~~~ CHAPTER 12 - BLIND DATE ~~~

"What?" Suzana asked shockingly.

I told her about the incident the night before. I also told her how hurt I was on discovering about Stella.

The forty-something woman took out the baked macaroni and cheese from the oven. She was serving me brunch since I was not able to wake up early for breakfast. She put a serving of the macaroni on my plate.

I walked towards the refrigerator to pour my glass with a cold apple juice. She walked behind me, "Let me do it for you, señorita."

"I can manage, Suzana," I said, giving her a smile. When I was done pouring the juice, I settled on my favorite stool beside the kitchen island where I usually ate whenever Nigel was not around.

"Let's eat together, Suzana," I offered.

"I've already eaten, señorita. Thank you," she was wringing her hands like she was fidgeting over something.

"What's bothering you, Suzana? That Stella?" I delved a spoonful of macaroni into my mouth. Oh, I had never been too hungry... I woke up late for breakfast and even late for school that I decided not to go to my classes anymore. It was the ringing of my phone that actually woke me up. The call came from Kara who asked me why I was absent. I told her we would see each other after school as I promised her last night.

Suzana sat on a stool across me. She gazed at me intently. "I... I have something to tell you, señorita."

I drank one gulp of juice. The cold rush of liquid in my throat somehow awakened my senses.

"What is it? Tell me, please," I begged as I perceived she had to say something very important. Did it have to do about that Stella?

She began, "I... I've learned about Stella since..."

What? Suzana knew about her and she did not tell me about it before! For how long already?

"Since when?" I cried.

"S-since two years ago," she said not looking at me. She busied one of her hands in tapping slightly on the table.

"Two years ago?" I echoed. I couldn't believe it!

She sighed and continued, "I don't exactly know what's the real score between the two of them. But, I guess, theirs is a kind of an on-and-off relationship... I've seen them fight and make up..."

"Why? Does she often come here?"

"Not often though. But every time they aren't in good terms, she comes in here and bugs me where the señorito is. I was like her tracking device for the señorito."

"So Nigel hides from her sometimes?" I was curious. The intimacy they shared last night flashed back in my mind and from that scene, it was impossible for me to believe that he played hard to get sometimes with that woman.

"I'm sorry if I didn't tell you or the señora. I don't want to be a gossipmonger. P-please forgive me," Suzana sounded really sorry.

Tears fell from my eyes down to my cheeks. I had cried a lot last night. I even thought I no longer had tears to discharge but here I was crying again. The flashback just made me do it again.

"Oh, Suzana, I can't help it..." I said as I brushed the tears from my eyes. I stopped eating. I lost all my appetite.

"I'm sorry, señorita. I'm really, really sorry," she stood up, went to my side and brushed my back.

I got hold of her left forearm and rested my head on it. Then, I cried and cried.

I missed Mommy Carol. I missed Elena and Diego. I missed The Fields and the lagoon. I wanted to go home...

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

When I met Kara in the afternoon, she was horrified to see my swollen eyes. I had to hide them with big round sunglasses.

"You've got to teach him some lesson," she suggested as she gave me a wink. Her fingers were caressing the polyester fabric of the purple dress she had just found from the rack. We were at a famous boutique.

"Teach him a lesson? Like how?" I asked, feeling dejected. I could feel my droopy shoulders hanging loosely at my sides.

"Let him feel that he is not the only man in your life!" Kara interjected. She slipped the dress from the hanger and raised it with her two hands. The dress looked lovely. It was strapless with built-in bra, had some pattern embellishments on the chest part, fully lined, and enough length to show her sexy legs. "I've just found the perfect dress for me!" She yelled happily.

"I'm sure it will look good on you," I affirmed. Purple would be a great match to her fair complexion.

As she went inside the fitting room, I thought about what she said as I sat on the sofa in the waiting area. Teach Nigel a lesson? Let him feel that he is not the only man in my life? How?

