CHAPTER SIX: ONE-NIGHT STAND

CONTINUOUS LOUD RINGS awake Anna from her sound sleep. Her eyes were still heavy and she hates to open them, but the disturbing sound of her phone is getting on her nerves already. She's planning to throw it away but found Monet's caller I. D. in her half-opened eyes. Monet is her long-time friend, the closest and truest one. So, she picks it up even if her head is throbbing badly.

"Where are you?!" she asked, almost screaming.

The energy of this woman never really falters.

"Just in the house, still sleeping..." Anna answered in the middle of yawning, her words came out vaguely. "Why do you have to call this early?"

"House? Early?" Monet repeated each like they were foreign words for her. "Can you hear your crazy self, Anna? It's 2:00 in the afternoon already and how can you be home when I was just there a few minutes ago and your family's losing their minds looking for you?"

"What?"

Monet's words aroused confusion in Anna which forced her to get up slowly and see what her crazy friend was talking about, even though her eyes were still heavy and she wanted to have some more rest... An unfamiliar room welcomed her sleepy eyes— which bulged in too much astonishment after. The walls aren't beige and even the ceiling gives no sense of familiarity in her eyes. The sheets are white, the curtains are cream, and her dress was. . . she nearly lost her breath when she slid them under the sheet, and guess what? Her goddamned body was completely naked for goodness sake!

"Oh! my freaking! ass!" she screamed each word with her hoarse voice.

Anna was quick to tangle her body beneath the shit, which caused her head to spin more. But Anna managed to pull herself towards the headboard and rest her bare back from there. Through her fingers, she ruffled her messy short hair before she directed her frustration on her temple to give it some light punches. A lot of scenarios were now playing inside her weary head and it was making her chest collapse in fear.

"What's happening, Anna girl? Where exactly are you, huh? You are making each of us nervous, even aware of that?" Her tone gives it away. "And hey! your father's planning to start a search and rescue operation for you if you failed to show up before the night came. So, hurry and go home now!"

Oh, Goodness... that inflicts more pain in her head.

"I will just. . . just give me a little time to think."

"Think?" Monet asked, scoffing at her. "Did you run away? Last night you were throwing a string of profanities about your mom's treatment, also your cocky driver. And then what? Your parents suddenly materialized in front of my condo unit looking for their missing daughter. Oh, gosh, Anna!"

"I'll be home in a few," her response was short.

Anna threw her phone away after the line died— in the farthest part of the bed, it could reach. On the dark brown floor were her crumpled black cocktail dress, and pieces of her damn underwear. The pair of her killer heels were scattered far from each other in the doorway, Gosh! That man made her a wanton woman last night. Disaster!

And speaking of that mysterious man... Anna lifted her puffy eyes to search for any presence around. The shower room's door was half-opened, nobody was moving in there. No one seems with her inside the room, would that mean... he just left her after what happened between them?

No! That's next to impossible. He must be out to buy food or anything to surprise Anna when she wakes up... Although this is her first time, she's confident as hell that no one would leave her hanging after their make-out, she's too special to be abandoned.

And speaking of the first time... why does her femininity not feel sore or anything right now? Isn't that given after being done? That is what she had read on the internet and if her memory serves her right, Monet had lectured her about that already.

Confused about things, she tried to recall everything that happened last night. The handsome, mysterious guy and the pleasure that his kisses had given her. They kissed each other senselessly; no one wanted to stop or breathe. Until they decided to get themselves a room, he guided her into his black car and they headed to a five-star hotel next.

They were having a small talk inside the room when he popped a bottle of wine, they drank it and the next things are vague. Anna felt dozing off all of a sudden, but she can remember how the stranger attended to her when she couldn't sit on the sofa properly.

They were sharing laughter about random things when he suddenly wrapped her up in his strong arms and carried her to bed, and what was bound to happen, happened!

Drowning in millions of questions inside her head, Anna rushed towards the shower room and rinse off all the marks he left her, particularly his addicting scent she can still smell from her body. She makes sure to scrub every little area of her skin, especially her lips and neck... Crazy as it may sound, but the remnants of his woody scent made her heart palpitate like hell. Does she have to feel this for that asshole? And what does he think of her, a whore? After a nightstand, he just left like she's a business he just finished after the pleasure?

Done priming herself after an hour in the bathroom, her dress was ruined a bit but she managed to find a solution to it. Anna is ready to leave any minute from now, but she chose to stay for a while because she's still hoping to see the man for one last time and blow his face with the strongest slap she could give him... Her phone was annoying her again with its continuous ringing from her parent's call and unending messages, she's just watching it with her arched brow. When it eventually drained down and died, that served as a cue for her to leave and prepare herself to face her litigation...

