Chris was at the bar with his friend Adam, they sat on the seat close to the window drinking.
"Dude why are you drinking too much?." Adam asked as he watched his friend gulped down the alcoholic red wine in the glass cup.
"Nothing, i just wanna drink." Chris replied as he poured himself another drink from the bottle, he picked it up when Adam took it away from him. Chris glared at him.
"Stop it dude, don't tell me you're drinking yourself to stupor because of that woman. Because of what she said to you or what the media said."
"She's such a stubborn woman, I haven't met such a woman like her." Chris mumbled under his breath.
"Did you say something?." Adam asked.
"No." He prompted.
"I haven't known you to be like this because of a woman." Adam inserted. "You don't care what a woman say to you but this particular woman had a grip on you that you even went to the extent of drinking."
"Yea you can say that again." Chris said reluctantly. "Each time I think about it- it gets on my nerves."
"Just forget about that girl." Adam snapped. "Like you said she's just a friend, nothing special." Chris kept silent.
What's wrong with him?, why is he thinking about what Jane said to him, he might be hurt in the past but it doesn't mean he shouldn't open his heart to love. No, no, no Chris, you can't fall for what she said. All women are the same, they only want your money nothing else. He shoved the thoughts out of his mind.
Cassandra walked into the bar with her two friends, they sat down on the reserved seats, she was about to place her orders when her eyes caught a glimpse of Chris sitting at the end of the wall drinking with his friend. She smiled when she saw no woman with him.
"Hey guys wait here, I will be right back." She left and went over to Chris's table.
"Hi." She greeted and sat beside Chris.
"Hi." Adam responded. "Thank God you're here, please talk to him. Tell him to stop drinking."
"But why is he drinking? " Cassandra asked worried.
"He had been thinking about what happened between him and that woman."
"What woman? " She asked, getting restless.
"What's her name again?." Adam placed his thumb under his chin in a thoughtful mood. "Yes Jane, Jane is her name."
"Jane?." Cassandra wondered where she heard that name. She remembered it was when Chris introduced her to Jane.
"Her?!." Her jaw dropped at the mention of her name. Why will he drink himself to death because of that ordinary girl like?. She'd know Chris for years and ladies doesn't interest him, he was only getting close to women cause if his career.
"Leave me alone, just go away." Chris said icily. He staggered as he stood up. Cass tried to stop him from falling.
"I'm fine, I'm okay." He muttered blinded by the drinks, he walked out of the bar. Cass turned to Adam with confusion on her face.
"What should I do with him?."
"Just take him home, don't allow him to drive in that drunken state." Adam warned.
"But I don't know where he lives." She inserted. He gave her the directions.
"OK, I will do as you said." She left and reached to her table. Her friends was still waiting, "Guys I'm sorry, something urgent came up. I have to leave." She apologized. "I hope you are okay with it, we will go out next time."
"No we are fine." Her friends replied.
"OK bye." She waved and rushed out to where Chris was about to open the door of his car. Cass snatched the keys from him, he growled at her.
"No you aren't driving." She snapped. "I am."
"What are you doing?. I told you to leave".
"Yea, but I'm not leaving you in that drunken state. You are too drunk to drive."
Chris stared at her gloomily. She helped him into the front passenger's seat on the right and she entered the driver's seat and drove off.
************
Jane was heading to her studio, the morning atmosphere was bright and pleasant. The gentle breeze caressed her skin. She could feel the warmth on her body, a car stopped in front of her, the side windshield pulled down reveling the person inside and it was Ethan.
"How did you know it was me?" She asked, smiling.
"Even if you were in the dark I will still know you are the one" He joked. Jane laughed.
"Jump in, let me take you to your destination."
She entered his car and he speeds off.
"So when will you paint me?." He asked looking at the road through the glass.
"With make ups or colours?, Which one?." She joked, He laughed.
"Anyone can serve."
Jane laughed.
Well you see, I don't paint people if they tell me to do so but paint them and present it as their birthday gifts. So you will be getting yours on your birthday." She joked again, He laughed, this time very hard.
"You are very funny." He commented
"Yea, you can say that again." She responded.
They reached her studio but were surprised to see a group of people hovering round the building asking sellers and buyers questions.
"Great the reporters." Ethan breathed.
"But why are they here? " She asked, perplexed.
"Don't know".
"Did something happen?." She asked with a rhetorical tone.
"Only one way to find out."
Immediately they stepped down from the car, the reporters rushed to them. Their focus was Jane.
"Miss what happened between you and the celebrity?." The first reporter asked. "Why did both of you fight?." There were so many questions at the same time plus the flashes of camera lights on her face
Jane wondered which question to start from, if this was how life will be after being a Pop star as she always dreamed. Then she would never be it 'cause all your activities in life will be shown on the media. She just want a simple and quiet life, she stared blankly at them.
"Miss tell us what happened?." Another reporters asked.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?." Another female reporter asked surprised. "Something must have happened which caused the fight."
"And I said nothing". She replied rudely.
"Miss, miss, miss," The reporters called as she made a move to go away when Ethan intervened on her behalf.
"The woman said nothing happened so why are you still asking her, is it your job to find out every detailed thing that happens in one's private life just because they got entangled with a celebrity?." Ethan asked looking at them one by one.
The reporters went mute all of sudden. "Answer me?." He demanded. They all kept quiet.
"So if any of you got nothing to say, kindly leave. Do you know what it means posting someone's private life on social medias?. He went on, pointing at each of them, so better leave."
