Luna

First, Venus' fake CV, and now Barry's shopping spree. How dare these two!

My emotions were a mix of shock and anger as I fixed my gaze upon the documents that were attached to Colton's email. In just one year, Barry made eight purchases of female luxury bags under the company name. He also shopped for five luxury female bracelets, clothes, and swimwear.

It was Colton's team who made the effort to have them inspected. The stores gave them information about the purchases, clarifying that they were intended for different models, with one of them being Nadia - known for her stunning looks and charismatic personality. She had been a prominent face for our brand, appearing in many campaigns and runway shows.

I couldn't help but feel a mixture of anger, betrayal, and disappointment towards Barry. Not only had he abused his position of trust within the company, but he had also tarnished the reputation of our brand by engaging in inappropriate relationships with the very models he was supposed to be promoting our products with.

I lost it and told Sally to bring Nadia when she comes. Nadia was set to arrive soon for the scheduled photo shoot to showcase our new animal-friendly clothing line. It would be a chance for me to confront her and gather more information about Barry's actions.

Exactly one hour later, Nadia walked into my office. As time went on, I gained more control over my anger.

"Hello, Miss Luna. Wow, nice hair! I guess you're a natural brunette, huh?"

"Yeah, I am. Thank you, Nadia. Have a seat."

She strutted inside in a tiger costume then proceeded to gracefully sit down on the chair that was positioned across from me.

"Is this about the termination of my contract?" She asked.

"Absolutely not. What makes you think it's about that?"

"Looks like Barry's not up for renewing my contract. He thought I'm getting old for your brand." She looked deeply upset, telling me about it. "For fuck's sake. I'm only 28!"

"You're definitely not old. Nope, Barry and I haven't brought that up, but you're doing an amazing job promoting our brand. Our models' contracts get renewed annually."

"That's good to hear. Barry's a jerk, you know. I've made your brand huge and famous all around the world. I brought too much money to your company, and now he thinks I'm worthless to him now that he has a new secretary who's an Olympic champion in blow job!"

Ouch. She sort of admitted that she used to give him a head.

"Nadia, please be careful with your words."

"I'm just being honest, Miss Luna. Sometimes, you need to listen to rumors, because most of them are true. You probably haven't heard about Barry and Venus hooking up in a bar at daylight, and having sex in his office every morning. Some suspected that they didn't go to Malaysia, but spent honeymooning in Maldives. Why don't you check with the airlines, or their hotel accommodation?"

"Please stop. I don't want to hear any of it."

"But you have to. You're too naïve, Miss Luna. Are you aware that your fiancé is a real ladies' man? You probably didn't realize that he bangs every model in this company."

"Including you." I said.

"Yeah. I'm not embarrassed to admit it." She nodded, then added. "It was like, included in the deal. He tried to shut us up by giving us fancy bags, clothes, jewelry, and stuff. Who wouldn't want that, right? Especially those new models who want to make sure they get their contracts renewed."

Gross. That's how I felt right then. He fooled and betrayed me in every sense of the word. He lied about his past, stole money from our company and hooked up with our models.

I couldn't believe that I learned to love and trust such a kind of person. I even agreed to spend the rest of my life with him. But I was still very grateful I found out the truth in time.

"Thanks, Nadia. You gave me all the info I needed. If you're interested, Gwen will check your contract and have a talk with you about renewing it."

"Appreciate it, Miss Luna. I'm totally up for continuing to work for your company." She said, looking very pleased. Then she added. "It's obvious why Colton can't get you out of his head. You're really kind, smart, and have this mysterious vibe. You're an introvert, but definitely not boring."

I was surprised when I heard Colton's name.

"You got it all wrong." I shook my head. "Colton and I are just friends."

"For you. But I know he's secretly into you." She shrugged. "It sucks, you know. I'm totally into him, but he's not into me. I got to accept my fate."

"Nadia, I'm sorry to hear about that. You're not only nice, but also a pretty and intelligent girl. Many men are infatuated with you."

"Thank you for saying that. I know it's not my place to say, but I strongly advise you against marrying Barry. He would bring destruction not only to your life but also to your family's. He's a user, someone who manipulates others for his own gain, and a glaring red flag."

"I'll keep that in mind." I nodded, and then she left.

***

I wouldn't deny that after my meeting with Nadia, I was deeply furious. When Barry arrived in the office with Venus, I confronted him right away inside his room.

"Where have you and your secretary been?"

That brought a frown on his face. "Where else, but in a business meeting?"

"And where is that? In a hotel or a bar?"

He smelled himself, then looked at me intently. His frown deepened.

"Are you implying something?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "Just asking, you know. I couldn't help but get upset. I heard rumors about you and Venus hooking up."

"What the fuck! Me? I could never do that to you." His eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm very loyal, faithful and honest to you, Luna. You're the love of my life and the woman I'd marry. Why would I ever hook up with someone and mess up what we have?" He pulled me closer to him, his hand caressing my arm.

I cringed, and pulled away from him. That made him suddenly so upset.

"Okay. So you believe those rumors?" He looked at me disappointedly, then continued. "I paid those fucking employees to work and all they do is gossip! You know damn well I'm too busy running this company, I don't have time for any bullshit. I've been trying to close a deal with Mr. Hawker and now you're accusing me of what? Hooking up with my secretary? You're too smart to believe such nonsense, Luna. I love you so much and we're getting married next week."

I sighed deeply, then pressed my lips together. The last thing I wanted was to argue with him. I felt so drain, I didn't want to waste my time on it. Besides, no matter what he would say, I already formed an opinion of him.

"Okay, Barry. Whatever you say. I'm starting to have a headache. I have to go."

"Trust my word, Luna. Not theirs. They're jealous of the love and success that we have. We can get through this my love. Just hold on." He pulled me again and kissed me.

It didn't taste sweet at all. Now I know how a devil's kiss felt like.

***

Even though I had an issue with Barry, my work kept me too occupied to dwell on it. With the business's sales on the rise, I no longer had the luxury of getting angry.

Colton's new system is incredibly effective, as we are now inundated with orders from all over the country. Running low on our old stocks, we had to make the decision to increase production in order to meet the demand for our animal-friendly promo.

Barry seemed to have vanished into thin air again, and his secretary was missing as well. I stopped caring about them and channeled all my energy into achieving success on my own.

It was impressive to see how Colton's team remained dedicated and continued to put in effort at our company. They did data gathering, auditing, reconciling and vouching accounts in the finance department. When I asked Gerald again about Colton, he informed me he was still in Dansville.

I had been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to speak with Colton. I realized he had been present during that difficult period, offering the support that was crucial for me. Over the weekend, he attempted to reach out to me by both texting and calling, which revealed his concern for my well-being. Showing great empathy, he took the time to listen to my feelings and offered his unwavering support. Knowing that I was not alone in this situation provided me with a lot of comfort.

It hit me. Is Nadia correct in thinking that Colton has hidden feelings towards me?

Nah, I don't think so. He most likely just saw me as a friend.

I admit. Lately, whenever I thought of Colton, I experienced a mix of emotions. I could feel a sense of longing to be with him, excitement at the thought of seeing him again, and perhaps a bit of sadness or frustration when I don't see him, like now. I felt a rush of emotions whenever I think about him or sees something that reminds her of him.

Ridiculous. I didn't want to believe that my feelings shifted from Barry to Colton. It just felt so wrong to me.

I left work early and felt really lonely. I started daydreaming about Colton. I don't know why I'm suddenly missing him like crazy.

I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I grabbed my phone and stared at Colton's number.

Should I call him or not?