Standing in front of the familiar house brought back her memories from a few months ago.
"Take this."
She looked at what Gideon had handed out and frowned. "What's that for?"
"Don't starve yourself. I removed the dormitory and other facilities fee from the scholarship grant. You have to pay for other facilities as well as the canteen. Use this card."
Jewel accepted the credit card and tucked it in her pant's pocket. Stepping forward, she walked in front of the car.
"Let's get inside." Gideon walked in the gate first.
She chased after him and grabbed the sleeve of his polo. "Hey," she called, whispering.
The man looked over his shoulder, looking down on her. "What is it?"
"I-I..." she sighed. "I want to say thank you."
Gideon reached for her cheek and gently stroked it. "Don't mention it." He smiled and guided her into the house.
JEWEL THREW her body on the bed and smiled softly while staring at the ceiling. The light in her room was off and only the light coming from the hallway illuminated the entire room. A small celebration ensued, and she did not expect Dalya to smuggle wine to the table.
It turned out that while Jewel was away, Dalya had learnt about wine business from Tang who was once a wine seller before coming into Gideon family's ancestral house as a gardener. He taught the poor girl what qualities a wine should possess before a wine seller could market his products onto the public. And Tang brought several bottles of wine just to teach Dalya.
That's why Dalya pulled a bottle of wine to present her acquired knowledge to Jewel, but Jewel misunderstood the girl and immediately consumed the wine before Dalya could stop her.
Fortunately, Gideon and Tang temporarily left while she was left with Dalya and Pedro at the dinner table. The last time she drank alcohol was in her senior high years and seeing the bottle, she didn't hesitate to have a taste.
But she underestimated her alcohol tolerance and what Dalya brought to the table was one of the top tier local beverages that was famous for being too strong. She drunk faster than a blink of an eye and before the two could stop her, Jewel had drunk half the bottle of alcohol.
Pedro immediately took her upstairs and onto her room, hoping that she could sleep before Gideon and Tang found out her state. But she was not sleepy and her mind kept on thinking about the bed scenes she had read this afternoon.
Jewel chuckled, cheeks burning red. She didn't need sleep but an entire room full of erotica!
"Dalyaaaa!" she yelled. But nobody came to her. Jewel frowned, annoyed. She pulled aside the strand of hair covering her face. "Dalyaaa! Come here! Now!"
Then she slowly sat on the bed. She frowned when her room spun around. Jewel closed her eyes as bile rose from her stomach. She held her breathe and shouted. "Dalyaaa! Where are you! Hurry! Come here!"
"Dalyaaa!"
Some fast footsteps could be heard approaching her room. Dalya entered her slightly opened room, beads of sweat formed in her forehead. The girl was anxious as she approach Jewel.
Jewel looked at the girl, frowning. "Why are you so slow? I've been calling you for how many time---"
"Shh... Miss, we'll be damned here." Dalya stared at her. "You're so drunk, Miss."
"Ah?" She laughed. "Who told you to bring me a drink then? But I'll forgive you this time because your wine's too sweet!"
"Senyorita," Dalya hushed. "Can you lower your voice, Senyorita? Senyor Gideon is down there. We'll be doomed if he learn about this."
Jewel laughed again, grinning from ear to ear. "I don't care! All right, here." She pulled out the credit card from her pant's pocket and handed it out to Dalya. Her brows met when she saw Dalya spinning around her. "What's that?! Why are you spinning, huh?"
"Eh, senyorita?" Even Dalya was confused with Jewel's blabbering.
Jewel shook her head. "Alright, alright. Here! You buy books at NBS and at Pandayan. Buy all their books. Pick the one with the beautiful covers. The woman in a bikini or maybe the topless man... whatever! Just make sure it's erotica. Use that card. Empty it or not, I don't care! Just buy me an entire room of erotica. Do you hear me?"
"Uh..." Dalya looked on the card in her hand. "But M-Miss..."
