Episode 05

"Hey! Where did you go last night?"

“What?”

"What huh? Are you deaf now?" My colleague at the Bar, Zusie, yelled at me. She was  tugging on my arm which irritated me so much that I reciprocated with a push.

"Did you catch some bigtime client, so how many rounds did you have?"

"Stop being over acting, Zue. It was just the same to all the man I slept on." I said. "Anyway, what do you want for dinner later, It’s on me," I added.

"See.” Zusie push me on her excitement. “You really got a jackpot this time. All right, I want grilled pork later," Zusie seemed to be happy as she said it. She held onto my right arm and rested his head on it. You'd think she was a teenager hanging out with his boyfriend.

"Get off!"

She stomped. "Yes, fine, as long as you take care of my dinner. Thank you my dear friend."

"You’re such a dramatic baby, do you know that?" I also laughed at our behavior.

I was ahead of Zusie to work at the bar as a stripper, in fact she is like my younger sister. She became my sympathizer during my lonely times, became my friend and ally in life's challenges. She was only twenty-two years old, while I was twenty-five.

But the little fight between the two of us stopped when Karen suddenly appeared, she was also a colleague of ours at the bar. The Boss is calling, us usual he has something errand for us. It's was just too boring because I wanted to rest. I was so tired last night, but what can I do?

…

"What the hell is with Boss, why is he always ordering people to buy something like this? What do we know about the underwears that he wants? Gross…”

"'Don't be so picky, just look for what you think will suit him. And don’t be surprised by that," Selene reminded her friend. She suddenly remembered the time when they brought home wrong items, they ended up being punished. One slap each with a bit of force and severity of hand.

"Manager knows more about things like this, they all have the same you-know-what, he should be the one who came here. It's so cold in this Mall." Zusie even folded her arms in protest at her friend's presence. But after a few moments, she asked again, on why they didn't go shopping at the market outside

"It's better here, at least we won't be crowded, and one more thing I want to buy new undies, the nice ones that are quite classy. So go buy yours if you don't want me to change my mind."

Zusie almost jumped for joy at Selene's statement, after hugging her kind friend, she quickly went to the ladies wears to shop for what she wanted. It's her chance to have new undies, for free.

Selene's world was quiet when her friend untag her, she just drew a sweet smile on her lips when she saw that Zusie was happy too. Selene even wandered around in other parts of the mall, she looked at eyeglasses, some shoes and sexy dresses, but she coudn’t find anything that had passed her standards. The only contents of her basket were underwears that his boss told them to buy and the six pieces of undies she had chosen. She looked around to look for Zusie but she didn't see her, so she went to the closet where there were some expensive rich clothes. She was sure of herself that she wouldn't be able to buy anything in that section, but it might not be bad to do ‘window shopping’ even just now.

Almost all the clothes were beautiful in Selene's eyes, but there was still one that stood out that even though she was far away, she already liked it. Her smile widened as she approached the black bodycon dress on display. But to her surprise another hand also held it.

Both of them have good dress taste.

But what she didn't expect was who that person was.

…

"Maybe she has agreed to your offer, that’s why she wants to meet now," Jeriko casually responded to what his boss had been asking.

"What do you think?"

“Hmm. That's how women are when they want something, at first they don't want it even though they really want it. But when they can't stand it anymore, they will eventually soften," said the male secretary to Drake. He was in the backseat of a fancy car while Jeriko's eyes were focused on the road, but even so he was alert to everything his boss said.

"Okay, so maybe I should be able to choose a ring that will suit her," Dreyk bit the point of his index finger with a frown. "Later we will also go to Danze, his company has the best ring factory.

Dreyk and Jerilo are not far apart in age, in fact they knew each other before their relationship became employee and employer. Jeriko is the son of the former business partner of Drake's father. But due to an accident the only male survivor in their family was Jeriko. And unfortunately he didn't get the money of the father's business. His aunt get everything that should have been his. So since then, the Sebastian family embraced Jeriko, but because of his high self-esteem, he did not abuse the family's kindness for keeping him. Instead, he offered himself to be Drake's bodyguard, and when they graduated from College, he became his secretary.

That's what he thought of as a way to at least pay for feeding and educating him. He was very thankful.

Afterwards it was almost thirty minutes before Drake finally arrived at the cafe shop that Selene texted him. It's a good thing he got her number earlier, because when he woke up the next morning after their hot night, she was gone from his condo unit. He knows where to find her, but he also doesn't want to just interfere in her private life. He really waited for Selene to contact him and willingly agreed to his offer.

Drake kept his eyes around the Cafe. From where he was standing, Selene's place was five tables away. It was facing him that's why when she saw him he received an energetic wave. But what surprised him, is the woman’s wide smile for him.

Drake's brow furrowed, he slightly adjusted his necktie while gently stretching his neck left and right.

But it seems that Selene is not alone, there is a woman with her, facing the opposite side. Which is why he does not know who it is except for her blonde long hair and red clothes, there is nothing else to distinguish Selene’s companion. 

"What's taking you so long, honey?"

"Huh?" Drake answered without a voice, only his eyebrows seemed to respond properly to the expression he made when she greeted him.

Drake was already on the opposite side of the table occupied by Selene, and she was the only one who paid attention to him, it seemed that her companion did not care about his presence. Selene stood up and then clung to his arm, caressing.

"What's happening?" he whispered in his ear.

"Just go along," Selene also whispered to Drake. He tightened his grip on her even more.

"How is work? Sorry if I bothered you, honey. It's like my old friend is teasing me about who my boyfriend is now. Well, I told her that I don't have a boyfriend anymore, because I already have a fiance. Isn't it honey? Are we getting married soon?” Selene's voice had a bit of sweetness as if she wanted to make everyone hear that what she was saying was true. She was still staring at Drake while smiling, but his hand was still pinching Drake's skin, which made him slightly startled.

"Ah, yes, yes."

"Come, sit down honey so I can introduce you to Liset."

Selene pulled Drake to sit next to her, which the man followed.

The previously indifferent girl has finally able to react. She was surprised when she saw Drake is with the woman she hate. What are you doing here? Don’t tell me-”

"Hey, don't yell at my fiance Liset if you don't want me to screw you up in no time. Anyway, do you know each other?”

“Shut up!”she shouted at Selene. “Drake! What is this?” 

Her eyes widened, whiles he bit her lower lip bravely. Liset's hands clenched, forcefully placed on the table.

"Liset, when did you get home?" That was Drake's answer to Liset’s series of questions.

“That’s not what I’m asking you, Drake.”

Selene just stared at their conversation, but behind her innocent expression she wanted to laugh at the epic reaction of her former friend who pushed her to become a pimp in Manila.

If she had helped her in a good way, maybe she would have greeted her with a tight hug, instead of teasing her.

“Well…”

"You really don't believe what I said dear friend? The same as you did not believe what I said before that I wasn't really to blame for what happened. That instead of helping me, you only gave me emotional pain. But come on, we know you are just my shadow back then, that's why you're always second to me when it comes to grades, right?" Selene had taken that time to the fullest, it wasn't even enough for her. She wants to tweak the girl emotion.

“Anyway, I should introduce you to each other. Drake this is Liset. Liset, this is Drake Sebastian, my handsome, hot, and Billionaire fiance.”