Chapter Two

Eve and Olivia stepped out of Eve's apartment and about an hour later, they were seated in their favorite hair salon. After making their hair, the ladies agreed to meet at the entrance of Romeo's club that evening at exactly 6 pm.

Back at the hair salon, Olivia noticed how lost Eve was. She was as silent as a ghost and didn't respond after the hairstylists repeatedly asked her about the hairstyle she wanted. Olivia had to choose one for her.

Olivia felt sorry for her best friend. She knew how much Eve loved Devin and how she revered him. She always talked about settling with him and him breaking up with her without any valid reason was what Olivia found cruel. She knew Eve was in so much pain.

After they were done in the salon, Olivia offered to accompany Eve back to her home and comfort her but Eve wouldn't oblige. "I will be okay. I'll see you by 6 pm sharp," she replied with a reassuring smile. Olivia reluctantly agreed and they departed to their various apartments.

Eve sluggishly walked into her apartment and flung her handbag on the couch after throwing her key on the table. She fell on the couch with her face down and was soon in a deep snooze. She had been awake all night, trying to get to Devin on the phone.

After a long snooze, Eve was awakened by the consistent ring originating from her phone. She sat up, yawned, and gazed up at the gas blue wall clock above her. It was almost 5 pm. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. She had slept for almost 6 hours.

She quickly pulled the phone out of her handbag and picked up the call. "Hi, Olivia. Sorry I slept like a corpse."

"I'm glad you rested. Hope you feel better now."

Eve nodded repeatedly as if Olivia was seeing her. "I'm good."

"Just a reminder. We are hitting the club by 6 pm sharp. Catch you there." Olivia notified her and ended the call.

Eve bounced out off the couch. She had just an hour to get ready. As she made her way to her bedroom, she was frightened by a thunderclap. She ran to her window, pulled up her curtain, and discovered that the sky was dark and there were bolts of lightning in the sky.

"I must leave before the shower comes," she said and ran into the bathroom.

Eve took her bath hurriedly and was standing before her wardrobe with her legs spread apart, her arms across her chest. All her outfits were suddenly looking odd. After realizing that she had no time to waste, she pulled out a red print gown and pulled a pair of black heels from her shoe rack. Eve sensed the violent movement of the wind outside as her curtains began to jerk from the inside. She quickly slipped into her gown, wore her shoes, and began running out of her apartment. She had no time for makeup so she stuffed a power palate and lipstick into her bag. 

Immediately after running out of the house. Eve ran back after turning around. "You are going out?" commented Sarah her neighbor who was taking some stuff into her house.

"You need to hurry. It's gonna rain cats and dogs today." Sarah added.

Eve nodded and rushed back in to grab her handbag which she had forgotten on the couch, she shut her door and ran out.

The clouds had all turned dark and the wind blew from different angles. Leaves were rustling and people were taking their wares in. There was a flash of fiery lightning followed by repeated thunder strikes. Eve held her handbag and began hurrying down her street.

Sometimes, she had to walk down the street to get a taxi while at times, the taxis go up to her street.

Eve walked for a few minutes then stood across the street in her red print gown which hugged her tightly and was doing justice to her curves. She began to panic. There was no sign of any taxi and at that moment, all she cared about was getting to Romeo's club dry whether she arrived late or not.

Then what she feared the most happened. In a flash, water began to pour down heavily from the sky. Eve wanted to forfeit the engagement party and just when she wanted to turn around, a taxi pulled in front of her. She quickly hopped in. She was soaked through not fully wet.

"Romeo's club!" she screamed to the driver. It was raining heavily.

The driver started the car and took the route to Romeo's club. Eve pulled out a handkerchief from her handbag and cleaned her wet face. 

"That's better." she outlined after seeing her reflection from the mirror of the powder palate before her.

She used the handkerchief and tidied up her wet dress. She hoped to get dried up inside the club since she was not so wet. Then in a second, the powder palate Eve was holding somersaulted and fell on her face. The driver was about to take a sharp turn but a car was approaching his route and to avoid an accident, he hit a street pole by the corner.

"What is wrong with you?" screamed a frustrated Eve. She threw the powder on the back seat and began cleaning the different shades scattered on her face.

"I just saved our lives. Shouldn't you be thanking me?" the driver retorted and for the first time, Eve paid attention to his hard face.

"You tried to kill us by hitting that light pole. Take a look at my face." Eve pointed out and immediately noticed that the powder had soiled her red dress too.

"What is wrong with you? Are you crazy?" Why are you men so stupid and insensitive?" she screamed at his face.

The driver gave her a stern look. He stopped driving, halted the car, and spoke. "Get out."

"Are you nuts? You are asking me to get out in this heavy rainfall?"

"I'm no longer taking you to the club. Get the hell out of my car and stop another taxi"

"Are you crazy?"

