A year ago...
From a lounge in the hotel lobby where he was sitting down together with Cherry, he watched her stepped down from a white car. Her long, chestnut - colored hair which hang at the level of her shoulders, matched her long, curly brown lashes and her deep - brown eyes. The heart -shaped contour of her face was too small to contain her big and gentle eyes which gave the impression that she was always sleepy. She wore an emerald mini - dress which perfectly hugged her beautiful curves and dropped down above her shapely legs.
A pair of diamond earrings, a diamond necklace which hang above her low - cut neckline and a bracelet which complemented her silver stilletos, completed her perfect reflection of beauty and sophistication.
She walked with such gratefulness and attraction towards them that Andrew couldn't take her eyes off her. She smiled and stopped few meters from them and Cherry stood up to hug her.
"Mom, this is Andrew. " She said as she turned to look at Andrew who remained sitting at the couch, watching them.
Andrew got startled at what he just heard that his eyes widened in surprise. Who would ever expect that the woman whom he couldn't just take his eyes off was Cherry's mom?
Dear skies, she was far more enchanting than her daughter! In his eyes, no other woman was prettier than Cherry, only to be proved wrong at that moment. She may be in her early thirties already but she looked like few years younger than her age that Cherry appeared to be just her little sister.
"Andrew, please meet my mom. You may call her Miss Perez. "
"Hi, Andrew! "
"Hello, Miss Perez. I'm so glad to meet you." He said awkwardly for being suddenly unprepared for this meeting.
Miss Perez...the name itself worsened his fidgetting state. Who would ever think that the hotel's general manager they were going to talk to was Cherry's mom? She never mentioned it, perhaps she was afraid he wouldn't go with her.
"Likewise, Andrew. Now, both of you follow me. "
They both followed her as she led the way towards a room which appeared to be her office. The interior design which was paneled with a dark mahogany wall was very simple but elegant. There were large frames of famous paintings and a basket of fresh flowers at a wooden coffee table in one corner.
She walked towards the back of her desk and sat in her swivel chair. She then gestured for them to sit down in the two wooden chairs across her.
When they were comfortably seated, Mrs. Perez broke the silence.
"So tell me more about your proposed concert. " She looked straight into the eyes of Andrew.
Andrew still felt a little shaky though it clearly showed that she was trying to be friendly and unintimidating.
"Ma'am, our objective in this concert is to contribute in the student council's fundraising projects.The proceeds of this proposed concert was agreed to help lessen the graduating student's expenses in their coming in - house board exam review. Sixty percent will go to the school project and forty percent will be divided among us in the group. "
"Bring your group here tomorrow for the audition. "
"Thank you mom. " Cherry instantly beamed in happiness and excitement.
She was the elected president of their university's student council for two years already. She won the election, not only because she was brilliant in the class and was known for her talent in public speaking, but also because of her charms and beauty. She was mostly being remembered by the students during the election through her captivating smile in the large posters on the wall by the entrance of the university.
Every year, the student council launched a fundraising project to help the graduating students with their expenses. This year, her goals and efforts were much larger because Andrew was one of the graduating students. One of her proposed project was to hold a concert in a five - star hotel where her mom worked as a general manager.
"Thank you, Mrs. Perez. " Andrew echoed shyly, overwhelmed with the fact that her mother -in -law in the future almost looked like his age.
You're welcome, as long as you will take care of my daughter and will learn how to visit her properly at home. "
This statement was both a welcome and a reminder. Andrew never visited her at home. They just met in the campus premises, in coffee shops , restaurants and in his boarding house.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Perez. From now on,
I will visit her at your home. "
"Good. " She nodded while Andrew felt like a wax melting in a low fire.
The moment they got out of the hotel's premises, Andrew couldn't hold his curiousity anymore.
"Cherry, your mom looks so young."
"Are you attracted to her? " She confronted him. She had been watching his reaction the moment her mom walked into the hotel's lobby.
"What are you talking about? Of course, I am curious because I thought she would be the typical image of a mother whose daughter is already a college student. "
"She gave birth to me at fourteen years old. My father is a spoiled brat so their relationship turned sour in the end. Luckily, my grandparents are wealthy so they supported mom's studies until she graduated and found means to support me and herself. They never got married, neither she decided to get married with someone else but she amazingly got herself young boyfriends. However, my grandparents still supported us in behalf of my father especially that I am still studying. "
"Fourteen years old? " His eyes widened in such an astounding news.
" High school sweethearts. That's no great difference from us. I was still sixteen when we started out. Luckily, you did not make me pregnant. "
Suddenly, Cherry's phone rang. Jeff's voice broke into the line.
"Cher, I'm sorry. I can't make it to the concert. Or perhaps, I can no longer come back. We are going back to our hometown because of an emergency. "
Cherry sank in frustration. He was their band's only male vocalist while she was the female one. Andrew was the keyboard player and they also had a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. Their concert proposal at her mom's hotel was not only for one night but once a week throughout the whole school year.
"What shall we do now? It's not that easy to train another one. "
Andrew pulled her closer towards him. She always got unusually prettier when she frowned.
"Let's announce for an audition. "
"No choice. " She sighed.
Just as they climbed the stairs towards the second floor where the office of the student council is located, someone who could solve their current problem was also descending from the top. Andrew felt surprised and relieved. He owed this man so much but it did not mean to resolve his old bitterness. How could he? When he always grabbed many things which was supposedly his?