Chapter 7
"Come on, Zhanaia, drink!"
Rina, one of my co-flight attendants cheered me as she handed me another shot of Martini. Yes, a strong liquor for someone like me who's not used to drinking, someone who easily gets drunk, yet I didn't care about that for that moment and accepted the shot glass as I drank the Martini straight.
Its bitter yet satisfying taste stayed in my tongue for a while as its hotness slid down my throat and onto my stomach. The party music was blasting through my ears as the scene got more blurry than a while ago. I know I am already tipsy but I didn't stop taking more shots. Instead, I accepted everything they handed me, and I know it wasn't just Martini that they gave me.
"Oh, yes, let's get wasted!" someone from our table shouted, and then I felt a hand pulled me.
My head spins as I stood up and we made our way through the dance floor where guys were lost with the rock music blasting through the stereos. I scanned the area and though my vision was a blur, I spotted Chinese dancing and some foreigners too.
"Zhanaia, come on, let's dance!" someone shouted my name.
I don't know who was it, was it Rina, Irene, or whoever? I shook my hand and started dancing as we all get wasted. I closed my eyes and get lost in the music, and I too, shouted when everyone started shouting and cheering over something. Then, I heard the DJ announce that he's gonna play something from the 70's, something famous from Western, and then the Dancing Queen started playing.
I opened my eyes to see most girls on the dance floor singing with the song and I sing too as I know the song too well. Rina came in front of me laughing and we both dance as the song hit its chorus.
"This is fun!" I exclaimed.
She grinned goofily. "Oh, yes, it is. We should do this more often!"
"I wish so too, but it would be a waste of money. Night club thrice a month is enough." my voice was louder than usual for she won't hear me if I won't speak too loud.
She just nodded and we continue dancing, and I lost track of the time and how many shots I took before we all decided to come back to our rooms, though I am aware that some of them will be staying in another room for they got a date as we get lost a while ago.
"Zhanaia, you sure you can go back on your own?" I heard Rina asked me.
When I looked at her, she's with someone, a tanned man, and with a body that can be compared to a soldier. His arms were encircled around Rina's waist, and I got a glimpse of his fingers doing circles on Rina's waist through the tiny cloth she's wearing.
"Yea, I can manage. You won't stay in our room?"
She grinned. "Obviously not, Irene won't stay as well, oh, and Laila too. We all have a date."
I sighed and drank another shot, though I didn't know what kind of liquor was that. Rina and Laila were my roommates, and they both have a date. Looks like I'm gonna spend the night alone.
"You know, you should've got your date so you won't stay cold and lonely tonight," she said sheepishly.
I shrugged. "Guess I'm not that lucky. But yea, sure, you go now, I can manage."
"You sure, huh?" she asked for the last time.
When I nodded, she chuckled and exited with the guy while I was left here with some of our colleagues, either making out with their dates, drinking or still dancing. I'm not close with them and I don't want to disturb them so I decided to just go too.
I stood up and my head spun again, worse than earlier, it makes me want to vomit. I grip the table's edge for support and shut my eyes tight, and regained my posture.
Shaking my head, I started walking— while swaying I guess because the scene was swaying as well. I bumped into someone and tripped, my butt hit the floor, earning a loud groan from me.
"Ouch!"
My hands splayed on the floor goes up to touch my backside, I look up to see the person I bumped into but I was suddenly on air. I gasped as I felt the familiarity again, that warmth— I turned my head to see who it was and my heart thumped loudly when I saw the familiar face, that face I was longing to see.
"Dion?" I gasped.
He looked at me as if he sees through my soul. My brows furrowed when another name came into my head, someone who looked like him.
"Gin Montero?"
I was expecting a word from him but didn't hear anything, instead, he looked straight again and I just realized we were already out of the bar and we're now in front of the elevator.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, but again he didn't say a word.
He walked into the elevator and let the steel door slid close before punching in a floor number quickly and with one hand. Then he straightens and held me tight again.
"Answer me, what are you doing here?" I asked again.
When he didn't answer again, I lost my temper and started wriggling free but his grip on me was too tight and I can't go free. I shouted and told him to let me go but I didn't get any response— again.
"Fuck you!" I shouted again as the elevator opened and he stepped out and started walking through the hallway. "If you won't talk to me, just let me go you asshole!"
"Words, sweetheart. Words. I am trying to be kind and gentle here."
His cold voice sounded so menacing that it made me stop and just looked at him until he opened a hotel door and got in. I scanned the room and realized we were in my room.
"What and how did you get a key card?" I asked.
But again, I didn't get an answer, and instead, he put me down on one of the beds and started taking off my shoes. I wanted to kick him but I was wearing a pair of stiletto and it would surely hurt if I do kick him, and I don't want to hurt him and I just let him take my shoes off.
I wanted to ask him questions: what is he doing here? Why is he here? How did he get a key card to access our room? And why did he call me sweetheart? Is he Dion? But Gin called me sweetheart too. But I know I wouldn't get answers so I just let him and didn't talk. I watched him as he made his way through the bathroom and when he got out again, he's holding a towel.
"Lay," he ordered, and once again, my brows furrowed.
"Who are you to order me?" I asked him. Again, another question.
He shut his eyes tightly as his other hand which was not holding the towel clenched, reigning his temper I guess. But reigning his temper, why? I should be the one reigning my temper here. I have been asking questions but he wouldn't answer me.
"For heaven's sake, Zhanaia, just lay down. Now."
"No," I said. "Stop ordering me around and answer my questions. Why are you here? What are you doing here? How did you get a key card for our room? And why did you call me sweetheart—"
"Sweet Zhanaia, please!" he shouted which made me stop. "Just do what I told you, lay down, and let me take care of you, please. Just. Please."
He looked at me, and the look in his eyes reminded me of how Dion used to look at me before, stirring an emotion in me. Something in my chest was trying to resurface, making my eyes swell with unshed tears. He noticed that and he kneeled on the bed, surprising me especially when he pressed our foreheads together.
"Oh, my sweetheart."
Three words and my tears fell as if a fine waterfall on a paradise. I choked back a sob especially when his lips pressed unto mine, and more tears fell as that— those emotions— those feelings finally resurfaced.
Love, longing, pain, hope, and despair.
All in one as he kissed me passionately while my tears kept falling, not wanting to stop as I kiss him back. And even when we were out of breath, we didn't stop and instead, kept kissing. When our lips parted, he pressed our foreheads again.
"I miss you, I miss you so much, sweetheart. So damn much."
"Me too. I've missed you, Dion. I miss you. Please, don't leave me again."
But he didn't answer and instead, just smiled. I felt the soft mattress on my back, I didn't know that he managed to lay me down.
"Sleep now, my love. You had a long day, an eleven hours flight, and yet you go clubbing instead of resting. You drank a lot, and even danced with some random prick. Good thing you didn't decide to sleep with one of them, or else I'll be in jail by tomorrow."
I smiled. "Oh, Dion. I wouldn't sleep with someone else other than you. Because after all these years, it's still you who owns my heart. I still love you, Dion."
"And I to you, sweetheart. I love you too, it never faded even after all these years."
"Sleep with me, please?" I requested.
He kissed me once more and smiled. "I will."
That's the only thing I wanted to hear, and I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face. In my mind, I was happy and thankful that my love is back, and he's here with me again.
Finally, we'll be able to continue our story...