'Yes." the elderly driver replied and before Eve realized it, he stepped out of the car in the rain, moved to her side, opened the door, and dragged her out of the taxi.

Eve was dumbfounded. The man returned to his car and sped off. Eve noticed a roofed corner and moved there to seek refuge. She would have gone back home but Eve knew that she will have to trek for some minutes before getting a taxi that is if she's lucky since it was raining. From her chosen spot to the club was a two minutes walk so Eve hugged her bag tightly and stepped into the rain.

When Eve got to the club's entrance, Olivia wasn't there. The security guards at the entry spot kept staring at her. It was almost 7 pm.

"What? You haven't seen a wet woman before?" she shouted in an angry tone and brought out her cellphone. 

"I'm outside," she told Olivia after she called her. 

Olivia came out of the club and her jaw dropped. She held her mouth with both hands. "What happened to you babe?" she managed to say and moved toward Eve.

"Olivia? Can't you see it's raining?"

"I don't mean to piss you off. Just that your face is....oh my God! your dress is torn too." Olivia pointed out.

"It must have happened when that jerk was dragging me out of his car," Eve replied and looked at the tear by the left side of her dress.

"What? You got kicked out of a taxi?"

"I'm pissed Olivia. Don't ask for further details please."

"You look tattered and homeless," Olivia commented and began wiping the mess on Eve's face with her hands. 

"So you are taking me inside or what?" Eve replied sounding pissed.

"Let's get in. Samantha comes with spare clothes which she changes into after the night. She can give you her clothe tonight. She wouldn't mind returning home in her bar attendant uniform." Olivia stated and led Eve inside the club.

Olivia clung to Eve's arm and as they made their way into the club, Eve felt the eyes of the people all over her body. She felt hopeless. 

"I don't look good Olivia," Eve whispered into her friend's left ear. "I think we should go back home."

They were already inside the club and were standing at a corner where the lights were barely reaching but yet, people could still spot Eve. "Relax and wait for me here. I need to get Samantha." Olivia offered.

"You should go ahead and enjoy the engagement party. I'll leave instead." Eve suggested and took a glance at her dress. Olivia had cleaned her face already.

Olivia swung her head from left to right indicating her disagreement. "Don't you worry Eve? We will enjoy this party."

"Take a look at me."

"Oh come on. It's just water and a tear so, we will have fun tonight. Remember, it's free drinks tonight."

"Even though we don't know who is throwing the engagement party," Eve said. Both women giggled.

"Look! Samantha is over there." Olivia pointed toward the bar. "Let's go and get the clothes from her."

They held each other and walked to the bar stand. People kept looking at Eve and she wanted to scream at their faces telling them that it was raining heavily outside and it wasn't her fault that she got kicked out of the taxi she boarded.

Eve hid behind Olivia and just when Olivia was about to speak, she was interrupted by the master of ceremony who was on stage with a microphone and was calling people's attention. The tiny-looking man with blonde hair smiled and began addressing the crowd.

"We are here to celebrate love. This is a party organized by my good friend to celebrate his engagement to the love of his life, Isabel."

"We don't care about the couple. We don't even know them. Can the party start already?" Olivia complained in a low tone.

Eve smiled. "Silly."

"So tonight, we celebrate with those who had found true love and for those who are yet to find true love, I hope you find your true love here." the master of the ceremony continued.

At the mention of true love, Eve bowed her head. Olivia squeezed her hand tightly and smiled. She reciprocated the smile.

"Can the party begin already? I'm getting cold and I need to change." Eve complained to Olivia.

"I wish the couple can just walk in so the event can kick off properly. You'll be needing some shots to get the cold out of your system," replied Olivia.

"Can we all be on our feet please." the master of the ceremony beckoned. "A couple of the hour will walk in now." He then turned toward the DJ. "can you play us a romantic song please?"

The DJ nodded and soon, Celen Dion's music was playing softly. Almost everyone was on their feet, awaiting the engaged couple's grand entrance. 

Samantha signaled to Olivia to come closer to the bar and Eve followed her. The couple walked in through the door while Olivia and Eve were backing them. The man was dressed in a grey suit while his fiancee wore a sleeveless black velvet gown.

As they made their way to the stage, the crowd kept clapping and cheering for them. Samantha was on duty at the bar stand tonight. She had given Olivia and Eve two shots already.

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet my friend and his soon-to-be wife."

Eve turned around and the little glass containing the shot in her right hand slipped out of her hand and landed on the hard floor, breaking into pieces.

"Meet Devin Francisco and the soon-to-be Isabel Francisco." the master of ceremony introduced the couple with a smile.

"Son of a bitch!" Eve muttered with her heart beating very fast and her entire body trembling. Unknown to them, the engagement party Olivia had dragged Eve to was Devin's.