Chapter 8: Morning After

I woke up on the softest pillow I had ever laid my head on. My eyes didn’t flutter open like they usually did. Instead, I enjoyed the softness a little while longer with my eyes closed. My face was pressed on the feathery marshmallow pillow, and I inhaled deeply, loving its creamy scent. Were pillows supposed to smell like my favorite coffee?

I burrowed my head in the thing and gripped it tighter to me. The heavenly soft material moved against my body, and I scooted closer to feel its warmth. A sigh involuntarily escaped from my lips, and the pillow snaked its arms around me and pulled me closer. The scent alone made me high with happiness, but I grew even more contented when its heartbeat became in tune with mine. Wait. What?

My eyes snapped open and stared straight into coffee-colored ones. My stomach did this rollercoaster thing as I realized that I was looking at Glace. Looking, gazing, staring were betters terms, but sadly, that was not all there was to it. My front was pressed against her body, and our legs were tangled like vines. Our arms were locked in an embrace, and I quickly realized that it was her front that I was snuggling into a second earlier, not the pillow.

To add insult to injury, I was wearing nothing but my black cotton underwear. A quick scan downward revealed that she was wearing her black undergarments too—only hers were lace and looked sexy on her. I untangled myself from her in a split second and hyperventilated as I sat up on the bed. Her bed. Inside her room. The one I visited weeks ago.

I grabbed the comforter, which had fallen to the side, and draped it over my body to hide my nakedness—or semi-nakedness, if you will. My breathing was harsh when I asked her THE question. “Why was I hugging you?”

Glace didn’t move from her position, nor did she consider hiding her body. A smile appeared on her lips, pulling the corners of her mouth upward. “Would you rather it was Denise that you were hugging?”

“No.” My voice cracked. I swallowed the lump in my throat and licked my lips, which had become dry because of nervousness. “But what am I doing here? I thought I was at the party.”

Like a broken tape, the events of the other night flashed in my eyes. Denise doing body shots on me. Denise taking me to the guest room. Denise unzipping my jeans and giving me one heck of a time. Oh, God. What had I done? But wait! If I was with Denise, then how did I end up with Glace? Don’t tell me the three of us had… No, I didn’t even want to think about it.

I gaped at Glace. “Did…did something happen?” I raised my hands and pointed at her and myself to get my point across.

Her smile vanished, and she sat on the bed, her smooth stomach flexing from the movement, making me look downward to the small V-like shape just before her black undies. I gulped loudly while she appeared to be bored. “Nothing happened, Dulce.” She turned to me and smirked. “You wanted it to?”

I shook my head vigorously. “No. Of course not.” As an afterthought, I added, “I want to do it with someone I love. Not because I was drunk from a stupid party.”

“And I want to do it with someone who is responsive, Dulce. You were in a drunken stupor last night. You’re lucky that I entered the guest bedroom when I did. If not, then Denise would have raped you.” Her voice turned sour at the mention of Denise’s name.

My arms crossed over my chest, and the comforter fell to my stomach, revealing my upper area. I cringed and quickly draped it over me again. “How did you know that I didn’t want it to happen, Glace?”

She rolled her eyes before sliding out of bed. Her nakedness didn’t bother her while I had to stare awkwardly at the bed to hide my discomfort. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her body. I was just naïve like that. Sue me. “If you wanted to do it with her, Dulce, then you wouldn’t have called out my name when she was kissing your neck.”

My eyes raised to her face. “I what?!” I said sharply.

She tapped her right foot on the floor and stared at me in amusement. “I said, you called out my name while she was on top of you.” Glace turned around and walked to the far corner of the room, where a door was situated. “I’m going to take a shower. Want to come?” she teased.

“No,” I said weakly. Her bluntness and the information she gave me regarding last night made me embarrassed. I didn’t have the guts to look her in the eye. “Make yourself comfortable, then,” she said before opening the door and vanishing inside the bathroom.

When she was gone, I slumped back down on the bed. What had I gotten myself into? Why did I call out her name when I was with Denise? I closed my eyes for a second and was awoken by someone tapping my forehead. When my eyes fluttered open, I saw Glace looking down at me. Her hair was wet, and she smelled like freshly brewed coffee. Did she bathe in it?

My eyes lowered to her body. Good. She was already decent and wearing a baby pink tank top, skinny jeans, and a denim jacket. She looked hot. Drop-dead-gorgeous hot. The kind of hot you’d see in a magazine.

