Muddled in the midst of romantic billionaires

No, no! Please, God, please don't do this! I just asked for one person, and you took that away, but not this, please. Nancy awoke drenched in perspiration and wiping away tears. She shivered and covered her face with her icy, quivering hands. "Why, oh why, do these dreams keep happening? Why do they keep returning? Five years had passed since her hopes and goals, and her entire existence fell apart in front of her. When will they finally stop? Nancy asked herself; she couldn't sleep anymore, so she got up from bed, ensuring she was quiet enough and didn't wake her sister, or she would be again given lectures about moving on, burying the past as dead things are buried, and her past life was dead. But how can you forget? How can one forget what they have gone through? She went to the bathroom to wash her face and remove any traces of tears from it.

As she entered her small cosy washroom she quietly closed the door behind her and watched herself closely in the mirror. Her reflection revealed a stunning woman with large eyes as dark as coal, so deep with million shattered dreams within. She was a beautiful woman with almond-shaped deep black eyes, long wavy black hair, arched eyebrows, a pointed nose, high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and full lips. She wore a short, navy blue thin strapped silk nightdress; she ran her hands over her body, and her physique was envied by women and lured upon by men.

She had full breasts, a nicely rounded bottom, and a voluptuous body. It was God-gifted, but she had to keep it hidden under an oversized jacket as men often showed interest in her for her body; no one wanted to know who Nancy was and what she wanted. They just wanted to get into bed with her; she made the decision to wear an oversized jacket and conceal her curvy body when she was offered money for one-night stands. She left her previous job as a waitress, where she had to wear tight miniskirts and was molested by the owner. She liked the idea of delivering pizza as it had a decent uniform while riding a bike wearing a jacket was normal. This way, she was saved from men's lustful eyes, and the best thing about Mommy's Magic Pizza was that it was run by a middle-aged sweet woman "Catherine" whose only son died at a very young age. Her son used to love his mother's handmade food. His favorite food was pizza made by her mother; he always said," Mommy, no one makes a magical pizza like you." At first, it was difficult for her, but with her husband's support, she started her pizza-selling business. Surprisingly, her pizza had a delicious taste; hers were the best pizza sold in New York City, but only a few people knew about her. She was hopeful for her new contract with JJ & Co, a garments manufacturer company, and needed a reliable delivery woman for it as she was fond of me so only asked me to do this work for her.

Catherine has been very kind to me; apart from my sister, mom, and Catherine no one knew what I went through, not even my twin brothers Ted and Ned. Catherine often sends pizza and other goodies to my home and mom or me almost every day, so food is not an issue. We don't run out of it; God bless Catherine. As mom and Catherine are widows, so they meet daily, mom is a house help at Catherine's. She helps her prepare the dough, chopping, and cutting while my two little siblings go to school. The secret behind Catherine's magic pizza is that she grows each and every vegetable in her garden; even the chicken was from her little farm outside. She is a sweet lady and feels lonely. I have often seen her talking to her plants and hen. She constantly pushes me to wear beautiful clothes and find a man for myself, and I know where it's coming from. The two ladies, my mom, and Catherine , have nothing better to do than to discuss my life daily. I always give them a stern look when they start this discussion. The look clearly indicates that I have had enough!. If they only knew how broken I am from within and would be total damage in a man's life. He will indeed run away, knowing that I relive my past through the horrifying dreams I see.

My body shuddered again, banishing the thoughts. I quickly took off my night dress and went into the cold shower. I leathered my new sea salt body wash bought yesterday. The fragrance took my wandering thoughts toward the sea. "I just love beaches. I often visit beaches just to get away from the bustle of the city. It gives me solace". What a blessing it would be to have someone to lean against while taking a shower, I thought as I shampooed my hair. I would have been engulfed by someone's strong hands, kept near, hugged, and made to forget all the sorrows and suffering I have through.