My thoughts were interrupted when Kara went out from the fitting room. With her purple dress tightly enfolding her sexy breasts and flaunting her long and sexy legs, she pretended like a ramp model as she swirled in front of me and made one appealing pose.

I grinned at her, "Perfect."

"I can't wait wearing this to the acquaintance party!" She giggled. "Now let's find yours..."

"I don't think I can attend," I butted in.

Kara gave me a scolding gaze, "Don't be ridiculous. You are going without your Nigel."

I shook my head. I didn't feel like going.

"Come on! Don't be stubborn!" she gasped, complaining. "That heartless fiancé of yours needs some lesson to learn! You're going without him and let's see how he's going to react!"

My heart sank of what I heard. If I'd go without him, Nigel wouldn't have any reaction at all because he did not have any feelings for me. That became very clear to me when I saw him kissing that Stella. If I'd attend the acquaintance party alone, it wouldn't matter to him. He, in the first place, didn't consider me to be part of his life. I was truly doomed.

"No, Thea, we're going to find that drop-dead dress of yours and, for once in your life, let him feel that your world doesn't revolve around him," she did her best convincing me.

After she fitted her dress, she helped me find mine. Both of us raked every apparel the saleslady handed over to us until I had about more than a dozen to fit. It was not easy. I tried to complain to her but she pushed me to step into the fitting room.

Every time I stepped out to show her a piece, she nodded her head and complimented. However, whenever I would say, "This is the one," she would shake her head as if she was not satisfied. Oh, I didn't know picking a dress would be this backbreaking!

But when I showed her the last piece, Kara stared at me gaping her mouth wide.

"So?" I waited for her comment.

She, then, grinned at me showing her even teeth. "That Nigel..." she said raising now one of her eyebrows.

"Yeah?"

"That Nigel... He's going to be in for a big surprise! Wait 'til he sees you!"

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Nigel, as usual, went home very late on Thursday night. I purposely waited for him in the living room because I wanted to tell him about the acquaintance party. I was still hurting. I had been crying for three straight nights already and the big bags were still evident under my eyes. I had the conscious feeling of facing him again after that incident with Stella but I had no choice. I had to face him now.

Sitting on the his favorite arm chair in the corner of the living room, he stared at me for about a minute. I didn't know if he was aware of my eyebags.

I sat unconsciously on the sofa across him. With my long wavy hair hanged loosely on my left chest, I playfully stroked it with my fingers.

Yes, I was hurting. But, after three nights of thinking, I gradually persuaded myself to hang in there and be strong. I would not win him over if I would just give up that easily. Stella might have him for two years already, but Nigel had been mine since I was thirteen. The five-year period of me putting him on a pedestal would never ever let anyone go in between us. I would never give up.

"I need a date tomorrow night. I'll be attending the acquaintance party," I announced.

He looked tired and sleepy but the mention of the acquaintance party made him stretch out his body to lean towards my direction. "So?"

"I need you to be my date."

There was a moment of silence, at first. Then, suddenly, Nigel laughed. "Are you out of your mind? Do you actually want me to accompany you and join some teenagers' party? You've got to be kidding me!"

I bit my lower lip upon hearing his words. He was starting to break my heart again. Then, Kara's piece of advice flashed in my mind.

For once in your life, let him feel that your world doesn't revolve around him!

"Are you going with me or not?" I queried, trying to appear strong.

"Whatever made you think that I'd go with you?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes or no, Nigel, that's what I want to hear."

"Hell, no," was his quick reply.

I stood up and stepped towards my room, "Good night, then."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

No, I shouldn't have done this! I shouldn't have given up! I should have persuaded Nigel to go with me!

"I can't do this, Kara," I pleaded. She was putting make-up on my face. It was already Friday and we were now preparing for the acquaintance party.

"Don't be silly," she bawled me out, "and, please, don't move. You're spreading the paint all over your face."

I smiled at her through the vanity mirror we were facing, "Then you're making a clown out of me now."

