"So, this is your revenge, huh?" I crossed my arms.
"Don't you like it? See, I'm kind, right?"
"Pakitang tao lang pala, Ashton?" I smiled in a sassy way.
"Just have a seat, lady," he said and assisted me as I sat down.
The people around us slowly went away. Is this guy serious? We'd really stay here blocking the pathway of the main gate?
He sat down on the chair opposite mine.
"The school's bell is a minute away," I reminded him.
"It's fine. I excused you from your classes already."
"Are you nuts?"
"As if you don't skip classes ha."
I rolled my eyes. What a judgment from a thug-kind guy.
"Excuse me, but I do things after class," I defended.
"Acting like a good bae, ha." He gave me a look acting like he was turned on.
I started drinking the espresso in front of me. As I took the first sip, I already recognized the taste, I could barely forget this.
"So, you ordered this in that coffee house I went to yesterday." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. I was too sure about it.
He scratched the back of his neck. "I should've made the espresso myself."
He whispered under his breath, yet I heard it, loud and clear.
"And I'm thankful you did not. You might mess it up," I said in an offensive way just to tease him.
He did not respond though. That's new. I mean, he would always fire back my offensive words, but this time, he did not. He just nodded and smiled.
"Yes, I might mess up this espresso, but at least, I am not messing up with you."
There was a moment of silence between the two of us. I stared at his eyes. What are the words that lie behind those figurative eyes? His eyes are cryptic. He is good at hiding the real meaning of his words. Now I know how he gets to have his girls easily.
"Mentira," I said straight without moving a muscle.
"No sabía que hablas español, bae."
"Well, now you know."
Our conversation went deep, but not as deep as the Mariana Trench. He tried to ask me where I live, but he couldn't get even the slightest clue from me. I'm not letting him know, he might just show up without my permission and I don't like it that way. I'm not a fan of surprises, I want everything ironed out.
He even asked me to go out tonight, yet I refused. I rejected him. That time, his eyes were transparent. I could see the disappointment in those. I hope he sees the laughter in my eyes.
"I'm going," I bid farewell to him.
He called my name to stop me. "Aren't you really accepting my date invitation tonight?" He asked for the fourth time.
"Definitely not."
-------------------------------------------
I stared at them.
"So, how does falling in love feels like?" Zaylee asked in a tone pertaining to me.
"Don't you know the feeling, Zayl?" Keana answered while her eyes looking from Zaylee to Clover.
"I kid you not. I'm not in love with an asshole," she defended. Quite a pain in the ass to be the receiving end of that.
"Uhm, we're not saying anything," Tina budged in.
Surprisingly, Clover's quiet right now. Just reading his book, ignoring us. Such a deafening silence from him. Most of the time, when they get teased, he's always the one who'd get annoyed, who'd go out of his way to just make the joke-around stop, but now, nothing. What's wrong with him?
I stood up from my seat, grabbed my phone, and slipped it inside my pocket.
"Hey, hey. Where are you going?" Keana said, stopping me. "You think you can escape from our discussion regarding what happened with you and dela Cuesta?"
They laughed.
"Bitch, the photo you posted on Instagram, everyone is going crazy about it," Zaylee said while grabbing her phone from the coffee table.
"Aren't you planning to answer those questions thrown at you?" Tina asked.
"You know me. I don't answer such nonsense," I said while facing them.
"You're not even following him on Instagram, but he is following you."
I smiled inside as I remembered that I followed him on Instagram earlier.
Clover scratched his head as if that part was itchy.
"Be careful of stealing, Brinley," he said while taking a sip of his coffee.
"Now, what are you talking about, Clover?"
"You're still not over it, huh?"
"God, Clover! It's been two years."
Tension was formed among us as rolling questions hit Clover. He is just so unbelievable.
He stood up and turned his back on us, walked up through the door, and went outside the Café without looking back.
"He's fine," Zaylee said. Every one of us rolled our eyes at her.
The bell rang. All my classes are done. I grabbed my phone from my pocket just to check if there are any notifications from my social media accounts— Ashtonvansdlcuesta commented: Not anymore. ❤️
He just commented on the photo I posted. Really?
