Nine

I groaned holding my head in my hand as I sat up on the bed. Wait—a bed? How did I get to bed?

My eyes flew open instantly and I regretted it as the sun rays almost blinded me.

"Ow! This Sun is a bitch!" I growled.

"Keep your voice down for fucksake!" Another familiar voice growled beside me.

I pried my eyes open and saw Susie snoring lightly on my bed. My grandma was sitting down on the recliner chair in my room.

"Holy mother of Mary!" I yelled when I locked eyes with her.

"Have mercy on you!" She yelled back at me.

Susie sat up rubbing her eyes, "What's all this ruckus about?"

I stared at granny, my heart pounding in fear. Did she know what happened last night? How had I gotten back home? I just can't seem to remember anything.

I shot Susie a questioning look, she shrugged.

"Granny, good morning," I greeted timidly.

"Good afternoon, Hailey," she replied.

"Why are you sitting over there granny?" Susie asked in a teasing tone.

Granny glared at her. "It's none of your business."

I mentally cursed myself for not remembering anything.

"Granny?" I gave her a questioning look.

"Get dressed, Hailey. Duncan will be here soon." She stood up and left the room.

I stared at the closed door of my room. "What happened last night, Susie?"

She smirked, "We got back home by midnight and we passed out but you still changed into your baggy nightdress."

I shook my head, "Why can't I remember anything?"

Susie frowned. "Must be after-effects."

I nodded understanding what she meant.

"Where are you going with Duncan?" She asked.

"I have no idea," I replied.

I stood up and entered the bathroom supporting myself with the walls to prevent myself from falling.

Aside from my throbbing head, the room was spinning when I stood up. Taking a long shower, washing my hair, and massaging my scalp, I got out of the bathroom.

My mind kept wandering back to why granny had been in the room and for how long. She had heard I and Susie curse and she hadn't said anything.

Sitting back on the bed, I looked around the room and saw it was tidied up. Susie was still sprawled on my bed, massaging her head.

"I feel like shit right now!" She exclaimed.

I glared at her. It was bad enough that granny hadn't said anything to them about their early morning swearing.

Susie chuckled. "Go check yourself also."

Standing up from the bed, I went to the full-length mirror and groaned. My eyes were red-rimmed and I had bags under them. My hair—thankfully washed was in order, my face looked tired and honestly, I was tired.

I grabbed my makeup kit and applied light eyeliner and mascara, some foundation, and powder. I was good to go.

"Your granny allows you to use makeup? Shocker!" Susie faked a gasp.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, just light though you know I don't like heavy makeup."

"Hailey, Duncan is here!" I heard granny's voice from the sitting room.

"I'm coming, granny!" I hollered back.

Opening my wardrobe, I grabbed my orange floral gown and slipped it over my hair matched with a pair of flat black shoes. I grabbed my handbag and hurried out of the room leaving Susie behind.

I walked into the sitting room and noticed Duncan and granny in the middle of a heated conversation.

"Young man, if you aren't ready to marry my daughter yet, why take her away?" Granny was asking.

"I'm just taking her to a place where she can get a nice job and also we will get married there," he stressed.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked.

Duncan turned towards me and smiled, "Let's go, I'll explain things to you."

Bidding granny a hurried goodbye, I followed him out of the house.

~~~~*

Duncan had refused to say anything about the issue he was discussing earlier with granny so I didn't press him for more information.

The Mercedes came to a roundabout with a fountain at the center, swept around it, and continued up toward a fantastic sprawling house. It was Victorian, redbrick topped with copper domes and spires that had long ago turned green. There must have been at least a hundred windows on five floors facing the drive. It was a house that just didn't know where to stop.

I marveled at the house as I stepped down from the car. The house was indeed ancient but magnificent. I wanted to explore every inch, I knew it would take me days or months. I wasn't sure but Duncan had to come along and burst my bubble.

"Stop gawking, Mr. Lowell is waiting for us." And he dragged me in.

I stepped into a completely new world. No kidding, the walls, and the structure of the house were beautiful.

I stepped into the sitting room, the glass chairs and tables in the dining room were the kinds that stayed in the houses of wealthy people that wanted to throw their money away.

The house was welcoming from the open door to the wide hallway. Upon the walls were the paintings of various artists, obviously so loved.

The floor was an old-fashioned parquet with a blend of deep homely browns and the walls were the greens of summer gardens meeting a bold white baseboard.

The banister was a twirl of a branch, tamed by the carpenter's hand, its grain flowing as water might, in waves of comforting woodland hues. Under the lamp-shine, it was nature's art, something that soothed right to the soul.

"Welcome, Duncan." I turned in the direction of the voice and saw Lowell standing at the top of the stairs.

Duncan smiled. "Thank you, Sir."

I felt a familiar feeling rise inside me as Lowell stepped down, standing directly in front of me.

"Have she been briefed?" He asked Duncan, still staring at me just like last time.

Duncan shook his head. "Not yet, Sir. Couldn't do that last night."

I saw a smirk on Lowell's lips, "Indeed."

Okay, enough I need to know what the hell is going on here.

"Duncan?" I gave him a questioning look.

He sighed, running his hands across his hair. "Listen, I need you to do something for my boss and that's all, he'll leave you alone."

I gave him a quizzical look, "What is that?"

Duncan was about to reply when Lowell stopped him. "Let's go have lunch, you must be famished."

~~~~*

I busied myself with the food that filled the dining room as they talked about boring business stuff. I tried thinking back on what had happened yesterday night but all to no avail. The images were blurred like when you're trying to get something from a formatted memory card.

I went over to the bookshelf and picked up a book then plopped down on the hammock that was on the spiral staircase, how they had installed it there I had no idea.

I quickly got lost in the words of the book. It was a story about a young girl who fell in love and got happily ever after. I groaned, why all these cliches? I needed something real, I'm not saying there are no happy endings but there's got to be real problems before that and...

"Hope you enjoyed your party last night?" I sat still in shock, raising my face to meet the annoying smirking face of Lowell. What is he talking about?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied standing up from the hammock ready to leave when he grabbed me.

I looked around for my boyfriend but couldn't see him anywhere.

"He'll be back soon till then, do you remember this?" And his lips met mine in a mind-blowing kiss.

His kiss was familiar, I could see the picture in my head of us kissing together, me straddling him, and eventually, he left me.

I pulled away from him immediately, my heartbeat racing and my emotions all over the place, I was scared. I had kissed this man like my life depended on it.

Suddenly, he was down on one knee, his hands holding mine.

"My name is Xavier Lowell, will you marry me?"

I did the only thing that came to my mind at the moment. I…