CLUELESS

Heyyy guys 🤭🥰.

So before we start I would like you all please note: This is a slow burn book! Nothing here happens really fast, especially the romance. 🤭

Music recommendation: Keep it Movin by Tiana and Hakeem (Empire Soundtrack)

ENJOY!

******

NARRATOR'S POV

"Thanks for coming out to watch us play guys! We're finally back and here to stay! We love you all!"

The crowd went wild and Angelo couldn't help but chuckle to himself. As always, they had this show in the bag and hundreds of people turned up for this show. The the Extremes weren't the best for nothing!

*******

BACKSTAGE

"Hey Helia, were you trying to impress Layla with your smooth rhymes? I could see you winking at her during the show. Dude your PDA is getting too heavy. Get a room!"

"Not my fault you can't hold a steady relationship, Angelo. PDA is just one of the things you can't handle. Hehe"

Angelo gave Helia a sour look. He is their second vocalist and rapper for the Extremes band. Plus, he was always reminding Angelo of how single he was and his non-committal views towards relationships but he did not care, after all, he thought he was popular and could have any girl he wanted!

He is am Angelo, leader of one of the best bands in the country, "Extremes". They had just completed our world tour and decided to base back in City D. Where it all started.

"Guys I want to head out for a drink. I'm not exactly comfortable after the whole screaming and all."

"Pfft you never get used to this do you Angelo". Damien their bassist joked.

"I never do Damien. I'll see you all later tonight."

He took a hat to cover up his hair. He did not want to run into any crazy fans this evening. All he wanted was some alone time and a disguise would help him achieve just that!

He needed some fresh air and a walk would do the job. Walks always made him better.

****ASTRIA'S POV***

"Sigh...."

I want this shift to be over! Lucy kept nagging and complaining bitterly about how she missed the Extremes show.

I never knew why she was so obsessed with them. I'll admit though, their music was good but I never cared about them on a personal level. I just listened to their songs. Hearing her bitching about missing the show was getting exhausting.

*****

***NARRATOR'S POV***

Angelo hadn't gone too far on his walk when he spotted this cozy little bar. A drink wouldn't hurt. Plus he needed one.

He walked in and went straight to the stand.

"Scotch on the rocks please."

"People still drink that? I thought Martini was the thing around here."

"Well, who says I'm from around?"

He smiled and looked directly at the person he was talking to.

"I am damn lucky tonight! My bartender tonight is a female. This should be easy". Angelo thought.

"You aren't from around huh? Well you're welcome to Ricky's bar and Angel Avenue. Hope you have a good time during your stay. Here's your scotch".

"Thanks, baby girl. I'm really lucky tonight. An angel is tending to my needs".

"Well this angel has someone else to tend to Mister and she is no one's baby"

The bartenderess quickly moved to her next customer but Angelo could feel her straight turn down!

"Damn was she trying to play hard to get interesting. I would love to see how long this one could last."

Angelo smiled to himself and sipped his drink.

****

***ASTRIA'S POV***

Sigh... I just knew that the guy with the hat had to be a cocky bastard. Sure he was a looker and all but that attitude and baby? Who in the world used that line anyway?! I could feel my annoyance brewing. Good thing I shut him out quickly. My shift was almost over and I'll be out of this place.

****

****NARRATOR'S POV****

Angelo waited for most of the people at the bar to clear out and in the meantime, studied the bartender. She wore this whole goth look on her and white hair was spiked with black dye.

But he had an idea that all that makeup was just to cover up everything. Her eyes gave it away. She had these adorable blue eyes and his gaze couldn't help meeting hers a few times. Well, she was not his type but it would not hurt to try other flavours, would it?

"Hey I am sorry about the baby thing but could I know your name?"

"It's Astria and your apology is accepted."

"Astria. Really interesting name. Quite suitable for an interesting girl like you."

Her expression changed at once and he could almost see the dark clouds gathering but he did not want to stop. He wondered how long she was going to hold out on him.

"Dude, is this your idea of flirting?"

"Not usually but it seems I've lost my touch when it comes to you."

"Oh, so it's a thing huh? Well, word of advice though. Stop while you still can. You never know who you're dealing with mister. It could be a depressed lady, a psychopath, whatever."

"Well I have seen all that and then some. Do you have any idea who I am?"

****

****ASTRIA'S POV***

"The gall of this guy! Was he trying to play important or what?"

"Listen, dude, I have no idea who you are and I don't care but could you tone down the cocky attitude? Not everyone swoons over this fu......" I am almost cursed!

I was so mad, I banged my glass on the table, and the drink I was mixing spilled on his shirt.

Oh no! If he complained to Ricky, my manager, I could get into a lot of trouble for that!

"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to let me clean that up "

He looked at me confusedly at first but let me clean up the stain.

I was a bit clumsy and he moved closer resulting in his hat falling and long blonde hair spilling from it.

