Ariella's family and the guests they invited were already settled at the long and huge table with different kind of viands at the center. Irene was sitting across the girl while Ariella was sitting beside her mother.
"Your daughter is beautiful, Alona, siguro maraming gustong manligaw sa kanya," says Ana causing Ariella to almost choked on her food.
"Naku, wala pang nagkakamali sa anak kong ito," Joey joked and everyone laughed except to Irene who's silently consuming her food.
"Dad!" she groaned but the elders just chuckled.
"I've heard hard- headed ka daw, what can you say about it, Ms. Marcos?" says Lauren in a joking manner.
"She was actually good in my class but she sometimes lack of patience, you know Biology subject is quite boring for some students," Irene chuckled and swiftly look at the young girl.
"But she's naturally smart, right Ariella?" the mestiza woman, Marjorre, spoke and wink at her.
"I don't know, no," says the girl and let out a nervous chuckle as she saw the woman's face expression shifted to sour.
The rest of the dinner went good, some of the guests already bid their goodbye and goodnight. Ariella also asked her parents that she will send Ms. Marcos to her house as it was just five blocks ahead from their house.
She was the one who drive Irene's car as the woman is kind of tipsy and tired. The girl keep on glancing at the half-asleep woman beside her, the sight of her being drunk with her matte red fitted dress turned her on. She almost couldn't put herself together.
After some minutes they already arrived in front of her house and pulled over at the spacious garage. She helped her to step out at the car, and the smell of red wine mixed with her signature scent of vanilla putting her into something she would consider addictive.
The peacefulness of her mansion was unbearable as soon as they step in inside. She once roamed her eyes to the glass divider but the picture of a young boy was now already gone. The girl wondered who he might be in Irene's life.
"Is it okay to you if I change my clothes first?" says the tipsy woman walking up the stairs, Ariella just nodded in response.
There was something inside her telling her to look for the picture of a young boy, but somehow telling her not to to avoid disappointment.
Disappointment like what? She mentally asked and unconsciously tapping her fingers at the glass table. The girl think that the woman uptairs hiding something from her, she just couldn't figure it out as the woman was good at it. Not in a way she don't trust her but the feeling when someone is lying or trying to make her believe to something that don't really exist. And that man at the school she saw at the dimly corridor. Ariella brushed her hair using her fingers and relax herself at the soft couch.
"I'm sorry for keeping you wait," she opened her eyes hearing the woman's delicate voice. Her mouth almost swung by the sight of her only wearing a thin fabric sleeping wear. A black sleazy spaghetti strap underneath her flimsy robe. It was just a casual, but the colour of it illuminating her porcelain skin. Damn.
"It's okay, I don't mind," says the girl trying what's best to pull her shit together.
Irene sat beside her and open the velvet box with a expensive necklace on it. It was a well-shaped infinity with a grains of diamonds at the vicinity. Ariella's eyes twinkled causing the woman to chuckle lightheartedly.
"Is that for me?" she clasped her hands under her chin and smile.
"A graduation and advance birthday gift," the girl frown thingking about how closed-fisted she was despite of her richnesses.
"You're so kuripot," Ariella jokingly said, but the woman just stared at her.
"I barely give a gift to someone, but I'll make sure that they will treasure and keep it," she smiles and took the necklace on its box.
"How sweet of you.." uttered the girl and watched how she unlocked it.
"Turn around," she said and the girl quickly followed. Irene carefully wear it to her smooth neck. She lovingly held the pendant and turned to look at her, "thank you..it's beautiful," she genuinely said, the woman smiled.
A ring from the woman's phone interrupted their moment. Irene grabbed her purse sitting at the side of the couch and took her smart phone but then she pressed it to power off. Ariella got intrigued who was the caller, she wants to ask her but she don't want to invade her privacy no matter how badly curious she was. She studied the woman, how her hand traveled on her hair when she was anxious, and how her eyes become tender when she's nervous.
"Are you okay?" the girl checked her and scooted closer to the woman.
"Yes, do I look like I am not?" says the woman and let out a soft chuckle. The girl didn't buy it, she could feel the singularity in her actions and it felt so weird.
Or maybe I was just being hysterical, the girl thought and continue to examine the woman.
"You look tensed," the girl noticed causing the woman to fakely relax, "I'm not, maybe because of the wine I'd take earlier in your house," she says taking the girl's hand and squeezed it.
"I'm so tired.." Irene whispered as she bowed her head so the girl won't see the single drop of tear fell from her eyes.
Ariella frowned, "it's okay, I'll just be here for you if you need me," says the young girl but Irene withdraw her own hand causing Ariella to jolted a little.
"You do not understand," she looked away and quickly wiped the unbridled tears.
"Then make me," says the girl although there was a lot of questions running through her mind. The woman completely changed from her earlier's state after the unanswered call on her device.
"Do you think it's right to go after the barely legal girl like you? I mean.." She looked straightly to the young girl's doe pair of eyes only to see the pain cause of what she have said.
Ariella cleared her throat, "Well I guess we're not here if it's not," says the girl despite the heavy sentiment slowly consuming her composure.
"You don't really understand.." the woman whispered, the girl looked away.
"Why do you always say that--like I am not capable of understanding you? How can I help you with something you barely discuss? And I felt like you always invalidating me just because I am young, just because I am way too far to what you have become. Kanina lang we're fine, but then you suddenly become like this, what's wrong?" she resented.
Her words surprised the woman," I didn't mean to make you feel that way, trust me. I was just confused, I am sorry," she went closer to the girl and caress her hand with her thumb sitting on her palm which relaxes the girl.
"You can always open up to me, and I would do what I can to help you, okay?" Irene melted at the softness of a girl. She felt love she never felt for a long time now. She knew this girl is something more than she is expecting.
"Can I be yours already?" says the woman.
"Yes of course I don't--- wait what?!" the enthusiasm was obvious to the girl's voice. Her eyes were twinkling as she held the woman's hands. The exhilaration on her system made her embrace the woman.
"Can you be my girlfriend?" asked the girl while her eyes were focused to the woman.
The woman smiled and sealed her answer by kissing the girl's soft lips, "Officially yours,"
____
To be continued...
