8

I gulped down the small water left in my bottle grumbling at how small the bottle was. Why make a small-okay cute but small bottle? Don't they know the quantity will also be small?

As to how I drank all the water from the bottle I really didn't know.

I glanced at the clock in the newsroom to see it was almost six. I got out of my desk and saw few people moving around.

Great! Evening news was up in some few minutes but I was hungry, and I had to head to the costume department for my outfit.

I kissed my teeth contemplating if I should head to the first floor for some snacks or to Costume for my outfit.

I gave in to my stomach and took the elevator downstairs for food. I quickly grabbed some snack from the vending machine and made my way to the costume department.

Charlie, our costume head, assisted me and chose a nice outfit for the evening news. I groaned when I noticed my bag wasn't with me.

I had to do my makeup and I couldn't afford to be late. I could hear Jordon's voice somewhere on the floor making me shiver.

He was different when it came to programmes aired on our prime time.

"Sit down and let me do your make up. This stays between us." I gave a relief smile and sat down for Charlie to bake my face.

It wasn't usual heck it wasn't really done in this office for the costume department to bake people's face.

Albeit they had makeup department as a sub department. It's assumed that every anchor or reporter knew how to do their own makeup that's why I was so grateful to Charlie at that moment.

We had roughly thirty minutes, thirty minutes and here I was still in here.

Thanks to my dark color, Charlie applied just some few stuff. I took down my dress and wore the royal blue he gave me. He straightened my wig whiles I wore my fluffy socks and slippers.

We finished in no time and I made my way to the studio with the producer together with Jordon at my back, giving me scripts and checking out dictionaries for the correct pronunciations of words.

I sat down and thanked the floor manageress who was kind enough to get me my snack from the makeup room.

I guess Charlie gave it to her.

I ate it and went through the scripts carefully this time and took in deep breaths as usual before anchoring. I tested my voice as the countdown began and I dived into it.

Things was going pretty well as usual. Drinking water during breaks, going back to anchoring and before I knew it, it was already time to sign off.

I did that pretty shortly and waited for the camera to go off before leaving the stage.

"Good job." I heard the producer say and smiled shyly. I gave him the scripts and headed straight to Charlie's department to change.

"Keturah." I stopped to see Jordon walking briskly to me.

"Remember the story I told you I'd like you to cover?"

"Yeah." I groaned inwardly and he smiled motioning me to walk with him.

"I can't let you do that because of the this new story you have on your hands. I'll let Nat take it, let me leave you to go home but I need to see the script tomorrow." He demanded and I nodded muttering a goodnight.

Leaving Charlie's department to mine, I made some rounds in the building and finally came for my bag before exiting the building.

I checked the time and sighed. It was too dark for me to take the subway plus if I did, I'd get home some few minutes after nine and my mom would be worried sick.

To save my ears and my mental health, I decided to order and wait for an uber.

"You did great." I gasped almost losing my glasses to the floor. I turned to the voice and glared at him.

"Do you have to do that every time?" I asked him fixing my glasses well on my nose and he chuckled, "if I get to see the same reaction over and over again then yes".

"Asshole." He laughed making my mouth twitch.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him turning around to see if my uber was here.

"I came to pick you up, let's go." I raised a brow looking at him quizzically.

"I didn't see you in class after our first lecture, where did you go?" He snorted and pulled me to his car.

"You need to go check your glasses, I think it's defective." I scowled and looked outside.

"Seatbelt." He motioned for me to put it on and he started driving.

"Why do you wear these uhm hair extensions?" Darien blurted out of nowhere after some five minutes of comfortable silence in the car.

"What?" I asked again fiddling with the radio since the place was too quiet.

"You heard me." He retorted with his left hand on the wheel.

"No I didn't." I lied and he chortled.

"It's cool if you don't want to say anything, I'm not forcing you to. I'm just curious." He explained and I turned to the window to fix my gaze outside.

"It's just ever since I watched you on the tv, you've always had wigs on and I don't get it. You really have a nice hair so why are you hiding it?" I scowled shaking my head.

"It's none of your business." I shrugged waiting for him to cower but he didn't.

"Did you look for the word I asked you to?" I looked at him bemused.

"Cherophobia, remember?" I titled my head in confusion.

"Go read about it." He added and I hummed.

"But for the record you have a nice hair, you should bring it out more often." I shrugged and he stopped talking when he saw I wasn't going to respond. I held my gaze and thought back to his words.

I'd been working for ZBN for a while so he'd been watching me for- oh my God! Man had been really following me.

Damn! I was honestly starting to believe that he has been stalking me.

"So you've been stalking me." I said fixing my eyes on him.

He opened his mouth and shut it twice not knowing what to say.

"Oh my God you have haven't you?" I smiled and felt warm inside.

"Admit it Darien, you have." I teased and his ears turned red instantly.

"Aww and he's blushing, look at your ears." I touched them and he slapped my hands away.

"I have a stalker! A handsome one!" I screamed throughout the window and he pushed my head back in the car.

I laughed at his red face as he continued to drive.

"I am handsome huh?" He replied cockily trying to change the question. He laughed with his red face and I loved that look on him.

"I wish your color didn't prevent me from seeing your cheeks tainted." I tsked sticking my tongue out.

"Don't you know you're handsome?" I said in an obvious tone but what I didn't expect was what he said next with his eyes on me.

"You are also beautiful, flawless actually." I blushed instantly, my stomach felt different and my feet and hands started getting sweaty.

"Mmmm." I replied nonchalantly.

"It's true! Have you looked in the mirror, with that beauty spot right under your nose." My mouth twitched at his words and I shook my head.

"Well you are." He emphasized again as we turned to my driveway. I licked my lips and automatically wiped my palms on my dress. I got ready to get out of the car.

"Don't forget to read about it." He reminded me again with a pleading look and I sighed.

"Sure if it's that important to you." I muttered with a smile and waved as he drove away.