shook violently before crashing down directly at the spot where I was standing. The incident was so sudden and so unexpected that I didn’t have the time to move away from the impending fall.
I froze and slowly looked up, my eyes wide opened. Every second the stage light seemed to be coming close. The dancers and the back up singers were already moving backward, trying to protect themselves. I was about to do the same when a firm hand grabbed me from behind and pulled me away. Like a bolt of lightning, the stage light hit the ground, sending its shards flying into every direction. Some of the shards pierced my skin, but I didn’t even have the time to register the pain. The man who came to rescue me was dragging me far away from the mayhem.
“Wait! Where are you taking me?!” I called out to the man when I realized that we were walking towards the back door of the concert hall.
This place was restricted and had a no entry sign on the door so why was this man dragging me towards this direction instead of taking me to the backstage.
The man tightened his hand around mine. He vigorously kicked the back door open before pushing me out of the concert hall. The cold air outside slapped against my skin, but what got me bothered was the force at which the man had dragged me outside. No bodyguards or security would have the guts to manhandle me like this so I realize instantly that this man wasn’t one of them.
I turned around and faced the man. My brows slightly furrowed. “What’s happening?” I demanded. “Who are you?”
The man looked up. I caught a glimpse of the nose mask he was wearing. It was twilight outside and there was only the flicker of the street light illuminating this side of the passageway. It was hard to see his face clearly, but I saw the drawing on his nose mask. It was the same skull-like symbol I had seen on the mask of the man who had been stalking me that day at the shoe store.
Immediately, I stepped back. This couldn’t be happening. I mean how was it possible that the man was able to reach me on that stage despite the heavy loads of security that surrounded it. I didn’t know his intention, but I could sense it wasn’t a good one. The place he had taken me to was deserted. Nobody was even meant to be here, but surprisingly he was able to bring me here.
Suddenly, it started making sense. I wasn’t hallucinating earlier. He had been standing in the dark all through my performance, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I frowned, confused. The crash of the stage light looked like a mistake, but was it truly a mistake?
This…
He had planned all this. But why?
“Stay away from me!” I warned him.
“Just give in,” he smirked. “There is nowhere to hide.”
I tightened my hands and glanced at the back door. All I needed to do was run back into the hall and I would be safe, but that was impossible because he was standing right behind the door.
The man moved close to me, a deadly glint in his eyes. I stepped back. Something tells me things were about to turn ugly very soon.
“Please… don’t come close,” I protested.
He didn’t listen.
“Help!” I yelled, my steps quickening on the cold marbled floor.
I was alone and defenseless. I needed someone to rescue me.
“Someone please help me!”
“Shut up you brat!” The man cursed.
He took a quick stride and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards his chest.
I yanked my hand away and ran in the opposite direction. There seemed to be no exit. I looked around the passway and halted when two men emerged from a corner. Their stance was rigid and deadly.
Damm, I have been cornered.
My whole body was numb. I tried to move, but it seemed difficult to move any part of my body. Something soft tightened around my head, preventing me from seeing where I was. I raised my hands to my face, in an attempt to remove the blindfold, but my hands were restricted. I tried to make sense of what was happening to me and why I was finding it hard to do something as simple as moving. It was then I realized the situation I was in.
I have been kidnapped!
The last thing I remembered was that man covering my face with a wet cloth that smelled really nasty and those other two men fastened something thick around my wrists .
Now, it made more sense why I couldn’t move my hands.
I dragged my heavy body, trying to move so badly. The floor was strangely soft. Furry. It felt like I was laying on the cloud. I might have allowed myself to enjoy the softness and the welcoming warmth of this floor if I wasn’t panicking about being kidnapped, but I couldn’t let down my guard. I needed to leave this place as soon as possible. I had hosted a concert. Tonight was meant to be my night!
I had waited all my life for this night and this had to happen. Why was I so unfortunate?
I tried to remember if I had offended anyone, but nobody came to mind.
If I haven’t offended anyone, then why was I here? Why was I kidnapped?
