1. The Blueberries

"Let's have some fun tonight." Carol, my high school friend and also my roommate spoke on the phone.

"What's the occasion?" I heard myself asking.

She sighed, "It's the weekend, Sanaya."

She was asking me to go to some night club to spend the Saturday night out and I could not say no to her because I liked the idea, secondly, she was persistent. A night out would be perfect for me right now to freshen up my mind and take a break from my hectic life.

After getting a positive response from me, Carol cut the call immediately and sent me the address of the place. A new club had opened recently near our high school. She wanted to check it out. She had assured me that the place was good and we would have a good time there.

Tossing my phone on the bed, I moved towards the bathroom to change my clothes. I wore my fancy silk top with white skinny pants. The sky blue top had short sleeves and a round neckline. I preferred comfort over beauty. Girls give themselves hard time by wearing skin tight and uncomfortable dresses only to hear few stupid praises. I was against that philosophy.

That's why I don't torture myself with voguish and groovy dresses if they are not comfortable enough to wear. I didn't care if people say that I didn't have a good fashion sense. I just had different priorities. The types of clothes I usually wore were baggy sweaters, over-sized tee shirts with worn out jeans and sneakers.

I sat on the backless seat, placed in front of my dresser and started doing my hair. The color of my hair was coal black; long, slightly wavy, black hair that complimented my ivory skin tone and oval-shaped face. Moving brush all through my locks, I settled them on my back and started doing my makeup.

First, I lightly massaged my whipped foundation all over my face, hiding the freckles and the bags under my eyes. Due to lack of sleep and excessive working, the darkness under my eyes was persistent and since my dark brown eyes were big and prominent, the dark circles were clearer than usual. People at my school say, my eyes have a charm to fascinate people and they are my best facial feature. They show my feelings.

I wasn't sure if this was true or not, but yes I had protruding eyes with long, thick lashes. I'd observed that normally people first noticed my eyes, stared at them before checking out other things about my appearance. I slathered light gold and pink shades on my eyelids and coated my full lips with soft pink, creamy matte lipstick to give a plump look to them.

Slipping my feet into white stilettos, I grabbed my phone and checked the address from Carol's text message. Once I was done with everything, I walked out of my dorm room, locking the door behind. School dormitory was presently my home since I'd shifted from my foster home.

I grew up in an orphanage. I didn't know the reason like why I ended up there because I had been living in the orphanage for as long as I remember. However, their administration say, I was brought there when I was around two-week old. Three months ago, I turned eighteen and finally transferred from my foster home to the school dorm.

Since I was now legally adult, I had to move out because it's their policy that they only take care of kids until the age of eighteen. Now I was left alone with my own financial burdens. Although, they helped me in getting a scholarship from the high school so I didn't have to worry about that problem. And now in two months, I would graduate from there.

I reached to that new night club and walked straight inside. Contrary to my expectation, the place was not very crowded and I was grateful of that because I usually avoided crowded places. It's just suffocating and uncomfortable. Anyways, the environment here was calm, maybe due to the soothing, light music. Moreover, there were dim lights, a dance floor which was not very packed and of course a bar where I caught Carol who was sitting there with her friends.

I sauntered towards them to let them acknowledge my presence. "Hey, Sanaya. How are you?" Ethan waved his hand and said aloud. The other three turned their heads to me.

I gave my formal smile to him, "I'm good, you say?"

Beside him, there was Jess, William and Carol. All of them were Carol friends, not mine. I knew them, but hardly talked to them. Not because they were not my type or something else. I just couldn't do friendships. As a scholarship student, I had to maintain my GPA, or they would disqualify me from their scholarship program, so I couldn't do those activities that could disturb my focus.

Moreover, double part time jobs further tightened my schedule. I was gathering money for the college admission and to get a rental place for myself. I knew I had to leave the school dorm soon maybe after finals.

"I'm good too. Come join us." Ethan said.

"Ah! Finally, you're here." Carol passed me a small smile and offered me a drink. I accepted it and took a sip.