“Go and take a bath now, Dulce. There are new towels inside the washroom, and you’re welcome to my walk-in closet once you’re finished. I’ll prepare breakfast for us,” she said and left the room.

As soon as the door clicked close, I darted to the bathroom and locked the door. My eyes scanned the area. The Jacuzzi in the far corner looked more like a small pool because it was elevated. One of the walls was replaced with glass, which made me wonder if people could see me from the outside. Maybe not. Knowing how Glace loved her privacy, I bet it was one-sided glass, where you could view the outside without being seen on the inside.

After doing my bathroom business, I walked to the walk-in closet, which was connected to the big bathroom. Her closet was three times the size of my room. It figured since she was a celebrity. I searched for something decent to wear and decided on a blue cami, a grey cardigan, and tight jeans. I saw that she had already laid out brand new underwear for me to wear, so I grabbed it and wore it quickly. It was a good thing we were the same size. Like Denise, Glace was taller than me by an inch, so I had to fold the jeans once to make them look good.

When I was finished, I went back to the room and glanced around. Everything seemed to be in the same place as the last time I had come here. Her black wooden desk was still bare except for a purple laptop. The huge TV was still attached to the wall on the right. And the bed where we had slept in minutes ago was still large and soft-looking. I walked to it and arranged the comforter and pillows. It smelled like cream and coffee—just like Glace.

My eyes inevitably traveled to the purple wall, and I noticed that something was missing. The nude drawings that I saw when I came over last time weren’t there. They had been replaced by drawings of two cute children talking in a graveyard. I walked over and observed the pictures. The children looked really familiar, and so did the backdrop. I wondered why.

The first artwork showed a small girl crying next to a grave. The second artwork depicted another girl reaching for the crying child. The third picture was one that showed the two children hugging each other, and the last drawing revealed the girl giving something to the child who was previously crying. But this time, the two were smiling. What a weird drawing. It seemed to tell a story.

I walked around the room and stopped in front of her desk. I previously thought that only her laptop was perched there, but I was wrong. A black jewelry box was also on top of the table. The curious part of me opened the beautiful box, and I was stunned at what lay inside. I thought I was going to see glimmering diamonds or gold, but it only contained a plastic ring, the kind children would wear and something you could buy for several bucks at a toy store. I glanced back at the artwork of the two children. The ring inside the box kind of looked like the ring being given by one of the girls in the drawing.

“Done snooping through my stuff?” Glace said.

I turned to her and saw her standing by the door, her arms folded in front of her. She didn’t look mad, though, which made me sigh in relief. She walked to me and closed the jewelry box. I knew I shouldn’t, but I still asked anyway. “What was that ring, Glace?”

Her eyes found mine, and she held my eyes for a moment before glancing at the drawing on the wall. “It’s my most prized possession, Dulce. It was given to me by my first and only love.” I caught the wistfulness in her voice.

“Oh,” I said softly. I recalled Nadia and Denise’s conversation last night about Glace having a relationship with someone. Maybe that person gave her the ring. “Where is he now?” I asked. “Don’t tell me he’s dead. If yes, then I’m so sorry for opening my big mouth.” I nearly face-palmed in front of her but thought better of it.

Glace chuckled lowly. “No, she’s not dead, Dulce. She’s very much alive.” She ran a hand through her wet hair. “She went away.”

“Where?” I asked curiously.

“To a place where memories are forgotten and first kisses are sealed away.” She stared longingly at the picture, then back to me. Her eyes searched mine. “How about you, Dulce? Do you remember your first kiss?”

I thought hard about her question. My childhood was a bit hazy to me, so I didn’t really remember. Maybe my first kiss happened during a game of truth or dare. “I don’t, Glace,” I admitted.

She leaned nearer and said in a voice so low that I could barely hear it, “You should remember it. You’d make the other person sad if you didn’t. Forgetting about such an important thing is like telling the one you kissed that it was nothing for you.” My heart pounded at her nearness, so I leaned away. Sensing my discomfort, she took a few steps back before turning around and walking to the door. “Come down for breakfast, stranger,” she said. “I cooked your favorite bacon and pancakes.”

I followed her to the big kitchen, where everything was designed with granite marble, including the counter and walls. She beckoned for me to sit on the table countertop, where bacon and pancakes were piled up on a plate. There was also orange juice. I glanced at her. “How did you know that this is my favorite?”

She took a seat in front of me and smirked. “I’d like to say that I have special powers, but I don’t.” She shrugged. “The next best thing was to ask Andrea.”

“My mom?” I asked with wide eyes.