"No! No..." She shook her head. "No buts! I'm not drunk. I know what I'm doing so trust me in this." Jewel squinted her eyes while staring at Dalya. "Oh, I can still see that mole on the side of your lips, eh." She laughed. "It's like a raisin exposed to the sun."
Dalya scratched her nape. "Miss ---"
"Dalya, leave us," a sudden voice interrupted her.
Dalya's eyes widened as she turned around to see Gideon standing at the doorway. On the other hand, Jewel's eyes narrowed as she glanced at the man.
"I'm sorry, Senyorito. It's my fault! I was the one who brought the wine and caused Senyorita to get drunk!"
Gideon nodded. "Pedro said so. You can leave now. I'll take care of my wife."
Dalya looked at Jewel anxiously for a moment before hurried out. Jewel brows met and yelled again. "Dalya, don't forget, okay? My books should be here in the room when I wake up. I want a huge number of erotica books! Buy all stocks in the bookstores ---"
"Jewel enough," Gideon said.
She frowned at him, clearly displeased. "What are you doing here? Don't you have any manners? Dalya and I are still talking but you interrupted us!"
He walked closer to the bed. "Don't drink alcohol next time. Are we clear?"
"Oh, here we are again old man." Jewel grinned. "Did I tell you to meddle with my affairs? Also, I have a high alcohol tolerance. I'm not drunk."
Gideon's eyes darkened. "I am your husband, Jewel."
"So what?" Jewel raised her finger and brought it to her lips. "You're my husband in paper only. We even didn't sleep together yet so why should I listen to you?" Slowly, she crawled towards him who was standing beside the bed. Jewel grinned at him. "A pity for such a handsome face, right? You wouldn't sleep with your wife."
Gideon squinted his eyes and leaned over, closing the gap between them. He brought his lips near her ear and whispered. "Are you seducing your husband, Jewel?" He chuckled and caressed her face.
Jewel blinked her eyes and reached out a hand to hold Gideon's face. It was her first time holding him in this ambiguous situation and it was making her heart beat faster than usual.
"Sleep with me," she whispered.
"Do you know what you are asking, wife?" asked Gideon, smiling slightly.
Jewel's lips curved into a smile. "Of course."
"Unfortunately, I don't sleep with drunk woman."
Jewel was dumbfounded when Gideon stood straight and stepped back, away from her reach. Her brows met and she pouted. "You bastard," she cussed. "At least give me a kiss!"
"I don't kiss bad lips, wife," Gideon teased, chuckling at Jewel's cute expression. "Wait here," he said before walking towards the cabinet.
He rummaged through Jewel's clothes while the latter waited for him. Not long after, he put a pajama on the bed and lifted Jewel onto the bathroom. She drew a breathe when Gideon put her down on the bathtub filled with water.
It was when her mind returned to its sharpness and she hastily looked up to see Gideon looking down at her.
"W-What are you doing here?!" she asked and crossed her arms around her chest. She still had her clothes and she breathe a sigh of relief.
"Awake now?" he asked, lips curving into a smile.
Jewel looked away, but she immediately stood and ran towards the sink, throwing up what she had eaten in that night. Gideon's hand pat her back. After a few minutes, she weakly leaned against the wall and looked at her husband who was busy cleaning her mess.
"H-Hey," she called. "I can do it."
But Gideon didn't seem to hear her words. After cleaning her mess, he lifted her back to the tub and put her down. He even helped her taking a bath and it was so awkward that Jewel's cheeks was burning red even after Gideon sat her down in front of the vanity mirror, combing her wet hair.
She cleared her throat when she felt her strength came back. "I can manage," she said.
"Let me."
Jewel had no choice but to let him blow dry her hair. She pursed her lips. "What happened earlier?" she asked.
"You don't remember?"
She shook her head. "Just some flashes but I couldn't recall them clearly."
There was silence before Gideon leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "You asked for this," he whispered before walking out of her room.