Switches

PROLOGUE

CHERRY COLLINS

I opened my eyes, the reflection of the sun rays, shunned directly into my face. I sat up and rubbed my eyes softly, I took my phone and switched it on to check what time it was, 8:21 am, I sighed! Another frustrating day.

Yeah! It is.

It's been over ten years now, that I've been searching for my best friend, I've literally turned to something else since his departure.

It all started when I was 12, my parents were cooks and owned a massive restaurant empire, everything was going well for me I was the kid every one wished to be.

But this all changed when a raging fire outbreak gutted down the building at night, killing my parents who were working late that day, and two staffs. Since then my rosy life, changed for the worse.

I was left alone, being the only child of my parents, with no known relatives, or if there was I knew nothing about them.

I roamed around the streets eating from trash bags, suffering, being that I was unable to pay the expensive rent on the house my late parents and i lived in, I was thrown out without any mercy.

I got a job at the age of 13, picking trash from every house on the street. Not until I got a mansion where I found Jayson, die to the fact that i went to his house regularly to pick up trash, we became close friends, we were so close that we did things together, to the extent he normally sneaked out of his house under the guise of working out just to spend time with me.

We picked up trash early morning in people's houses. The day he got caught, believe me when I said it was funny, but he never stopped loving me.

The love of our friendship grew stronger, he begged his parents to out me in school. We both attended the same high school and we were both in the same grade.

Not until....... College!

Where we had to split, his parents had done more than enough for me, I was 18 at the time and was fully capable of taking myself so I decided to look for a tuition for myself, he promised he would never leave me, that we would do everything together.

Boom!!! That was it, he left. Yeah! He left me alone, I couldn't contact him, his parents travelled and I lost all bonds connecting us. My life wasn't the same again, it felt as if a part of me had been ripped off.

Things became difficult, I couldn't think straight because I felt my life depended on his existence. I felt I had lost something so precious.

Being at that time when I had little money or I was rather broke, I came in contact with a friend who was poor and lost just like me, together we decided to work as waitresses in a restaurant to raise money.

And believe me it wasn't easy,I became frustrated with life, I lost all hopes of continuing my education at the time, I never wanted to be a waitress, I hated restaurants then because if the bad memories they brought, but there was nothing I could about it, I decided to work harder to achieve my goals, and now;

I'm Cherry Collins, 23, the youngest, famous fashion designer, owner of the third best boutique in the country, an investor and also a budding entrepreneur.

I deal with companies and fashion stores, being that back then I was so obsessed about my best friend's disappearance, I searched for him everywhere but unfortunately it seemed he had left the shores of this country to only God knows where, leaving me to find my own roots and success which I have always wanted to share together with him.

Now,

I have become a cold woman, and believe me when I say I am really cold. I don't smile, I am no longer the Cherry of 10 years ago.

I only smile and show my true colors to just one person, someone who is not just a friend but also a sister to me. She was the person who was with me 10 years ago,when I had no money and we decided on waitressing to make a living.

Now, she's with me in our mansion, yeah, ours, she is also as successful as I am, she is an estate broker and deals with companies too.

She has been on my side for so long, she knows all about my past, she also knows about Jayson's disappearance and has also motivated me with words of "move on", this one she's a motivational speaker that's for sure, a good one, she's weird in her own funny way.

She's the only one who calms my nerves.

She's Jeanne Williamson.

Well that's all for now.

This is my story that is about to be continued!

CHAPTER 1

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CHERRY'S POV

I come out of the jaccuzi bathtub and tie my towel around my waist, instead of my chest, putting my stretchy arms on display.

I cream my body then put on a black jeans trouser, a black long sleeved top and pack my hair in a simple ponytail after brushing and styling it with some hair gel.

I apply a red lip gloss on my rosebud lips, brush my eyelashes with a mascara (eye makeup) and draw my pointy eyebrows. I take a look at myself in the mirror, making sure I look really good. Then I pick my wristwatch, a sparkly glittery gold bangle, designed by me and then lastly I put on my red flat pair of expensive loubotins and head downstairs.

There I meet the maids, they all greet me in unison, I nod in reply without uttering a word, maintaining a straight face until I get to the dining.

Who thought that I a street girl, someone that slept under bridges would end up being served by maids. Well only God, if only Jayson was with me.

Oh Jayson! Where are you now? What do you even look like, I sigh in frustration.

Reaching the dining a smile escape my lip when i see Jeanne, "Hey buttercup." she says greeting me with a smiling and beaming face.

"Hey dearie, how was your night?" I reply with a weak smile. "Uhmmm, it was splendid and yours?" She reply applying strawberry jam in her sliced bread.

"Frustrating." I say and gulp down a large quantity of my tea, she gives me a playful frown and sigh, "Look, every stage in life, always have bad and trying times." She says.

Here she goes again, I think to myself rolling my eyes. "The good and bad ones." she continues talking and I stare at her, "Move on babe, for crying out loud, move on with your life Cher." She huffs and I scoff inwardly and look away while saying.

"You know you could do this motivational speaking of yours for a living huh?"

Furrowing my brows, she winks at me and I burst out in fits of laughter, Yes, I laugh, who else will make me laugh if not her.

"Trust me, I am really good at it." She says boastfully making me laugh the more.

"Okay then keep up with that, I'm off." With that I stand, leave the dining leading outside.

Immediately my driver spots me coming out, he quickly stands and opens the door of the car. I enter the car, he turns on the ignition and then without wasting much time we hit the road.

I rest my head backwards on the comfy car seat and enjoy the cool car drive. The drive is long, we get held up by traffic and sooner than I expect my driver pulls up in front of a massive building; Cherlins Co-operatives, one of my many companies.

