Chapter 4 –  The Offering

(Anj’s POV)

Go straight to the hallway, and then turn right…

I heaved a deep sigh as I carried the elegant arrangement of sunflowers, anthurium, hydrangea, and heliconia for the offering Mrs. Wilbur ordered from Sister Grace. She usually donates at the nursing home, but I seldom see her because she is mostly out of town, joining her husband on his business trips.

The housekeeper had other flowers to bring, so here I am, forced to look for that room where Mrs. Wilbur expected the offering should be. I didn’t have the time to memorize the direction because I was also in a hurry to go back.

Anya said that instead of meeting me, Claire was friendly enough, offering to pick me up outside the gate of Wilbur’s mansion because Aunt Rose asked her to run an errand before going to the party.

“It’s a black SUV,” she told me. “When you get there, let’s meet in the lobby.” She has repeated those words many times, worried that I would wander and get stuck in a room called the library or study room. She often joked that when I was young, no one could lure me into going with a stranger because I disliked candies and chocolates, but anyone could kidnap me by giving me a book.

I used my back to open the ajar door wide after finding the room.

“Finally!” A woman’s voice exclaimed, making me stop walking. The tall arrangement of flowers made it difficult to see who it was, and even if I tilted my head to peek at the owner of the voice, I still couldn’t see her.

“The offering?” Another voice asked, but from a man.

What is wrong with these people? Why don’t they just tell me where to put the flowers so I can go?

“Umm… Yes!” I answered, hesitating at first, but my hands were getting numbed already, so I had to put this heavy thing down. “Where can I put these?” I asked, not moving anymore because I noticed big antique vases and was afraid I might trip and break them.

I hear someone walking toward me. “Here, let me help you,” he said, taking the flower arrangement from me. “Why are you even carrying this heavy thing?” he chuckled as he placed it on the center table, then turned to me again.

“Woah! The god would be pleased,” beamed the woman, maybe the same age as Anya. I saw her pressing her lips to suppress a peal of laughter.

“Hmm,” murmured Jake, touching his chin as he studied me from head to toe. “Indeed,” he said, agreeing with Jackie.

Jackie goes to the same university I am studying at, but I am sure she doesn’t recognize me because she belongs to a famous group of students. Anya, Dylan and I usually call them the elite as they are the sons and daughters of celebrities, wealthy businessmen, and government officials. We belong to the crème de la crème group because if not for the scholarship, the three of us won’t be able to get into that school.

“Can I go now?” My eyebrows knitted, wondering why Jake was studying me as if he was unsure of something. I have seen him in the nursing home several times, bringing goodies to the residents during special occasions, but I doubt he remembered me.

“Where are you going?” Jackie walked toward me, placing her arms on my shoulders. “Didn’t they tell you about the party?” She asked as we went out of the room, walking side-by-side.

My forehead creased as my eyes narrowed. “Umm… They did,” I answered hesitantly, wishing I owned a cellphone so I could call Anya.

“Oh, Good!” Jackie said. “The black SUV is in the driveway. Wait for me there, okay?”

I nodded, walking toward the driveway and thinking Claire probably knew the famous Jake and Jackie Wilbur. When I got out of the mansion, the driver opened the car door for me, and although I doubted it for a while, I plopped myself inside the car after the arguments I had in my thoughts.

“Umm…” I heaved a sigh when Jackie entered the car and sat next to me. “Where’s Claire?” I asked, panicking she was not in the car with us.

“Claire?” She glanced at me before looking at the gadget in her hand. “She’s in the other car with Jake,” she answered, but her eyes were fixed on her cellphone.

I heaved a sigh of relief, looking out the window. When I breathed in, I inhaled the scent of Jackie’s perfume, loving the bold but not overpowering floral scent. I have never bought perfume in my life because, first off, I don’t have money to buy one, and second, I create my own signature scent.

Making my own perfume has been a hobby I have liked doing ever since the chemistry project I did in the class in high school. 

The one-hour ride was quiet, and the only noise I could hear was the chime of Jackie’s cellphone whenever she received a reply from whoever she was texting. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out what I did wrong because Anya said the party place was only half an hour away from the Wilbur Mansion.

I opened my eyes when Jackie’s driver stopped the car in front of a private resort. From the outside, we could hear the loud music, but when I peeked outside the window and saw the place Anya had described, I realized this must be it.  She must have miscalculated the time and place again, which happens very often, especially when she is busy.

Quietly, I followed Jackie inside, but as soon as we entered the foyer, she left me, joining her friends. I felt like an ugly duckling left in the middle of a crowded pond, panicking about where to go, how to find the stairs, and wanting to cry in an unfamiliar environment. But before all those things could happen, Jake had already held my hand, leading me to the room at the end of the hallway.

When he opened the door, the room was filled with loud music that sounds vibrated through my body, but it seemed every guest didn’t mind as they chatted and drank. My eyes widened to see some men and women dancing with their bodies almost glued to each other. I had to swallow hard, seeing couples making out, not minding other people around.

“Drink up!” Jake said, giving me a glass of something green in it. I followed him, quickly consuming the weird taste of green juice in the glass. He laughed when I coughed as heat crept on my throat.

“What’s this?” I asked curiously, my face crumpled after drinking the weird juice.

“Appletini. You like it?” He had to lean his head closer to my ears so I could hear it. When I get out of here, I am sure I will suffer from hearing impairment.

I shook my head.

“Have another shot,” He gave me another glass. “Drink up!” he said again, and I did. I licked my lips, tasting the drinks on my bottom lip. The cocktail drink was much better the second time. He gave me another, instructing me to drink up.

On my third glass, I was already feeling warm and fuzzy that I wanted to take off my shirt. I already liked the taste of the alcohol that I took another glass from the waiter who walked past us, but before I could drink it, Jake held my wrist, tugging me to the spiral staircase.

When we got on the second floor, I almost laughed seeing three men sitting on the couch as if they were the big bosses in the movies, but when the man sitting in the middle raised his head, my eyes widened, recognizing the gorgeous young man immediately despite my brain becoming fuzzy.

What is the monster in the red Ferrari car doing here?

His forehead creased, but he did not recognize me because my face was no longer puffy. Only the red spots remained, which invaded my whole face.

“Are you kidding me, Jake?” he asked furiously. “Why did you bring-”

As I walked toward him, my nostrils flared in anger, remembering how he insulted me. I did not let him finish what he was saying, and without thinking, I poured the liquid onto his lap.

“Argh!” He growled, standing up as he felt the cold liquid. “Are you crazy?” he grabbed my upper arm, pulling me, more like dragging me to the room. He opened the door, banging it hard as he closed it, startling me.

He walked past me, entering another door. Taking my chance to escape, I held the doorknob, opening it, but I couldn’t. My heart hammered inside my chest, feeling the fear of being imprisoned inside the room with a stranger.

“Stop wasting your energy on that. They already locked it outside,” he said, going out of the bathroom with a towel in his hand as he tried to dry his pants. With what I did, he looked like he peed on his trousers.

“What? Why?” My eyes were round, teary, and afraid as I asked him. “What did I do to you?”

“Nothing. They must be pissed at me, bringing me an ugly offering,” he hissed.

“What?” I asked again, forgiving him by saying the words ‘ugly offering.’ “Would you care to explain?” Suddenly for a genius, I felt stupid for the first time. “What am I supposed to do?”

“As an offering, you’re supposed to please me tonight!” He explained briefly, causing my eyes and mouth to gape in shock.