The whole bar went silent for a minute and suddenly a phone went up and took a picture.

"Click"

Other phones came up and I could hear the shutters.

Huh? What is going on and why were pictures being taken?

****

****NARRATOR'S POV****

"Shit! My cover was blown!"

Angelo felt pissed but one look at Astria and the surprised look on her face made him calm down at once. He quietly thought to himself, "this clumsy beauty had managed to unmask my identity right in front of everyone and from the looks of things, she seemed clueless"

He whispered into her ears.

"Well sweetie, look what you've done. I'll have to go now. Hope we get to finish our amusing conversation later. It was nice meeting you."

"I have to leave now!"

He could see some of the people in the bar moving towards him and unfortunately for him, it was packed with people as his band had their show tonight. The crowd seem to move towards him and he bolted towards the door. As he ran out, his mind went toward the beauty he had met at the bar. Suddenly he found myself smiling.

"I damn well hope I'll be able to meet with her soon."

****

ASTRIA'S POV

I watched as the annoying jerk fled from the bar and half of the customers left with him!

Well a part of me was glad that he was gone but who was he and what did he do that pictures of us were being taken?

I shrugged it off and continued with my shift. Lucy had left earlier to go home and sulk about missing the concert.

My phone began to ring incessantly. I was even more annoyed. I turned it off and focused on finishing my shift.

I was bone tired and this dramatic shit was way too much for today. There was nothing I won't see in City D. It was a crazy place!

****

***NARRATOR'S POV***

"You fucking what!"

Angelo tried tuning out Troy's yelling as he kept going on about the uproar Angelo had caused. Troy was the band's drummer and like an annoying big brother. Despite the fact that Angelo was the eldest and he was the youngest, Troy always behaved like the former and Angelo the latter.

Damien shook Angelo's shoulder and he snapped.

"Jeez, mate! You're going to pull off my shoulder "

"You are not listening to Troy, are you? Who is she?"

"Bruh I did not get anything aside from her name. She's so...... Weird and difficult. I'm going back tomorrow and could you believe she had no idea who I was? I swear when those photos were being taken, she had no idea and looked so surprised and confused. She's probably pushed it out of her mind and her makeup looked really........ "

"Woahh dude you're thinking about her makeup already. Pfft, what's gotten into you? Smitten already?"

"Naa of course not! Iris tried to do the same thing and she succumbed within two days. If I could win her over that fast, this one should be a piece of cake!"

"Sigh... You'll never change, will you? Always thinking girls are tripping over you."

"They are tripping bro. I can have anyone and I am going to get her. Want to bet?"

"You sick idiot. Do I look like Troy to you?! You better pretend to listen now. He's coming and he's going to chew your ears off!"

Angelo immediately changed his expression to something more serious and grave. He looked at Troy.

"Forget it buddy. I'm not falling for that sh*t. You managed to drag a good number of people after you and cause a storm on social media! You do know we just got back right? You can't just take advantage of the fact that our manager is really lax with us and our contract is not so binding!"

"Well I do have the media on me. That's more press and it's to our advantage I think?"

Helia snickered and Damien shook his head trying to suppress his laughter.

"You really think we need that much attention do you? Have you forgotten about all the let's not draw too much attention thing?"

"Troy calm down! Besides, do you really think that don't draw attention thing would work? We have a huge fan base and it's only natural we are followed around jeez!"

"I do hope this girl is worth it dummy. You won't like it if you turn this into a hot media case. We may need publicity but nothing negative!"

He tuned out Troy's noise again. It was no big deal to him and his main focus was Astria.

"Just who was she?"

****

ASTRIA'S POV

Finally! I had wrapped up my shift and gotten home. I had hardly opened the door when Lucy flew at me.

"Oh my goodness Astria! What in the world. You never told me you knew Angelo from Extremes!"

OK I was confused what the hell was she talking about and who was Angelo?

"Girl don't play dumb with me!"

She whipped out her phone so fast and begun to show me pictures of the annoying jerk and I that were taken at the bar.

"Jeez why is that on the net? It's just a photo. Stop bothering about it Lucy. "

"Girl do you know who this guy is?"

"Yep! He's an annoying jerk, who comes on too strong, thinks he's every ladies dream and a terrible flirt! Like who the fuck calls a girl baby? Sounds so lame and old fashioned. "

Lucy looked at me as if I had just said a set of forbidden words. I brushed last her and begun to set the groceries I had gotten in the right places in the kitchen.

"Astria look at this."

She then shoved her phone in my face and the comments I saw were horrifying!

"The bitch! How dare she try to flirt with my hubby?"

"Is she trying to force herself on him?"

"Bitch"

"Witch"

"Such an idiot! To hell with her! She looks fucking ugly!"

OK now I was pissed! It was that annoying jerk that tried flirting with me and now all this? I wanted to comment on the post but decided to check who made it first.

