Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Happy birthday baby girl"...

His dad whispered in her ear and gave her a peck in the cheek. Then he handed over a small velvet box to her hand, his gift for her birthday.

"Thanks Dad, wow! I wonder what this is?

She can’t help feeling a little curious and excited with that small box that her Daddy gave. Her thirty four year old handsome dad grinned.

"Later sweetie, just keep it aside for now meantime you will be accepting a lot of gifts from your friends”.

He said motioning to the group of young people at the surroundings. Each of her classmates and friends have come bringing her a gift. She smiled and greeted one by one as they slowly approached her.

"Happy birthday Red!

The baritoned voice of her Dad's employer and friend Alexander Brussel made her eyes wide, his uncle Alexander came!. His dark gray eyes are smiling at her and then he bend down to gave her a warm hug.

"Oh uncle Alexander!!

When he moved away his uncle smiled and give her a huge box wrapped in red as her birthday gift. She couldn’t help but looked at him with admiration, he's already in his forties but his toned muscles and handsome features just made him look even more appealing to most women.

“I hope you will like our little gift Red”.

"Oh, thank you so much po".

"You deserved it baby girl".  The beautiful smiling face of his uncle’s wife Mrs. Teresa Brussel made her even more happy. She admired them both and how they managed to stay sweet together every time she sees them. Like right now, she noticed her uncle’s hand over his wife shoulders slowly squeezing her and looking at her with love and tenderness in his dark gray eyes.

"No, look at her sweetheart! She's no longer a baby".

Her uncle said running his gaze from her head to toe which made her cheeks turned red. Her aunt just laugh softly and opened her arms to give her a tight embrace.

"You’re uncle is right my dear, you are no longer a child. Young men will now start to notice how pretty you've become. Maybe one of this days you will have them fall in line so you can have your pick.

"That’s not true aunt Teresa, my Dad will be the first one to cut that line”.

She said before both of them made a girlish laugh together. The truth is most of the guys at school are already eyeing her out. But she have never gone out with anyone yet. She wanted to focused on her studies and getting a good job first, a relationship could wait maybe. It’s what she thought.

Her Dad had an early history of heartbreak in such a young age. He made her mother pregnant at sixteen but the two didn’t end up being together until now. Her mother left after giving birth to her and went abroad, maybe that’s one of the reasons why her Dad is very strict with her right now. Same thing should not happen to her.

Red is feeling a little embarrassed by how her guests and visitors gave her a compliment on how she looked tonight. She had on a rose pink dress that fits her curves perfectly. It is an off shoulder chiffon gown that twist on the waistline but flows down until her ankles. The long cut at the side shows off her beautiful flawless legs. It’s a simple debut dress but the one that she wore on perfectly. It accentuates her innocent look.

Her debut could have been in a fancy hotel restaurant but she insisted on her dad to make at the backyard of their house. Because they have a wide lawn. She would rather keep the money and spend it for her education instead,specially that her college will be costly.

Her Dad Rick cleared his throat.

"It is better that if you liked someone Red, I should know the man too".

Red’s uncle Alexander chuckled and put his free arm at her Dad’s shoulder.

"Sure thing Dad". Red replied and rolled her eyeballs.

The music played and took their attention towards the signal for the start of the eighteen roses dance. Her Dad move to take her hand and lead her on the dance floor.

"Oh now you're the first dance".

Alexander quickly commented and laugh just as Ricky and Red passed by them.

"Of course boss..Alexander. I should be my daughter's first dance. You’ll know the feeling soon when you’ll have a baby girl”.

Ricky wink at him and his wife Teresa before finally leaving them and went in the middle of the dance floor.

"I wish we will have a daughter soon darling".

Alexander’s wife sofly says while her hand is tucked in his elbow.

Alexander turned and cupped her face then kiss her cheeks before he whispered to her ears.

"I do hope our third child is a baby girl,but if not we will never stop trying".