Anna was so sure of what would happen as she entered the threshold of their imposing mansion, yet she's quickly wrapped by the indifference brought by the silence and peace everywhere. So new for her! She's kind of expecting for some scene that usually happens— her parents overreacting over her absence, the interrogations, unending complaints, annoying nags, and irritating drama... But she got no one as she ascended the stairs, only their housemaid who helped her with her things and asked if she had already eaten.

"I'm full... Anyway, where's mom and dad?"

"Out to attend an important event," the housemaid answered.

Line etched between her brows. "Both of them?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Your grandmother also came with them, she actually paid a visit earlier. Then, by learning the mess you created, she almost had a heart attack," the housemaid reported.

"Oh! Too bad she missed it," she said, like it didn't mean something ill. She continued walking with lazy steps, glaring somewhere from time to time.

"They also told me to inform you about the event, so you could follow if you want. Your dress is just above your bed by the way."

So, they are expecting her to follow them? And then, what? They will scold me here and there, and humiliate me in front of many people? Yeah, not gonna happen again!

If they want to be good parents to her, they should have prioritized her more than that freaking event. They should have waited for her to arrive because they are worrying like what Monet told her earlier... What can she expect though? They have been acting this way since the very beginning. Yet, their absence is better anyway, at least she could have some silence as she rests in her room.

And that's what she did for the next couple of hours. Her head remained aching and it got messier as she thought further about last night... She's lying on her bed, dazed and panting while his fingers were seeking entrance towards her wetness. Anna felt every muscle of her body tightening with his touches; a scream of pleasure came out of her delectable mouth when his long finger finally found its way inside her— the stung of pain made her bite her lower lip. It felt hot, ticklish, and freaking good.

She's almost reaching the indescribable sensation when she's snapped out of her worldly dream, Anna jumped off her bed and was quick to pull her long legs together. Her hands flew on her heaving chest.

"Fuck!" was all she could say after her nightmare, hot nightmare.

Never in her entire life had a man made their way into her dreams. There were a few times that Matthew was there, kissing her and getting her laid on the bed, but that's all there is to it... Yet, the man she just met last night, whom she enjoyed that steamy night with . . . is now reigning over her system and he's fucking her every nerve big time. Ain't good, just like the stickiness she's feeling in between her thighs.

Feeling the sudden awkwardness inside her body, Anna went downstairs and headed to her kitchen to get herself some cold water from the fridge. She needs more of that to wake herself up from some sort of fantasy which in the first place she should never think of nor bring in her dreams.

That man is an ass! He left her just like that after taking pleasure from her body like he doesn't take the symbol of her purity... she doesn't wanna sound so dramatic, but she took good care of that and preserved it till Matthew was ready for her. Yet... ugh!

"So, how's the princess? Good thing that you're awake now."

The cold water almost bathed her after the shock she got when the witch of their house— her self-righteous grandmother— suddenly spoke behind her. She immediately takes her glass down the counter to fix her friggin’ self, it's cold but ain't enough to wake her from the insanity she's feeling.

"It's good that you had a good sleep after the trouble you caused your parents," of course, that was laced with thick sarcasm. "They didn't have a good sleep last night. Goodness, Anna! You are beyond stubborn. You're not really learning, are you?"

"Mom and I had another debate last night..." She doesn't need her explanation, but she still pushed it. "I had to find some fresh air outside—"

"I don't care about your damn reasons, Anna! I don't care about your bullshits and all, go ruin your life if that is what you want."

Her relationship with her grandma is not supposed to be like this, right? Anna was sharing the same attitude with Monet— stubborn, a fool, and a bitch as well, but luckily, Monet is good with her grandmama. In fact, her grandma is sassy too and she used to buy her granddaughters some girly kinds of stuff. But why does Anna's own grandmother have to be this hard to deal with?

"Why ask me, then?" Her brow arched as if the old lady is one of her enemies, actually she is. "Why talk to me like this?"

Well, if her head wasn't just advanced, she wouldn't think of her some ill things. But Anna was aware ever since that her grandmother was and will never be her ally, the old lady can't love her nor treat her fairly.

The old lady used to throw hate on Anna, she never loved her. So, what's the point of loving back the old hag? She's not a martyr for goodness sake! She can't pretend to be a saint, it's out of her character.

A smirk flashed on her wrinkled lips, she dramatically shook her sophisticated head. "You really are stupid, I'm sure you are. Just because of your stupidity you bothered everyone so much, you cause us a lot of trouble just because you want some air? You wasted strength, you wasted time just for your whims and now you didn't go to your work just to sleep in your room the whole day? Goodness, Anna! Just because your father is one of the owners of the company you can easily act that way and be the rotten spoiled brat you always are. Just a word of advice, I'm still part of that company and my words will still matter. I can fire you whenever I want to."

