Ryn tried not to show how uncomfortable she was. She did not want to pour water on Mika's happiness.
"I'm so happy today. You were so marvelous out there," Mika hugged Ryn again.
They were now in a private room in one of the famous restaurant in the city. A plate of the cheapest dish was almost the same price as her house's rent. And it was not cheap at all. Ryn sweated cold sweat when she remembered it.
Ryn sipped the water slowly after managed to free herself. Maybe she should stop Mika from ordering sweet dessert. This best friend of hers was too excited to stay calm.
Speaking of calm, she could not help from glancing at the man beside her. He was still staring at her!
This was getting too annoying. Why couldn't he mind his own business?
"Your jetlag is better now?" Mika asked when she finally noticed Ryn's quietness.
"Hmm…"
"So tomorrow…" Jason started but stopped when the waiters came with their food.
"I just want to take few days off sleeping, please," knowing how Mika's head worked, Ryn quickly announced firmly.
"But…"
"Mika, please. I need to rest. If I join you, you won't leave me sleeping without disturb. Give me time to rest my body."
Mika pursed her lips. She looked at her boyfriend but Jason shook his head.
"Okay…"
"Can we just eat peacefully?"
Jeremy peeled some prawns and put them onto the small bowl. He pushed the bowl to Ryn.
"So you're taking a day off tomorrow, Mika?" Jeremy asked.
"Why can't I?"
Ryn kept quiet. She ate her food calmly despite Mika started to shriek when Jeremy refused to allow her to take a day off. She glanced at Jason who was grinning before at the siblings. She sighed.
"Mika, be a good girl and go to work. I thought you need to check the outcome from the show."
"But I deserve a day off, Ryn. I've worked so hard for this show," Mika cried as she hugged Ryn tightly.
"How about these weekends you stay with me? I don't have any plan," Ryn tried to coax her best friend.
"I can stay with you? Your parents are not at home?" Mika had tasted Ryn's mother's tofu cake and most of the so-called 'healthy food'.
"Don't worry. They're at F city."
Mika pondered for few minutes. "Fine. I'll go to work tomorrow and Ryn, you're mine these weekends."
Jeremy opened his mouth but canceled what he wanted to say. He sighed heavily.
An hour later four of them waited for the cars outside. Ryn who had been shivering once her body hit the wind, was not surprised when Jeremy put his coat around her. She did not say a word, simply buttoning the coat. No point of rejecting his good gesture when she was cold.
Jeremy smiled.
Jason wrapped his arm around Mika, chuckling seeing his girlfriend leaning sleepily against him. "You are sleepyhead, love."
"Hmm…" Without caring about others, Mika wrapped her arms around his neck, demanding him to carry her. She was too exhausted to even open her eyes.
"I'll send you to the hotel." Jeremy opened the door of his car for her.
Ryn watched as Jason helped Mika into his car and pursed her lips silently. She made up her mind and got into Jeremy's car. Like she mentioned earlier, no point of sacrificing her comfort and health for her pride.
~*~*~
"You look so handsome up there."
Harry could feel his face getting warmer. His mother hadn't stopped squealing and gushing.
"When is your next show?" his sister's eyes were like saucer shining stars at her brother. She could not wait to brag to her friends.
"I haven't thought about it yet, actually," he said sheepishly.
"Which modeling agent you're signed into?"
"I'm thinking of focussing on my study first, mother. Besides, I need to do my practical next and father wants me to help him with a project."
"Your father… Is he still grumpy just because I'm supporting you?" his mother dug into her favourite roasted chicken while complaining about her husband.
"I heard aunty is participating in a TV show," his little sister quickly changed the topic because their mother's mood turned sour.
Harry cocked an eyebrow. TV show? What kind of TV show? His lazy aunty agreed to it?
"It's a one-day thing where a camera will follow her the whole day. Knowing her, there is not much interesting happen except when she's painting," his mother explained, a bit worried truthfully when remembering about her lazy sister-in-law.
Why was she being so stubborn to live alone?
"So I don't have to send meals to her tomorrow?" Harry asked. He was happy but then frowned when he remembered about the meal he promised Ryn.
"Make extra for the crews. Tomorrow morning call your aunt to ask how many people there."
"Okay. Sis, are you coming as well?"
"I have extra class tomorrow."
"Mom?"
"I need to accompany your father or he'll get worst."
"Good luck, mom."
"Can we just eat the food? Your father has been sending messages for us to go home quickly."
The siblings shared a grin. Their father only cared to have their mother home quickly. As long as they obeyed their father's family rule, they could do basically anything, but for their mother, all he cared for was all her attention was on him only.
*~*~*~
Ryn yawned loudly. She watched as Mei Li hurriedly packing their things before they could check out from the hotel.
"There is nothing more in the wardrobe?" Mei Li asked but still checking the wardrobe just in case.
"No," Ryn let herself lie back on the bed. She wanted to sleep more. Just ten more minutes.
"Ryn, wake up. Wash your face."
"Just ten more minutes, please."
Mei Li zipped the bag and looked around. Everything has been cleared and they were ready to go.
"Come on. We can go now. You can sleep longer at home," Mei Li pulled Ryn's hand without mercy. This lazy girl if left on her own, she would continue sleeping until tomorrow.
Mei Li opened the door when the bell rang. She smiled at the bellboy and handed the luggage to him. Then, she returned to pull the sleepy Ryn who went back to sleep out of the room, not forgetting to grab the room card.
"Come on. Let's check out."
The bellboy followed behind them, holding his laughter seeing the sleepy woman being pulled like a doll by another woman.
Mei Li pushed Ryn into the passenger seat and took her own seat on the driver side. "You can sleep. I'll wake you up once we've arrived."
Mei Li's jaw dropped when she saw through the rearview mirror Ryn had already entering the dreamland. Guess she was speaking to herself. Mei Li shook her head. She could not get mad at Ryn's behaviour because she knew Ryn worked so hard lately with job back-to-back.
"Ryn, we've arrived. Wake up." Mei Li announced once she parked the car in front of Ryn's house. She frowned at the house next door, at a woman being trailed by a cameraman. "Is the house next to yours being used for filming?"
"Maybe," Ryn did not even look at the house. She reached for the house key and struggled to pull her heavy body toward the door.
"Anyway, I've uploaded your picture last night so I need another picture for today. Anything will do." Mei Li helped Ryn moving the luggage into the house. "Remember, just a picture will do. Don't forget. Also, don't forget to have your lunch and dinner or your mom will be mad at me."
"I…" Ryn yawned loudly, "…know."
"I'll call you tonight to remind you again. Bye."
"No need to call me. Call me next year," Ryn mumbled as she waved her hand. Then she locked the door and headed for her bedroom. Her bed was calling for her.