He face her to him and hugged her tightly. The couple already have two boys,one twelve years old and the second is nine. But Teresa is not yet pregnant with a third and they are both hoping that their next child is a girl.

They both smiled as they watched the father and daughter on the dance. Young men are in line for the eighteenth roses dance. Most of them are Red’s classmates and some are their relatives too.

"Dad".

"Yes sweetie".

In between dancing Red managed to threw her Dad some questions.

"Who's my last dance? 

"You're grandpa". Ricky grinned while turning her daughter around. He is so proud of his daughter to all. She is his pride and joy.

Red pouted a little, she thought it is her classmate James that will be her last dance. It’s been a long time since the guy is trying to vie for her attention. James is the son of the chief in their little town.

"What about my seventeenth dance?

"Oh you're uncle Alexander".

She almost stomped her foot. Her Dad had it all arranged without her knowledge.

"And the second dance after this?

"You're cousin Jay". He just chuckled in reply. "Don’t worry sweetie you’re third dance until the sixteenth is from your class at school.

She stayed silent now that her Dad answered all her questions. She doesn’t want him to know that one of her classmate, named James is trying to asked her out. And he is here for her birthday party.

"Hi cus! Tito Rick, I believe it's my turn now".

Her cousin Jay came to them for the next dance.

"Ok Jay, sweetie enjoy yourselves".

Her Dad slowly step back and gave an approving nod to the young man. She smiled at her eighteen year old cousin, he’s a friend of James.

"You look stunning tonight Red”.

Her cousin is a very tall young man that’s why she had to looked up to met his gaze and murmured a thank you for his compliments.

"You look handsome too! in a suit my dear cousin...and hey, where's James?

Thinking they were together like back at school she asked the question.

"He's around Red,no worries.”

Then Jay laugh and she knows why. James must be looking from far while she was with her Dad. The guy knows her father is strict and not very friendly to her male friends.

After her dance with Jay, comes James. Who looked very good in a midnight blue suit with a plain white button down shirt on the inside.

"Happy birthday Red". He smiled flashing his perfectly set of white teeth.

"Oh,thank you James".

"Finally i get to dance with you." His eyes sparkled and drew her closed. His hands wrapped around her tiny waist, very much to her delight. But she knows her Dad is just nearby and he might see them.

"I hope you didn’t get tired of waiting”.

"Of course not! I have waited a long time for us to get a chance. A few minutes of waiting to dance you is nothing”.

He said with a meaning. Instinctively she turned her eyes around and saw her Dad watching, arms crossed right at his chest and not very amused at how he is holding her.

"Let's go out Reda, i mean hang out with me. While we’re on summer break. Do you want to go for a night swimming in the resort next week?

"Ha? Uhm,I can't promise James. But i would love to go". She hesitated because an overnight out is a no no for her Dad.

"Great! Message me if you would love to come. The basketball team will be there.You're cousin Jay will also be there". 

"By the way you look so lovely tonight Red,I can't seem to take my eyes off from you".

She felt her cheeks suddenly felt hot from his compliments. Then she smiled.

"Thanks James, you look handsome too". She said pressing herself to him.

"Can i take it as you saying you like me too?

"J-James, I'm only paying you a compliment back". She stammered a little unsure of what to say by the way he looked at her. She’s not ready for the sexual spark she saw from his dark eyes.

"Relax baby,I'm only teasing you". James chuckled.

After her dance with James, she felt a little confused with how she is thinking. She didn’t expect James to just said only that. She thought he would become formal in courting her. She expected him to talk to her Dad but...then what? It’s like the boys didn’t wanna talk to her Dad at all.

After she finished all her eighteen roses dance. Exhaustion and fatigue almost took over, but her friends are still singing happily.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!,happy birthday,happy birthday, happy birthday to youuuuuu!

"Happy birthday Red!

She made a silent wish and blew the candles above her huge chocolate cake. Now Reda Faith Hornido or Red as what her family and friends call her is officially a full grown woman.