Three years had passed in the blink of an eye.
As Clarissa stepped out of her car, a gust of cold wind blew into her face, instantly sobering her up.
Pulling her coat tighter together, she was glad that she had worn a warmer one out in this frigid weather. After quickly making her way into the restaurant, she was led to her reserved table.
Clarissa smiled apologetically at the man who was already seated at the table. “I’m so sorry for being late.”
When he saw her, the initial irritation he felt from having waited for so long instantly vanished.
“Not at all. I was just early. Miss Quigley, you’re even prettier in person.”
Under normal circumstances, any woman would be flattered after being praised by a man. But after going on so many blind dates, Clarissa had gotten used to such compliments.
To her, there was no longer any point in looking pretty or being showered with praises.
Clarissa merely smiled faintly and removed her coat. Even with short hair, minimal makeup, and no jewelry, she still radiated elegance and beauty effortlessly.
She may be approaching thirty, but her complexion was still as youthful as someone in their early twenties.
“Ms. Quigley, what would you like to eat?”
Since he had asked, Clarissa didn’t hold back either and ordered her favorite dishes.
Her blind date never stopped asking questions even as they tucked into their meal.
“Ms. Quigley, for someone as young and pretty as yourself, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a boyfriend. Could it be that you have very high standards?”
“Not at all. As long as it’s someone I can see eye to eye with.”
“What about me then? Do I meet that requirement?”
Clarissa’s lips curled into a tiny smile as she looked at him. “You aren’t too bad yourself, Mr. Danvers. It shouldn’t be difficult for a fine, young man like you to find a girlfriend, or could it be that you have very high standards?”
Trent was a little taken aback when Clarissa smoothly directed his question back at him. Instead of being offended, he gave out a hearty laugh.
“Ms. Quigley, you’re very interesting. But you aren’t wrong. My standards are very high indeed, so I only have eyes for people like yourself.”
“Because I’m pretty?”
“No. It’s because you’re good in all aspects. You graduated from a prestigious school and went on to become a famous screenwriter and author. Even though I may not know what shows you’ve worked on, I do not doubt your abilities. I’d be lying if I said looks never mattered to me, so the fact that you’re beautiful blows me away even more. You’ve pretty much met all my requirements. Besides, I’m starting to realize just how interesting you are.”
Clarissa stopped eating and stared at Trent.
“Mr. Danvers, I think you left out the most important requirement.”
“What would that be?”
“Love. Blind dates are pretty old school, but in my opinion, a spark is still required to get the relationship going. Why would you marry if there isn’t love? Would you do it just because you’ve checked off your list of requirements?”
Trent laughed it off and tried to change the subject. “Ms. Quigley, I’m sure a beauty like yourself has practically everyone fawning over you.”
Clarissa smiled and shook her head without saying another word.
As much as she tried to hide it, Trent still noticed Clarissa’s disapproving look. Even though he felt snubbed, he was more than willing to put up with it. After all, the prettier the women, the more patience he had for them.
“Ms. Quigley, can I call you by your name?”
Slightly taken aback by Trent’s straightforwardness, Clarissa kept quiet for a while before she replied, “I’m sorry, Mr. Danvers. Are you aware of my situation?”
“Yes, I am, Ms. Quigley. But if we do get married in the future, we could perhaps discuss it.”
Clarissa pursed her lips as her expression instantly darkened.
“I think I’ve stated my terms very clearly, Mr. Danvers. There’s no room for discussion. You shouldn’t have come today if you have any objections.”
“No, it’s not that. I just think that—”
Before Trent could finish his words, Clarissa had beckoned the waiter. “Check, please.”
Trent was dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events, and he could only look on helplessly as Clarissa settled her half of the bill.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Danvers. I still have a business trip to rush for, so I’ll be leaving first.”
She got up from the table right after and quickly made her way out of the restaurant.
As soon as she reached home, she grabbed the luggage she had already prepared before calling a cab to the airport.
Before her departure, Clarissa decided to call her grandmother to let her know of the trip.
“Something urgent has cropped up, so I’ll be there for about two days. Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ve packed warm clothes, and there will be heaters in the hotel room too. I’ll be fine.”
“How was Mr. Danvers?” “He’s okay, but he’s not my type. Besides, he wasn’t agreeable with my terms, so why bother? Okay, I have to board the plane now. I’ll call you later at night.”
After ending the call, Clarissa glanced at her phone and suddenly broke into a smile. With a shake of her head, she pushed her luggage and boarded the plane.
Before long, she had arrived in D City, where the strong gusts of wind nearly blew her over. It was so cold that she started trembling as she quickly hailed a cab.
