Colton

The next morning, I went back to Glamour Fashion Company. Cox and his finance officer, Mr. Stiller, had me over. They showed me around all the departments - materials, stocks, production, show room, etc. - and introduced me to the heads. Everyone was friendly and eager to make the company better.

I rounded up all the info I could get. Conducted a comprehensive analysis of the organizational structure and the responsibilities of each department, as well as the individuals involved. I meticulously observed the entire sequence of transactions, beginning with the procurement of materials from suppliers, then the storage of raw materials, and finally their distribution to the production. Sales and marketing screwed up and caused the problem. Their marketing strategy, commission, representation and travel expenses, job orders and others. I identified issues like the absence of supporting documentation for expenses, inadequate handover of responsibilities, insufficient communication, non-compliance with company regulations, and more.

I was there for three mornings, gathering and digging information in their company. But I haven't caught a glimpse of Luna. Cox and Stiller were always there for me, never leaving my side.

Crazy, but I felt disappointed not seeing Luna when I left the Glamour office at noon. I had a feeling she was avoiding me.

I couldn't blame her. I was too intense when we last met, pushing her to investigate Cox. I should have been subtle.

These past two weeks have been insane. I couldn't stop thinking about her. That kiss in the elevator that had me tossing and turning. It was like experiencing my first kiss. And that intense feeling of just wanting more, dying to kiss her sweet lips again and again.

The amusement park was so much fun, it made the feeling even stronger. We had an absolute blast. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed that much.

I saw a whole new Luna. She had it all - beauty, brains, confidence, and a big heart for the kids. I'm really feeling her vibe and energy. She didn't mind being goofy with me to make the kids chuckle. I realized, if we click, we can build something great together.

I let out a big sigh.

I got to talk to her and make her see that Cox is no good for her. She totally deserved a better man. But how am I supposed to do that?

I returned to the office in my Maserati. As I was driving, my mind wandered back to Luna. I remembered the first time I saw her at the elevator, eight years ago. She was so beautiful, standing alone and giving me that look. I was totally captivated. I thought it was love at first glance. I just wanted to break the silence and crack a joke by quoting that line from a famous sexy movie, "are you lost, baby girl?"

It usually works with the girls at school, but it clearly didn't work with Luna. She delivered a huge punch to my arm. She definitely knows how to defend herself and kick some ass.

She hurt my arm and my pride. I got really pissed off. My dream girl disappeared just like that.

It was a shock to find out she was Sebastian's sister. No wonder they had the same personality, I said back then, when I still despised Sebastian for making a fake deal with Sweet. But that's all in the past. We're like real brothers now.

Luna and I are still the same. We've hated each other since day one. Our hatred for each other grew when we had to share a room at the NYU dormitory.

I can't forget our first night rooming together. She had a bottle of oil and was spraying it everywhere. And that oil is one reason she hated me so much.

"What the heck is that?" I was fanning the room with my shirt.

"It's an oil to drive away evil spirits."

"You're insane if you think there are some evil spirits here."

"There is." She pointed at me. "Right there, behind you."

I jumped out of my skin. Fear overwhelmed me.

"Wow, you're a big guy, but you're such a wimp." She chuckled aloud. "You're such a man-child."

"Did you just call me a man-child?"

"Yeah. You have a problem with your hearing?"

"Nope. I have a problem with you. You're crazy." I snapped at her. "Quit it, will you? Ugh, it's making me feel nauseated."

"If you don't like it, you can leave." She shrugged and kept spraying that weird, stinky smell all over the room.

I thought she just loved wearing black. But, like everything she had, was black - her bed linens, pillows, and blankets. Even the curtains. The room was morbid on her side. She's got books about witches, vampires, monsters, werewolves, angels, and demons on her bookshelf, too.

I couldn't sleep on our first night together. I've had my own room since I was seven. I'm not used to sharing a room with anyone, especially a girl. My sisters and I didn't even sleep together in the same room. But at that moment, I was stuck with the girl I hated the most. And that oil smell is so gross!

I stayed up all night listening to her breathing. She was out like a light. Hmph! Good for her, with that terrible odor. I murmured angrily. She was snoring softly and mumbling words I couldn't understand.

Mornings were all about jogging and helping Dad on the potato farm. But since I was in the dorm, I jogged to stay in shape for the basketball team. When I come back, Luna's always showered and blow drying her hair. She acted like I didn't exist, so there was no point in talking. And then I did the exact thing to her.

Evening rolls around, same routine. She'd spray that oil before hitting the hay. The smell was bad, it was unbearable. I had to cover my nose to catch some sleep.

Do we have a conversation? If you count bickering and bantering as talking, then yeah, we did. Same old argument every day, who's gonna walk out, and all about that mysterious oil.

We said mean stuff to each other so often that we got used to it. She called me all these crazy names like ogre, monster, jerk, idiot, and stuff. I straight up called her crazy, spoiled brat, and a total lunatic.

It didn't take long for me to get used to the scent of the oil. I started to really like it. It helped me get some good sleep and, in the morning when I wake up, I'd feel so great. So, one day, I told Gerald, and he was surprised.

"I'm getting a weird feeling about that, man. You said she's into witches, vampires, and werewolves, right?"

"Yeah, she does. What about it?"

"Perhaps that oil is some kind of magic potion. She wants you to fall madly in love with her."
"No, I don't think so." I shook my head.

"I noticed lately you're saying good things about her. Like she has a pretty face, magnetic eyes, beautiful hands and so on."

"I said that?" My eyebrows knitted.

"Yes, bro. Often." He shook his head. "See? You didn't notice."

"Oh, crap." I guess he was right. I stared at Luna when she was not looking. Despite all our fighting, I still found her really attractive. Yeah, I had a major crush on her.

No way!

"Trust me. Eventually, you'll totally fall for her, and then you'll be doing whatever she wants, like a puppet. Bro, there's some wicked witchcraft stories going around. They're true. Even nowadays."

"Seriously?" I shook my head, not buying it. But when I came back to the dorm room, I noticed the oil bottle on Luna's side table.

Damn. Gerald was right. She's got me completely hooked. There's no way I'm letting her control me and make me give up this room.

I took the bottle and poured everything out in the sink. Good riddance! With a triumphant feeling, I chucked the empty bottle in the trash and kicked back on my bed.

That evening, Luna was searching for the spray. I was in bed, studying and holding back my laughter. Then she found an empty bottle in the trash and threw it at me, hitting my arm.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"You jerk! You wasted my essential oil by throwing it in the sink!" She totally screamed at me.

"Why wouldn't I? I know that's some kind of magic potion. You spray it to make me fall for you!" I shouted back at her.

"What?" She had a puzzled look on her face.

"You want me to be all in for you, so you can manipulate me like a puppet. Then you'll just make me do whatever you want, which is to leave this room so you can have it all to yourself."

"You're so full of yourself!" she scowled. "Why on earth would I ever do that? Are you blind you can't see I hate you? You're insane!"

"Why are you spraying that oil, though?"

"That's just lemongrass. It's the only thing that eases my anxiety and helps me catch some sleep." Tears welled in her eyes.

After almost two months of bickering, arguing, and fighting with her, it was the first time I saw her cry.

I couldn't sleep that night. I felt guilty about what I did. I stayed up listening to her cry until she fell asleep.

I looked up her essential oil and bought it online. It was some rare oil that you could only find in the Philippines. Just too bad. She was already gone from our room before it arrived.