I turned up to my newsfeed. I scrolled and scrolled until—
He posted a photo. A photo of me and him early that morning. While we sat down talking and having our morning coffee. He captioned it: Guess it's a no-date for tonight with bae.
Is he up to something? Like making me guilty for declining his invitation? Well, I'm not sorry for that. I liked his post anyway.
I went out of the classroom. I don't know where Keana and the other three went, so I decided to go to the library just to chill for a while before going home.
As I was on my way there, my phone rang. I had no idea who it was because various numbers call me every time. So it must be just someone out there.
I picked up my phone and went to look at the caller's ID first: Clints
I answered it right away.
"Brinley, I want you to go with me tonight," he started.
"For what?"
"There's a bidding auction party that will be held at Rovo's Hotel. I will pick you up at 6. Wear the mascara I prepared just for you, lil sis."
"I can't say no, right?"
"Yes, I won't take no for an answer. Everything is already prepared, all you need to do is glam up," he said, and I could already see him smirking from the other side of the line. Tss.
I sighed. He ended the call.
There are times that my brother tricks me into doing things that I am not into, for example, the most obvious one: business. And this is one of them. I could not say no. He is my brother and I think of it as a favor given to him by his younger sister. No harm will come from this, right? Just a simple business we're attending to.
-------------
"You look fabulous, ma'am," Yna, the makeup artist, said.
I did not answer her compliment. I did not feel the need to socialize with such flattering words.
"Here's the gown, ma'am," she introduced. The gown was stunning, shining, and shimmering. It was a silver sleeveless gown with a see-through design in the cleavage area. Shouldn't have I worn the gown first before putting makeup on me?
She assisted me in wearing the gown. I couldn't deny it, no one could. It is magnificent.
After wearing the gown, she worked for some retouching on my face. After that, she gave me a maroon glittered clutch purse.
I looked at myself in the mirror. Who would not fall for this woman, and the fire burning inside her?
The program just started. It began with the introduction of the owner of the hotel, Mr. Rovo. His hotel is really big, elegant, and luxurious. The glass pane seems to be so dauntless. The marble tiles are so soft but not so much that it still creates enough friction when you rub your shoe on them. The atmosphere, the air, it was cold and relaxing. Being here is not a bad idea after all.
Too bad that I'm just not up for business.
"What is this all about?" I asked my brother beside me.
"Mr. Francis Rovo, the owner of this hotel under Rovo Corporation, held a bidding auction party tonight to slowly get rid of the jewelry Mr. Taranova gave him for the past few years. Oh, the twist, he is one of the investors of the Cuestanova Resort." His voice was chill, yet his eyes were grunting with heat. He was focused. He stared at the person talking in front, it's Mr. Rovo.
"Is he holding a grudge against Mr. Taranova for not reaching his expectations?"
He looked at me. The mascara he is wearing darkened every feature on him. "Good question." He took a sip of the wine he is holding. "We can say that, but we never know unless he tells us."
I just nodded at him. I couldn't care less. I mean, I don't have anything to think about tonight but this, so better yet take the whole of it.
"Let the bidding begin."
I pushed my own body towards my brother. He did not resist, he held me tight. There's something wrong in here. As the bidding began, the atmosphere just became... narrow. And warm. It's choking me. The tension and everything.
"Stay beside me."
"Why is this happening to me?" I asked him, my eyes squinted lazily.
"I don't know."
He reached for the comm gadget in his ear. "Come right away to the parking area," he ordered.
No one will recognize us in here as long as we are wearing these mascaras. I walked rapidly for the fear that I might collapse in here. My whole world's turning. I couldn't materialize. It felt like everything around me was just abstract and loud, stinging noises.
As we reached the exit area, I released a sigh. What the fuck is happening to me? Four of our men approached us to assist me. They reclined me on the car's shotgun seat.
"Examine her, someone must've injected something into her." My brother's speaking voice was still, but his eyes were tensed. I managed to become calm for the whole time, I was trying to be steady.
One of the men went to get some of my blood.
"Take a look at this inside the van, faster."
"Hey, sis, how are you feeling?"
I could not respond quickly. I was still puzzled. I feel so dizzy.