I have seen what they do to those who were kidnapped. Some victims had been forced to go through hell. Hulmilated, beaten and sometimes they were killed.
The very thought of whatever my captor must have planned out for me made my whole body tremble as fear started creeping up on me.
Relax, Honey.
I consoled myself. You are famous. People would notice that you have gone missing. And in no time, they would find you and rescue you.
My captor must have known about my success in the music industry and must have kidnapped me because he was to collect ransom for my release. If this was the case, it wouldn’t be a problem. I wasn’t that wealthy, but I had saved up at least enough to be able to pay for my ransom.
I wriggled my wrist, trying hard to remove my hand from the knots. My effort was futile. I groaned. Whoever had bound me definitely did a good job tying these knots.
A constant tapping of someone’s shoe resonated around the dark room and I turned my head, becoming alert of the sudden intrusion.
Dread filled my body at the awareness of not being alone.
“Who is there?” I asked. I realized it was better to beg for my release so I resorted to that. “Whoever you are, please let me go! I promise I wouldn’t tell anyone this ever happened!”
No response.
Instead, I heard the person puffing out something that smelled like cigarettes. The smoke of the cigarette wafted into my lung, reminding me of how dangerous my captor must be. I needed to convince him to let me go.
“Did you kidnap me because you need money?” I asked. “I don’t have a lot of money, but I have saved enough. Please let me go and I will give you every penny of what I have saved.”
Still no response.
I had concluded that I had been kidnapped because my captor needed money, but now that he wasn’t responding to me, I was beginning to fear that I might have gotten it all wrong.
If he hadn’t kidnapped me because of the money, then why was I here?
What did they want from me if not my money?!
“I don’t know why you took me, but please let me go. My parents will be worried sick about my disappearance and I don’t want them to think something bad must have happened to me. Just let me go. I'm begging you!”
“You will bruise your wrist if you keep struggling with those knots,” a deep voice said from my right side.
I froze.
The voice sounded familiar and only one man I knew had such a voice, but it was impossible for him to be my captor.
I turned to my right, trying to see who had spoken through the fabric of my blindfold. I couldn’t.
“Who are you?” I asked.
The tapping of his feet stopped and I heard his footsteps coming towards where I was laying on. Whatever I was laying on sunk as the man sat on it. His rough hand cupped my chin. Then, he rubbed his thumb along my bottom lip and sighed.
“I never knew you talk this much,” he deadpanned.
“Let me go if you are tired of hearing my voice!” I ordered.
I was getting fed up with whatever games he was playing.
He leaned forward, his gaze hard on me.
“Why should I release you when I finally have you right where I want you to be?” He asked with a little amusement in his voice.
What the hell was he saying?
Whoever he was, it seemed like he had known me before kidnapping me. I tried to think of anyone who seemed to have the boldness to kidnap me, but none came to my mind except the handsome man I had bumped into in the shoe store the other day. But that man was kind, he was my savior. There was no way he could have kidnapped me.
“Why do you want me here?” I demanded.
Now that he was responding to me, it was best I derive whatever information I could get.
He curled my hair around his finger before gently brushing the strand of loose hair that was clouding my face. His touch was alluring and dangerous at the same time, the warmth of his hands blazing my skin and crawling over me. I pulled my face backward, trying to avoid him.
He chuckled at my futile attempts to remove his hand from my face.
“You will find out soon,” he replied.
The next thing I heard was his footsteps retracting from where I was laying hopelessly on.
“Come back!” I shouted, feeling scared of being abandoned in somewhere I had no idea of. I struggled more than ever with the knots binding my wrists. “You can’t just leave me here! What do you want from me?!”
A door slammed against the wall of the room after the man walked out. My heart dropped. He had left me alone here, but the smoke of his cigarette still lingered, Intoxicating my nerves. I wanted to leave this place so badly, but how will I do that when I couldn’t even see where I was, let alone unbind these silly knots restricting my wrists and ankles.
I had never felt this helpless in my entire life.
Gosh, I hated this feeling!