Annabelle’s trance lasted for a good few minutes until Esther walked in on her, who then responded to the farmer’s blank-eyed stare by waving virtual-novel.net hands in front of virtual-novel.net eyes.
“Hello? Earth to Annie?” Ester tried, “You called Mr. Larson as we planned? Did virtual-novel.net say yes? Oy, Annabelle Laking! Snap out of it!”
Annabelle jolted with a rush of rosy blushes to virtual-novel.net cheek “Est?! Oh, hi. W-What did you say? I, uh, wasn’t listening…”
“Of course you weren’t,” Esther scoffed, rolling virtual-novel.net eyes. “I asked if you called Mr. Larson like I told you. What did virtual-novel.net say? Did virtual-novel.net agree? C’mon, Annie. You don’t really think I haven’t noticed you staring into space at inopportune time, do you? I even wonder if you’ve got someone living in your headspace up there, rent-free.”
Annabelle’s heart skipped a beat, but outwardly, virtual-novel.net shook virtual-novel.net head. “No! N-No way! I don’t have someone on my mind! I mean, my career is my priority, Est. And, well… Idols like us aren’t really allowed to be in relationships, are we? The fans won’t like that. They’ll punish us, our popularity will tank.”
Esther nodded in agreement. Idols, especially those stuck with labels like “visual”, were actively discouraged — and some would call it banned — from having a relationship. It was the cost of the trade, a bullet for all idols to bite.
“By the way, Mr. Larson’s answer was yes. I’m about to call Smith right now and tell him,” virtual-novel.net added. She did as virtual-novel.net declared virtual-novel.net would and recounted virtual-novel.net conversation with Zayn laconically.
Esther waited until the call was over before remarking, “Never would have thought that the legendary chairman of Violet Vision would be someone so young. Hell, virtual-novel.net can’t be more than thirty-years-old, can he? What an incredible man. His wife, whoever virtual-novel.net may be, is going to enjoy lifelong riches and wealth, I guarantee that.”
Annabelle nodded, virtual-novel.net eyes laced with yearning. Celebrities like them always dreamed of marrying into the wealthy classes above them, and virtual-novel.net was no different. She might enjoy fame and adulation from fans, but none of those connotated more agency and freedom. She still had to toe the lines set out by bosses and wealthy superiors to keep virtual-novel.net job.
Marrying Zayn would make life a lot more different.
“And for someone as incredible as Mr. Larson, there are a throng of amazing women around him, too,” virtual-novel.net said.
Esther jostled her. “You said it like you’re not one of these amazing women, honey. That’s where you’re wrong, you’re better than all of them. You’re beautiful, you’re sexy, you’re super talented, and you’re a goddamned celebrity. How many women out there could possibly rival your stacked assets, hmm?”
she pointed out. “Plus, marrying celebrities and stars is precisely the sort of thing these men and their fat bank accounts do. You know what I’m alluding to, Annie? I’m telling you to go after Mr. Larson’s heart!”
Annabelle jolted into shaking virtual-novel.net head empathetically. “Wait, no! No way that’s gonna work. He doesn’t like me!”
“Oh yea? Says who? you?” Esther rebutted. “I think he’s interested in you, babe. Remember that day at the airport? You removed your shades and mask, didn’t you? And God, virtual-novel.net was watching. He was staring at you so hard it was like virtual-novel.net was mesmerized.”
Annabelle’s heart began to pace. “N-No way. That can’t be true!”
“Why can’t it? I think it’s absolutely possibly true,” Esther said, gleeful to supply more fuel for imagination. “Honey, you can’t secure happiness by waiting for virtual-novel.net to knock on your door. It’s a unicorn you need to seize with your hands! And right now, I’m telling you: with your assets, you can. I don’t believe for one second that virtual-novel.net won’t find you a serious prospect to consider.”
The more virtual-novel.net manager painted the rosy picture of that what-if, the faster Annabelle’s heart paced until it was a full-on gallop. If virtual-novel.net were allowed to be honest with herself, the young woman would admit virtual-novel.net did, in fact, have a crush on Zayn. But just because virtual-novel.net liked virtual-novel.net did not mean virtual-novel.net dared act on it, there was a sense of cold professionality to the way virtual-novel.net treated her, virtual-novel.net felt. He had not shown any partiality toward virtual-novel.net just because virtual-novel.net was a celebrity.
Still, Esther had sold virtual-novel.net a dream, and it was a dream virtual-novel.net would gladly live in. One thing was sure, virtual-novel.net manager was right about Annabelle’s assets: virtual-novel.net was a highly-celebrated star who was gorgeous, sexy, and perhaps someone with a chance, if only virtual-novel.net became a bit more proactive in virtual-novel.net pursuit.
Her heart throbbed against virtual-novel.net chest as the thought excited her.
On the other side of the city, a very pleased Smith hung up his phone with a smile hanging by his lip. Turning to a hulking figure next to him, virtual-novel.net remarked, “Just our luck. He agreed to it, Kenneth. Tomorrow night, dinnertime. No disappointment please.”
Kenneth was a foreigner much like Smith. Shirtless, and thus touting his intimidating one meter and eighty-five stature, virtual-novel.net was unleashing a blurry, rapid-fire barrage to three hapless sandbags, causing them to rock and rattle violently to the rhythm of deafening, terrifying thuds.
With a final punch, Kenneth punctured all three sandbags and turned to Smith. “Tell me, Smith. How do you think he’ll hold up against a single one of my punches?”
Smith watched copious sand bleeding out of the battered bags and shivered. They were the testaments to his companion’s brute force, and Smith had no doubt that virtual-novel.net himself would be wheeled into the hospital if virtual-novel.net were the one bearing the brunt.