What About Us?
BLAINE
Oh god, this was a total disaster! My head was pounding, and my throat was dry. I opened my eyes and wandered around. I’m definitely not in my room. This was way bigger than mine, but I saw my suitcase beside the door. I was about to drag my feet out of the bed when I noticed I was wearing the same dress. How the hell did I get in here?
I was pretty sure I was dancing with my cousin and drinking at the bar, then I just fell in love with that drink, and I couldn’t just stop drinking until I felt the effect of the alcohol on my system, and it was too late to stop.
I laid back down and stiffened when I smelled the pillow. Damn! How can I forget this smell? The same smell when I knocked on his door and the same smell when I danced with him last night.
Sitting straight on the bed, I felt suddenly dizzy. I massaged my temple when I noticed a shadow hovering over me. I slowly tilted my chin and ta-da! The white towel wrapped around his narrow waist, his eight packs abs making my fingers tingle. Then I glanced up at the handsome face of Xandry, freshly showered. His hair was still damped. Droplets of water ran down his exposed shoulders to his broad chest.
Crap! This is insane.
“Morning, sweetheart,” he greeted with delight.
I covered my face with my hands, feeling mortified. I’m sure I looked like shit—with bedhead, smeared makeup, and had a terrible headache. Could I possibly have sex with him last night? I pressed my thighs together in response. No. Did I hit on him? Maybe—
“I’m sure you would remember that, sweetheart. And you’re sore, probably can’t walk for a week, and you’re still naked.” He offered me a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers.
“Oh, god! You’re a lifesaver.” I took the water from his hand, making our fingers graze. There you go again. Even in my fuzzy state, I still had reactions.
He gave me two tablets, and I swallowed them immediately and drank the water in a gulp.
“Thank you, Xandry.” My voice was coated with regret and disappointment in myself. How could I be so reckless and got myself drunk? I felt guilty—
“Shit! I need to go.” I stood up and searched for my purse.
“Sweetheart, you go take a quick shower. That would make you feel better.” He said coolly and held my arm.
“No, thank you. What time is it? Oh, god, I’m such a terrible mother,” I said, rushing out my words.
“Blaine, stop and calm down. You still have a hangover.” Xandry followed me and held my arm again.
“Let me go, Xandry.” I jerked from his grip.
“Blaine, if you think something happened between us last night, don’t think so low of me now. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to do that, but I want you to remember it as the best sex of your life. You slept on your way back, and your cousins forgot to bring your bag, so I suggested that you could stay in my room instead of asking for a key card at the reception.”
“I’m sorry if I bothered you last night.” I turned to face him. God, he looked so yummy and very aphrodisiac in the morning.
“Enough ogling me, I’m starting to get a hard-on, Blaine.” He smirked and found it amusing, while I felt guilty for thinking of him as hot.
“I’m not ogling at you. At least wear something because you’re distracting me.” I rolled my eyes and grabbed my shoes on the floor when he turned his back.
“You’re not going anywhere, Blaine.”
I inwardly groaned when he caught me tiptoeing to sneak out of his room. “I have a son, Xandry.”
“I know and never forget that, but you will have breakfast with me before I send you to your room.”
“That sounds great, but I really should go, and thanks for letting me sleep in your bed.” My stomach suddenly growled. Embarrassing.
“Stubborn as hell. I called your mom when I woke up and told them you passed out last night, and you will call as soon as you wake up. I also checked up on Ben, but he was still sleeping, so stop worrying about them, Blaine.”
My shoulders drooped in defeat. Xandry drew the curtain, causing the sunlight to stream inside his room. Two chairs and a small coffee table on the corner and in front of the window. Now I saw the beautiful skyscrapers shining like gems from the outside.
“Go freshen up if you don’t want to shower. Cam’s driver sent your purse, and it’s on top of the chair. I went to your room and brought your suitcase if you might wanna change into something comfortable. I will call room service. It’s almost lunch.”
“You won’t let me go, do you?”
“Let’s have breakfast, Blaine. I’m starving.”
