Chapter 40
Quintessa flicked her cigarette butt, “Not as much as you.”
Is that it?”
Quintessa nodded, “Yeah, energetic.”
The guy across from her choked a bit on his smoke, drawling, “You scared off tonight.”
my
date
Quintessa snorted, “And you guys blasted away any chance of sleep for me tonight.”
“Since we’re both up, how about you come here continuing what has left?”
Quintessa took another drag, crushed the cigarette on the balcony rail, and said, “Buddy, I only play for keeps. Not into second–hand thrills.”
With a wave of her hand, she turned to head back to bed. As she slid the patio door shut behind her, she heard the neighbor curse, “What the heck!”
Quintessa’s mood instantly lifted. Someone was frustrated; looked like they were not getting any sleep tonight.
As soon as the first light of dawn peeked through, just after 6 AM, Violet was already at the door.
Quintessa, with barely two hours of sleep, yawned and shuffled to the door with tousled hair. She opened the door, eyes half–closed, leaning lazily on the frame, “Violet, why so early?”
Instead, she heard Violet chatting excitedly with someone else, “Great Snow Jackson, you live here too? What a coincidence.”
Blearily, Quintessa opened her eyes a sliver and spotted a familiar figure the thrill–seeker from the balcony last night.
The guy didn’t even respond to Violet; instead, he asked, looking at Quintessa, “Violet, is she your talent?”
Violet beamed, “Yeah, she’s new, yet to debut. We’d love it if you could look out for her in
the future.”
“Sure thing.”
Quintessa was clad in a black nightgown, not prudish, not overly sexy, but the color set off her fair complexion. Leaning there, the epitome of sleepiness, with half–lidded eyes and slightly parted red lips, her wild hair made what should’ve been a disheveled look into something irresistibly sensual.
He suddenly said, “Perfect timing. I’m shooting a music video for my new single and
17:07
haven’t found a lead actress. She’s got the right vibe. Think we could get her on board?
Violet was ecstatic, “Really? To star in Great Snow Jackson’s music video is a dream come true for us.”
It was a casual comment from Violet, not expecting much, as her plan wasn’t to steer Quintessa towards a singing career. Even with Great Snow Jackson being a legend in the music industry, she didn’t anticipate his actual help.
She’d never expected such serendipity. It felt like walking on the street, starving, and having a pie fall right out of the sky onto her head.
Quintessa, still half–asleep, heard someone nearby saying, “Snow Jackson.”
She opened her sleepy eyes to meet his gaze. Even behind glasses, Quintessa felt she could see right into his eyes. In a silent exchange, they both read the same message- neither was a saint.
The next second, they shared a knowing smile, silently agreeing to leave last night’s events unspoken.
Quintessa looked at his outstretched hand and slowly extended hers, “Quintessa Young”
The man in front of her wore large sunglasses and a snapback cap, leaving only a view of a sharp jawline and attractive lips. A trendy fellow.
He seemed to squeeze her hand a bit tighter than necessary, letting go with a deliberate stroke. Quintessa thought to herself; damn, this guy was trying to hit on her.
ultimately successfully escaping and transforming into a glamorous star, returned home in splendor. Upon meeting again, the two locked eyes, each harboring their own secrets. Quintessa is determined to seek revenge, while Tyrone quietly lends his support, gradually falling uncontrollably in love with her. He cornered her in the elevator: “Have a meal with me, and I’ll let you play the female lead.” “Come with me to the banquet.” “Accompany me to…” “Tyrone, will you ever stop?” He lightly laughed as he placed a ring on her middle finger, saying, “Marry me, be my forever leading lady.” 
