Chapter 34 Chapter 17 (ii)
Jigo
I stood outside the condo door, relieved as I heard the indistinct noise from inside. I could hear giggles and teasing, though I couldn't make out all the words. I just knew by the tone and the animation in the sounds that the women inside were all enjoying themselves.
So, she finally invited her friends over. And they seemed to be doing okay. It looked like Fae was ready to move on with her life without Carl.
Unfortunately, it seemed I wasn't needed here anymore, too.
As I felt the ridiculous squeeze inside my chest cavity, I lowered my gaze to the basket of wine and cheese I had brought for Fae, hoping for the possibility of spending the night, just the two of us.
Not tonight.
After a deep sigh, I turned away and left.
Fae
Kacey and the others had a sleepover at my place that night and, as we always did during sleepover mornings, we cooked pancakes.
We were still quiet because we had just woken up. And, well, we had hangovers. Coffee was already percolating on the coffee maker and Joana was moving slowly as she procured mugs from the cupboards, telling me with a sleepy smile the new ones were pretty. The doorbell rang. I lifted my face from my pancake and looked toward the direction of the door.
Kacey was already getting up to answer it. "Are you expecting someone?" she asked me.
I couldn't think of anyone. My internet and phone were working fine. There was only one person besides my friends who would visit me here, and it was just Jigo...
Gosh, did he send me a message saying he would visit? Kacey peeked through the peephole. Then her jaw dropped as she looked back at me.
Joanna and Pam also looked at me.
"Who is it?" Pam asked.
But instead of answering, Kacey opened the door.
And there stood a tall and handsome man outside, busy with two paper bags of take-out breakfast.
Jigo's smile dropped when he saw it wasn't me who opened the door. His eyes searched for me inside the unit, guilt in them. My eyes, on the other hand, were screaming, 'Uh oh.' Shit, I thought as I stared at him in panic. I wasn't ready to introduce him to my friends yet!
I realized that he read it on my face, and his face relaxed as his eyes skimmed over me and glanced at the other people inside the unit. "I'm sorry, girls. Wrong door. Good morning. I'll leave."
My friends all smiled at him. Dreamily, by the way. I couldn't even make a sound as I watched Kacey close the door on him.
Then they burst into laughter afterward. I tried to force myself to laugh, too.
"I wonder whose door he's supposed to go to now? Wow, he's so handsome..." Joanna said, all giddy. "He looks like an actor or a model. Drop-dead gorgeous!"
I lowered my hand that I didn't even realize had clutched my chest. Drop-dead gorgeous? If only Joanna knew that it was the understatement of the year. She was only talking about looks. I knew of his performance and personality.
Literally and figuratively drop-dead gorgeousness on all fronts.
"If that was my door, he wouldn't leave. I'd pull him straight into the bedroom and into my arms, of course," Kacey said, all-out giddier than Joanna. "My gosh. He's like a celebrity. He might be the most handsome man I've ever seen that close to my face!"
"If it's my door, he'll be my breakfast. And I'll be his," Pam said dreamily, looking up at the ceiling while lying down.
"You're all flirts," I scolded them.
They burst into laughter again. I covered my face with my hands because Kacey's laughter was like that of a hyena.
"Oh my gosh! But seriously, though. Isn't he just so handsome?!" Joanna exclaimed.
"Well... yeah, it's true," I reluctantly agreed. A god when naked...
"What about you? If you aren't broken, what would you have done if such a handsome man knocked on your door?" Pam teasingly asked me.
I took a moment to think. Then I slumped down. "I probably wouldn't be a virgin anymore."
Kacey rolled on the sofa where she’d parked herelf after leaving the door, laughing uncontrollably. The other two were also laughing. I laughed, too, the only one who knew I wasn't joking at all, and my made-up situation was already in the past tense.
"Wait, wait, the pancake is burning!"
We burst into laughter again while Kacey quickly rescued the currently smoking pancakes in the kitchen before it triggered any alarm.
It was guilt-inducing because we were all so happy while they didn’t know the truth!
But I thought, if the three of them weren't here when Jigo arrived earlier, I would have taken advantage of all their wishes. I was sure I would have gotten all, and a few more.
Tst!