All three of her friends started chattering to each other once again and I stayed silently beside them, enjoying the music. Carol and I became close only because we shared the same room. I didn't talk to her much before that. But now, I got a friend who takes me with her sometimes to late night parties and dinners.

"Let me tell you a secret about this place." Carol whispered in my ear, "This club is for elite class, New York's filthy rich men come here. Maybe you would meet your rich prince tonight."

I shook my head in disbelief, turning to her, "Why would that rich guy fall for me? There are so many beautiful women out there."

Putting my empty glass on the bar, I looked around and observed the crowd. She was right. This place was full of suited-booted men and gorgeous women who were in branded, designer outfits evidently expressing that they were the offspring of wealthy families.

"You're beautiful too." She cocked her head to her side, scrutinizing my appearance.

"Yeah, right." I rolled my eyes.

"Sanaya, why are you so unromantic?"

"I'm not unromantic, I'm just being realistic."

Carol was a type of girl who wanted to take the shortcut – the shortcut most of the females look for; find a rich guy, marry him and say goodbye to all of your money problems. However, she didn't have money problems. Her family was well off enough to send her to a good college, but she had a typical, feminine mindset, opposite to mine.

First of all, there was a zero percent chance that an opulent man would fall for me. It would be like living in a fantasy. Not that I had such fantasies. Even if miraculously, something like that happened, I was not going to take any financial favors from him. I had a very high self-esteem. I would rather prefer working day and night than going for such a life that Carol dreamed of.

"At least think for a minute." She persisted.

"If you've called me here to find a suitor for myself then I'm getting out of here. I've a job interview tomorrow." I said in a serious tone.

"Job interview? But, why? You do have a job already."

"I have resigned from Bella Boutique. This time I'm going to try something big."

She lifted her brows at me, "And why is that?"

"Those jobs are not paying enough. I'm going to try something new now. I've applied for the house cook for the Hobsons and my interview is scheduled tomorrow." I mused.

"What? Hobsons? That's what you said, right?" Her lips parted in astonishment.

I nodded wordlessly.

"Oh my God. Do you know they are among the top five billionaires of the New York City and ranked eighth among the top ten richest families in America last year?"

"I know that, Carol. Please don't increase my anxiety. I'm already very nervous. If I would get a job there all my money problems would be solved."

This was the shortcut I could think of right now if I wanted to apply for college this year. College degree was important to me if I wanted to solve my problems and for this I had to work hard right now to enjoy the fruit later on. Working for the affluent family could help me earn more money in a short period of time.

However, my hopes were not very high because I had no professional experience in cooking. I was just trying because I trusted my cooking skills.

"Hmm." She pursed her lips and nodded, "Good luck."

"Thanks." I smiled, "I'm going to the restroom."

"Okay."

I started moving in the direction of the restroom while thinking about my tomorrow's interview. Cooking was the first skill I had learnt at my foster home. I had prepared food for the teachers and volunteers there and the feedback was always more than I expected. At the orphanage, kids are taught several skills so they can feed themselves through them in their adulthood.

That's why I had this skill as well. I could not only prepare American food, but I was also good at other foreign cuisines like Italian, Chine-

Ouchh...

All of a sudden, I bumped into something hard yet warm. It was hard enough to push me back. My thought process also got disturbed. And then after a millisecond, I felt something icy on my belly. That chilly-feeling forced my eyes to look down where I noticed a large, reddish stain on my blouse, going down to my pants as well.

Someone had splattered his or her drink on my clothes. My eyes widened to its full length. In panic-state, I started rubbing my hands against the fabric as if this could remove the mark. The mark didn't go away, but it made both of my hands gluey.

Great! Just Great! I muttered under my breath in annoyance.

That piece of cloth was now ruined for life. I could no more wear it again. What a waste of money!

"I'm sorry, really sorry." A soft, yet panicky mannish voice pulled me out of my moment of grief. I drew my brows together and looked up.

The creases between my brows quickly disappeared as soon as I glanced at the owner of the voice. Now my brows slightly lifted up in astonishment, parting my lips a little as well.