“No. That girl from the ice cream store.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s your mom.”

I dismissed her annoyance and grabbed a fork. “Why did you ask about my favorite food?”

She poured orange juice into both our glasses before answering my question. “Because I wanted to, Dulce.” She pushed the glass to me. “Drink up. Remove that alcohol from your system. I’m actually surprised that you don’t have a migraine. You were obviously drunk last night.”

I took the glass and brought it near my lips. “Wait. This is not spiked, right?”

She sighed loudly. “As I’ve said before, I won’t do it with someone who is comatose, so why would I put alcohol there?” She began filling her plate with food while I took a sip from the glass. “For someone with straight As and a stunning face, you sure are naïve, Dulce.” She poured maple syrup all over her pancakes and mumbled to herself, “If I knew you’d be this gullible, I would have come for you sooner.”

I placed the glass down. “What did you say?”

She stopped what she was doing and stared at me. “Nothing. Just eat up, okay?”

I nodded and started filling my plate up and eating. It actually surprised me that she knew how to cook. “How did you learn how to cook, Glace?”

“You know as well as I do that this is not called cooking,” she replied while chewing slowly. “It’s food preparation.” She chuckled.

“Yes, I consider it cooking,” I countered. “I thought celebrities have personal assistants at their beck and call. You don’t even have a bodyguard. Why is that?”

She lowered her fork and took a sip from her juice. “I’m through with that bull. I’d rather live my life normally.” She shrugged and added, “And besides. What would I need an assistant for? When I get married to my first love, I just know that she’d cook for me and take care of me.”

“Woooow. Someone’s confident,” I teased. “I thought your first love went away?”

She resumed eating. “I’m working on getting her back.”

“How’s that working for you?” I asked.

She glanced at me. “Pretty good, considering the circumstances.”

I nodded and took a bite from my pancake. “Tell me as soon you got together with her, okay? I’m really curious as to what kind of girl would get you so hooked. I bet she looks like a Burberry model or an actress like you.” The syrup dribbled down my chin.

Glace grabbed a tissue from the table and reached out to wipe my face. “Yeah, she looks like a freaking goddess. More beautiful than any of the other celebreties I’ve seen. And trust me—you’d be the first person to know when she and I get together.” She crumpled the tissue and placed it on the table.

“Describe her for me, will you?” I said.

She touched her chin, and her brows furrowed in concentration. “How do I describe her? Let’s see… When we first met, she was this cute and confident kid. Her eyes were brown, and her cheeks were kind of chubby because of baby fat. She had these cute little hands that would run through her reddish hair.” Her face relaxed. “Now that we’re older, she’s lean and beautiful. She has the most amazing eyes that see right through me. When she gazes at me, I feel naked and unbalanced, but at the same time, I’m grounded and secure.” She took a sharp intake of breath and slowly let the air loose. “I can only compare her to my favorite song. She left an impression on me, and whenever I feel down or troubled, I only need to say her name or think of her, and all my worries will vanish. The memory of her runs through my mind like a song, and when sadness overtakes me, just a whisper from her melodic voice is enough to get me through.”

“Wow,” I said breathlessly. “She sounds like an amazing person.”

Glace nodded. “I’d never settle for anything less, Dulce.” She smiled and continued her recollection. “I love many things about her. She thinks she’s weak, but she’s actually stronger than me. She thinks she’s normal, but she’s anything but. I love how her cheeks turn bright red when she’s feeling embarrassed. The way she bites her lip when she’s thinking of something drives me absolutely crazy. I also adore how she can wear the simplest clothes and still be the prettiest person inside the room.”

“I wish I had someone like that,” I said.

“Believe me—you will,” Glace said. “When the right time comes, a cute stranger will make you fall hopelessly in love. She’ll give you the butterflies and the sweaty palms and make your heart pound. She’ll sing you songs at night so you’ll fall asleep. Even though she’s not good at cooking, she’ll prepare all your favorite food for you. She’ll rescue you when you’re in trouble, and she’ll never give up on you—even if you did.” Glace reached out for my hands across the table, and she gave me a meaningful look. “When you find her, Dulce, you’ll be surprised by how dumb you are.”

My brows scrunched. “Why?”

“Because you are,” she said matter-of-factly, like I was supposed to know already. “That person won’t be perfect, Dulce, but you’ll love her anyway. You’ll love her foolishness, her imperfections, her stubbornness. All of her. Just as she loves you. I’m sure of that. No—I promise you that.”

I met her coffee eyes and nodded. “I hope so, Glace.”