My train of thought was interrupted by a loud tap on the door and two strident voices asking, "Nancy, are you planning to stay in the shower forever? Please let us know if so, and we'll gladly offer you your clothes. This brought a smile to my face. My twin brothers Ted and Ned meant the world to me. They were always at my back and plotting to somehow seize my bed. I got done with the shower quickly and wore my robe, "Good luck, munchkins, not getting rid of me that quickly," I replied as I opened the door. Ned fled when he saw the malice in my eyes, but I caught Ted and teased him until he cried with delight and said, "Timeout!". My sister Lucy, who is five years my junior but an incredible support and a trustworthy shoulder to cry on, was awakened by this. She was the one who helped me escape that experience when I was very little. She treated me with that motherly compassion and tenderness during those horrific years. You three always manage to enter my dreams in unexpected ways! Lucy complained. Ned winked at her and said, "Umm, why, the lazy Lucy was ready to kiss her charming prince, hmmm?" while puckering his lips. This embarrassed her, and she said, running into the washroom and locking the door behind her, "surprisingly, when you return home, you wouldn't find the lemon tart box sent by aunt Catherine last night!" This made him stop in his tracks, and he ran towards the fridge to check the box.

Meanwhile, I got Ted ready for school; Ned came huffing in the room and banged the washroom door angrily, "I wish when your prince charming bends his head to kiss you, he faints due to your bad breath." Lucy laughed and retorted through the locked door, "that wouldn't happen as one, I brush my teeth regularly, unlike you, and two, ever heard of mouth fresheners, brat"? Ned sat on the couch sulking; I ruffled his hair and whispered in his ear, "aunt Catherine will make blueberry tarts today, munchkin" this made him happy, and he agreed to get ready for school. Mom called them for breakfast; she drops them at school on her way to aunt Catherine's; I changed into my jeans, shirt, and of course, my oversized jacket, then I tied my long wavy hair in a bun hiding them in my cap, I then put on my red lipstick that accentuated my full lips. Lucy worked as a waitress in an elite restaurant, so she was provided with pick-and-drop service. She has her brunch and dinner there.

I am forced into having breakfast at Catherine's even though I don't really like it. Lucy got ready and left for work; I Finished up a few kitchen chores and locked the door behind me. I walked towards aunt Catherine's house, it wasn't that far away from ours, and I liked morning walks. When I reached there, I heard my name, followed by the owners of JJ and co, Johnson and Jakes. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't bother asking. They might be worried about how it will go with the first order, will the two of them like it or not? I thought to myself. If they approve of the pizza today, they will sign a contract with aunt Catherine. The aroma of freshly made pancakes made my stomach churn with hunger. Aunt Catherine was a fantastic cook; sadly, her son wasn't here anymore to have a taste of the delicious food she made. I entered through the kitchen door, and Aunt Catherine's face lit up, seeing me, "just at the right time, my dear I was just topping the pancakes with maple syrup she beamed." I smiled at her warmly and spoke teasingly, "oh, another mother, one day you will make me fat and be peaceful then." Aunt Catherine loved it when I called her another mother. With a smile, she retorted, "This will accentuate your curves, woman!" this made us all laugh, and I quickly delved into the pile of deliciousness. I quickly scooped the maple syrup that was oozing from my mouth onto my finger and gave it a greedy suck. With my mouth full, I responded, "Aunt Catherine, you cook everything so delicious that no one can resist it. Aunt Catherine smiled warmly and responded, "thank you, my dear; I just hope that JJ and Co like the pizza.

They plan to give me an order for a huge quantity of pizzas for their company's cafeteria. This will surely increase my income, and I will raise your salary as well". I stood up from my place and hugged her, "you do a lot for us, aunt Catherine; we can't thank you enough; raising the salary is not required." I expressed, Aunt Catherine clucked her tongue and said "you deserve it, Nancy, I know you work hard and are the only one I can trust." This filled me with warmth and brought tears to my eyes, tears of joy, I am not rich, I don't wear stunning clothes but what I have with this amazing lady is priceless, it is said, "the fundamental glue that holds any relationship is trust." The aroma of freshly baked pizza seasoned with Oregano from aunt Cathrine's garden filled the air. I thought to myself, how someone can reject such temptingly delicious food? I quickly brought my hot bags; it was time to deliver the pizza at JJ and CO.

I put the different flavors of personal pan pizzas in the hot bags on my bike and moved towards the location aunt Catherine texted me on my cell phone. I stood in front of the tall building with multiple floors; it was a skyscraper. New York City is known for its towering skyscrapers. JJ and Co were located on the top floor; I said a little prayer, hung my hot pizza bag, and headed for the lift. Johnson Jones, a handsome billionaire, wearing his stylish three-piece suit, smoking a cigar and holding a whiskey glass while lounging on a sofa engrossed in deep thoughts looking outside the window. Life had been very cruel to him; losing both of his parents at a very young age was not that heart-wrenching, but seeing one's parents being brutally murdered by their own sibling for money is brutal. He still remembered that fearful night; he was having a movie night with his friends when the headmaster called upon him and was informed to leave immediately for his home in Manhattan.