“Fine. I could use some caffeine. Can I take a shower first?” I dragged my suitcase to the bathroom door.
“Go ahead.”
“And um, Xandry?”
He looked at me, brow arched. The look alone made the kaleidoscope flutter wildly on my stomach.
“I’m expecting you already fully dress when I get out of the bathroom.”
“Are you sure you don’t wanna invite me in?” He smirked, but I knew he was just joking. “I was in a hurry and thought you might escape if I took long in the shower.”
“No, and that was not my fault.” I shut the door, making him chuckle.
I dried my hair and changed to a ruffle cotton eyelet top, dark blue pants, and three inches red plumps Bianca gave me during their visit. I applied light makeup to look presentable in front of Xandry. Admittedly, I wanted to look good because he intimidated me and made my insecurities rise high like the skyscrapers surrounding us.
How could he look so gorgeous at all angles? I wondered why he didn’t audition to be an actor or a fashion model because he definitely belonged there.
“Wow, you look gorgeous as always.” Xandry was already wearing a dark blue button-down shirt and dark jeans. His hair was always unruly that made him looked ruggedly masculine and fresh.
“You looked fully dress too.” I inwardly chuckled at my stupidity, but I managed to return the smile.
“Hope you like what I ordered,” he said as he sat down, placing the phone into his lap.
There were several kinds of food on the table—slices of Baguette, cream cheese, hummus drizzled with olive oil, olives, pita bread, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and two cups of steaming coffee.
“Who else will join us for brunch?” I asked as I sat down on the empty chair across the table.
“Me, you, sexy Blaine, and hot Xandry.” He took a plate and placed a small portion of each food, and handed it to me.
“Thank you. I bet he is.”
“I know, and she is definitely sexy.” He took another plate, putting the same as he offered to me.
I started eating my food, and we stole glances at each other in silence. “That was so embarrassing,” I said out of the blue.
“What was it?” He sipped his coffee, glancing at me. His eyes were dancing with humor.
“What I did last night. That wouldn’t happen again.”
“It’s okay to drink, Blaine, as long as you won’t get yourself drunk alone.”
“Yeah, but I was stupid. I just like the taste of the drink the bartender offered, and I’m a light drinker.”
“I bet you were. What did you drink anyway?”
“Phoenix’s princess?” I said with uncertainty.
Xandry dabbed his lips with a napkin and laughed. “Are you sure?” His eyes gleamed in amusement.
“That’s what the bartender said last night.” I shrugged.
“Well, you’re right. That’s Dad’s favorite for mom’s.”
My eyes widened in realization. “Oh my, God! The name.” I laughed and shook my head in disbelief. “How did I not think of that?”
“Because you were bowled over with that drink. Dad was broken beyond repair when he broke up with mom. He went every night for a month to the Night Stalker Club, now owned by Pyke. He was getting tired of what he had every night, so he mixed something for himself and taught the bartender. And for the whole month, he ordered the same drinks, and then it was named after him when he kept babbling about his princess every time he got drunk.” He smiled that could melt iron.
“Wow! That’s so sweet. Your dad loved your mom so much back then.”
“Yeah, Mom tried to fight her feelings for Dad because he was a playboy before they met, but Dad was determined, persuasive, and a little presumptuous. He went to school and asked mom for a lunch date because he thought mom was avoiding him.”
“They broke up for some reason, but Dad never stopped sending her book every day for three months to show her how much he loves her.”
I felt my face wet and didn’t realize I was already crying until Xandry’s thumb wiped my tears.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, sweetheart.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to cry too. It was a beautiful love story.” I laughed nervously, wiping my tears away, and shrugged. “I guess I’m just a hopeless romantic.”
“It was beautiful indeed. Do you believe in happily ever after, Blaine? Do you believe in destiny?” He asked and looked at me in the eyes intently, making my heart pound harder in my chest.
“I believe in those, Xandry, though I know it mostly happened in the movies, in books with fairy tales’ ending. But I believe Bianca and Kyland are destined to be together. So as Pyke and Cam. My parents, and your parents—”
“What about us?”