Her teeth voluntarily clench out of too much annoyance, it actually sparkles even in her eyes. Molten anger rolled through her and she just can't extinguish it like that and so, Anna threw her glass violently the moment her grandmother left her alone. Her chest was rapidly moving, if only it was possible, Anna will run after her grandmother and she will pull her freaking blonde hair just what she's been dreaming to do. But that would only worsen things, that would only put her into a complicated situation.

The worst part is nobody will take her side, that is for sure. Her mom will always go against her and her father will always follow her mom's bidding. And the poor girl she's always been will be left alone and miserable... worst, she will get terminated from work just like the old woman's threat...

"You know what? Sometimes I really wish I would have been given a chance to choose another family. The kinder one, someone who could love me and won't treat me like a piece of trash they are always trying to recycle again and again."

Anna was still seething with her molten fury while she was standing inside their refreshing garden, on the nearby bench is Monet who was just watching her leering and complaining nonstop.

"You should have seen this coming, Anna girl. This has been happening, again and again, every time you are walking away and making them worried sick..." She clicked her tongue as she crossed her arms. "You're just unfortunate to have your grandmother scold you this time."

True enough... Her grandmother has been treating her this way since she was born. Cold, heartless, cruel, and unfair— that's how she sees her mother. Anna should be used to it by now, but she just can't. She just can't ignore the emotional wounds she's getting from the old lady's treatment and harsh words. How could she do that? It's her grandmother, she's her family and what she does affects Anna big time!

"By the way, where the heck did you really sleep last night? I'm glad you haven't used me as an excuse, because if you don't know? I was here earlier this morning to take you, so we could go to work together... They all know I'm Innocent."

Anna was taken aback by Monet's question, her mind stopped functioning for a while but it flashes one familiar face she can't forget up until now... That mysterious guy, his smirk that sent shivers down her spine, and his hot kisses that got her skin burnt... but the attraction suddenly replaced by anger when she remembered the fact that he treated her like a whore he just beds for some pleasure, he didn't even bother leaving her some money to spend for the hotel. Such a jerk!

"Earth to Anna! Where did you really sleep?" She sounded like a detective, and one of her brows arching like a bow.

"I- I rented an h-hotel room." She immediately looks away after her consecutive stammerings. "I don't wanna go home, my irritation never lessens."

"Then, why not go to our house instead? You are always welcome there. Why a hotel room? Were you with someone?"

Gosh! Her questions and the way Monet rakes her with her stares. Her friend is not stupid, alright. But Anna doesn't want her to know about what just happened yet. She's not sure but she doesn't feel like telling it to anybody for now... aside from it being annoying, she also feels humiliated a lot.

"It was very late and I didn't want to disturb you." She turned her back now, and couldn't take the intensity of Monet's stares. "And I was alone."

"Really?" sounds like something. "Khen got a picture of someone who looks exactly like you, kissing someone at the car park of the same location last night? Wasn't you, really?"

"W-what?!" Anna almost jumped out of surprise, she jumped toward her friend and squeezed her for more information. "What picture is that?"

"Well..." She fished for her phone from the small compartment of her bag, Monet took time searching for something in there before she turned the screen to her face. "I went here earlier in the morning to ask you about this, but again! I didn't find you."

Right from her phone's widescreen is a vague image, the whole place was dark but not totally. Illuminated by a few lights coming from the club, just enough to reveal the two people from there. The man's sexy arms were curled around the thin waist of the girl in a black cocktail dress, and the hot kiss they were sharing in the picture is clearly noticeable.

Anna wants to chew her lips to hide whatever type of expression playing on her face right now, but Monet's eyes were pretty vigilant like a hawk waiting for anything to find from her. She must know better since getting caught is the last thing she wants, therefore she stays firm and calm.

"They don't have a face in here..." Despite the throbbing inside her chest, she managed to fake a laugh. "How on earth did you say that it was me?"

"Well, I can't tell but the person who took the picture had seen those people personally. It's just that they are not a hundred percent certain, that's why they get to ask me... Goodness, Anna! Your exes are so obsessive and darn nosy. Can't they just shut their libidos and let you flirt with other men? There are so many fishes in the sea!" She even got to hit her head covered with some strands of her bangs.

"I know right," she seconded with a dismissive tone.

Now that this subject was brought up again, she can't help but remember the mysterious guy she had just given her virginity to last night and he's causing her more throbbing in her head... Why the hell does it have to happen to her? Is this karma kicking her ass after playing with boys' feelings?