Geez! He was handsome...

In three piece, dark, formal tux, the young man in front of me looked debonair and mesmeric. The brunette hair were perfectly combed back, favoring me to get a full view of his bright face. He was fair, but not too fair, more of peachy skin tone. His six ft. long height and virile physique triggered my female hormones and I found myself drooling over him.

He was standing two step away from me, but still I could smell his strong musk perfume. This man knew how to get girls' attention.

"I was just lost in...thoughts." He stuttered, rubbing his temple nervously.

His eye color was similar to blueberries. Guilt was flashing in them. They were studying my face, waiting for my outburst. I was angry that my expensive top was stained because of him, but I couldn't find myself snapping at him because I felt inferior in his presence.

His skin was more glowing than mine. His perfume was stronger than mine. I was looking so plain, so ordinary as compared to his sophisticated outer personality.

"Um..." Damn. I guess the nervousness had robbed my voice.

He knitted his brows in confusion. I touched the tendril of my hair, tucking it behind my ear. His gaze fell onto my tummy where the stain was. He pulled in his uneven lips, slightly grimacing. My wet, sticky fabric was giving me chills every time it touched my bare skin underneath and I was hating it.

"I..." He scratched the side of his head, avoiding my eyes, "I can't remove the blemish, but I can compensate for it."

The blue shade of his iris was so rare and unique that I couldn't help, but admired them.

"Blueberries."

"Pardon?"

I frowned in confusion. Did I say that out loud?

His quizzical face gave me the answer. Die, Sanaya. Just go and die.

I composed myself and cleared my throat, "Actually, I just remembered that I ordered a blueberry cocktail from the bar."

My cheeks burned up in embarrassment. I saw his lips stretched into a small smile and he looked at the bar behind me for a second, "Okay."

"I should go and get it." Yes, run.

"No, please wait a second." He gestured his palm in front of me and called the waiter. The waiter came to him. He gave him the empty glass and took few napkins from him. After that, waiter walked away and he again turned to me.

"Take these. It might help." He offered me those napkins.

I accepted them and began rubbing them against my wasted fabric. Now the white napkins had changed into crimson color.

"Is it your first time here?"

I looked up, "Yes."

Everything about him screamed money. Carol's words crossed my mind that rich people comes here. Black shiny loafers, expensive, smooth tux, classy wrist watch were expressing their top-class brand. He looked older than me, maybe few years older, but still it was not stopping me from looking at him as a horny teenager.

Wait. I was a teenager, but not horny. However, this delicious man was making me feel horny. His craggy, rough skin, masculine, hunky shoulders and those large palms were making my mouth watered.

"That's why I've never seen you here before." He mused, "But anyways, I think I've spoiled your night out. I'm sorry once again."

I clutched the napkins in my hands, trying to behave normally, "It's okay. I was also walking blindly and besides, you didn't do it on purpose."

Of course, my night was spoiled. Now, I had to go home straight away.

A warm smile spread on his face, "Thank you so much for understanding."

Unconsciously, my lips also twisted into a tiny smile after seeing his contagious smile. But, soon it faded when I saw him walk past me.

That's it? He didn't even ask my name. I suppressed my anger for him when he blemished my clothes and that's what I got in return?

I pouted because I felt disappointed. Jerking away my stupid thoughts, I continued sauntering towards the restroom. In just few minutes he managed to shake my sanity. He definitely didn't find me attractive or he would've at least asked my name. I should stop listening to people at school who says my eyes fascinate people because I just proved this theory wrong. That rich guy hardly paid any attention on me.

Anyways, I was not planning to come to this place again so it means this was my first and last encounter with him. Not that I mind.

✸✸

For your imagination, this is Sanaya's hair. Imagine them as coal black. Sorry I couldn't find the exact color with same hair, but it can help you imagine Sanaya's hair.

Sanaya's skin tone.

Ashar's skin tone is similar to that. Imagine this color is in rough, craggy masculine skin with freckles.