It was a famous blogger.

Iris Stanguard. She was a really popular blogger but what was her business with all this?

Dear God what sort of problems have I gotten myself into! I looked at Lucy and motioned for her to collect her phone.

"So..... "

"Just so you know Lucy. I don't know who that idiot was but he was the only one doing the flirting not me! I can't imagine someone being that annoying and I'm the one being trolled? Well I don't give a fuck anyway. I'm beat and I want to sleep!"

Lucy looked at me incredulously but she knew this conversation was over!

My head hurt and I needed a good night's rest.

*******

NEXT DAY

***ASTRIA'S POV***

I woke up to shouts from outside.

What in the world was going on?

"Tell her to be really careful Lucy!"

"We do not want to hurt you but how could she behave like such a whore?!"

"Where is she?!"

I stepped towards the door and saw the crowd that Lucy was trying to handle. There were cameras around and mostly angry looking ladies.

"What's going on Lucy?"

"Sigh.... You should not have bothered yourself coming down. Just handling a little disturbance from the neighbors. Go back and prepare something. "

"Little disturbance?!"

"There you are you whore!"

"We have come to warn you, stay the hell away from Angelo.. He is not yours and will never be. Throwing yourself at him will not score you any points!"

Wait these people were here to tell me to leave that annoying jerk?!

It should be the other way around!

The dude was on my neck yesterday and was a big nuisance! Well I needed to tell these jobless females that they had boyfriends and crush this nonsense.

"Oh.... So you left your warm beds, your houses and work places to tell me to leave a person alone? I have no business with him! There was simply a spill on his shirt due to my clumsiness and I wanted to clean it up."

I did not give room for any snarky remarks and continued almost immediately.

"And whoever took pictures of something really simple is such a creep! For fuck sake! I do not even know who that weirdo is! He was just a customer at the bar and I must say though, he's really annoying and about him being yours? Puh leeesee! I know that a good number of you ladies here have a boyfriend if not all of you! "

I looked at ladies and saw my nosy and annoying neighbour, Jenny. I have been looking for a way to get back at her and she just needed to make the mistake of calling that annoying jerk hers! Ohh she was going to pay. Thank the heavens for the cameras.

"Jenny you called him yours huh? Don't you have a boyfriend? You both came here last week for dinner at Lucy's offer and you're out here, proclaiming an unknown guy as yours? Damn your boyfriend must really hate himself. I feel bad for the poor dude! He's not enough for you huh?"

I paused and the ladies had started looking guilty. Good! Now time to sow even more seeds of guilt!

"I would advise you ladies to haul ass and get yourselves busy! Even the guy you're all here making a protest for is an annoying jerk and is probably sleeping off the scotch he had yesterday! Well if there's nothing else, stay toxic and please, don't have a wonderful day!"

I slammed the door and looked at Lucy.

"How did I do girly?"

"Killed it b. But what are you going to do? That probably went viral and you'll be trolled on the internet for days to come!"

"Pfft I really don't care. But I do hope that stupid guy I met yesterday has his own share of misfortune! I lost good a damn hour of sleep to deal with this noise and shit!"

Lucy looked at me and burst into laughter.

"You never change do you? You never let stuff like this phase you and you always find a way to wing it!"

"Adaptability is my specialty hun. It's my free day. I'm going to sleep it away after some breakfast!"

"Glutton!"

I burst into laughter and just like that, the peace and ambience was back. The tension we had faced outside minutes ago was gone.

*****

***NARRATOR'S POV***

"Angelo wake the fuck up!!"

Angelo got up with a start and groaned to himself as he thought, what the fuck was making Troy shout so loud and did I just hear Damien raise his voice as well and what the actual fuck was happening?

"Get your stupid ass down here buddy or you are done for!"

He quickly rushed down and saw the guys were hunched over Helia's phone. He heard a familiar voice coming from it.

" Oh.... So you left your warm beds, your houses and work places to tell me to leave a person alone? I have no business with him! There was simply a spill on his shirt due to my clumsiness and I wanted to clean it up. And whoever took pictures of something really simple is such a creep! For fuck sake! I do not even know who that weirdo is! He was just a customer at the bar and I must say though, he's really annoying and about him being yours? Puh leeesee! I know that a good number of you ladies here have a boyfriend if not all of you! "

That was Astria's voice! The female bartender from yesterday!

She was on the news?

He rushed and collected the phone from Helia's and the guys moved closer to him.

Her listened her talk and personal attacks on her own attackers! And she looked really different in this video without the goth makeup and just as he predicted, she was damn beautiful!

"Well if there's nothing else, stay toxic and please, don't have a wonderful day!"

That last part got to him and he burst into laughter! She saw was fierce. Last night was certainly not an act.

She managed to turn the tide of the conversation from her in such a short period of time?!

Troy then raised his voice.

"Looks like you've finally got yourself a tough broad this time Angelo!