On arriving home, he was shocked to see the dead bodies of his beloved father and mother covered with blood. Grandfather was sitting on his armchair; as soon as he saw him, he opened his arms, and Johnson walked into them, they both hugged each other, and that's when the dam broke; they cried bitterly, holding each other. His uncle and aunt, who murdered his parents, fled in a private jet, which eventually crashed. He inherited all his father’s wealth. The worst was yet to come; one day, he and his grandfather were searching through some old footages when they found that a CCTV footage that showed the barbaric murder of his parents. It revealed that his mother was pregnant and was going to give him a surprise when he would have come for his Christmas break. His parents were a romantic couple, and that was the main reason he believed in love before meeting Barbara. If it hadn’t been for Jakes, he would still not have considered what his friends constantly hinted at him.

Jakes opened his eyes and revealed to him what a gold digger and sleazy she was. He swore that he wouldn’t waste his time, feelings, or emotions on love; he wasn’t as lucky as his parents, who shared a strange bond, and he would only work to make money. He appeared severe because of life's unfairness, yet a part of him cried out for that kind of eternal love. He looked over at Jakes, his best friend, a tall, handsome man, clean-shaved; he had a good sense of humor. His seductive looks were sufficient to entice a woman into his bed. He was only interested in a woman’s body. He always said, “ if you’ve got love in your sights, watch out; love bites.” We almost shared the same history; his parents also died at an early age.

The difference is that he saw his mother with her lover, and when his father learned about the affair, he killed his wife and then committed suicide. He doesn’t believe in love. Jakes gazed at his phone screen while smoking a cigar, undoubtedly preparing to get laid tonight. Suddenly, he looked up, took a deep drag, and asked Johnson, "What are you thinking, buddy? Retraced your steps down memory lane "? Speaking of going down memory lane, do you remember Ben? Johnson stood up after taking a swig of his whisky. Jakes closed his eyes and started repeating, "Ben, Ben, Ben," and then he remembered and asked, "Ben Reynolds, whose mother made amazing food?" Johnson gave a crooked grin and shook his head as he explained, "yeah, Ben Reynolds and his mother, aunt Catherine, well, she established her business with the name "Mommy's Magic Pizza" a few years back. Jakes smiled sadly and continued, "I remember how we used to go to his house every following day simply to eat his mother's prepared food; her pizzas were certainly amazing; it's terrible he died at a young age when we were at boarding school.” Johnson put his hands in his pocket, took a deep breath, and responded, “ I got to know he had an accident after I returned from boarding school that night.” Jakes noticed the sadness in his friend’s voice and tried changing the topic, “ You remember how we used to plan that one day when we grow up, we will have a contract with Ben’s Restaurant where he will supply us with his mom’s handmade food? ” In response, Johnson said, "yes, I remember, and now it's time to fulfil that promise; I have asked aunt Catherine to deliver her handmade pizzas to our company today as a sample; if we like it, we will sign a contract with her to supply us with her handmade food for the company's cafeteria, in fact, the pizzas would be delivered any minute now." Jakes said, "Oh, I can't wait, and my mouth is watering," as he became animated with excitement. Johnson laughed as a result.

Nancy It was a windy day today; the jacket kept the chilly wind off me, but my cap kept falling off and losing my hair. I attempted to put it up, but it didn't work, so I hastily gathered them haphazardly in my cap and proceeded; it was getting late. The building was a seventy-eight-story skyscraper in midtown Manhattan. As I entered, I was mesmerised; it seemed like one of the world's tallest buildings, and the architecture was its main attraction. The lights illuminated the top of the building at night, which could be seen from far away in the dark. These were red, white, and blue halide metal lights.

The entrance had double doors leading into a modern lobby. It contained two types of marble at the top and a darker marble at the bottom. The patterns on the tiles were zigzagging from east to west; the foundation of the building comprised of reinforced concrete, beams, and slabs, and the rectangular-shaped corridor surrounded the banks of elevators; there were fifty