"A drug."
----------------
I started to speculate the bidding again. I felt my strength coming back thoroughly. It came back after they injected something into me. Something that made the drug's effect go away.
"Brinley, you stay here. I can't stick with you. A drug exchange is happening right now—" I stopped him.
"And you have something to do with it?" I asked.
"I'll explain later, okay? Just stay here." He tapped my shoulder. "And one more thing, if the ruby ring opens for bidding, get the last bid. Win the auction."
I nodded.
I couldn't do anything. I do not know what he is up to. So, I stayed in here, standing. Watching everyone fight over jewelry. Argue over the price. Raise their money just to get the item.
The current jewelry was sold for the last price of 250,000 pesos. The woman named Mrs. Guzman went up to claim the item. So, this is how the auction goes.
I concentrated on what was happening on the stage until someone grabbed my arms from behind. I turned around just to find a confidant in someone's features. He is wearing a gold glowing mask. I know that I know this man. His lips. His pointed nose. His eager eyes.
I slowly raised my arms. I reached for his mask, and from time to time, I went to take it off him. He did not resist. He just stared intensely at me.
As the mask is totally off his skin, the guy unraveled.
"I thought destiny won't make a move to make me see you tonight," he caressed my cheeks the way he always does. "It's still a date, isn't it?"
I did not respond. I continued staring at him. Slowly, he plastered a smile on his face.
"I still rejected your invitation, all the same," I finally said and raised my left brow.
"Oh well, at least I saw you tonight, only that matters to me." He winked at me. "That accounts to the statement, 'I am seeing Brinley tonight', right?" He cackled on his own amusement.
Until that cackle turned into a sweet little smile. He held both of my cheeks, I put my arms around his neck. Our foreheads met each other as his hands slid down through my waist. His nose met mine. He closed his eyes, I just stared as he did those. And then, he started to hum a song. Really? Just when we were trying to build up the mood here?
"That's lame, Ashton."
"Oh, really?" He opened his eyes as he stopped humming. "How 'bout this?" He moved his face closer to mine until our lips made contact with each other.
It was a quick kiss, but it's neither a smack.
"Still lame, baby?"
"Not really," I said, giggling.
He removed his hands wrapped around my waist just as I removed my arms being laced around his neck.
He started staring at me again. I examined him. Every feature on his face. Every part of him. His thick brows. His perfect lips that met mine awhile ago. Damn, that was a good kiss. His body that is well-built. This man's appearance is almost the epitome of perfection. The visible jawline that made him look so manly. Day by day, he is becoming the type of guy I am fond of. Yet, the type of guy I'm not falling in love with. That I should never be falling in love with.
"You look so precious without your mask..." He stopped to clear his throat. "And you look so mysterious as you are wearing it right now. You interest me so much, baby."
"Oh, bae. Try to work harder on your words."
"It still doesn't impress you, huh?"
"Slight."
He grinned.
"You know what, you are giving me a hard time impressing you ha but, girl, remember this, I am not giving up," he said as his eyes shimmered. I like the way it sparks, it still gives me the excitement to deal with this guy.
"You seemed to be so challenged, dear. I'm only starting." I gave him my sultry look— A slight smile carved on my face, a little side-glance while my eyes are squinting a bit, and finally, a minute amount of admiration put in every one of those.
He returned it with a wider grin.
"What do you mean? Starting to what?"
"Give you a hard time."
"Oh."
He stood still again. He was about to attempt to take off my mask, but I immediately slapped his hand. He cussed.
"Naughty hands."
I couldn't believe that I am having a conversation with this man in here. We could've at least sat down at the nearest table. What a gentleman.
"Calling the attention of Mr. dela Cuesta."
We were both alerted as his name was called. I looked at him, he looked at the thing in my hand— oh, right! His mask.
I gave it to him without any second thoughts.
"Again, calling the attention of Mr. dela Cuesta. We need your presence in here."
I asked him why he was needed there. He said he just needs to escort the winners. I just nodded at him.
As I saw Ashton on the stage, I knew that the next item would be ready for bidding. I stayed sharp.
"Next item..." The host prolonged the waiting. "... Ruby ring."