A WEEK passed swiftly. While waiting for our flight to Europe I work at Nicholas' company.
Go to work in the morning and go home in the evening. My car was always at the back door because management could not stop reporters from lurking outside the establishment.
"Hmm, what's wrong? You seem to have a bad day today?"
I glanced sharply at Farrah who pulled out a swivel chair to sit next to me.
I didn’t answer and distracted myself with the papers in front of me.
"Fine, see you later, huh? " She quickly stood up and left me so that I could no longer refuse.
If I could just really decline their invitation I would have done it. But it's Dillan's birthday today so I can't refuse their invites.
After office hours Farrah and I go to our favorite resto-bar. Which are Pete's & Han's Restaurants. I bit my lip knowing that Hannah is the co-owner of this restaurant.
"Cher!" Jacklyn waved at me next to birthday boy Dillan.
"Happy Birthday!" Farrah and I greeted Dillan together.
"Thank you, thank you!" We both kissed him on the cheek before we were guided to sit in the vacant chair next to Jacky.
"Well, you don't have a chaperone?" Jacky immediately whispered to me.
I shook my head at her. What she intended to say was the media that wanted me to ask for a statement about Rexon and me. I haven’t read anything about the news spread about Rex and me, as well as Nicholas. That wouldn't help but only make the situation worse so I also stopped them from talking about it.
"Is Nicholas coming?" Dillan asked me.
I frowned at him. Why he would ask me this kind of question? Is Nicholas in my pocket?
"He'll try to follow here. He has an important meeting right now. "Farrah answered.
Dillan nodded and turned his gaze to Jackilyn next to him. Now I just noticed that there seems to be something strange between the two. Jacky didn't mention anything to me about it but the two enjoyed talking.
I raised my head to the stage where a man holding a guitar climbed. My heart pounded as I stared at him.
"Isn't that Jeff?" I heard Jackilyn say to me.
"Where's Rexon?" A few drinkers at the other table whispered.
I no longer wonder why my companions are silent. Only Farrah often asks about the matter.
"Good evening everyone." Jeff's voice was soft as he spoke.
I took the glass that Dillan had just give me. After all, there is no work tomorrow so it's okay to get drunk.
"Rexon! Rexon!"
I could hear the shouts of the crowd on different sides of the table. Even those standing right in front of the stage were shouting that.
Jeff strum his guitar, trying to put the guitar tone together. She had a big smile on her face as she bent down. Syke and Zach are also there, but Rexon is not.
"I'm sorry, it just happened that my birthday was on Saturday. If it wasn't for that, there would not be to celebrate here," said Dillan while eating roasted peanuts.
"Gosh, you have no consideration! You know this friend of ours is broken-hearted!" Farrah insists.
"Hey, what's wrong! I really can't cancel my reservation!" He laughed.
I smiled at him and pulled out the empty glass again, "Let's cheers to that. Happy birthday!" I died in the growing fire.
"Yuhoooh!" Dillan shouted. Almost all of us raised a glass for a toss.
When I glanced at the stage I finally saw Jeff looking at me. I waved slightly at him who nodded at me. Later he dropped off the stage and disappeared from my sight.
The noise of the crowd grew louder. It's not just Rexon's name they're shouting.
"The crowd is getting angry," Farrah commented.
"That's really how it s having with die-hard fans," Dillan replied.
"Hey, what's the feeling of being an ex-boyfriend of the famous Rexon?" Farrah asked with a huge smile on her face.
I bite my tongue hard. Even though I wanted to answer, I stopped so that the conversation wouldn't escalate.
I grabbed the bottle myself to refill my glass. But when I picked it up, someone snatched it from the table.
"Boss!" Dillan quickly stood up to greet him.
"Happy birthday," he said to the front after tapping his on the shoulder.
Nicholas sat next to me, "Looks like you're having a good time, huh?" he said lowly at me.
I felt his big palm touch the trunk of my hair, "Don't drink too much, babe," he whispered now softly at me.
I nodded slightly. I was avoiding Nicholas because of the news spread on social media. He used our visit to Singapore, to be honest about the issue that was spreading between the three of us, Hannah and Rexon.
I'm not saying the result was good but at least somehow I was relieved to think that my name had deviated from Rexon.
Suddenly I fell silent and just focused on the drink in front of me. Nicholas remained silent too. He does not want to talk about what is happened that night in Singapore. Even I don't want to go back to that issue.
We're done, even if I read and listen to what others are saying about me it's useless. I still don't open up social media to avoid spreading rumors about me and Nicholas.
Screams and shouts stirred my contemplation. Jeff climbed on stage again and now followed with Rexon.
The crowd is cheering. They also constantly shouted Rexon's name.
"It's not a good idea of celebrating your birthday here," Farrah threw the crumpled tissue she was holding on the table.
My eyes are too stick to his features. Just a week later I feel like it's been too long. My heart is suffocating and I can't even breathe properly as I watched him more and more.
"Good evening everyone and to these beautiful girls in front of me," he said in a sweet voice.
I noticed Nicholas glancing at me, something I didn’t care about. He released a few more lines to the women watching who squeezed my chest.
"And to everyone at their respective tables. Enjoying their drinks with their friends and also with their loved ones." After he said that, his gaze turned to our group.
My heart is breaking, I felt nothing but pain. That’s how I felt when our eyes met. I wanted to get up to leave but I felt Nicholas' palm on my shoulder.
"Don't be afraid, show you're not affected."
Our eyes also met for a while before he was the first to recover.
"Come on, Cher! Don't pay any attention to your stupid ex, let's just have fun all night!" Dillan handed me a martini glass.
I nodded and never looked at Rexon again. As the band is playing the energy of the group also increases. I'm also drinking a little more. Nicholas would snatch my drink but I took it back.
"Please welcome on stage Bridgette Sy!"
I glanced at the stage and watched the two exchange words. Several times I saw his wide smile fade to Brigette before someone whispered the latter. There the shouting and applause became louder.
I violently looked away from them and faced the wine in the glass. I’m already feeling a bit dizzy but I’m fighting back because I don’t want to beat what I’m feeling.
The drunker I get the more I feel pain. The more I wanted to hide the pain the more it grows. The pain was even more than double because I felt like I was going to explode.
I want to blame myself for why I can't accept that we're just here. But from what I see of him now it seems like he just doesn’t matter what happened between us?
I loudly lowered the empty glass to the table. I know I'm drunk. My eyesight is already spinning. I feel again the pain I was trying to hide.
"Kiss! Kiss!"
I heard the crowd shout after they sang. I closed my eyes to stop the rising annoyance, when I couldn't take it anymore I quickly stood up.
"Are you alright?" Nicholas leaned on my arm.
"Yep... I'm just going to the restroom."