Along the way to the hotel, the driver started chatting with Clarissa. He went from complaining about the weather to talking about the recent developments in D City. When he found out about Clarissa’s occupation, he even tried to get her to spill the beans about the latest gossip.
Clarissa had no choice but to pander to him until she reached the hotel.
After a long hectic day, she could finally take a breather when she checked into her room.
Exhaustion set in as soon as she lay in bed, and she fell asleep almost immediately.
When her phone rang, Clarissa woke up groggily, only to realize it had started snowing outside.
After a good, long stretch, she finally answered her phone.
“Mandy? Aren’t we only meeting tomorrow?”
“Oh, my dear Clarissa! Have you checked into your hotel?”
“Yes, I’m already here. In fact, I just took a nap. What’s up?” Clarissa replied with a yawn.
“I was out earlier and bumped into Ms. Zaha. She heard you were coming to D City and suggested meeting up tonight.”
“Oh, that’s no problem at all as long as she’s not busy.”
On the other end of the call, Mandy chuckled. “Well, she is indeed a little busy. She’s got a movie premiere to attend tonight, followed by a gathering. And right after that, she has to fly off to another city. That’s why she suggested that you come along for the movie so that we can go for a meal after. It’ll be fun!”
“How can I say no when you’ve already planned everything out for me? Alright then, you can pick me up tonight,” Clarissa said with a smile.
“Great! You should grab something to eat first. I’ll come by at five to pick you up. Better to leave earlier in case of bad traffic… “
As promised, Mandy showed up punctually, and the pair made their way to the movie theater. After being ushered to her seat by Yaala’s assistant, the premiere soon got underway.
Yaala was a veteran actress, and her popularity had soared even more over the last few years. She might have only done a few movies, but they all went on to become blockbusters. To her, quality was always more important than quantity.
Even though this was her only movie release for the year, there was no doubt that it would be another stellar box office performer, thanks to the top-notch directing and acting.
After the screening, Clarissa waited patiently inside Yaala’s car. It took a while before Yaala finally joined her, and the two of them shared a warm hug.
“You know the director too, don’t you? He said to treat this as an early celebration for having worked so long and so hard. Let’s just relax tonight! Tomorrow, I’ll have to begin my nationwide tour.”
“It sure is tough being a movie star,” Clarissa said with a chuckle.
“It is. You know, I do envy you for having the talent to be a screenwriter since you get to relax once you finish writing. When I get too old and wrinkly for showbiz, I’d probably have to work behind the scenes.”
“Old and wrinkly? Surely you jest, Ms. Zaha. Even when you’re sixty, you’d still be a traffic stopper.”
Yaala grinned and shook her head, her gaze never once leaving Clarissa. All of a sudden, she stretched her hand out and pinched Clarissa’s cheeks.
“Speak for yourself. You’re almost thirty, and yet you’ve still got such a youthful complexion! Share your secrets with me!”
“Sleeping, napping, more sleeping… “
Yaala rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “Fine. I haven’t had a good night’s rest in months, unlike you. Your schedule’s flexible, so you can sleep all you like.”
As the two friends chatted, they soon reached their destination. They then entered a private lounge full of staff who had worked on the movie, from the directors to the actors and videographers. Some were familiar to Clarissa, but the others were new faces.
Yaala kept the introductions brief, telling everyone that Clarissa was her friend. Naturally, no one was insensible enough to probe further.
However, Clarissa’s beauty attracted attention wherever she went.
A few men tried to strike a conversation with her, but her cold and detached demeanor made her very unapproachable.
Other than Yaala and the director, she wasn’t interested in talking to anyone else.
“Clarissa, you’ve had such successful, award-winning collaborations with Justin and Xavier, but why haven’t you produced any new works recently?”
“I have, but production has been slow, so the movies aren’t out yet,” she replied with a polite smile.
“Come on, Clarissa. Don’t just show your scripts to other directors. I’d love to see them too! Is there any chance of us working together?”
Clarissa nodded with a hearty laugh. “Of course! Working with you would be my honor, Mr. Goode.”
“That’s good! Once I’ve freed up some time on my end, I’ll come to you. And I’m not lying. I’ll even do it the proper way, through your studio and all.”
“Sure, Mr. Goode.”
Clarissa’s previous collaboration with Justin had gotten her a “Best Screenwriter” award. Even the movie she wrote after that became a surprise hit at the box office. With two achievements under her belt, Clarissa’s popularity had soared, turning her into a highly sought-after screenwriter.
Despite her fame and fortune, she still preferred to keep a low profile and hardly showed up in public. Ever since she had her own studio, her sole responsibility was to churn out scripts, while everything else was left to her staff to manage.
Of course, she would still show up at a handful of events and meetups with friends. But after three years, not many people could remember the reason she wanted to keep a low profile.