He grabbed Jane's hand and led her to her own apartment leaving the reporters speechless.
Jane and Ethan entered her studio apartment, people staring at her as if she was struck by a strange sickness. He made her sit on the bench in her studio and he sat opposite her. Jane was facing the floor not knowing what to say.
"Thank you for defending me out there." She thanked.
"What were you thinking when you picked a fight with him?." He asked in an emphatic tone.
Nothing." She answered not looking at him.
"Do you think you will escape after you've quarreled with him?, his fans are out there to trouble and question you and they will do anything to get back at you." He scolded.
"Why are you scolding me as if you are my dad?." She hated it when people scold her including her parents and Ethan was here doing it.
"Am I?."
"Yes and moreover it wasn't my fault, it was his." She defended herself.
"I have told you to forget about this pop star of a guy, he will only use and dump you like he done to any other girl cause I know certainly you are not the only girl he'd come across. That's their logo ( use and dump ) they never love women truly."
"Chris isn't like that." She defended. "He isn't such a person, yes he may be grumpy but he isn't the type that use and dump girls, literally girls come to him."
"Oh you are even defending him." He said feeling hurt by her words.
"I'm not defending him, he just isn't that type not all musicians are womanizers, some are different and Chris is one of them." She concluded
"Jane that guy will never come to love you as you desire." Ethan reasoned. "But I will, Jane I love you with all my heart. I wonder why you can't see I'm the one who loves you."
She stared at him as he held her hand in a passionate manner. Ethan loved her but why can't she seems to love him back. She kept wondering.
Why can't she forget the Chris and move on with life. "Jane can't you see, no matter how much you try he will never love you. He only sees you as a friend nothing else." He said with serenity in his voice. "Jane, I'm not asking for much, all I'm asking is for you to see me the way you see him. The reason why he might not feel the same way is because he already has someone in his life."
She remembered Rose called him dad and he was married although he clearly denied that. Why would she forget so suddenly?. He's married and had a kid, how can she be so selfish and think only about herself.
Ethan is a nice guy and everything she wanted in a man, he's so caring, loving and understanding unlike Chris who never for once love, care talk more of understanding her. He only does what he wants and what makes him happy.
She decided to give Ethan a chance to treat her the way a woman should be treated.
"Alright Ethan, I will think about it." She said smiling.
"Think about what?." He asked, confuse.
"About giving you a chance and accepting your love for me." She replied.
"Really?." He asked as a smile lights on his lips and his eyes radiating with joy.
"Yes." She answered as her grin broadened.
"I can't believe this is happening." He inserted as he swings her off her feet into his strong arms. He swings her round.
"You don't know how happy I am that you will finally accept me." He said as he stopped swinging her round.
"I haven't accepted I said I will think about it." She joked.
"Alright."
*************
Chris woke up and stared at the blanket that covered him and the wet towel placed on his forehead, he wondered how that blanket got on his body. He also wondered how he got on the sofa. He saw a girl lying her head on the sofa beside him, at first he thought she was Jane because she was the only girl who had gotten close to him this few months. He gently touched Cassandra's head making her to wake up, Cass seeing he had woken up smiled.
"You are awake." Her eyes sparkled when she spoke. He tried to sit up but couldn't.
"Lie down, let me get you some water." She vanished into the kitchen minutes later she came back with a glass of water in her hand, she helped him sit up and made him drink the water. Chris rubbed his forehead massaging the pain on it.
"What happened?." He asked as he stared into her eyes.
"You don't remember?." She asked.
"Remember what?." He asks, confused.
"You almost drank yourself to death because of that lowlife girl." Cass wished she had not said that.
"What girl?."
"You see you drank so heavy last night that I have to carry you, you are so heavy. My whole body aches because of your weight and the cleaning I did here last night." She blabbed on trying to wave the question aside but little did she know it doesn't work on Chris.
"What girl?." He asked with a serious face.
Cass knew she have to answer him, "you don't remember?." She asked again. Chris shook his head.
"Jane, she breathed. You almost drank to death because of her."
He lets his body fall limp on the bed, his mind clouded with thoughts. What has gotten into him? What's wrong with him? Why is he getting so worked up over an ordinary girl like Jane?. He wasn't in love with her, he knew he isn't in love with her, he doesn't love her.
Cass came closer to him staring down on his face, she could hear his breath.
"Why are you so worked up because of her?." She asked, looking at his closed eyes. "Who is she to you? What role does she play in your life?."
At the hearing of that, he jerked up from the bed, took her by the arm and led her out of his house. He opened the gate and dragged her out of It.
"Get out".
"What?!." She asks shocked at what she heard.
"Get out and don't you ever show your face here again. By the way how did you know where I live?."
"Adam gave me the address and told me to drive you home because you were too drunk to drive." She replied, still trying to process what he just did.
"Why you?, Why not him?".
"I don't know either." She said calmly.
"Get lost." He shut the door on her face. Who does she think she is to invade his house like that and moreover he got to rethink what do to with his life, he had to give that Jane of a girl a break. He went back to his sitting room and his eyes sights Cass bag lying on the couch.
"Who does he think he is to throw me out of his house?." Cass lamented as she kicks his gate. Did he think he's some sort of king that he can do anything he wants when he pleases?." She kicked it again very hard this time, bruising her foot.
"Ouch----."
Immediately the gate opened, reveling Chris. He threw her bag at her. "You can kick my gate as much as you want, I don't care and it won't change a thing." He shut the gate on her face again.
"Shit." She caught her bag and walked off in annoyance.