"Stop talking. I'm making you the most beautiful girl tonight. Wait 'til Nigel sees you," she assured as she dutifully applied a delicate shade of green on both of my eyelids. When it was done, I blinked my eyes several times and the eye shadow produced a gorgeous accent of my deep brown eyes making it more and more attractive to gaze. It even matched the color of my dress.

"Wow, you look amazing, Thea. Your eyes look even more captivating," Kara expressed while scrutinizing closely my eyes in the mirror.

She also did my hair, combed it again and again. Then, with some hairspray, a curling iron and a brush, Kara made victory rolls, as what she called them, in my hair, swept them away from my face, and pinned them toward the top of my head. The rest of my hair was just hang loosely but with some soft curls in them. It was beautiful.

"Thank you," I said when we were both made-up and ready to go.

"Anything for you." She squeezed my hand. Kara was indeed perfect with her purple dress. Her dimples in both her cheeks made her more alluring every time she smiled.

I realized I was very lucky to have found someone like her to become my friend. Though we had only been with each other for less than two weeks, I felt in my heart I had found a true friend.

She promised to help me prepare for the party so she stayed with me in Nigel's condo to change our dresses, do our make-up, and make everything perfect for the party.

"Look at you! You are so gorgeous!" She took my wrist so she could pull me towards the whole-body mirror just beside the door of my walk-in closet.

The sight of me in that mirror was unbelievable. I could not help but felt proud about myself. I didn't know I could still become a lot prettier.

The dress I was wearing was very sexy. It was V-necked showing my cleavage where my necklace's butterfly pendant was perfectly positioned. It was also sleeveless flaunting my shoulders and slender arms. It perfectly fitted my body from my chest, to my slender waist, down to my hips, and finally to my thighs where its hem rested. The color dark green made my skin looked even fairer. Wow, I couldn't believe it was me I was seeing in the mirror!

"I wonder if Nigel's coming home now," Kara mused.

"Why?" I turned to her.

"If he won't go with you tonight, at least, he should see you like this. Oh, my gosh, I want to see his reaction," she said, giggling.

I drew a deep sigh. "Don't expect him to come home this early. It's still 6:00 o'clock. He's always late."

She pouted her lips like she was irritated, "You know, I think I'm starting to get peeved with your Nigel! He's so out of reach!" Kara started to get moving. She went out of my room while I trailed behind. The sound of our high stiletto heels on the floor reverberated through the hallway going to the living room.

"So, we'll just wait for our dates. They'll be here in 10 minutes." The mention of our dates made her to cast me sparkling jerks in her eyes. "I told Serge to pick us at 6:10. I'm so excited," she was actually happy that she finally had her crush in our Math 101 class to be her significant partner tonight.

I cast her an amused glance. It looked like she had just her heart hit by one of Cupid's arrows.

"Can I just go alone?" I pouted my lips. She was actually setting a blind date for me tonight but I did not feel that it was the right thing to do. I was not comfortable thinking that I had to be with a stranger. I just wanted to go alone.

"Don't be such a party pooper!" She sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. "You have nothing to worry about. Serge assured me that his friend, Alonzo, is one hundred percent sane! He's not going to bushwhack you or something, promise!"

"I'm afraid I'm still a rookie to this so-called blind date," I sat beside her.

Kara laughed heartily, "Am I hearing right? Althea, the love expert, is a rookie in dating? That Nigel has a lot of teaching to do!"

She was chuckling and I was scowling my face when the main door opened widely. Kara and I both turned our faces to its direction to see who had just entered.

Nigel, in his business suit and with a car key in his left hand, appeared before us. He looked magnificently tall and handsome when he came in.

Kara gasped her mouth in both surprise and delight as she alternately turned her face to Nigel and to me for about three times.

I was speechless.

So, he came home early! Why?

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

A/N

I planned to update once a week, like either Saturday or Sunday, so my chapter 11 was a bit delayed. Sorry to those who eagerly wait for it, but now, I'm going to compensate my tardiness last week by updating this chapter today! Hope you enjoyed reading it. If you did, let me know who you are. Please don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT, and SHARE!

Lovelotz,
(sapphiregirl22) ~_^