I head straight into the building, immediately one of my personal assistants follows me inside my office.

"Good morning ma'am" she says, "Yes Tamara, what are my schedules for the day." I reply coldly, not sparing her a glance, opening my laptop and arranging my desk which has littered files on it.

"Well first on the board notice is our delivery of fabric and textile, which is currently ongoing as we speak now." She says reading out whatever is on her note pad, and I nod in confirmation expecting more information.

"And for your personal schedule, you will be having a meeting with the SRUV investment service by 10:00 am, and the time is already 9:45 am, which means you are running late, also you have a dinner with LC Sanchez and......"

Not allowing her to finish whatever she's about to say, I abruptly stop her with a wave of my hand. I don't want to have any dates with anyone that will lead to a relationship or something of the sort.

I'm single and not interested in searching and I probably never will.

"Uhm also there is a new hotel being built and it has been declared as the largest in LA, should I send a request in for the hotel dressing?" Tamara asks, "No, let's wait to see if they choose ours or others rather, don't send in a request, if I change my mind later in, then that will be fine but for now don't." I explain.

"Is that all." I ask her coldly, "Yes ma'am" she replies with a bow.

"You may take your leave now." She bows and moves to open the door, I remember something and say stopping her abruptly, "Tell Davis to get ready, he will be coming with me to the meeting by 10." I say. "Ma'am, he is actually supervising the deliveries." She replies.

Oh! I mutter, "Okay then, you get ready, you are coming with me." I say placing my hands on my forehead, feeling exhausted already. "Yes ma'am."

She replies and finally takes her leave.

I plunk down on my seat, I quickly switch on my laptop and glance through the new hotel, it's really big as Tamara said, and according to what I can see on the net it's owned by a Jayson!....... Sherman?!!!

I don't recognize this surname. Scoffing, anyone can be Jayson by name. I'm actually looking for Jayson Harris not Sherman.

I look at my wristwatch and it's 10 already. I shut down my laptop, pick some files I'll make use of at the meeting.

Placing my phone on silent to avoid distraction, I step out of the office, signal Tamara from her cubicle, give her my files, we finally get out of the building, my building rather, going straight to my car, I get in Tamara follows closely behind and together we speed off.

TBC

CHAPTER 2

JAYSON'S POV

Sitting in my office, operating my laptop with my assistant who is showing me various potential investors, companies and other important stuffs.

"Um, Sir don't we need hotel dressings... You know for the new hotel grand opening, to give it a new and good looking appearance." Johnson my P.A asks me, "Well yes, and I will also be needing an expensive one that will give me what I want, I want an expensive look." I reply gazing at my phone.

"Great! and I have a list of them already." He says.

"Alright, give me your top three." I say sharply. "Yes Sir, here." he replies handing me his notepad, "Have a look at these three expensive fashion stores, they do exclusive hotel dressings and decorations and they are all from nearby, they are rated 5 star from top review centers online, and they are all good."

I keep scrolling till one particular company catches my attention.

The name actually draws my attention.

'Cherlins Co-operatives.'

Hmmmmn!! Why is there something fishy about this name.

"Do you actually know the owner of this company?"

I ask turning the notepad, so he can be able to have a look, staring at it for a while, he replies, "Oh yeah, I do, that is Cherry Collins new company, she just opened it a year ago, She also dabbles in company investment and startups also... Sir are you interested in this company."

"What does she look like?" I ask and squirm inwardly,not knowing when the question came out of my mouth.

"Sir." Johnson says furrowing his eyebrows questioningly.

"Um, forget it, just send the Cherlins Co-operatives a request." I say "And also put it on media, so other companies will stop sending requests." I chime quickly.

"Okay Sir." he answers leaving my office, immediately Talia enters.

Oh shit! What does she wants now.

Talia Andrew has been my on and off girlfriend for almost 3 years now, we met on campus, although we did not hit up immediately, we later became close and ended up dating.

"Baby, we need to talk." She says putting her arms together and standing akimbo.

At 22, Talia is an epitome of beauty and sexiness, lacking everything a man wants in a woman outwardly, but inwardly, character wise and her attitude is nothing home to write about.

"Not now, Talia." I say not sparing her a glance, "But... It's urgent." She half yells.

Here she goes again, "Look Talia, if you think you can come to my office anytime you like, and talk about personal issues, then this is not the time okay, so please use the door, I have lots of things to attend too." I smirk angrily.

She comes close, "Hey babe, I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier, but why aren't you picking my calls or replying my messages since yesterday." She says calmly placing her hands on my cheeks and I sigh.

"Well, like I just told you I have been busy okay, and I have not checked my cell since yesterday, I didn't hear your calls, the phone is on silent." I lie, I actually saw the calls but I deliberately ignored them.

"What of the messages, or you will tell me you haven't held your phone, that you haven't seen the pop-up on your message bar?" Sighing she continues, "Well I was wondering if I could come over to your place this night, you know so we can spend some quality time, it's been long we have been together love."

Oh no! What I actually would not want is her coming over and stressing me out, God! how do I escape this? I think, there's no way now, I don't even have any event today that I might have used to ward of this talk of hers now.

"Um, fine, pray I'll be home by then." I reply her.

"You better be." She says with a smile. "Well I'll be on my way now, see you in the evening." Kissing me, she winks seductively and leaves.

Jeez!... What a crazy girl. How come I made her my girlfriend, was I blind or something? I ask myself. Sighing and taking a look at Cherlins Co-operatives on my laptop (I had already searched it up on the net), the name looks so familiar, thank goodness Johnson showed me on time.

I don't know why, but the name strongly has me going way back and remembering my past, about Cherry Collins, my Cherry.

TBC